Civil Law

The Legal Services to the Public Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association issued its 2007 Pro Bono Awards to deserving attorneys from across the Commonwealth at the Children's Summit held on May 24 in Harrisburg, which served as its annual Pro Bono Conference this year. Also being recognized at that time were the winners of the 2007 Judges Award and the 2007 Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the year.

The Judges Award is given each year to the judge(s) selected by the Legal Services to the Public Committee as having made the greatest contribution to improving civil legal aid in the Commonwealth.

The winners of the Judges Award this year were:

• The Honorable Chester T. Harhut: President Judge, Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas-Scanton, Lackawanna County (Nominated by Carlene Gallo, Esquire and Robert Gownley, Esquire of Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.); and
  
  
• The Honorable Katherine B. L. Platt: Judge, Chester County Court of Common Pleas-West Chester, Chester County (Nominated by Wendy Hoffman, Executive Director, Chester County Bar Association.)

The winner of the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year was Stephen R. Krone, Esquire: MidPenn Legal Services-Harrisburg, Dauphin County, who was nominated by Rhodia Thomas, Esquire, Executive Director of MidPenn Legal Services.

The Attorney Pro Bono Awards honor lawyers who fulfill the requirements of the profession to provide pro bono service in ways that deserve special recognition. Winners of the award for 2007 come from a variety of sources and were nominated for their work in a number of varied areas of the law.

The 2007 Attorney Pro Bono Award Winners include:

• Abrahamsen Moran & Conaboy: Scranton, Lackawanna County (Nominated by Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.)

• Donna L. Adelsberger, Esquire: Donna Adelsberger & Associates. P.C. -Glenside, Montgomery County (Nominated by Wendy Denchick-Alloy, Esquire and Mary C. Pugh, Esquire of the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project)

• Robert D. Bacher, Esquire: Golin, Haefner & Bacher-Lancaster, Lancaster County (Nominated by the Lancaster Bar Association)

• Denise Bierly, Esquire: Delafield, McGee, Jones, and Kauffman-State College, Centre County (Nominated by MidPenn Legal Services)

• Brian J. Bluth, Esquire: McCormick Law Firm--Williamsport, Lycoming County (Nominated by Danna Rich-Collins, Managing Person/Pro Bono Coordinator, North Penn Legal Services and Jessica Engel, Lycoming Law Association)

• Rebecca Bowman, Esquire: Washington, Washington County (Nominated by Debbie Gardner, Interfaith Hospitality Network of the South Hills)

• Yvonne R. Bradley, Esquire: Chester, Delaware County (Nominated by Kevin Tyler, Paralegal, Pro Bono Coordinator)

• Brier & Brier: Scranton, Lackawanna County (Nominated by Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.)

• Romanna C. Butcher, Esquire: Norristown, Montgomery County (Nominated by Harvey Strauss, Co-Executive Director and Michele Beasley, Pro Bono Coordinator, Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania)

• Joseph Colavecchi, Esquire: Colavecchi and Colavecchi -Clearfield, Clearfield County (Nominated by MidPenn Legal Services)

• Edson S. Crafts, III, Esquire: Solo Practitioner--Huntingdon, Huntingdon County (Nominated by private attorney Michael M. Kipphan, Esquire)

• Charles S. Cusick, Jr., Esquire: New Castle, Lawrence County (Nominated by Neighborhood Legal Services, New Castle)

• Cozen O'Connor: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (Nominated by H. Robert Fiebach, Esquire)

• Kelly Dilts, Esquire: Law Office of Roy Keefer -Gettysburg, Adams County (Nominated by Crystal Golden)

• PECO (Exelon Corporation Legal Department). (Nominated by Kevin D. Stepanuk)

• Saul Ewing LLP: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (Nominated by Stephen S. Aichele, Esquire, Firm Chairman, Karen Forman, Esquire, Firm Pro Bono Counsel)

• John W. Frommer, III, Esquire: Smigel, Anderson & Sacks, LLP-Harrisburg, Dauphin County (Nominated by Sandy Ballard, Dauphin County Pro Bono Coordinator)

• Betsy A. Gerber, Esquire: Cozen O'Connor-Philadelphia, Philadelphia County (Nominated by Ceil O'Connor and Cozen O'Connor)

• William Gierasch, Jr., Esquire: Stock and Leader-York, York County (Nominated by Susan R. Emmons, MidPenn Legal Services)

• Stuart L. Hall, Esquire: Miller and Hall-Lock Haven, Clinton County (Nominated by Danna Rich-Collins, Managing Person/Pro Bono Coordinator)

• Hannah Herman-Snyder, Esquire: Griffie & Associates - Carlisle, Cumberland County (Nominated by Grade D'Alo, Manager, MidPenn Legal Services)

• Brad Koplinski, Esquire: Department of Auditor General-Harrisburg, Dauphin County (Nominated by Randi Blackman-Teplitz, Esquire)

• Alison B. Long, Esquire: Law Office of William L. Goldman-Doylestown, Bucks County (Nominated by Randi Riefner, Pro Bono Coordinator, Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania-Bucks County Division)

• Laura A. Maines, Esquire: Reed Smith LLP-Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (Nominated by Lorrie Albert, Pro Bono Coordinator, Allegheny County Bar Association on behalf of the ACBA Public Service Committee)

• Joseph C. Mesics, Esquire: Feeman, Mesics & Hopstetter-Lebanon, Lebanon County (Nominated by Laurie Yurejefcic, MidPenn Legal Services)

• J. Gregory Moore, Esquire: Erie, Erie County (Nominated by David A. Baxter, Coordinator, LAVA)

• Terence O'Halloran, Esquire: Greensburg, Westmoreland County (Nominated by Iva Munk)

• Elena Park, Esquire: Cozen O'Connor-West Conshohocken, Montgomery County (Nominated by Ceil O'Connor and Cozen O'Connor)

• Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership: Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (Nominated by Jeffrey D. Heeter, Esquire, Joseph Mack, Esquire, Chairman of Allegheny County Bar Association)

• Powell Law: Scranton, Lackawanna County (Nominated by Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.)

• Frank J. Ruggiero, Esquire: Scranton, Lackawanna County (Nominated by Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.)

• Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County--Meredith Brennan, Natasha Gonzalez Rojas and Lauren Sorrentin (Nominated by Joanne G. Noble, Director of Pro Bono Services and Mark Momjian, Partner in Family Law, Schnader Harrison)

• Sarah L. Shannon, Esquire: Eckert Seamans-Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (Nominated by Lorrie Albert, Pro Bono Coordinator, Allegheny County Bar Association on behalf of the ACBA Public Service Committee)

• Tina Simpson-Price, Esquire: Hoffert, Huckabee & Weiler, P.C.-Reading, Berks County (Nominated by MidPenn Legal Services)

• Debra A. Smith, Esquire: Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo-Pottsville, Schuylkill County (Nominated by James C. Bohorad, President, Schuylkill County Bar Association)

• Joseph Spratt: Bridgewater, Beaver County (Nominated by H. Bruce Curry)

Brief summaries of each winner and their pro bono contribution will be posted on the website of the PA Bar Association shortly.