Civil Law

The Allegheny County Bar Association Pro Bono Achievement Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the delivery of free legal services to low-income individuals in Allegheny County. The purpose of the awards is both to honor outstanding work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged persons and to encourage others to emulate such commitment to equal access to justice.

The emphasis of the awards is on the direct delivery of legal services to the poor and to small non-profit organizations that serve individuals of limited financial means. The award winners are determined by vote of the Public Service Committee, a joint committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Allegheny County Bar Foundation.

The Public Service Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 2012 Pro Bono Achievement Awards. The awards will be presented at the 15th Annual Fellows Grand Reception on September 27, 2012, at the LeMont Restaurant. The award winners and the nominators will receive complimentary tickets to the event.

The deadline for nominations is July 27, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

Nominations may be made in the following categories:

Jane F. Hepting Individual Attorney Award

This award is given to an attorney who has shown exemplary commitment to or made substantial achievements in pro bono legal services. The ACBF Board of Trustees adopted a resolution in 2002 to name this award in recognition of Jane Hepting’s dedication to the delivery of pro bono legal services through her 26 years as an NLSA attorney, the many and varied pro bono programs that she helped create and implement, her recruitment initiatives and exceptional training programs to attract and prepare volunteer attorneys, her exceptional expenditures of time and energy on behalf of pro bono legal services, and her outstanding commitment and dedication to public service, the legal profession, and the community.

Lorraine M. Bittner Public Interest Attorney Award

This award is given to an outstanding and dedicated attorney who is employed by an entity or program whose primary function is the delivery of civil legal services to low-income individuals or organizations that serve the poor or disadvantaged. The award is named in honor of the first attorney to receive it when it was established in 2005, in honor of her exceptional and career-long commitment to the needs of the poor and disadvantage through her work at Neighborhood Legal Services Association and the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

Organization Award
(law firm, corporate legal department, government legal department, or other entity or group)

This award recognizes groups of individuals who collectively or as an institution have shown exemplary commitment to or made substantial achievements in the delivery of pro bono legal services.

Special Service Awards

Individuals or organizations who do not fall into another category and who have made substantial contributions to the delivery of free legal services may be nominated and recognized in this category. Such nominees might include attorneys, judges, paralegals, law students, and others.

CLICK HERE to see a list of past award winners.

CLICK HERE to submit a nomination on-line. Or CLICK HERE for a form that you may print out. For questions or more information, contact Barbara Griffin at bgriffin@acba.org or 412-402-6668.