The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service recognized three lawyers, one law firm and one law school with its 2008 Pro Bono Publico Awards on Monday, Aug.11, at its Awards Assembly Luncheon in New York City, during the ABA Annual Meeting.

ABA President William H. Neukom presented the 2008 awards. "This year's recipients of the Pro Bono Publico Awards symbolize the best of our profession," said Neukom. "Through their efforts on behalf of others, they represent the tens of thousands of lawyers in this country who deliver on the promise of equal justice for all."

The annual awards honor individuals or organizations in the legal community that deliver volunteer legal services to the poor or disadvantaged.

The 2008 honorees are:

Craig Cannon of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice in Winston-Salem, N.C., who provided approximately 700 hours of pro bono service in 2007 as the National Coordinator of the ABA's Disaster Legal Services Program, jointly managed by the ABA and FEMA, and his participation with the North Carolina Bar Association's 4 All Task Force. Awards Video (Windows Media), 3:52 minutes 16.7 Mb;

Fordham University School of Law, Public Interest Resource Center, in New York City, where nearly 500 Fordham Law School students participated in some form of pro bono or public service through the center. The class of 2007 contributed more than 100,000 hours to such programs as the Domestic Violence Awareness Center and the Death Penalty Defense Project. Awards Video (Windows Media), 3:52 minutes 18.3 Mb;

David A. Kutik of Jones Day in Cleveland, who has worked actively with pro bono programs throughout his 28-year law career, delivering legal services to those in need. He established an initiative during his term as president of the Cleveland Bar Association to encourage pro bono service by that city's lawyers, and he currently participates in Saturday morning referral clinics operated by the Legal Aid Society in Cleveland. Awards Video (Windows Media), 3:44 minutes 17.5 Mb;

DLA Piper operates one of the most robust pro bono programs among law firms in the United States, with more than 95 percent of the firm's lawyers working 20 hours or more on pro bono projects last year, and with its lawyers working an average of 89 hours each on pro bono projects in 2006. Awards Video (Windows Media), 3:39 minutes 17.2 Mb.

Sarah M. Singleton, has a long-term commitment to access to justice in New Mexico. She is a past-president of the state bar association and former co-chair of its Legal Services and Program committee. She currently is co-chair of New Mexico's Commission on Access to Justice and is also a member of the Board of the Legal Services Corporation. Awards Video (Windows Media), 3:32 minutes 16.5 Mb.

More information on the Pro Bono Publico Awards and the 2008 recipients is available at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/pbp_current_recipients.html.