Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2017 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Awards.

The Pro Bono Publico Awards program seeks to identify and honor individual lawyers and small and large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments and other institutions in the legal profession that have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to our nation's poor and disadvantaged. These services are of critical importance to the increasing number of people in this country living in a state of poverty who are in need of legal representation to improve their lives.

Nominees must meet criteria set forth by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. The Committee is currently accepting nominations from the following two categories:

• Individuals: Individual attorneys who do not obtain their income delivering legal services to persons of limited means are eligible. (Compensated pro bono coordinators are not eligible.) Individual Nomination Form.  
             
• Organizations: Small and large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments, law schools and other institutions in the legal profession whose members have collectively made an outstanding contribution toward one or more of the criteria are eligible. Organization Nomination Form. 

International pro bono work is eligible for nomination, but domestic pro bono work is given priority by the Committee. No more than five awardees will be selected from those who have excelled consistent with the criteria set forth in the nomination application requirements.

Nominations will be accepted through March 3, 2017.

The Committee will select award recipients in April 2017. All nominators will be notified about the status of the nomination as soon as possible after selections are made.

The 2017 award will be presented at the ABA Annual Meeting in New York on Saturday, August 12, 2017.

For more information on the awards, visit http://www.americanbar.org/groups/probono_public_service/projects_awards/pro_bono_publico_award.html