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Pennsylvania Bar Association Seeks Nominations for 2020 Pro Bono Awards

Pennsylvania Bar Association logoThe Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) has announced the opening of the nomination period for the Annual Pro Bono Awards of the PBA’s Legal Service to the Public Committee.

This year marks the 33rd year that the committee has sought individual award nominees. It is also the sixteenth year for both the Judges Award, now named the Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille Award, and the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, given respectively, to a judge and a legal services attorney selected by the committee in recognition of exceptional contributions to improving civil legal aid in the commonwealth. 2020 also marks the tenth year for the Pro Bono Partner Award to a non-attorney who supports legal services to the needy.

The award winners will be acknowledged at various pro bono events throughout the 2020 year, whenever possible by PBA President Ann N. John and by PBA President-Elect David E. Schwager. This continues the tradition of PBA Presidents promoting pro bono service and civil legal aid across the commonwealth.

Much work has been done to achieve justice, but much more work remains. This is your chance to recognize and thank those who have used their talents to help the needy in your county. While the obstacles to equal access to justice continue to mount, the willingness of attorneys to help meet the legal needs of the indigent in their communities is important to those in need of service. Prospective nominees for the awards provide services that allow the doors of justice to remain open to all citizens and deserve recognition.

Nominees for the awards should meet the following criteria:

  • The nominee works in Pennsylvania.
  • The nominee, other than the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year nominees, is not employed by an organization that has as its primary purpose the provision of free legal services to the poor. The Pro Bono Partner nominee may work for such an organization.
  • The nominee has provided direct delivery of legal services or assisted in facilitating the delivery of such service in civil matters, with no expectation of receiving a fee, to a client or client group that does not have the resources to employ compensated counsel or has worked to facilitate such effort by other attorneys.
  • The nominee has made an outstanding contribution to the provision of legal services to the indigent without charge.
  • The nominee has made such contributions primarily through organized pro bono programs, lawyer referral service no-fee panels and legal services programs or has worked with such organizations to improve the delivery of legal services to the poor.
  • The nominee’s efforts have resulted in the increased access to legal services for low-income people.

This year’s nomination form is located on the PBA website off the Pro Bono Awards page at https://www.pabar.org/site/For-Lawyers/Pro-Bono-Services/Pro-Bono-Awards/Nomination-Form. The form can be completed electronically, and you will receive instant confirmation that your nomination was submitted.

If there are any questions regarding the Pro Bono Awards, please contact Pro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis: (800) 932-0311, Ext. 2236; cell: (717) 571-7414; email: david.trevaskis@pabar.org.

The deadline for nominations is December 20, 2019.  Award winners will be honored individually throughout the coming year.

 

Topics:
  • Pro Bono