HARRISBURG (May 2000) -- Pittsburgh lawyer Frank J. Raymund was honored with one of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation�s Louis J. Goffman awards for his pro bono efforts in 1999. The award was presented during the Pennsylvania Bar Association�s Annual Meeting held this month in Hershey.

Named for a late Pennsylvania Bar Association president, the Louis J. Goffman Award is presented annually to an individual and/or group or organization for outstanding pro bono work during the past year. All lawyers and law-related groups/organizations are eligible for the award. The award is presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the PBA.

�The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation is pleased to recognize those individuals in the legal profession who work to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate,� said Arthur L. Piccone, president of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation. �Frank Raymund is to be commended for his tireless efforts and outstanding work in providing pro bono legal services in the Pittsburgh area.�

A volunteer lawyer at Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NSLA) in Pittsburgh, Raymund donated 1,250 hours to pro bono service in 1999. He helped over 200 low-income clients with landlord/tenant disputes and also assisted the NLSA staff lawyers with general legal research and writing.

After graduating from law school in 1988, Raymund was a staff attorney for the National Labor Relations Board until a severe illness forced him into early retirement. Today, Raymund controls his illness with medications, which cause drowsiness and hand tremors. Through dedication and perseverance, he has learned to operate the push buttons on the NSLA phones and computer keyboards. Despite his disability, Raymund has been determined to put his legal education to use to help those less fortunate.