HARRISBURG (May 12, 2003) � The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) recently presented Special Achievement, Pro Bono, President�s and Fifty-Year Member awards to 121 Pennsylvania lawyers for their legal assistance to the poor, outstanding leadership in the legal profession and 50 years of membership in the association. The awards were presented during the association�s annual meeting April 23-25 in Philadelphia.

The PBA Special Achievement awards recognize those lawyers who have donated resources and time to the improvement of the association and the legal profession. The PBA Pro Bono awards are presented to lawyers who have committed themselves to the cause of pro bono. Through legal services offices, local bar associations and community organizations, these lawyers work to provide free legal services to the poor. The PBA President�s Awards are bestowed at the discretion of the president to recognize outstanding service during the president�s term in office. The PBA Fifty-Year Member awards are presented to lawyers who have been members of the association for 50 years.

The award winners are as follows:

Adams County
Bandy Jarosz, Pro Bono Award: Jarosz, with the Oyler and Oyler Law Firm in Gettysburg, worked through the Pro Bono Referral Plan to assist 15 needy clients last year.

Allegheny County
Robert G. Boyle, Pro Bono Award: Boyle, a sole practitioner in Pittsburgh, worked through the Allegheny County Bar Foundation�s Indigent Divorce Program, Neighborhood Legal Services Association, Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force Legal Committee and CASA to donate 250 pro bono hours to 35 needy clients last year.

Aims C. Coney Jr., Special Achievement Award: Coney, of counsel with the Pittsburgh office of the law firm of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, was honored for his leadership of the PBA Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

W. Gregg Kerr, Fifty-Year Member Award
Henry Wick Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Joanne Ross Wilder, Special Achievement Award: Wilder, president of the Pittsburgh law firm of Wilder & Mahood, was honored for her leadership of the PBA Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Lisle Zehner Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Armstrong County
Robert Pryde, Fifty-Year Member Award

Beaver County
John Conte, Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul Courtney, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge James Rowley, Fifty-Year Member Award
Barris Siegel, Fifty-Year Member Award

Berks County
Martin Binder, Fifty-Year Member Award
Lyle Hilton, Fifty-Year Member Award
David Roland, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Forrest Schaeffer Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Jesse Searfoss, Pro Bono Award: Searfoss, with the Reading law firm of Eshelman & Shucker, worked through the Berks County Pro Bono Program and MidPenn Legal Services to donate more than 38 pro bono hours to needy clients last year.

Blair County
Richard Carothers, Fifty-Year Member Award

Bucks County
Maria Judith Rodriguez-Martyak, Pro Bono Award: Rodriguez-Martyak, a sole practitioner in Doylestown, worked through the Bucks County Office of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania to donate hundreds of pro bono hours to more than 50 needy clients last year.

Cambria County
Lawrence Davis, Fifty-Year Member Award
Edward Kuyat Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
Fremont McKenrick, Fifty-Year Member Award
James O�Malley, Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert Rose, Fifty-Year Member Award

Carbon County
William Bayer, Fifty-Year Member Award

Centre County
Don Hahn, Pro Bono Award: Hahn, with the Bellefonte law firm of Novak, Stover & Furst, worked through the MidPenn Legal Services Pro Bono Project to donate 50 pro bono hours to five needy clients last year.

Chester County
Anne Marie Dwyer, Pro Bono Award: Dwyer, with the Exton office of the law firm of Fox, Rothschild, O�Brien & Frankel, worked through the Chester County Division of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania to donate 50 pro bono hours to needy clients last year.

Columbia County
David Dickson Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Cumberland County
Marylou Matas, Pro Bono Award: Matas, with the Carlisle law firm of Griffie & Associates, worked through MidPenn Legal Services to donate 826 pro bono hours to five needy clients last year.

Dauphin County
Karen M. Balaban, Special Achievement Award: Balaban, a sole practitioner in Harrisburg, was honored for her years of leadership as chair of the PBA Editorial Committee. This committee oversees the major PBA publications, including the PBA Quarterly, the Pennsylvania Lawyer, the Pennsylvania Bar News and the PBA Lawyers Directory & Product Guide.

Arthur Berger, Fifty-Year Member Award

David J. DeVries, President�s Award: DeVries, executive deputy general counsel for the Office of General Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was honored for his service as co-chair of the PBA Representation Task Force. This task force worked to address issues, in certain regions of the state, involving representation in PBA governance and other areas of the association.

William Nast, President�s Award: Nast, a Harrisburg lawyer, was recognized for his years of service to the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Richard Placey, Pro Bono Award: Placey, a partner in the Law Firm of Placey & Wright in Harrisburg, worked through the Dauphin County Bar Association and the MidPenn Legal Services Pro Bono Program to donate more than 25 pro bono hours to needy clients last year.

James Sheehan, Special Achievement Award: Sheehan, with the Harrisburg office of the law firm Wolf Block Shorr and Solis-Cohen LLP, was honored for his service as chair of the PBA Government Lawyers Committee.

Delaware County
Edwin Barnett, Fifty-Year Member Award
F. Martin Duus, Fifty-Year Member Award
Francis Lord, Fifty-Year Member Award
Walter ReDavid, Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard Sorlien, Fifty-Year Member Award

Erie County
William Cavanaugh, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Jessamine Jiuliante Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Franklin County
Norma Bartko, Pro Bono Award: Bartko, with the Chambersburg law firm of Salzmann and DePavilis, worked through the MidPenn Legal Services Pro Bono Project to donate pro bono hours to a number of needy clients last year.

Huntingdon County
Charles Swigart, Pro Bono Award: Swigart, a Huntingdon lawyer, worked through the MidPenn Legal Services Pro Bono Project to donate pro bono hours to a number of needy clients last year.

Jefferson County
Judge Edwin Snyder, Fifty-Year Member Award

Juniata County
Patricia Hertzler, Pro Bono Award: Hertzler, a Juniata County lawyer, worked through the MidPenn Legal Services Pro Bono Project to donate 75 pro bono hours to help a needy client in Mifflin County last year.

Lackawanna County
Cynthia Banks, Pro Bono Award: Banks, with the Scranton law firm of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin, worked through Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc. to donate at least 50 pro bono hours to one needy client last year.

Richard Bishop, Pro Bono Award: Bishop, a partner in the Scranton law firm of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, worked through Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc. to donate pro bono hours to six needy clients last year.

Joseph Kreder, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge William Nealon Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Powell Law Firm, Pro Bono Award: The Powell Law Firm, located in Scranton, was recognized for having all five of its attorneys donate time to pro bono cases in 2002. The firm worked through Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc.

Sheldon Rosenberg, Fifty-Year Member Award

Lancaster County
Kevin M. French, Special Achievement Award: French, with the Lancaster law firm of Hartman Underhill & Brubaker LLP, was honored for his leadership of the PBA Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Melvin E. Newcomer, Pro Bono Award: Newcomer, a partner in the Lancaster law firm of Kluxen & Newcomer, worked through the Volunteer Attorney Program of the Lancaster Bar Association to donate pro bono hours to needy clients last year.

Thomas Reed, Fifty-Year Member Award

Luzerne County
Martin Cohn, Fifty-Year Member Award
Allan Kluger, Fifty-Year Member Award
George Spohrer, Fifty-Year Member Award

Lycoming County
Charles Szybist, Fifty-Year Member Award

Mercer County
David Goodwin,, Fifty-Year Member Award
Edward Turosky, Fifty-Year Member Award

Mifflin County
Robert Ferguson, Pro Bono Award: Ferguson, an attorney in Lewistown, worked through MidPenn Legal Services to donate pro bono hours to a number of needy clients last year.

McKean County
William Higie, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Glenn Mencer, Fifty-Year Member Award

Montgomery County
J. Brooke Aker, Fifty-Year Member Award
Thomas Garrity, Fifty-Year Member Award
David Kinley Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
J. Grant McCabe III, Fifty-Year Member Award
Thomas Timoney, Fifty-Year Member Award
Alvin Weiss,, Fifty-Year Member Award

Northampton County
Paul J. Harak, Pro Bono Award: Harak, with the Bethlehem law firm of Boyer & Holzinger, worked through the North Penn Legal Services Fair Share/Pro Bono Program to donate over 75 pro bono hours to 17 needy clients last year.

Frank Poswistilo, Fifty-Year Member Award

Philadelphia
Frank Abbott, Fifty-Year Member Award

Professor Marina Angel, Special Achievement Award: Angel, a professor at the Temple University Beasley School of Law, was honored for her work as chair of the PBA Women in the Profession Report Card Committee since 2001. Her efforts have helped to educate PBA members about the status of women in the legal profession in Pennsylvania.

Michael L. Banks & J. Gordon Cooney Jr., Pro Bono awards: Banks & Cooney, partners in the Philadelphia office of the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, have worked through the Louisiana Capital Defense Project to donate more than 1400 pro bono hours over the past five years to represent a death row inmate in Louisiana. Since the beginning of the representation, the team lead by Banks and Cooney has donated over $1 million of legal services to the case.

Robert Blanck, Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas S. Brown, President�s Award: Brown, a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Hecker Brown Sherry and Johnson LLP, was honored for his service as co-chair of the PBA Representation Task Force. This task force worked to address issues, in certain regions of the state, involving representation in PBA governance and other areas of the association.

David Cohen, Fifty-Year Member Award

Jarett B. Decker & Lindsey B. Pockers, Pro Bono awards: Decker & Pockers, associates in the Philadelphia office of the law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP, have donated over 1,100 pro bono hours over the past three years to represent a Pennsylvania death row inmate in his post-conviction appeals.

Frank Deming, Fifty-Year Member Award
Park Dilks Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph Flanagan Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
John Fullam, Fifty-Year Member Award
Gordon Gerber, Fifty-Year Member Award
Perrin Hamilton, Fifty-Year Member Award
Tom Hyndman Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
Bernard Katz, Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert Landis, Fifty-Year Member Award
Edward Madeira Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award
George Nofer, Fifty-Year Member Award

Georgina L. O�Hara, Pro Bono Award: O�Hara, with the Philadelphia office of the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, worked through the Women Against Abuse Program to donate more than 180 pro bono hours to a number of needy clients last year.

Esther Polen, Fifty-Year Member Award

Barbara T. Sicalides, Pro Bono Award: Sicalides, a partner in the Philadelphia office of the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP, was recognized for her service as the immediate past president of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP). In 2002, VIP assisted more the 1,000 needy clients.

Robert Smith, Fifty-Year Member Award

Howard M. Soloman, Pro Bono Award: Soloman, with the Philadelphia law firm of Abrahams, Loewenstein & Bushman P.C., worked through the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) to help 20 needy clients last year. He also serves as an instructor at the VIP�s probate CLE training programs.

Michael L. Temin, Special Achievement Award: Temin, a partner in the Philadelphia office of the law firm of Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP, was honored for his leadership of the PBA Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Joseph Weintraub, Fifty-Year Member Award,

Thomas G. Wilkinson, Special Achievement Award: Wilkinson, a senior member of the Philadelphia law firm of Cozen O'Connor, was honored for his leadership of the PBA Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Michael L. Viola, Pro Bono Award: Viola, a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Shainberg & Viola, was recognized for his work with the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Inc., in Philadelphia. During his involvement with the organization, Viola has donated more than 500 pro bono hours to assist needy clients.

Schuylkill County
Bruce L. Baldwin, Pro Bono Award: Baldwin, a partner in the Pottstown law firm of Wolf, Baldwin & Associates P.C., worked through Montgomery County Legal Aid Service, a division of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, to donate 100 pro bono hours to 11 needy clients last year.

Snyder County
Irvin Graybill Jr., Fifty-Year Member Award

Somerset County
Judge Norman Shaulis, Fifty-Year Member Award

Tioga County
Edward Owlett, Fifty-Year Member Award

Union County
A. Thomas Wilson, Fifty-Year Member Award

Venango County
John McFate, Fifty-Year Member Award

Washington County
Melvin Bassi, Fifty-Year Member Award
Patrick Derrico, Fifty-Year Member Award
Clyde Tempest, Fifty-Year Member Award

Westmoreland County
P. Sean Cassidy, Pro Bono Award: Cassidy, a partner in the Greensburg law firm of Cassidy Kotjarapoglus & Pohland, LLC, worked through the Westmoreland Pro Bono Program to donate 60 pro bono hours to one needy client last year.

B. Patrick Costello, Fifty-Year Member Award
Irving Green, Fifty-Year Member Award
William Nee, Fifty-Year Member Award
H. Nevin Wollam, Fifty-Year Member Award

York County
Andrea Anderson, Pro Bono Award: Anderson, owner of the Anderson Law Office in Red Lion, worked through the Pro Bono Services of the York County Bar Association to donate more than 75 hours to two needy clients last year.

Robert Brown, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Joseph Erb, Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge John Miller, Fifty-Year Member Award
Lavere Senft, Fifty-Year Member Award
Wentworth Vedder, Fifty-Year Member Award