HARRISBURG (May 21, 2010) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association recognized eight Allegheny County lawyers and judges with its Pro Bono Awards during the 2010 Pro Bono Celebration of Volunteers, sponsored by the Public Service Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. The awards were presented by Pennsylvania Bar Association President Gretchen A. Mundorff and PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David K. Trevaskis during the May 19 event held at the Reed Smith Centre, Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Awards recognize lawyers for noteworthy voluntary efforts to provide free or reduced-fee legal representation to low-income Pennsylvanians. Judges Awards recognize Pennsylvania jurists for improving civil legal aid. The Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award recognizes an individual lawyer demonstrating outstanding commitment to providing legal services for the needy.

The award winners are as follows:

Duquesne University School of Law Unemployment Compensation Clinic: Pro Bono Award - for providing legal students to represent unemployment compensation claimants at hearings and appeals

Judge Joseph M. James, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County: Judges Award - for the "Save Your Home" mortgage foreclosure conciliation program that matches homeowners with housing counseling agencies to reach satisfactory resolutions of foreclosure actions and, in some cases, refers homeowners to volunteer lawyers to assist in resolving cases

Deborah Kutzavitch, The Hillman Company, Pittsburgh: Pro Bono Award - for recruiting and scheduling volunteer attorneys for the Uptown Legal Clinic based at Bethlehem Haven, an organization assisting homeless women

F.J. Lucchino, Pittsburgh: Pro Bono Award - for recruiting and scheduling volunteer attorneys for the Uptown Legal Clinic based at Bethlehem Haven, an organization assisting homeless women

Judge Michael E. McCarthy, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County: Judges Award - for the "Save Your Home" mortgage foreclosure conciliation program that matches homeowners with housing counseling agencies to reach satisfactory resolutions of foreclosure actions and, in some cases, refers homeowners to volunteer lawyers to assist in resolving cases

Nicole Scialabba, Neighborhood Legal Services Association, Pittsburgh: Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award - for her commitment to legal services, which began while a student the Duquesne University School of Law and continues in her professional career as a legal aid attorney and as volunteer coordinator of pro bono and public service projects for the Allegheny County Bar Association

Joanne Ross Wilder, Wilder & Mahood P.C., Pittsburgh: Pro Bono Award - for her multiple years of voluntary work with clients of the Westmoreland County Pro Bono Program

University of Pittsburgh School of Law Unemployment Compensation Practicum: Pro Bono Award - for providing pro bono representation and counsel to unemployment compensation claimants

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.