HARRISBURG (Dec. 5, 2007) - Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy has been awarded the Bar Medal, the highest honor conferred by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is the ninth person to receive the award in the 112-year history of the association.

The Bar Medal is presented to a PBA member whose efforts have resulted in significant improvement in the administration of justice or the legal profession, or who has performed outstanding service to the association, profession or the community.

"Chief Justice Cappy's entire judicial career reflects his commitment to the fairness and effectiveness of our judicial system," said PBA President Andrew F. Susko, who presented the award to Cappy on Nov. 29 during an association event in suburban Harrisburg.

"Pennsylvanians have greater access to information about the courts and court proceedings because of Chief Justice Cappy's leadership in modernizing our courts, which includes the tremendous increase in postings of information online to be easily accessible to the legal profession and the public," Susko said.

Susko credited Cappy, who cofounded the Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness, for working to assure legal access and fair treatment for everyone. Cappy upgraded the quality of continuing judicial education for all judicial officers in Pennsylvania and set qualifying standards for defense lawyers in death penalty cases to better ensure fair delivery of justice.

During his long and distinguished legal career, Cappy has received many awards and citations from Pennsylvania universities, nonprofit groups and community organizations. His ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and transparency of the courts also have garnered national attention. Earlier this month, he received the Harry L. Carrico Award for Judicial Innovation from the National Center for State Courts, a nonprofit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice.

Cappy, who will be retiring from the bench at the end of the year, joined the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1990 and has served as its chief justice for the past five years. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Cappy's early career included service as an assistant public defender and later as chief public defender in Allegheny County. He became a judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in 1978 and was later appointed an administrative judge of the Civil Division.

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.