HARRISBURG (April 15, 2002) - Philadelphia lawyer David Unkovic will be presented with one of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation�s Louis J. Goffman awards for his pro bono efforts in 2001 during the Pennsylvania Bar Association Annual Meeting on May 2 at 7:45 a.m. in Hershey.

Named for a late Pennsylvania Bar Association president, the Louis J. Goffman Award is presented annually to an individual and 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. �David Unkovic is to be commended for his leadership in making pro bono legal services programs available to the needy across the commonwealth.�

Active with pro bono organizations, Unkovic is a past president of Pennsylvania Legal Services, Interest on Lawyers Trust Account Board (IOLTA), Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) and the Philadelphia Bar Foundation. He currently serves on the board of Pennsylvania Legal Services.

�David has proven himself to be both visionary in his approach and untiring in reaching his vision of ensuring equal access to the justice system for vulnerable Pennsylvanians,� noted Pennsylvania Legal Services Executive Director Samuel Milkes in his nomination letter. �He has made significant differences in the lives of those in need of legal representation who otherwise had no place to go.�

Unkovic oversaw the restructuring, merger and consolidation of legal services programs, transforming a system of 17 programs into six integrated regions. He also helped legal services programs across the commonwealth to implement the best use of technology, training, pro bono initiatives and resource development.

In addition to his pro bono work, Unkovic is a past member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates. He currently serves on the association�s Task Force for Legal Services to the Needy, Part II. Unkovic is a fellow of both the American and Pennsylvania bar foundations and also is active with the Philadelphia Bar Association. He is the recipient of numerous awards from pro bono organizations across Pennsylvania, including the 2002 Pennsylvania Legal Services Outstanding Leadership Award.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School, Unkovic is a partner with the Philadelphia office of Saul Ewing LLP.