Pro Bono Calendar

Lackawanna Pro Bono's 7th Annual Golf Tournament, June 3, 2013
Read the announcement; get the registration form.

Castille, Myers Speak at PBA/PBI 'Spring into Pro Bono Action' CLE Program, May 14, 2013
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille (below left) participated in the statewide pro bono conference and CLE program sponsored by the PBA Legal Services to the Public Committee and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) at the PBI Conference Center, May 14. Also during the event, newly installed PBA President Forest N. Myers (below right) said that pro bono and access to justice are top priorities during his one-year term. See the event brochure. Read the conference program. Read more about the PBA pro bono program.

Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association Pro Bono Program Information, May 2013

Volunteers Needed for Pro Bono Citizenship Weekend 2013, April 20-21
Join teams of volunteer attorneys in providing free assistance to eligible lawful permanent residents who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship during Pro Bono Citizenship Weekend in the counties of southeastern Pennsylvania. Click here for more information, including training dates, the list of Pro Bono Citizenship Weekend sites and the volunteer attorney registration form.

Philadelphia Bar Gets Access to Justice Grant, March 21, 2013
The Philadelphia Bar Association has received a grant from the American Bar Association's Access to Justice Commission Expansion Project to promote the creation of a new Access to Justice Commission. The grant application was submitted by the Philadelphia Bar Association's Civil Gideon and Access to Justice Task Force. Read more on the Philadelphia bar's website.

Jewell Honored with PBA's Ernico Award at Lancaster Event, Feb. 27, 2013
The Pennsylvania Bar Association's Legal Services to the Public Committee honors late Lancaster lawyer Kenneth R. Jewell with its Jeffrey A. Ernico Award. Read more about the award.

In the photo above Caroline Hoffer, Chair of the Memorial Resolution Committee, accepts the award for Jewell's widow, Rosemary, from Jeffrey A. Ernico, with, to her left, Matthew J. Creme Jr., PBA immediate past president, and Samuel W. Milkes, executive director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, in attendance.

Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Seeks Nominees for 2013 Goffman Awards
The Louis J. Goffman awards recognize the finest pro bono providers; go to the foundation website for information and nomination form; nominations deadline: April 1.

Castille, DCBA Honor Pro Bono Efforts, Feb. 19, 2013
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille was on hand as PBA staff attorneys were among those honored at the Dauphin County Bar Association's Pro Bono Reception recognizing local pro bono attorneys on Feb. 19. Gabriele Miller Wagner, PBA pro bono program administrative assistant, also was honored as a non-attorney partner for her volunteer work with the PBA Young Lawyers Division's Wills for Heroes program. Shown below at the event are, from left, Jonathan Kunkel, DCBA president; Castille; Mary Catherine Scott, Widener University School of Law professor and pro bono attorney; Sandy Ballard, DCBA Public Service Committee chair; and Dauphin County President Judge Todd A. Hoover.

York County Bar's Connor on Central Pennsylvania Pro Bono Efforts, February 2013
Read the article by Victoria A. Connor, CEO of the York County Bar Association/York County Bar Foundation, titled "What will become of pro bono? Pro bono community partnerships making a difference in Central PA," from the Central Penn Business Journal supplement, Feb. 1, 2013.

ABA Center for Pro Bono Exchange Offers Pro Bono Webinar Roundup, January 2013
The ABA's Center for Pro Bono Exchange contains a description of several webinars that may be of interest to pro bono practitioners and prospective pro bono practitioners. Read more on the probono.net website. Go to the exchange.

Gaetani Joins Allegheny County Bar Foundation, January 2013
The Allegheny County Bar Foundation has announced that attorney Elizabeth Parker Gaetani has joined the foundation as assistant pro bono coordinator. Read more on the probono.net website. Gaetani can be reached at (412) 402-6628 or egaetani@acba.org.

January/February 2013 Lawyer Magazine Features Articles on Pro Bono Service
Read "Ghost of a Chance: 'Ghostwriting' is a form of limited representation for the disadvantaged," by Samuel W. Milkes and Joseph A. Sullivan, and "The Role of the Pro Bono Lawyer," by Dick Thornburgh, as featured in the PBA's member magazine.

PLAN Program Facts though 2012
Read program facts about the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) of civil legal aid programs that provide legal representation to low income Pennsylvanians who have nowhere else to turn.

Dauphin County Pro Bono Guardian Monitor Sherry Baskin Receives 2012 PBA Pro Bono Award

'Education Issues for Pro Bono Lawyers' CLE Program in Pittsburgh, Nov. 26, 2012
A training program titled "Education Issues for Pro Bono Lawyers: Project PEACE for Educators and Lawyers" will be held in Pittsburgh, Nov. 26, 2012. The program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for three hours of substantive law, practice and procedure CLE credit and one hour of ethics, professionalism or substance abuse CLE credit. Find out more.

Washington County Honors Pro Bono Attorneys, Oct. 29, 2012

More Than 700 Events, 'Video Quilt' Featured During Celebration of National Pro Bono Week, Oct. 21-27, 2012
As part of the American Bar Association's 2012 celebration of National Pro Bono Week (Oct. 21-27), a JUST Stories "video quilt" is featured on the National Pro Bono Celebration website, offering stories from public interest advocates about their work. Click here for videos by Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille; Cathy Carr, executive director of Community Legal Services in Philadelphia; Todd A. Hoover, president judge, Dauphin County; and others from Pennsylvania. For a list of and links to some of the many events planned across Pennsylvania for 2012 Pro Bono Week, click here. From free legal clinics and other activities in Anchorage, Alaska, to Miami, and from Montpelier, Vt., to Los Angeles, more than 700 pro bono events in nearly every state - conducted by more than 300 law firms, bar associations, courts, law schools, corporations and other groups - are anticipated during the week of the national celebration and throughout October.

National Pro Bono Task Force Releases Findings in New Report, October 2012
A Pro Bono Task Force convened by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Board of Directors has released its report, including recommendations on the formation of a professional association of pro bono coordinators at LSC-funded organizations and asking Congress to create a new Pro Bono Innovation/Incubation Fund modeled on LSC's successful Technology Initiatives Grant (TIG) program. Read about the release of the report on the LSC website; get the report.

First Judicial District 2012 Pro Bono Roll of Honor
In recognition of the importance of pro bono work by lawyers to ensuring justice for the citizens of Philadelphia, the First Judicial District plans to will publish a Pro Bono Roll of Honor for 2012 and honor those listed at a reception on Oct. 24. Find out more.

Gov. Thornburgh, PBA President Wilkinson and PBA Pro Bono Office Take Part in 2012 Pro Bono Week Celebration in Berks County, Oct. 23
Former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh is the keynote speaker for the Recognition of the Berks Pro Bono Team luncheon and seminar in Reading during 2012 National Pro Bono Week on Oct. 23. Access the program for the event, which also includes a PBA Pro Bono Award presentation by PBA President Thomas G. Wilkinson, Jr. and CLE seminars by PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David K. Trevaskis.

National Organization of Veterans' Advocates New Practitioner Session, Oct. 11
The National Organization of Veterans' Advocates will be presenting its New Practitioner Session on Oct. 11 as part of the group's Fall Conference on Oct. 11-13, 2012, at the Sheraton Society Hill, Philadelphia. Click here for more information.

Sweeten the Pot: A Chocolate Event to Benefit Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Oct.4
Click here to find out more about this event to be held at the Delaware County Bar Association, Media, Pa.

Northampton County Bar Association Approves $50,000 for North Penn Legal Services, September 2012
Click here for the NPLS news release.

2102 ACBA Pro Bono Achievement Award Winners to be Honored Sept. 27
The Allegheny County Bar Association has announced the winners of the 2012 ACBA Pro Bono Achievement awards. These awards recognize individuals, law firms, legal departments and organizations that have made significant contributions to enhancing the provision of free legal services to low-income residents of Allegheny County in the past year. Click here for more information, including the list of this year's winners to be recognized at the 2012 Fellows Grand Reception on Sept. 27, with the featured speaker to be Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch.

Pennsylvania Service Connect Team Event in Harrisburg, Sept. 22, 2012
The Pennsylvania Service Connect Team (PSC) is a new initiative developed by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help former servicemen and servicewomen overcome difficulties in returning to civilian life. Read the announcement and invitation to the PSC's First Annual Service, Support & Resource Showcase Event, to be held Sept. 22.

ABA Military Pro Bono Project 2012 Summer Newsletter: Pro Bono Attorneys
Click here for the newsletter of Aug. 23.
Click here for the ABA Military Pro Bono Project news page.

North Penn Legal Services 'Raise a Glass to Justice' Benefit, Aug. 2, 2012
A benefit and awareness event in support of North Penn Legal Services will be conducted by members of the PBA Bar Leadership Institute on Aug. 2 at the Promenade Shops, Center Valley. Click here for details.

Community Education Materials on Elimination of General Assistance, Summer 2012
Under the state budget recently enacted, many of those receiving cash assistance will lose it by Aug. 1, 2012. Click here for information on the changes, as posted on the Community Legal Services of Philadelphia website.

'Pro Bono from Your Desk': An Introduction for Volunteer Attorneys on Providing Pro Bono Legal Services through the Pennsylvania SeniorLAW HelpLine, July 13, 2012
Pennsylvania SeniorLAW HelpLine, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc., will be sponsoring a free CLE volunteer attorney training on July 13. Titled "Pro Bono from Your Desk," it will be held at Arcadia University, King of Prussia. Click here for details.

Voter ID Clinic with Homeless Advocacy Project and Exelon Pro Bono Volunteers, June 6, 2012
On June 6 Philadelphia's Homeless Advocacy Project joined with Exelon Pro Bono Volunteers to conduct a clinic on Pennsylvania's new voter ID law. See photos from the event below. Click here for information on the work of the Homeless Advocacy Project.

Delaware County Bar Expands Pro Bono Efforts, Summer 2012
With the hiring of a part-time pro bono coordinator and other initiatives, the Delaware County Bar Association is expanding its pro bono efforts. Read more.

2012-13 IOLTA Grant Awards for Pro Bono Initiatives

Lieber Named 2012-13 Chair of ABA Commission on IOLTA
PBA Secretary Penina Kessler Lieber has been named chair of the American Bar Association Commission on Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA), appointed by Incoming ABA President Laurel Bellows to a one-year term that begins in August. Lieber is the first Pennsylvanian to serve as chair of the commission. The ABA commission is a nine-member body that supports the operations and expansion of IOLTA programs nationally. Click here for more information on the commission. Lieber is also currently chair of the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board and will complete her second three-year term on the board on Sept. 1, 2012.

'The Wills Project' - Training in Essential Personal Document, Pittsburgh, June 22
Neighborhood Legal Services Association will be presenting its Summer 2012 Seminar titled "The Wills Project" - Training in Essential Personal Documents in Pittsburgh, June 22, 2012. The session offers 2.5 substantive CLE credits. Get more information.

Washington State Supreme Court Adopts Limited License Legal Technician Rule, June 2012
The Washington Supreme Court has adopted a Limited License Legal Technician Rule authorizing non-attorneys to practice law in limited areas and provide limited services, effective Sept. 1, 2012. Click on the following links for more information: Washington State Supreme Court press release; Limited License Legal Technician Rule.

Pro Bono Conference and CLE Program, May 21, 2012
Join co-sponsors the PBA's Legal Services to the Public Committee and PBI for "Making a Difference: How to do pro bono without it taking over your life (and practice)" to learn a variety of ways you can answer the pro bono call to service. Click here for information posted on the PBI website.

In May 1, 2012, Speech New York Chief Judge Announces Pro Bono Requirement for Bar Admission
In his Law Day 2012 speech, New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced the requirement that lawyers must show that they have performed at least 50 hours of law-related pro bono service as a requirement for admission to the New York State bar. "We turn over a new page in the bar admission process in New York by requiring each and every applicant for admission to contribute 50 hours of participation in law-related and uncompensated pro bono service before they can practice in New York State," said Lippman. Click here for the text of Lippman's speech, as published in the New York Law Journal. Click here for a related article in The New York Times.

PBA's Pro Bono Coordinator and Past President Participate in Arcadia University High School Civics and Law Academy, May 3, 2012

White House Forum on the State of Civil Legal Assistance, April 17, 2012

Poverty Data, U.S. Census American Community Survey's Five-Year Estimate, 2006-2010, for Income at or Below Poverty Level
Southeast Pennsylvania Five-County Area; Bucks County; Chester County; Delaware County; Montgomery County; Philadelphia County

Penn State Dickinson Public Interest and Pro Bono Advocates Awards Events, April 9 and 12, 2012

Youth Courts Paper Presented March 16, 2012
As part of the 2012 Edward V. Sparer Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Gregg Volz, a Stoneleigh Foundation Fellow and public interest lawyer, presented a paper describing the support that lawyers, especially members of the PBA, have provided to the youth courts movement. The paper, "Youth Courts: Lawyers Helping Students Make Better Decisions," was co-written with David K. Trevaskis, PBA pro bono coordinator, and Rachel Miller, a third year law student at Penn. Click here for the paper, part of a symposium titled "Coming of Age Against the Odds: Advocating for At-Risk Youth," as posted to the Penn law website.

Volunteers Needed for Pro Bono Citizenship Day in Philadelphia, March 31, 2012

Public Interest Week at Penn Law, March 12-16, 2012

General Counsel Letter Thanks PBA for Support of Disaster Relief, Feb. 29, 2012

ABA GP Solo Publication Focuses on Pro Bono, Jan./Feb. 2012 Issue

March 2012 Events, As Posted to the Probono.net Website
Click on the following links for information: www.paprobono.net/events/week.2012-03-12;
www.paprobono.net/events/week.2012-03-19.

Volunteer Attorneys Needed for Pro Bono Citizenship Day 2012, March 31

Pro Bono Training on How to Handle Veteran's Benefits Case, Feb. 28, 2012
Philadelphia's Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) will hold a pro bono training program titled "How to Handle Veteran's Benefits Case" on Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will be held at the offices of White and Williams, 1650 Market St., One Liberty Place, Suite 1800, Philadelphia. To register, contact Cary Moritz at (215) 523-9587 or cmoritz@philalegal.org. Click here for more information on the HAP website.

PLAN Martin Luther King Jr. Summer Internship Program 2012 Brochure
Click here for the program brochure.

J. Gregg Miller of Philadelphia Receives Inaugural David T. Sykes Award, Jointly Presented by the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference and the Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Program, Jan. 20, 2012

Super Lawyers Pro Bono Award Recipients Include Villanova Student, January 2012
The recently announced list of recipients of the Super Lawyers' 2011 Pro Bono Awards includes Villanova University School of Law student John Rafferty. Recipient of the second-place award, Rafferty was recognized for his efforts to counter human trafficking in "dedicate[ing] his time and legal talents to anti-trafficking advocacy and training in Ecuador, the Republic of Georgia, Washington, D.C., and in his home city with the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition. Click here for more on the awards.

January/February 2012 Issue of The Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine Features Article on Post-Storm Pro Bono
The recent article titled "Out in the Community Like Never Before" by Don Sarvey, Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine editorial director, recounts the extensive efforts of lawyers across the commonwealth in providing pro bono assistance to the victims of Pennsylvania flooding in 2011. Click here for the article.

PLAN Report on Effect of Recent Funding Cuts, January 2012
According to data from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, cuts in various funding sources of legal aid present "particular challenges" in the current fiscal year. Click here for the PLAN "snapshot."

Immigration Advocates Network Introduces New Website, January 2012
With support from the Four Freedoms Fund, a new website has been created by the Immigration Advocates Network (IAN), a collaborative effort of leading immigrants' rights organizations, and Pro Bono Net, one of IAN's founders and the national nonprofit that works to increase access to justice through innovative uses of technology. Click here to reach the new site.

Pennsylvania IOLTA Board Survey of the Provision of Civil Legal Assistance of IOLTA-Funded Organizations for Calendar Year 2009 or Fiscal Year Ending in 2010

Hope for the Holiday Toy Drive, Deadline Dec. 15, 2011
The York County Bar Association/Foundation, the Berks County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) want to help ensure that the children housed at the Berks Family Shelter receive a gift in celebration of the upcoming holidays. Click here for information on how to donate.

2011 Public Interest Law Day for Public Interest, Pro Bono and Private Practitioners; Philadelphia Bar Association, Dec. 1, 2011

Thu Tran and Blank Rome L.L.P. to Receive Philadelphia Bar Foundation Awards Nov. 19

Veterans Day 2011 Message from Legal Services Corp. Board Chair
On Nov. 11, John G. Levi, board chairman of the Legal Services Corp., honored veterans for their service and for the courage that "keeps alive the values of our Founding Fathers," including the value of equal justice. Since 2002 the PBA's Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee and its LAMP listserv have helped over 2,000 active-duty personnel, veterans and their families. Click here to read the message.

ABA President Visits MidPenn Legal Services, Nov. 9, 2011
On Nov. 9, American Bar Association President William T. Robinson III visited the Harrisburg office of MidPenn Legal Services, the legal aid program providing vital legal services in the 18 county area of central Pennsylvania. During the visit he expressed concern about adequate funding for legal services. Robinson is shown below (center, with lapel pin) during his visit. Click here for the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network news release on the event.

State Supreme Court Launches Nation's First Online Training for Veterans' Court Mentors, Nov. 9, 2011
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has joined state and national veterans' groups in seeking volunteers to assist former servicemen and servicewomen who come into contact with the criminal justice system. As part of the effort, an online training program - believed to be the first of its kind in the nation - has been launched to enhance access and increase the number of people wanting to become mentors. Click here for the announcement by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Nov. 5, 2011: In Pittsburgh, Pro Bono Rocks!
Pro Bono Rocks! returns to Pittsburgh with a Battle of the Attorney Bands. Get more information, including a link for ticket purchase.

Nov. 03 - Nov. 06, 2011: 20th Annual Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
The 20th Annual Consumer Rights Litigation Conference will take place at the luxurious Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park Hotel Nov. 3-6. Over the years thousands of consumer attorneys have attended and gained insightful, useful information from experts in consumer law. Nearly 1,000 attorneys attended last year's conference in Boston. You don't want to miss the conference's cutting edge courses that will strengthen your cases, sharpen your legal strategies, and improve your results for your consumer clients. In addition to a full lineup of breakout sessions, plenaries, and the Consumer Class Action Symposium, the conference will feature a number of Intensive sessions that provide timely, in depth information on mortgage litigation and foreclosure defense, consumer bankruptcy, the FHA and RHS Loan Programs, student loan borrowers, and debt collection suits. If you have any questions, please e-mail Conference@NCLC.org. Find out more.

Nominations Sought for First Judicial District Roll of Honor; Event Oct. 27, 2011
The First Judicial District will honor attorneys in private practice who have performed pro bono services in the district during 2011 at a reception to be held on Oct. 27. For more information, as posted to the Philadelphia Bar Association website, click here.

Oct. 25, 2011: Corporate Pro Bono Day
Philadelphia VIP will be holding its 2011 Corporate Pro Bono Day on Oct. 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius L.L.P., 1701 Market Street, Philadelphia. Corporate Pro Bono Day provides microentrepreneurs the opportunity to discuss immediate and ongoing legal matters with corporate counsel from various Philadelphia-area businesses. Past volunteers include counsel from PECO Energy, Comcast Cable Communications, Aramark Corporation, Verizon, and many others. This event is limited to Corporate Counsel. For more information visit the Philadelphia VIP website.

The Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership's Annual Breakfast Meeting, Oct. 18, 2011
This year's program focuses on the pro bono programs of corporate legal departments and includes a panel of in-house attorneys from Alcoa, CBS, FedEx Ground, UPMC and others. Find out more.

Oct. 6, 2011: LIHEAP and Public Benefits Law Updates in Hazleton
A public utility and public benefits law updates CLE is scheduled for Oct. 6 at Top of the 80s in Hazleton. Click here for information, as posted to PAprobono.net.

PBA Pro Bono Office Invitation to Join the National Online Pro Bono Conversation in October 2011

Allegheny County Bar Association Pro Bono Achievement Award Winners Honored Sept. 27, 2011

Sept. 21, 2011: 13th Annual McKinney-Vento Awards Reception and Dinner
The Board of Directors of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty invites you to support its work to end and prevent homelessness by sponsoring and attending the 13th Annual McKinney-Vento Awards on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. The McKinney-Vento Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have advanced solutions to homelessness and poverty. These awards also pay tribute to two outstanding national leaders in the fight to end homelessness, Stewart B. McKinney and Bruce F. Vento. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will deliver the keynote address. Award Recipients include: Stewart B. McKinney Award: U.S. Human Rights Fund Bruce F. Vento Award: Rep. Barney Frank Pro Bono Counsel Award: DLA Piper Personal Achievement Award: Rob Robinson About the Honorees More Information Sponsorship and Ticket Information.

Sept. 16, 2011: Quiet Title/Homeownership Training (Philadelphia VIP)
Philadelphia VIP will hold a Quiet Title/Homeownership Training Program on Sept. 16 from noon to 2:15 p.m., at Duane Morris LLP, 30 South 17th Street, Philadelphia. To register, call (215) 523-9550 or e-mail phillyvip@phillyvip.org.

Fundraiser for Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Sept. 15, 2011
The Delaware County Bar Association sponsors "A Night to Remember," Sept. 15, 2011. Click here for information.

Legal Services Corp. Statement on Rising U.S. Poverty, Sept. 13, 2011
John G. Levi, board chair of the Legal Services Corp. (LSC) issued a statement Sept. 13 on new federal poverty data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data show that nearly one in five Americans qualifies for civil legal assistance at the legal aid offices funded by the LSC, more than 60.4 million in 2010 and up 3.6 million from the prior year. Click here for the press release, as posted on the LSC website.

PBA MVA Committee Co-Chair Payne Testifies on Special Veterans Courts, Sept. 7, 2011
Wesley R. Payne IV, shown above at right, co-chair of the PBA Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee, testified on the issue of special veterans' courts at a joint hearing of the state House Judiciary and Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness committees held Sept. 7, 2011. Click here for the text of the PBA statement to the committees.

PBA's Aug. 25, 2011, Statement Opposes State Legislative Package on Immigration
On Aug. 25, the PBA submitted a written statement to the House State Government Committee in opposition to a majority of bills contained in the committee's "National Security Begins At Home Legislative Package." The committee held hearings on the legislation in Harrisburg on Aug. 30-31. "As a statewide bar association, it is incumbent upon the PBA to oppose legislation that is so clearly unconstitutional and contrary to the rule of law, against public policy and principles of fairness and equality, and fundamentally flawed in conception," explained PBA President Matthew J. Creme Jr. Click here for background on the PBA position, and click here for the 22-page statement.

2011 Martin Luther King Program Summer Interns
The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network's (PLAN) Martin Luther King Jr. program for rising second and third year law students was established in 1991 to promote cultural and ethnic diversity in legal services and to honor Dr. King. Pictured here are the program's 2011 summer interns. For information on the program, visit the PLAN website.

Park Honored with ABA Pro Bono Award
Elena Park, a past PBA Pro Bono Award winner and a 2011 Goffman Award winner, was among those honored with a 2011 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award. The ABA awards were presented at the Pro Bono Publico Awards Assembly Luncheon during the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, on Aug. 8, 2011. Click here for more on Park and the other recipients of the ABA awards. Pictured below at the awards event are, from left, PBA President Matthew J. Creme Jr.; PBA Immediate Past President Gretchen A. Mundorff; Ms. Park; and PBA President-elect Thomas G. Wilkinson Jr.

State Legislative Committee Issues Positive Audit of Legal Services Delivery and Recommends More Stable Funding, May 2011
The State Legislative Budget and Finance Committee recently issued its audit of legal services funding authorized by Pennsylvania's Access to Justice Act (AJA). Documenting a well-run legal services delivery system, the audit recommends that "The General Assembly … consider making the AJA fee and surcharge permanent to provide a more stable funding stream for civil legal aid." Click here for the audit report, and click here for highlights. Click here for reaction to the report in a May 26 AOPC press release.

Disciplinary Board's Attorney E-Newsletter for May 2011 Promotes IOLTA Online Donation Option
The May 2011 newsletter from the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania features a guest editorial from Stephanie S. Libhart, assistant director of the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board, on making an IOLTA contribution to support legal aid or pro bono efforts. Click here for the newsletter or go to www.paiolta.org/donate/ for information and a link to the online donation form.

PBA Secretary Lieber Appointed to ABA IOLTA Commission in May 2011
PBA Secretary Penina Kessler Lieber has been appointed to a one-year term on the ABA IOLTA Commission. The national commission was created in 1986 and consists of nine members from across the county appointed by the president of the ABA. The commission (1) collects, maintains, analyzes, and disseminates information on programs involving the use of IOLTA funds for public service activities; (2) makes recommendations for ABA policy on the creation and operation of IOLTA programs; (3) maintains liaisons with state IOLTA programs; and (4) oversees the IOLTA Clearinghouse, which provides information, materials and technical assistance on IOLTA program design and operation. In the past, the commission has been at the forefront of encouraging states to establish IOLTA programs or convert them to mandatory; encouraging the implementation of interest rate comparability rules to increase IOLTA revenues; assisting in the defense of IOLTA during constitutional challenges; and co-sponsoring workshops for IOLTA staff and trustees twice a year, among other activities.

Lackawanna Pro Bono Inc.'s Fifth Annual Golf Tournament, Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club, Mountaintop, June 6, 2011 (Click here for the registration brochure.)

Widener Law School (Harrisburg) Students Supply Informational Brochures on Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, May 2011
In a joint project of the PBA's Pro Bono Office, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) and Widener Law School, Harrisburg , students from the law school recently supplied PALawHELP.org with a series of information brochures titled "Know Your Debtor's Rights." Find out more.

Philadelphia VIP Celebrates 30th Anniversary with '30 for 30' Challenge
In honor of Philadelphia VIP's 30th Anniversary and its commitment to access to justice for all, lawyers in the Philadelphia legal community are being asked to pledge to do 30 hours of pro bono service in 2011. Click here for information. Main program contacts: Matthew S. Olesh at molesh@foxrothschild.com and Martha (Frannie) Reilly at mreilly@foxrothschild.com.

2011 PLAN Statewide Training Conference, May 11 - May 12
Legal aid professionals and others concerned about access to justice will meet in Harrisburg for the 2011 Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, May 11-12. The PBA Pro Bono Office is a proud partner with PLAN in hosting this event, sponsoring the Wednesday, May 11, evening barbecue on the patio at the Harrisburg Hilton and conducting a session Thursday morning, May 12, on the ethics of pro se representation.

Counties Promote Pro Bono Events
Allegheny County: Law and Process of Refugee Adjustment of Status Applications, April 29, 2011; find out more; Erie County: Eighth Annual Law Day 5K Run/Walk, April 30, 2011; find out more; Monroe County: Annual "RACE JUDICATA" Law Day 5-Mile Race and 5K Fun-Run/Walk, May 8, 2011; find out more.

Philadelphia-Region Celebration of National Citizenship Day 2011, April 30, 2011
Attorneys from all practice areas are invited to participate in the Philadelphia-area celebration of National Citizenship Day 2011 on April 30. Join teams of volunteer attorneys at Philadelphia regional, Center City and community sites to provide free or low-cost assistance to eligible lawful permanent residents who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship. Free training session on citizenship procedures and fee waivers, March 23. Click here for more information.

North Penn Legal Services Staff Offers Lake Harmony Pro Bono Training, April 14, 2011
North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) and the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association, as part of the ongoing pro bono initiative for Luzerne County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will hold a day-long training program at Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony, Pa., April 14. Up to three substantive CLE credits can be earned, and the program is free to any attorney willing to accept a pro bono referral from NPLS over the next year. For an attorney wishing to attend all three credit hours but not willing to accept a pro bono referral, the cost is $15 per credit hour. Click here for more information and to register. Registration deadline: April 11.

Joint LexisNexis, Pro Bono Net Survey Finds Lawyers' Personal Commitment to Pro Bono, March 2011
LexisNexis and Pro Bono Net report in a recently released survey that lawyers engaged in pro bono work report a strong, personal commitment to it. pro bono. The survey, conducted in November 2010, also found that other lawyers also report interest in pro bono work but are constrained by time and billing issues. Click here for a report on the survey results.

Former PLAN Executive Director Howard Thorkelson Dies, Feb. 26, 2011
Click here for the obituary. Thorkelson will be honored at a Memorial Service to be held at 2 p.m. on April 16, 2011, at Messiah Lutheran Church, located at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Forster Street in Harrisburg.

Legal Aid and Bar Leaders Celebrate and Strategize on Pro Bono, Feb. 24, 2011 (click here for photos from the event)

2011 PBA Pro Bono Conference Held March 7
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille and PBA President Gretchen A. Mundorff have called for the expansion of pro bono legal services to the poor, and on March 7, 2011, nearly 150 lawyers and law students from across the state came to one of more than 20 locations to join in the statewide pro bono conference and CLE program sponsored by the PBA's Legal Services to the Public Committee in conjunction with PBI to learn about ways to serve. Click here for more information on the conference.

PLAN 2011 Excellence Awards Program Recognizes LRAP Efforts
Click here for the list of awardees recognized by the 2011 Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Awards program for their involvement in the creation of Pennsylvania's Statewide Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Click here for more on PLAN's 2011 Excellence Awards.

Pro Bono Opportunity to Help Low-Income Women in Pennsylvania in a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) Pro Bono Program, 2011
The Mid-America Pension Rights Project, a program of Pro Seniors Inc., with the Philadelphia-based SeniorLAW Center as Pennsylvania partner on this project, is currently in need of pro bono legal services to provide assistance with drafting and filing of QDROs in various communities in Pennsylvania. Find out more.

February 2011 Disciplinary Board Electronic Newsletter Focuses on Pro Bono
The recent "Attorney E-Newsletter" of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania focused on current pro bono issues. Click here for the Pro Bono Issue.

Dauphin County Bar Foundation, Local Businesses Sponsor Custody Attorney for Harrisburg Families in Need, Feb. 1, 2011
The Dauphin County Bar Foundation, with support from Metro Bank and other businesses, foundations and individuals, has announced that its “We Care About Children” campaign, which is coming to a close, is funding a custody attorney at MidPenn Legal Services in Harrisburg. Find out more.

In January Chief Justice Castille, PBA President Mundorff Urge Lawyers to Increase Pro Bono Activity
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille and PBA President Gretchen A. Mundorff have joined in calling upon all Pennsylvania lawyers to volunteer more of their time and money to help ensure that citizens with limited financial means receive needed civil legal representation. Read the news release and Chief Justice Castille's letter to attorneys.

Pro Bono Exchange Launched by ABA Center on Pro Bono, Jan. 30, 2011

PBA Pro Bono Office Joins MCAP in Series of Trainings Beginning Feb. 16
The PBA Pro Bono Office is joining the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP) in presenting across Pennsylvania a series of free half-day seminars. The program begins by outlining the history of the MCAP as an educational model for counties to address the need of representing children in certain legal matters. Please check out both the MCAP website at http://www.mcapkids.org/ and http://www.pabar.org/public/committees/childini/summit.asp. On the second site, there are two PowerPoint presentations under the heading Children's Advocates Program Presentations by Wendy Demchick-Alloy and Mary Pugh, Montgomery County Advocacy Project

The IOLTA-supported program is designed to help counties serve children. In the seminar, MCAP and PBA Pro Bono presenters will review other ways to serve children either by court appointment or through a county office. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is currently contemplating that all lawyers who represent children in these situations must attend pre-approved training seminars, so the seminar will also address and model the ways to train lawyers to serve as counsel for children.

In light of the developments in Luzerne County, as well as the mandate in the Juvenile Act requiring counsel for children, this seminar serves as a review of the various ways counties appoint counsel and guardians ad litem for children. Each program will be tailored with local Bar and pro bono leaders to both address the needs and the ways to address these serious and fundamental needs.

Check the PBA Pro Bono Calendar for dates and locations for the trainings. The first event is Feb. 16 in Williamsport!

Monroe County Bar Association Second Annual Pro Bono Conference April 20, 2011
The Second Annual Pro Bono Conference sponsored by the Monroe County Bar Association is rescheduled for Wednesday, April 20, due to bad weather on the original Jan. 12 date and the rescheduled Feb. 2 date. All else remains the same--the event is still at The Cramer Room, Burnley Employment and Rehabilitation Services in Stroudsburg, Pa. The Monroe County Bar Association Pro Bono Conference agenda begins with a buffet lunch at 11:30 AM. The following four sessions will be conducted by local presenters. The sessions include “Act 91 and Home Loan Modification”, “Home Mortgage Foreclosure Defense”, Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation”, and “Bankruptcy”. Victoria Coyle, Executive Director from North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) will close the conference with remarks on pro bono services.

"We’re pleased to be able to present a program of legal education in an area of the law that impacts so many members of our community and to do so using the food services of a program as worthwhile as Burnley Employment and Rehabilitation Services," said Jeffrey J. Kash, Esq., Chair of the MCBA Pro Bono Committee. The Monroe County Bar Association Pro Bono Conference is free to those attorneys who agree to accept two pro bono cases during the year 2011. The referrals for the pro bono cases will be made through North Penn Legal Services. Cost to attend the Pro Bono Conference (to those who do not want to accept two pro bono cases) is $250.00. This program has been approved for 3 Substantive CLE credits.

To register for the Monroe County Bar Association Pro Bono Conference, call Susan Kenny at 570-242-7288.

Nominations Sought for the 2011 ABA Pro Bono Publico Awards
The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is seeking nominations for its 2011 Pro Bono Publico Awards. Nomination forms and all supporting materials must be submitted via e-mail by the close of business on March 14. The awards will be presented at the Pro Bono Publico Awards Luncheon on Aug. 8 at the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Get more information.

32nd Annual Philadelphia Bar Association 5K Run/Walk, May 15, 2011

24th Annual Pro Bono Awards Nominations Due April 15
The PBA’s Legal Service to the Public Committee is pleased to announce the opening of the nomination period for the 2011 Pro Bono Awards, the 24th year that the committee has sought individual award nominees. This year marks the seventh year for both the “Judges Award” and the “Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award”, given to a judge and a legal services attorney selected by the Committee in recognition of his or her exceptional contributions to improving civil legal aid in the Commonwealth. The 2011 Pro Bono Awards nominations are due on April 15th and the awardees will be announced on Law Day in May. The award winners will also be acknowledged at various pro bono events throughout the remainder of the year, whenever possible by PBA President-Elect Mathew J. Creme Jr., who plans to continue to promote pro bono service and civil legal aid across the Commonwealth by honoring during his bar travels, as PBA President Gretchen A. Mundorff has done during her travels, the champions of pro bono. This is your chance to recognize and thank those attorneys and judges who have used their talents to help the needy in your county. While the obstacles to equal access to justice continue to mount, the willingness of attorneys to help meet the legal needs of the indigent in their communities is important to those in need of service and bestows honor upon our great profession. These nominees provide services that allow the doors of justice to remain open to all citizens. Please go to http://www.pabar.org/public/probono/awards.asp to nominate someone.

Flag Day CLE, June 14, 2011
Come participate in the Pennsylvania Bar Institute presentation of the PBA’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Desktop Military Reference Training, the major training effort for the Legal Assistance to Military Personnel Pro Bono Program which has helped nearly two thousand soldiers, veterans and their families over the past decade. The training will be held all day on Flag Day, June 14, 2011, in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and sent out across the commonwealth by satellite. Join attorneys and judges who will be presenting and learning about the legal issues that impact active, guard and reserve armed forces.

Additionally, the program is meant to continue to encourage statewide pro bono programs to assist our armed forces with legal matters that affect them and their families. The PBA MVA Committee has worked closely with the National Veterans Education Program out of Media, Pennsylvania, the home of the Veterans Museum, as well as with Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge where the Medal of Honor Gardens have been rehabilitated with PBA MVA assistance.

Pro Bono and Child Advocacy: the MCAP Model for Helping Counties Serve Children (Accredited for 2 Substantive and 1 Integrated Ethics credits)

First Hour

Welcome; Mary Pugh, Executive Director of Montgomery County Child Advocates Program;
David Trevaskis, Pro Bono Coordinator, Pennsylvania Bar Association; Representatives of local District Attorney and local Bar Association

Overview of Pro Bono Ethic/Rule of Professional Responsibility 6.1/PALawhelp.org and PAprobono.net, Trevaskis

History of the MCAP; What a Model Child Representation Program Looks Like, Pugh

Second Hour

Overview of Children in the System; Dependency vs. Delinquency; Children in Criminal Court not as Delinquents; Juvenile Act Review, Pugh and Trevaskis

Third Hour

Local Practice with Children; What Can Be Done Locally in the Future, Pugh and others

Wrap Up/Evaluation/Where We Go From Here?, Trevaskis

First Judicial District Applauds 2010 "Roll of Honor" for Pro Bono Service
The First Judicial District's "Roll of Honor" for Pro Bono Service recognizes all attorneys who have provided pro bono services to litigants in the First Judicial District in 2010. The Roll of Honor members, and individual attorneys selected by the judges of each division for "exemplary" pro bono services, were applauded at a special awards ceremony in Philadelphia City Hall, Jan. 24, 2011. Read more.

Monroe County Hosts 2nd Annual Pro Bono Conference, Jan. 12, 2011

Frank Cervone, center, director of Philadelphia’s Support Center for Child Advocates, and PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David Trevaskis, at right in red, organize delivery of more than 4,000 toys collected during the center’s 2010 Toy Drive. More than 1,000 children served by the center received toys during the Dec. 18 distribution. Since its founding in 1977, the center has provided legal assistance and social service advocacy for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia County and has trained more than 3,500 attorneys who contribute pro bono services valued at more than $3.5 million annually.

Lebanon County Bar Association Recognizes Pro Bono Work, John H. Whitmoyer Receives Award
Read the Dec. 1, 2010, news release about the LCBA celebration of 2010 National Pro Bono Week.

PBF and IOLTA Board to Launch Statewide LRAP
The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the PBA's charitable affiliate, and the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) Board have partnered to launch the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), a statewide loan repayment assistance program to help lawyers employed at IOLTA-funded legal services organizations better manage their law school loan debt. Click here for the PBA news release on the program. For background information on the PBA effort promoting the program, led by the Loan Forgiveness Implementation Committee (sunsetted in June 2008), click here. Click here for the AOPC news release on the program. For the text of a letter celebrating the start of the program by Lou Rulli, director of clinical programs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and a tri-chair of the original PBA Student Loan Repayment Assistance Task Force, click here. Read more about the program in the attached announcement.

Lycoming Law Association Joins in Mortgage Foreclosure Counseling Effort
Read the post on the website of The Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

The York County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center Receive 2010 Louis J. Goffman Award
Find out more.

Pittsburgh NLSA’s Older & Wiser Program Wins $50,000 Award
The Pittsburgh Neighborhood Legal Services Association’s Older & Wiser program is the winner of the 2010 Emil Gumpert Award of $50,000 funded by a grant from the Foundation of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Find out more about the award.

PAProbono.net is the Online Resource for All Things Pro Bono
Looking for an opportunity to support the public good? Searching for resources to help serve a pro bono client? Check out the PAProbono.net Web site, an online resource supported by the PBA, local bar associations, pro bono referral programs, legal aid programs and private law firms. The site features a Pro Bono Opportunities Guide that allows lawyers to select their volunteer preferences, the Pennsylvania Civil Law Practice Area, an events calendar and other information to educate and inspire lawyers interested in increasing access to justice.

More Pro Bono News and Information
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Stories of Pro Bono Lawyers in Action