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Lackawanna

If you are in need of legal aid, click here and fill out the PBA Pro Bono Program Legal Assistance Request Form you find there. You should also check out palawhelp.org. The search engine on the website is excellent. Enter the county where you are having the problem and list the area of law to locate resources to pursue.

If you are a pro bono volunteer, the entry below will outline how pro bono is done in this county and detail any organized pro bono program for you to work with here. You can also go to the main PBA pro bono site for lawyers, and check out and sign up on paprobono.net. Check out the https://www.paprobono.net/program-directory/ The Pro Bono Program Directory is a searchable database of organizations that are seeking the assistance of volunteer pro bono advocates. You can find an opportunity that meets your volunteer goal by using the guide's filters to find an opportunity in your locality and legal area of preference.

Get Legal Help

If you need free legal assistance in Lackawanna County, you can apply for Lackawanna Pro Bono’s services by calling 570-961-2714 or visiting our new location, 233 Penn Avenue, Scranton. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Please Remember: IF YOU HAVE A LEGAL PROBLEM, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SEEK HELP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Lackawanna Pro Bono’s services are only for people who have very low incomes.
Lackawanna Pro Bono does not handle criminal cases.
Lackawanna Pro Bono does not handle cases that are outside Lackawanna County.
Unfortunately, Lackawanna Pro Bono is not able to help everyone.

In addition to Lackawanna Pro Bono, the following organizations also provide free legal assistance to low income people in Lackawanna County:

CIVIL CASES:
North Penn Legal Services (also called “Legal Aid” or “Legal Services”): 877-953-4250 or 570-299-4100 or www.northpennlegal.org
Women’s Resource Center: 570-346-4671
Mental Health Justice Project (a project of The Advocacy Alliance): 877-315-6855
Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging (These services are for senior citizens only): 570-963-6740
Senior Law Helpline (This program is run by the Senior Law Center and is for senior citizens only): 877-727-7529
See also palawhelp.org

CRIMINAL CASES:
Lackawanna County Public Defender’s Office: 570-963-6761

For people who are able to pay for the services of an attorney and/or have a fee-generating case, but need help finding an attorney:
Lackawanna Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service: 570-969-9600

Lackawanna Pro Bono was established in 1997 to address the unmet need for free legal services in Lackawanna County. LPB provides free legal representation to eligible individuals in a wide range of non-fee generating civil matters, including child custody and visitation, child support, protection from abuse, landlord/tenant, debtor-creditor and unemployment compensation. Services are provided by local attorneys volunteering their time and expertise, and range from brief advice to representation in litigation. Family Law Help Desk, LPB’s attorney volunteers, provide free legal advice on a variety of family law issues. The Elder Law Clinic provides preparation of simple wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, as well as brief advice about civil legal problems to individuals age 60 and over. To be financially eligible for LPB’s services, individuals must have a household income of less than 125% of the poverty level. Over the years, over 400 local attorneys have volunteered. LPB has provided free legal assistance in approximately 4,200 civil legal matters, helping roughly 9,500 people.

Check out the work on pardons here at www.PardonMePA.org

Lackawanna Pro Bono Gala, Nov 9, 2023, Scranton

Pictured below, from left: Richard S. Bishop, PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis, Lackawanna Pro Bono Executive Director Sylvia Hahn, James R. Antoniono, Edward A. Monsky

Pierangeli receives PBA Pro Bono Award; three Lackawanna county firms recognized, Sept. 14, 2023

Adrienne Pierangeli of Brian J. Cali & Associates, Dunmore, received a PBA 2023 Pro Bono Award at the Lackawanna County Equal Access to Justice Awards Sept. 14, 2023, in Scranton. Pierangeli also received the county’s Sam Fallk Equal Access to Justice Award. Joined by the PBA, Lackawanna Bar Association and Lackawanna Pro Bono honored the firms Abrahamsen, Conaboy & Abrahamsen PC, Dougherty Leventhal & Price LLP and Powell Zero Mundy, recognizing that each actively practicing attorney in the firms’ Lackawanna County office accepted at least one pro bono referral from Lackawanna Pro Bono. Read more.

Pictured below from left: PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis, PBA President Michael J. McDonald and Lackawanna Bar Past President Thomas P. Cummings

Pictured below from left: McDonald; James J. Powell III; Sylvia Hahn, executive director, Lackawanna Pro Bono Inc.; Trevaskis; PBA Past President James F. Mundy and Bruce S. Zero

PBA President-elect Michael J. McDonald Receives Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award, Nov. 10, 2022

PBA President-elect Michael J. McDonald, McDonald & MacGregor LLC, Scranton, received a Lackawanna Pro Bono Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award, Nov. 10, 2022, at the Lackawanna Pro Bono Gala in Scranton. Pictured below from left, PBA Zone 5 Governor Sean P. McDonough, PBA President Jay N. Silberblatt, McDonald and PBA Treasurer James R. Antoniono.

Hahn of Lackawanna County Receives Milkes Award, Jan 12, 2021

Sylvia Hahn, the first and only executive director of Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc., was presented with the Samuel W. Milkes Award, an occasional award of the PBA Legal Services to the Public Committee, on Jan. 12, 2021, in a ceremony with Lackawanna County Bar Association (LBA) leadership. Hahn was also recognized by the LBA when Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Coordinator David Trevaskis presented her with the award at the virtual LBA annual meeting on Jan. 19. Hahn noted that she was humbled to receive the award named after Milkes, who she worked with over many years.

“Sylvia Hahn has dedicated her legal career to the purpose and mission of pro bono representation. Her enduring and steadfast efforts have promoted fair and impartial access to representation and justice for countless individuals who otherwise would find themselves with little or no legal recourse,” said Lackawanna Bar Association President Tom Cummings.

Pictured below, from left: LBA President-Elect Michael Cosgrove, Cummings, Hahn and Lackawanna County Bar Association Executive Director Leeann Munley"

Lackawanna Pro Bono 15th Annual Golf Tournament, June 14, 2021
Lackawanna Pro Bono, one of only two stand-alone pro bono programs in Pennsylvania, hosted its 15th Annual Golf Tournament on June 14, 2021 at Elmhurst Country Club. County Bar leaders Jerry Musheno and Kevin M. Conaboy served as event co-chairs. “Lackawanna Pro Bono is a vehicle through which Lackawanna County lawyers in private practice volunteer professional services to people who are faced with serious civil legal problems, but do not have the means to hire a lawyer,” said Sylvia Hahn, executive director, Lackawanna Pro Bono, Inc. PBAPro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis noted, "Sylvia Hahn and the lawyers of Lackawanna County do a great job of meeting the needs of the poor, supporting the great work of North Penn Legal Services under the leadership of Lori Molloy. Their efforts are especially needed as we move out from the pandemic and certain protections put in place to help, such as the CDC moratorium on evictions, fade away." A continuing legal education (CLE) program was presented before the golfing began by retired Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Vanaskie. Judge Vanaskie, the task force chair, addressed the recommendations developed by the PBA Task Force to update processes and technology to enable the legal system to function during future times of crisis. Pictured below: Trevaskis, Vanaskie and Musheno

Lackawanna Pro Bono Recognizes 433 Attorney Volunteers
Click here to view a list of individuals, each of whom generously provided pro bono assistance to one or more Lackawanna Pro Bono Inc. clients between October 1997, when the organization opened its doors, and the end of January 2021.

Lackawanna Pro Bono 2020 Honor Roll
Click here to view a list of attorneys who, during the year 2020, accepted one or more pro bono cases from Lackawanna Pro bono and/or served clients through the Family Law Help Desk or the Elder Law Clinic.

Lackawanna Pro Bono annual Fundraising Gala, Nov. 5, 2020
The PBA Pro Bono Office was proud to continue its support of Lackawanna Pro Bono at the Nov. 5, 2020, annual Fundraising Gala. See page 43 of the program book.

December 2018 Lackawanna Pro Bono Awards Reception

Bruce Zero, Christopher Powell, Sylvia Hahn, Joseph Price, David Trevaskis, PBA Past President Frank O’Connor, Kevin Conaboy, Judy Price, Joshua Borer, Tom Cummings, Michael Ondill and Greg Germain

Elder Law Clinic: David Trevaskis, Sylvia Hahn, PBA Past President Frank O’Connor, Edward Monsk, Theresa Hinton, Kevin Conaboy, Brenda Colbert and Greg Germain

Lackawanna Pro Bono Honors at Fundraising Gala, Oct. 27, 2016
Susan S. Belin, the Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania and lawyers Melinda C. Ghilardi and Sidney J. Prejean will be honored with the Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award during Lackawanna Pro Bono's eighth annual Fundraising Gala, to be held Oct. 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center. Shown below are Sylvia Hahn, executive director of Lackawanna Pro Bono; Mary Ann LaPorta, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Munley; Belin; Ghilardi; and Prejean. Read the press release.

Lackawanna Pro Bono Family Law Help Desk , Oct. 28, 2015
A Family Law Help Desk, sponsored by Lackawanna Pro Bono, will be held on Oct. 28, 1-3 p.m., at the Family Court Administration Office in Scranton. This free event provides the opportunity for low income individuals who have family-law problems in Lackawanna County to meet briefly with a lawyer to discuss their legal problems. The lawyer will not represent these individuals but may offer important information about the matter. To qualify for the Family Law Help Desk, a person must have a household income of less than 125 percent of the poverty level and must not be currently represented by an attorney For more information, contact Lackawanna Pro Bono at 570-961-2714.

Lackawanna Pro Bono Honors Bishop, Women's Resource Center and Dr. Wright with Distinguished Service Award, Oct. 22, 2015
Lackawanna Pro Bono's seventh annual Fundraising Gala at the Scranton Cultural Center, Oct. 22, will be highlighted by the presentation of Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Awards to lawyer Richard Bishop, the Women's Resource Center and Robert Wright, M.D. Shown below, from left, are Joseph G. Price, vice president, Lackawanna Pro Bono; Robert Wright, M.D.; Peg Ruddy, executive director, Women's Resource Center; Richard Bishop; and Sylvia Hahn, executive director, Lackawanna Pro Bono. Read the press release.

Wills for Heroes Event, Oct. 3, 2015
The PBA Young Lawyers Division and the Wills for Heroes Foundation, with sponsorship by Ballard Spahr LLP, are hosting a Wills for Heroes event in Lackawanna County on Oct. 3 at the 911 Center, 30 Valley View Drive, Jessup, Pa. Get more information. If you have any questions about the program, contact Lee Ann Munley at [email protected].