HARRISBURG (Feb. 24, 2011) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) presented County Bar Recognition Awards during the 45th Annual Seminar of the Conference of County Bar Leaders, Feb. 24 - 26, in State College. Twenty-four local bar associations in Pennsylvania were honored for sponsoring projects and programs to improve the legal profession, justice system and community. The awards, which are non-competitive in nature, are sponsored annually by the PBA.

"Thousands of lawyers voluntarily invest their time and talents into programs and services that improve our local communities, and this outstanding commitment to service deserves to be recognized," said PBA President Gretchen A. Mundorff. "It is important to recognize the many legal professionals that are making positive impacts on the lives of Pennsylvania residents."

The following local bar associations received awards for notable projects and programs:

Allegheny County Bar Association: Televised "Legal Briefs"
Beaver County Bar Association: Plaques Honoring Association Vets, Women-in-Law Professional Clothing Drive and Holiday Project for the Elderly
Berks County Bar Association: Pro Bono Celebration
Bucks County Bar Association: Women Lawyer Division's "Ladies Night Out and Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program
Butler County Bar Association: Consumer Credit and Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, Lawyer Referral Service Website and "Ask the Lawyer" Radio Segments
Centre County Bar Association: Donation to MidPenn Legal Services, Legal Columns in Local Newspaper and Welcome Reception for Justice Baldwin and Judge Cohn Jubelirer
Chester County Bar Association: "Wills for Heroes" Program and Earth Day/Green Technology Recycling Event
Cumberland County Bar Association: Young Lawyers Division's "Adopt-a-Family" Holiday Project and "Legal Consequences of New Technology" Presentations
Dauphin County Bar Association: "We Care about Children" Custody Attorney Campaign and New Book about the County's History of the Law and Lawyers
Delaware County Bar Association: Auction Benefitting the Domestic Abuse Project, Alternative Dispute Resolution Voluntary Settlement Program and Community Outreach Seminars
Erie County Bar Association: Strategic Planning
Franklin County Bar Association: Be Kind to Lawyers Day and "Wills for Heroes" Event
Lackawanna Bar Association: Legal Seminar Series and Legal Seminar on End of Life Care
Lancaster Bar Association: Work Share Agreement Project
Lycoming Law Association: Development of Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, "Eat & Earn" Series and "Lawctoberfest"
Monroe County Bar Association: "Wills for Heroes" Program, Support Staff Luncheon and A. Mitchell Palmer Award Dinner
Montgomery Bar Association: Norristown Middle School Civics Education Program , Young Lawyers Fantasy Football and MBA Mobile
Northampton County Bar Association: Lehigh Valley Law Explorer Post, A Show of Faith 5K Run/Walk for Makaeya Wheeler and 2010 Bench Bar Conference and U.S. Supreme Court Admissions
Pike County Bar Association: Pike County Potpourri, Donation to the Center for Developmentally Disabled and United Way Replenish the Food Banks Donation
Schuylkill County Bar Association: Coat Drive, Constitution Ads and Toys for Christmas Program
Washington County Bar Association: Marcellus Shale Seminars, Administrative Professionals Day Celebration and Educational Assistance Fund
Westmoreland Bar Association: Technology "How-To" Seminars, Advance Directive Community Program and Young Lawyers Softball Game
Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association: Public Defenders Juvenile Unit Training, Medical Society/Law Association Public Education Program and "Law Suits" Program
York County Bar Association: "Wills for Heroes" Events, "Meet Your Judges" Program and Bench/Bar Conference

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.