HARRISBURG (May 3, 2010) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will present its Michael K. Smith Excellence in Service Award to William J. Higgins Jr., Bedford County district attorney. Higgins will receive the award during the state association's Annual Meeting on May 13 in Hershey.

The award is named in memory of a young Philadelphia lawyer committed to providing legal services for low-income people and to offering law-related educational programs to students. The award is presented to a Pennsylvania young lawyer who, through his or her exemplary personal and professional conduct, reminds lawyers of their professional and community responsibilities.

Higgins was the 2007-08 chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division. During that year, Higgins focused many of his efforts on the Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, an annual project of the Young Lawyers Division.

Higgins helped expand the statewide program and he was a major supporter of bringing the 2010 National High School Mock Trial Championship to Pennsylvania, said Ryan Blazure, a Wilkes-Barre-based lawyer who succeeded Higgins as chair of the Young Lawyers Division. The national event took place May 6 - 9 in Philadelphia.

"Notwithstanding his involvement at the highest level of the competitions, Bill has and continues to serve as an attorney advisor to a local team," said Blazure.

In her nomination of Higgins, Newtown-based lawyer Michelle Christian wrote that Higgins has spent "countless hours to ensure the continued success" of the statewide program and that Higgins reminds other lawyers of "their obligation to give something back to Pennsylvania students by serving as (mock trial) judges and jurors."

Timothy S. Burns of Johnstown, the 2009-2010 chair of the Young Lawyers Division, wrote that Higgins is deserving of the award for properly balancing his professional and community responsibilities.

"Not only has Bill been a leader for young lawyers through his commitment to the mock trial program, he has also been a true defender of the legal profession with his recent prosecution of an individual for the unauthorized practice of law," said Burns. "I hope that other prosecutors follow Bill's lead and prosecute people taking advantage of individuals by falsely holding themselves out to be lawyers."

Higgins is a member of a number of PBA committees, including the Corrections System Committee, Government Lawyers Committee, Law-related Education Committee, Membership Development Committee, Plain English Committee, Professionalism Committee and Quality of Life/Balance Committee.

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.