HARRISBURG (June 29, 2007) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) recently presented awards to Pennsylvania lawyers for their outstanding leadership in the legal profession and longstanding membership in the association. The PBA Special Achievement Awards recognize those lawyers who have donated resources and time to the improvement of the association and the legal profession. The President's Awards, bestowed at the discretion of 2006-07 PBA President Kenneth J. Horoho Jr., recognize extraordinary commitment to the association. The PBA Fifty-Year Member Awards are presented to lawyers who have been association members for five decades. The awards were presented during the association's Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, June 20-22.

The award winners are as follows:

Armstrong County
Blair F. Green, Kittanning: Fifty-Year Member Award
James D. McClister, Kittanning: Fifty-Year Member Award

Allegheny County
David J. Armstrong, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Maurice W. Baruth, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Ann L. Begler of The Begler Group, Pittsburgh: President's Award - for leadership of the PBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, service to the PBA Outreach to Children's Summit and ongoing dedication to the association
Thomas L. Cooper of Cooper & Ziegler, Pittsburgh, and former PBA president: President's Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on Lawyer Advertising and improving the image of the legal profession
Frederick N. Egler Jr., chief counsel litigation, PNC Bank Legal Department, Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for excellent service and leadership as co-chair of the PBA Technology Task Force that was responsible for redesigning the association's Web site and developing information resources to assist members
Vincent J. Grogan of Grogan Graffam P.C., Pittsburgh, and former PBA president: President's Award - for service as chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Insurance Fund and Trust
David J. Hickton of Burns White & Hickton L.L.C., Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for leadership as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on the Pennsylvania Judicial System, which examined how the organized bar and the judiciary could work together to promote and enhance public confidence in the judicial system
George J. Miller, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Roderick G. Norris, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Arnold V. Plum, McKeesport: Fifty-Year Member Award
Thomas M. Thompson, partner, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney P.C., Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for serving as chair of the PBA Business Law Section that works to modernize commercial laws to improve the state's business climate
Joanne Ross Wilder, president, Wilder & Mahood, Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee and dedicating many hours to respond to inquires on the association's ethics hotline

Berks County
Sidney D. Kline Jr., Reading: Fifty-Year Member Award

Blair County
Merle K. Evey, Hollidaysburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Butler County
Samuel A. Bruno, Butler: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald L. Ewart, Butler: Fifty-Year Member Award

Centre County
William I. Arbuckle III of The Mazza Law Group P.C., State College: Special Achievement Award - for exemplary service as chair of the PBA Editorial Committee that oversees the association's major publications for members
S. Paul Mazza, State College: Fifty-Year Member Award

Chester County
John B. Huffaker, Berwyn: Fifty-Year Member Award
H. Peter Somers, Newton Square, Fifty-Year Member Award

Crawford County
Robert B. Dornhaffer, Meadville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Cumberland County
Roger B. Irwin, Carlisle: Fifty-Year Member Award
John E. Slike, Camp Hill: Fifty-Year Member Award
William G. Watson, Camp Hill: Fifty-Year Member Award
Norman M. Yoffe, Camp Hill: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dauphin County
Floyd M. Baturin, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Samuel T. Cooper III of Dilworth Paxson L.L.P., Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for efforts dedicated to the creation of the inaugural PBA Diversity Summit held in Philadelphia last November, which built relationships among organizations committed to diversity
Thomas W. Corbett Jr., Pennsylvania Attorney General, Harrisburg: President's Award - for his creation of Operation Safe Surf, a program educating parents and children about dangers on the Internet, and for his commitment to Project Peace and other PBA programs
Andrew R. Eisemann of Capozzi & Associates P.C., Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for working to establish the PBA Military and Veterans Committee and for dedication and commitment in championing a variety of causes for veterans and military personnel
Richard L. Kearns, Harrisburg, Fifty-Year Member Award
Juliet M. Moringiello, professor, Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for serving as chair of the Uniform Commercial Code of the PBA Business Law Section and efforts to modernize commercial law
Steven V. Turner of the Office of Inspector General, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Outreach to Children Committee and for efforts to organize the interdisciplinary Outreach to Children Summit that brought together more than 200 professionals to discuss improvements in the legal, education and judicial systems

Delaware County
Edward Kassab, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Albert S. Shaw Jr., Newton Square, Fifty-Year Member Award

Erie County
Judge Warren W. Bentz, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award
William Sesler, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald W. Grieshober, Edinboro: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald C. Buseck, Fairview: Fifty-Year Member Award
Thomas C. Mangan, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Fayette County
Fred Calvin Adams, Uniontown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Franklin County
Jay L. Benedict Jr., Fayetteville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lackawanna County
James M. Howley, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
James A. Kelly, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Henry C. McGrath, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Senior Judge Carlon M. O'Malley Jr., Lackawanna Court of Common Pleas, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
James A. Oliver, Dalton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul H. Price, Clarks Summit: Fifty-Year Member Award
Irwin Schneider, Clarks Summit: Fifty-Year Member Award
Harry E. Smith, Moscow: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lancaster County
Kevin M. French of Hartman Underhill & Brubaker L.L.P., Lancaster: Special Achievement Award - for conducting research and generating reports to support recommendations by the PBA Lawyer Advertising Task Force

Lehigh County
Robert Harry Littner, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard F. Stevens, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert A. Weinert, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Howard A. Wiener, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Senior Judge Robert K. Young, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas: Fifty-Year Member Award

Luzerne County
Ralph J. Johnston, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award
Charles D. Lemmond Jr., Dallas: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph J. Savitz, Wilkes-Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mercer County
John J. Regule, Sharon: Fifty-Year Member Award

Monroe County
Maxwell H. Cohen, Stroudsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Montgomery County
Robert L. Bast, Ambler: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joel B. Bernbaum of Kane Pugh Knoell Troy & Kramer L.L.P., Norristown: Special Achievement Award - for excellent service and leadership as co-chair of the PBA Technology Task Force that was responsible for redesigning the association's Web site and developing information resources to assist members
Francis X. Diebold, Bala Cynwyd: Fifty-Year Member Award
Leon H. Fox Jr., Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf, Blue Bell: President's Award - for efforts to address critical issues impacting lawyers and their families and for dedicated support of association's programs and activities
Arthur J. Kania, Bala Cynwyd: Fifty-Year Member Award
Merton J. Matz, Conshohocken: Fifty-Year Member Award
Cheryl L. Young of Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen L.L.P., Norristown: Special Achievement Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Outreach to Children Committee and for efforts to organize the interdisciplinary Outreach to Children Summit that brought together more than 200 professionals to discuss improvements in the legal, education and judicial systems

Northampton County
Edward H. Hoffner, Northampton: Fifty-Year Member Award
William P. Hogan, Easton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Margaret H. Poswistilo, Easton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Northumberland County
Vincent B. Makowski, Coal Township: Fifty-Year Member Award
Sanford S. Marateck, Shamokin: Fifty-Year Member Award

Perry County
Allan W. Holman Jr., New Bloomfield: Fifty-Year Member Award

Philadelphia County
Edward F. Beatty Jr., Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Renee F. Bergmann of Nixon Peabody L.L.P., Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for organizing the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession Midyear Meeting in Philadelphia
Frank P. Cervone of the Support Center for Child Advocates, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for planning the PBA Outreach to Children Summit that brought together more than 200 professionals to discuss improvements in the legal, education and judicial systems
Edward L. Edelstein, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Albert J. Feldman, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Milton A. Feldman, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
H. Robert Fiebach of Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, and former PBA president: President's Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on Lawyer Advertising and improving the image of the legal profession
Robert Freedman, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Senior District Judge Edmund V. Ludwig, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Arthur N. Read of Friends of Farmworkers, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for outstanding efforts on behalf of the PBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, including development of a formal opinion about non-lawyers and notaries public who are engaged in the unauthorized practice of immigration law
Andrew F. Susko, White and Williams L.L.P., Philadelphia: President's Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on the Pennsylvania Judicial System and for ongoing dedication to the PBA
Michael L. Temin, partner, Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen L.L.P., Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for serving as co-chair of the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee and dedicating many hours to respond to inquires on the association's ethics hotline
Prince A. Thomas of Fox Rothschild O'Brien & Frankel L.L.P., Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for serving as co-vice chair of the PBA Minority Bar Committee, which planned the inaugural PBA Diversity Summit that took place in Philadelphia last November
Thomas G. Wilkinson Jr., senior member, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for efforts on behalf of the PBA Lawyer Advertising Task Force that examined current lawyer advertising and made recommendations about the future of lawyer advertising in Pennsylvania
Karen J. Vaughn, diversity program manager, Saul Ewing L.L.P., Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award - for her efforts to support the PBA Minority Bar Committee and the inaugural PBA Diversity Summit held in Philadelphia last November
Norman P. Zarwin, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Schuylkill County
Charles D. Donahue, Port Carbon: Fifty-Year Member Award
George W. Heffner, Pottsville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Raymond R. Monahan, St. Clair: Fifty-Year Member Award
John T. Pfeiffer III, Valley View: Fifty-Year Member Award
Ronald J. Ulmer, Lake Wynonah, Fifty-Year Member Award

Somerset County
Frederick F. Coffroth, Somerset: Fifty-Year Member Award

Warren County
David W. Swanson, Warren: Fifty-Year Member Award

Westmoreland County
Judge Gilfert M. Mihalich, Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

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.