HARRISBURG (Sept. 21, 2005) � The Pennsylvania Bar Association Legal Services to the Public Committee will present its inaugural Jeffrey A. Ernico Award to Pittsburgh attorney James W. Carroll Jr. tonight during the Allegheny County Bar Foundation�s Eighth Annual Fellows Dinner at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center. The Ernico award was established to honor an individual who has worked to make significant improvements in the provision of legal services to the poor.

�The Pennsylvania Bar Association is delighted to recognize Jim with the inaugural Ernico Award for his tireless efforts to enhance the delivery of legal services to the poor in Allegheny County,� PBA President-elect Kenneth Horoho Jr. said during the presentation. �As president of the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA), Jim made countless improvements to the delivery of legal services and made pro bono involvement a top priority for himself and for the members of the bar.�

During his presidency, Carroll, a partner in the Pittsburgh law firm of Rothman Gordon, P.C., was instrumental in the Allegheny County Bar Foundation�s hiring of a full-time pro bono coordinator and helped to institute a greatly reduced dues structure for legal service attorneys. He worked closely with the ACBA Young Lawyers Section to create a law school loan forgiveness program and assisted in securing its funding. He is also a strong supporter of Neighborhood Legal Services� Lawyer on Loan program, which has mid-level associates from Pittsburgh-area law firms serve as NLS staff attorneys.

Carroll is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Villanova University School of Law.