HARRISBURG (March 16, 2001) - In an effort to educate Pennsylvanians about the important legal rights of senior citizens, the Pennsylvania Bar Association�s Client and Community Relations Committee today launched its statewide �Put Your Future in Order� public education campaign.

Joining with PBA President Marvin S. Lieber and Committee Chair Robert Davis for the campaign�s kick-off at the state capitol were Department of Aging Secretary Richard Browdie; Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Donaghue, director, Bureau of Consumer Protection; Butler attorney Gerri Paulisick, co-vice chair of the committee; and Jan Brown, member, PBA Elder Law Committee.

�This year, we are calling attention to the legal rights of our elderly citizens,� said Lieber. �As the baby boom generation grows older and passes into seniorhood, our elderly population grows larger, and it becomes even more imperative that our older Pennsylvanians are aware of their legal rights and make full use of them to protect themselves.�

The PBA�s elder law educational effort, which runs March 16 through March 30, will focus on issues relating to planning for the future, such as long-term care insurance, protecting your home and assets and the need for a power of attorney. These and other issues will be addressed statewide at local bar association-sponsored events, including free public seminars, radio call-in programs and informational expos. The campaign is funded through grants from the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation and the Pennsylvania Bar Trust.

A series of ads highlighting legal questions and a toll-free number to receive the free PBA Guide for Seniors and Their Families will appear in most newspapers statewide during the campaign. These ads are the result of a partnership between the PBA and the Pennsylvania Newspapers Association.

�We are pleased that 31 local bar associations, the Office of Attorney General and the Department of Aging have partnered with the PBA for this important project,� said Davis. �Through this campaign, we are hoping that seniors and their families will be reminded of the importance of putting one�s future in order.�

Local bar associations involved in the campaign include the Allegheny County Bar Association; Beaver County Bar Association; Berks County Bar Association; Bucks County Bar Association; Butler County Bar Association; Centre County Bar Association; Chester County Bar Association; Columbia-Montour County Bar Association; Crawford County Bar Association; Cumberland County Bar Association; Dauphin County Bar Association; Delaware County Bar Association; Erie County Bar Association; Franklin County Bar Association; Lancaster Bar Association; Lebanon County Bar Association; Bar Association of Lehigh County; Luzerne County Bar Association; Lycoming County Bar Association; Monroe County Bar Association; Montgomery Bar Association; Northampton County Bar Association; Northumberland County Bar Association; Pike County Bar Association; Schuylkill County Bar Association; Somerset County Bar Association; Susquehanna County Bar Association; Washington County Bar Association; Wayne County Bar Association; Westmoreland Bar Association; and Wyoming/Sullivan County Bar Association.

For more information on the campaign or to receive a free guide on elder law issues, citizens may contact the Pennsylvania Bar Association campaign toll-free hotline at (888) 799-4557.