Clements Honored with Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, Nov. 20, 2017
Barbara Clements, pro se coordinator for the Allegheny County Family Court, was awarded the 2017 Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, Nov. 20, in Pittsburgh. Clements interacts with thousands of self-represented litigants every year. She steers them to the appropriate legal aid provider when they are eligible for free legal services. She works closely with the court’s Self Help Center and with the family law clinics operated by Pitt and Duquesne law schools. Clements is a member of the administrative board of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, where she works with law firms, corporation legal departments, and legal aid organizations to identify areas of need and create programs to meet those needs. Her insight into the problems encountered by self-represented and low-income individuals in family court matters makes her a valuable part of the legal aid community. This year marks the 13th year for the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, given to a legal services attorney or court official selected by the PBA Legal Services to the Public Committee in recognition of exceptional contributions to improving civil legal aid in the commonwealth.
Pictured below are Barbara Griffin, director of the Allegheny County Bar Association Pro Bono Center; Clements; and Bridget Gillespie, PBA director of Western Pennsylvania Services.
Dodson of Allegheny County Receives 2017 Pro Bono Award, Nov. 20, 2017
Beth Dodson is the co-coordinator of BNY Mellon’s pro bono programs in Pittsburgh. In this role, Dodson helps to develop new projects, manage existing projects, and recruit volunteers among her colleagues. Last year, she worked with Reed Smith to establish the Financial Literacy Project, a Signature Project of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, where she serves on the administrative board. She also volunteers to take cases herself: preparing wills for low-income seniors, expunging criminal records, and helping transgendered individuals change their names to match their lived experiences. Dodson has devoted many hours — more than 30 last year and nearly 50 so far this year — to helping expand access to free legal services, and is therefore highly deserving of this award.
Pictured below are Barbara Griffin, director of the Allegheny County Bar Association Pro Bono Center; Dodson; and Bridget Gillespie, PBA director of Western Pennsylvania Services.
Program on Navigating the Naturalization Process, Pittsburgh, Dec. 15, 2016
The Allegheny Bar Association offers a CLE program titled “The Road to U.S. Citizenship: Navigating the Naturalization Process” on Dec. 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Koppers Building Conference Center, 9th Floor, 436 Seventh Ave., Pittsburgh. This fundamental-level CLE is designed to provide volunteer attorneys with the skills needed to represent clients through the naturalization process in front of Department Homeland Security-USCIS. Program registration closes on Dec. 13. Get more information on the PAProbono.net website.
Treatment-Courts Event in Pittsburgh, Nov. 17, 2016
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law will host Problem-Solving Justice: Treatment Courts in Pennsylvania, on Nov. 17 starting at 7 p.m. at the The University Club, 123 University Place, Pittsburgh. Get more information on the PAProbono.net website.
'Helping Domestic Violence Victims Obtain Protection Orders' Program in Pittsburgh,
Nov. 4, 2016
Neighborhood Legal Services Association will be holding its Fall 2016 Seminar titled “Helping Domestic Violence Victims Obtain Protection Orders” on Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event will be hosted by Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote PC, Two PPG Place, Pittsburgh. CLE CREDITS: 3 substantive credits, 1 ethics credit. REGISTRATION FEE: No registration fee for attorneys or paralegals volunteering to take PFA referrals; $150 for non-volunteers; $500 for non-volunteers who do not want CLE credit. PRESENTERS: Lorraine Bittner, Esq., legal director, Women’s Center; Shelter Beth Keenan, Esq., director, PFA Division, Family Court, Allegheny County; Sabrina Korbel, Esq., staff attorney, Women’s Center and Shelter. The course has been approved for the listed CLE credits by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Dickie, McCamey is the CLE provider. For more information about the seminar, contact Mary Ann Troper-Malley at 412-586-6134. Space is limited Please make sure to bring photo ID with you to the CLE, as this seminar is being held in a secure building and photo ID may be required for admittance to the building.
Expunging and Sealing Criminal Records to Remove Employment and Housing Barriers – CLE, Oct. 28, 2016
Noon- 1:30 p.m., Koppers Building, 9th Floor. Many Pennsylvanians are caught in a vicious cycle of dreams deferred based upon past criminal offenses. Because of their criminal record they face barriers to enable them to secure viable employment, safe and secure housing, or federal student loans for advanced educational opportunities. Learn about how the Pennsylvania expungement and new sealing laws may serve as a tool to assist individuals with reentry, restoration, and a reduction of recidivism. This training is free to attorneys who volunteer at the city-wide expungement clinic on Nov. 14 or who take a pro bono expungement case from a legal aid program within one year. Regular ACBA rates apply to non-volunteers.
Jeans for Justice Day, Pittsburgh, Oct. 28, 2016
The Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation invites you to Celebrate Pro Bono Week by holding a casual Friday to benefit the Pro Bono Center and its programs, which match volunteer attorneys with low-income individuals in desperate need of legal help. Here’s how it works: Employees of participating law firms and corporate legal departments make a small donation ($5, $10, etc.) for the right to dress in casual attire for the day instead of traditional business wear. Each office collects the donations from employees and submits the donations to the bar foundation. Don't miss out! To let us know that your firm or legal department will include Jeans for Justice in its fall plans, contact Barbara Griffin at [email protected] or 412-402-6622.
Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership Annual Meeting, Oct. 27, 2016
4:30-6 p.m., Reed Smith. The meeting will feature a presentation by Dr. Jim Withers regarding the work of Operation Safety Net (OSN), which provides men and women living on the streets in Pittsburgh with access to health care, hope, and dignity. Dr. Withers will also discuss the collaboration between OSN and the Partnership’s H.E.L.P. Project, which provides pro bono legal services to clients of OSN.
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, Oct. 24, 2016
Noon-1:30 p.m. at the Rivers Club. The Public Service Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association will thank and recognize volunteers who provided pro bono services to low-income clients in the past year through Pro Bono Center member organizations and projects. This event is free to Pro Bono Center volunteers. Join us for a fun, interactive, buffet lunch. No long speeches, just an opportunity to celebrate with fellow volunteers, recognize the winners of the 2016 Pro Bono Achievement Awards, and discover new opportunities to give back. Plus door prizes! RSVP by Oct. 17 at https://www.punchbowl.com/parties/00f0129c9261884ce0c5.
Allegheny County Bar Foundation Honors Individuals, Law Firm with Pro Bono Awards, Oct. 20, 2016
Through its 2016 Pro Bono Achievement Awards, the Allegheny County Bar Foundation will recognize six individuals and one law firm dedicated to the cause of providing free legal service to those in need. The awards will be presented at the ACBF's Fellows Reception, scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 20 at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Pittsburgh. Get more information at https://www.paprobono.net/news/article.619311-Allegheny_County_Bar_Foundation_to_Honor_Six_Individuals_One_Law_Firm_with.
Allegheny County Bar Foundation Fellows Reception, Oct. 20, 2016
The Board of Trustees and Fellows Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation host a Fellows Reception on Oct. 20, 5:30-7 p.m., at the Hotel Monaco, Pittsburgh. The evening celebrates the members of the ACBF Fellows Program, including induction of the fellows class of 2016, presentation of the 2016 Pro Bono Achievement Awards and comments by fellows grant recipients who are making an impact in the community. Cost: $25 for fellows; $40 for non-fellows. Newly inducted fellows, awards winners and their nominators will be offered complimentary tickets. For more information, contact Erin Rhodes at [email protected] or 412-402-6641.
Sixth Annual Judicial, Government and Public Interest Law Reception, Oct. 18, 2016
Public interest and pro bono attorneys will be on hand to talk with students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Duquesne University School of Law at the annual Judicial, Government and Public Interest Law Reception at the Duquesne University Power Center Ballroom, 5-7 p.m. Students at Pitt and Duquesne law schools are encouraged to attend and network with attorneys while celebrating the bench and the public interest bar. Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres with colleagues while networking and celebrating the bench and the public interest bar. Share with students interested in careers in the judiciary, government, and public interest law about clerkships, externships, pro bono initiatives, and other opportunities in our region.
Pittsburgh Lawyer McCarthy Receives 2016 PBA Ernico Award, June 29, 2016
Carol Mills McCarthy, a partner with the Pittsburgh-based McCarthy McDonald Schulberg & Joy and a past president of the Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLSA) board, was honored by the PBA with a Jeffrey A. Ernico Award on June 29, in recognition of her exceptional pro bono advocacy efforts. The award celebrates the pro bono accomplishments of Harrisburg attorney Jeffrey A. Ernico and his long-standing commitment to equal justice. It is an occasional award of the PBA Legal Services to the Public Committee, given to honor those whose efforts have “resulted in significant improvement in the provision of legal services to the neediest among us.” McCarthy was recognized for her extraordinary volunteerism benefitting the clients of NLSA and the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Center. Read the NLSA news release. Read more about the Ernico Award and past winners. Shown below, McCarthy receives the award from David K. Trevaskis, PBA pro bono coordinator, left, and Robert Racunas, NLSA executive director.
Pro-Bono Name Change Project Training, Pittsburgh, June 10, 2016
The Pro Bono Name Change Project of the Allegheny County Bar Association will be holding a name-change training on June 10, 10-11 a.m. at the Koppers Building Conference Center, Pittsburgh. For many transgender people, securing a legal name change is an important step toward making their legal identities match their lived experience. But securing a legal name change can be challenging and involve interaction with the court system, a foreign experience for many people. The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) pro bono Name Change Project provides transgender individuals with adequate legal representation, ensuring they can successfully complete the process and move forward with their lives. At this event, the pro bono Name Change Project - recipient of the 2015 New Initiative Award at the Allegheny County bar Association Pro Bono Achievement Awards - is offering training to all Allegheny County attorneys interested in providing a valuable service to Pittsburgh's transgender community. Get more information on the PA probono.net website or contact Barb Griffin at the ACBA, [email protected].
Dickie McCamey Announces Associate Mazzarese as 2016 Pro Bono Award Winner, May 4, 2016
The law firm of Dickie McCamey & Chilcote PC has announced that Amee L. Mazzarese is the 2016 recipient of the firm’s David B. Fawcett Pro Bono Service Award. Ms. Mazzarese, an associate with the firm, is recognized for giving her time to those in need — a tradition and attribute of the award’s namesake, David B. Fawcett. Shown above along with Ms. Mazzarese are the firm’s five other associates who were finalists for the award, from left, Paul A. Roman Jr., Ashley E. Sharek, Ms. Mazzarese, Genevieve A. Pecharka, Maureen K. Cosgrove and Jason L. Ott. Read more about the award on the firm's website.
ACBF Seeks Nominations for Red Tie Gala Awards to Be Presented March 12, 2016
The Allegheny County Bar Foundation is seeking nominations for two special awards to be presented at the ACBF's 35th Anniversary Red Tie Gala on March 12, 2016. The Heart of Justice Award will be presented to an attorney who has consistently adhered to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession, particularly service to the public. This award recognizes an attorney who has an unwavering passion for community service and displays outstanding character and integrity. The recipient must be a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association who has been actively engaged in the practice of law for many years, during which substantial time has been dedicated toward service to the public. The ACBF Young Professional Award of Excellence celebrates the initiative and outstanding contributions of a young lawyer to the legal profession and the community. The award shall be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to pro bono work and community service. For criteria and nomination forms, please visit http://acbfgala.swellgives.com/awards.
Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership Annual Breakfast Meeting, Oct. 30, 2015
The Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership annual breakfast meeting will be held on Oct. 30, 7:30-9 a.m., at the law firm of K&L Gates, 210 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh. One hour of CLE credit is available for this program, which is free for attendees. To RSVP for the breakfast or to learn more about the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, contact Barbara Kern at [email protected] or 412-586-6138 with your attorney ID number.
Jeans for Justice, Oct. 30, 2015
Jeans for Justice is back! Join the Allegheny County Bar Foundation in celebrating Pro Bono Week and the 35th Anniversary of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation by holding a casual Friday to benefit legal services programs. Employees of participating offices make a small donation ($5, $10, etc.) for the right to dress in casual attire for the day instead of traditional business wear. Each office collects the donations from employees and submits the donations to the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. Your office can hold its Jeans for Justice day on Friday, October 30, 2015--during national Pro Bono Week--or on any other convenient date. 100% of the proceeds support programs that match volunteer attorneys with low-income residents of Allegheny County desperately in need of legal assistance. For more information or to just let the ACBF know know that your firm or legal department will include Jeans for Justice in its fall plans, please contact Erin Rhodes at [email protected] or 412-402-6641.
Annual Judicial, Government, and Public Interest Reception, Pittsburgh, Oct. 29, 2015
The Fifth Annual Judicial, Government, and Public Interest Law Reception, hosted by Pitt Law Dean William M. Carter Jr. and Duquesne Law Dean Ken Gormley, will be held on Oct. 29, 5-7 p.m., at the Duquesne University Power Center Ballroom, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh. Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres with colleagues while networking and celebrating the bench and the public interest bar. Share with students interested in careers in the judiciary, government, and public interest law about clerkships, externships, pro bono initiatives, and other opportunities in our region. RSVP by Oct. 23 by calling 412-396-6559 or e-mailing [email protected].
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, Oct. 26, 2015
The Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation will be holding a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Monday, Oct. 26, noon-1:30 p.m., at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, 510 Market Street, Pittsburgh. The Public Service Committee would like to thank and recognize volunteers who provided pro bono services to low-income clients in the past year through Pro Bono Center member organizations and ACBA/ACBF projects. Thanks in part to the generous hospitality of Fairmont Pittsburgh, this event is FREE to Pro Bono Center volunteers. The event will feature remarks from our 2015 ACBA Pro Bono Awards Winners, plated lunch, and door prizes. Join your fellow volunteers in celebration of your commitment to helping low-income residents of Allegheny County. RSVP by Oct. 19.
Meet, Greet & Train, Oct. 23, 2015
Join Transgender Legal Defense & Fund and Reed Smith LLP for a CLE training for the Name Change Project, which provides pro bono name change representation to transgender community members in Pittsburgh. The training will be followed by a tour of BNY Mellon's art gallery and a cocktail reception, and is hosted by Prism, BNY Mellon's LGBT employee resource group.
Wills for Heroes Clinic, Oct. 10, 2015
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Wills for Heroes Foundation, with sponsorship by Ballard Spahr LLP, are hosting upcoming events across Pennsylvania. At these events, free wills and powers of attorney are prepared for police officers, firefighters and other first responders who risk their lives every day to make sure our communities are safe. Programs are staffed by lawyer volunteers and are conveniently offered to first responders at meeting halls and police and fire stations. On Saturday, Oct. 10, volunteer lawyers will be conducting a Wills for Heroes Program for all Pennsylvania first responders (active and retired), all sworn personnel and their spouses, partners or significant others. The event will be held at the Pittsburgh Firefighters Local 1 Union Hall, 120 Flowers Ave, Pittsburgh. If you have questions about this event, contact Amy Rees at [email protected] or Julianne Beil at [email protected].
Racunas Honored at 2015 G.I.B.S.O.N Awards & Negro League Gala, September 2015
Robert V. Racunas, director of Neighborhood Legal Services Association, Pittsburgh, was honored by the Josh Gibson Foundation at its biannual G.I.B.S.O.N Awards & Negro League Gala, recognizing Racunas in the G.I.B.S.O.N Awards Community Service category for his work providing civil legal aid to victims of domestic violence and low-income families in southwestern Pennsylvania. Read more about the award.
PBA Pro Bono Awards Presentations, Photos in Allegheny County, Summer 2015
Nominations Sought for 2015 Allegheny County Bar Association Pro Bono Achievement Awards; Nominations Due By July 31
Get more information.
Poverty Simulation, July 28, 2015
The Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services will present a poverty simulation, a unique experience designed to empower volunteers to assist families living with very low incomes. Participants will assume various roles in families who are struggling to survive from week to week on very little. They will be given "play" money and fictional scenarios, and then must navigate through four 20-minute "weeks," balancing and negotiating the basic needs of daily life: food, housing, employment, child care, transportation, doctor visits, emergencies, etc. Go to https://www.acba.org/CLE-Events/Event-Info/sessionaltcd/NON150728PBCPovSim to register. Registration deadline: July 27.
23rd Annual ACBA Golf Tournament and 3rd Annual Bocce Tournament, July 20, 2015
Plan to join the Allegheny County Bar Association for its 23rd Annual Golf Tournament and 3rd Annual Bocce Tournament on Monday, July 20, 2015 at the Diamond Run Golf Club, 132 Laurel Oak Drive, Sewickley, Pa. The event offers a day of golf, food, prizes and camaraderie – all for a great cause! Not a fan of golf? That’s okay, because a bocce competition is also being offered for the third consecutive year. Don’t miss out on what promises to be a wonderful event! Proceeds benefit the pro bono legal programs of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation and Neighborhood Legal Services Association. For more information, see https://www.acbf.org/Attorney_Services/GolfTournament/2015_Tournament.asp.
Pro Bono Fair in Pittsburgh, April 15, 2015
The Allegheny County Bar Association/Allegheny County Bar Foundation Public Service Committee will be holding its second annual Pro Bono Fair on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 5-7pm, at Olive or Twist! in Pittsburgh. Please plan to attend this happy hour to discover all of the volunteer possibilities that await you through the Pro Bono Center. Representatives from many of the programs will be on-hand to answer any questions that you have about their volunteer opportunities. Current volunteers who bring a non-volunteer with them to the event will be entered into a special drawing. The committee also will be recognizing the pro bono efforts of law students from both Duquesne University School of Law and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Please RSVP by April 8, 2015. For more information, visit the Pro Bono Center webpage or contact Liz Gaetani, pro bono coordinator, at [email protected].
PBA 2015 A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Cooper Meets with Students, April 10, 2015
Diversity law consultant Carl G. Cooper, center, is shown below with students from Manchester Academic Charter School (MACS) of Pittsburgh (students, left to right, are Kira Joseph, Zhaemar Washington, Dorian Boyce and Micah Baldwin), on April 10 at the PBA’s 27th Annual Minority Attorney Conference in Pittsburgh, where Cooper was awarded the A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for his work promoting diversity in the legal profession. Cooper champions a diversity pipeline law-related education program at MACS and the school is in the process of implementing the PBA's Project PEACE Program. Project PEACE, a partnership of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the PBA and the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, is a peer mediation, anti-bullying and youth court training program that in Pennsylvania schools and communities enhances the skills of non-violent conflict resolution and active civic engagement that are necessary for productive citizenship. This public-private partnership introduces dispute resolution techniques first to elementary school students throughout the commonwealth while promoting anti-bullying prevention education in the schools. Youth courts, where students serve as jurors, judges and attorneys handling real-life cases involving their peers, are then introduced as students move into middle school.
