Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Awards are presented each year to individuals, groups, and/or organizations that have established excellence and diligence improving the availability and quality of civil legal services for low income people and victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania.
The list of award recipients over the years includes a variety of civil legal aid professionals and friends of civil legal aid across Pennsylvania who were recognized for their efforts in support of the clients served by the civil legal programs of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. Plaques honoring each year’s Excellence Award winners adorn the walls of the main stairway at the PBA headquarters in the Maclay mansion.
For most of the past two decades, video tributes have been shown highlighting the accomplishments of each of the recipients of the award. Those can be found at https://palegalaid.net/pennsylvania-legal-aid-network-excellence-awards
The pandemic cancelled the 2020 awards but the winners for 2021 include the PBA Pro Bono Office administrative assistant, Gabriele Miller-Wagner.
View the video about Gabriele’s service.
The other 2021 winners are:
- Wesley C. Allen, Esq.
Senior Attorney, Family Advocacy Unit • Community Legal Services • Philadelphia
- Mardi Busanus
Volunteer • Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania • Doylestown
- El Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA)
El Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (The Farmworkers Support Committee) • Kennett Square
- Robert Damewood, Esq.
Staff Attorney • Regional Housing Legal Services • Pittsburgh
- Erin Guay
Paralegal • Pennsylvania Health Law Project • Pittsburgh
- Samuel R. Grego, Esq.
Principal • Dickie McCamey, & Chilcote, P.C. • Pittsburgh
- Matthew S. Rich, Esq.
Staff Attorney • MidPenn Legal Services • Harrisburg
- Joan M. Tutak, Esq.
Senior Attorney • Neighborhood Legal Services • Butler
Of special honor is the Outstanding Leadership In Support of Legal Services Award, which will be presented to:
- Samuel W. Milkes, Esq.
Executive Director Emeritus, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc.
View the 2021 Excellence Awards program
Past Excellence Award Winners