Pro Bono Center volunteers recognized for their commitment to the cause
By Lisa M. Wolfe
For The Lawyers Journal
June 23, 2006—The 2006 Pro Bono Volunteer Recognition Event was a rousing success. Sponsored by the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Public Service Committee, the recognition event was held on Wednesday, May 24 at the Rivers Club.
Over 90 attorneys, paralegals, law students, and judges attended the recognition event, the first to be held since 2001.
"It was exciting to see so many volunteers from a number of the Pro Bono Center member organizations and projects," said ACBF Pro Bono Coordinator Lorrie Albert. Volunteers help to increase direct legal services provided to the poor through the Pro Bono Center’s 17 member organizations and projects.
"Pro bono work by volunteers is even more important today because of the ever increasing funding cuts to legal services providers and restrictions on the legal activities they are able to perform," said Albert.
Volunteer activities ranged from representing clients for Neighborhood Legal Services Association’s Protection From Abuse program and the Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Immigration Asylum Project to staffing one of the many legal clinics, including the Uptown Legal Clinic, North Hills Community Outreach Legal Clinic, and the Pro Bono Partnership’s McKees Rocks and Anti-Predatory Lending Clinics. Many family law attorneys and law students helped staff the Family Division Pro Se Program. Paralegals offered their volunteer services in many ways, from conducting client intake and scheduling to directly assisting attorneys with their pro bono matters.
"Each volunteer is important, whether it is an attorney, paralegal, law student, volunteer program director, or support staff,” said Albert. “Equally as important are the judges who show support and guidance and the law school professors who enable law students to volunteer through training and supervision. It is essential that we recognize all of them for making a difference in the lives of the indigent residents of Allegheny County."
Judges seated in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania attended the event to demonstrate their appreciation of the pro bono work done by local volunteers.
As part of the recognition event’s program, ACBA President Bob Racunas, Public Service Committee Vice-Chair James Mahood, ACBA Executive Director David Blaner and Albert also spent time thanking volunteers for their commitment to pro bono work.
Racunas expressed deep appreciation to volunteers not only as the President of the Allegheny County Bar Association, but also in his role as the Executive Director of NLSA, one of the Center’s legal service organization members.
“I have served as the ACBA President for 11 months, but as the Executive Director of NLSA for over 25 years,” Racunas said during his remarks. “As the NLSA attorney staff has decreased from 75 attorneys to less than 30, the private bar stepped up to the plate. Pro bono volunteers represent thousands of our clients each year. For that, NLSA thanks you. Equal justice starts with equal access to our system of justice. The bar association thanks our members for their pro bono public service and making our profession better.”
Mahood thanked Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Baldwin, Sister Melanie Dipetro, and Laura Mansell Reich, longtime Public Service Committee members who recently resigned, for their many years of service on the committee and their exemplary commitment to public service and pro bono work.
Volunteers also heard Jonathan McAnney, a shareholder with Tucker Arensberg, speak about his work on an immigration asylum case as part of a volunteer spotlight.
All volunteers attending received small gifts generously donated by Starbucks in appreciation for their dedication and hard work.
For more information on volunteer opportunities through the Pro Bono Center, visit www.acbf.org and click on the Pro Bono Center’s link.