There is still time to nominate deserving champions of justice for the 23rd Annual Pro Bono Awards, the 6th Annual Judges Award and the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award presented by of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Legal Services to the Public Committee. The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2010.

The Pro Bono awards recognize outstanding pro bono service to the indigent, while the Judges Award and Civil Legal Aid Attorney Award are presented to a judge and a legal services lawyer in recognition of their exceptional contributions to improve civil legal aid in the commonwealth.

Nominees for the awards must meet the following criteria:

• The lawyer or judge practices in Pennsylvania.
   
•  The lawyer, other than a Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year nominee, is not employed by an organization that has the provision of free legal services to the poor as its primary purpose.
   
• The lawyer or judge has provided direct delivery of legal services in civil matters to a client or client group that does not have the resources to employ compensated counsel or who has worked to facilitate such efforts by other lawyers.
   
• The lawyer or judge has made an outstanding contribution to the provision of legal services to the indigent without charge.
   
• The lawyer or judge has made such contributions primarily through organized pro bono programs, lawyer referral service no-fee panels and legal services programs, or has worked with such organizations to improve the delivery of legal services to the poor.
   
• The lawyer’s or judge’s efforts have resulted in the increased access to legal services for low-income people.

The 2010 awards will be presented at various PBA events and at locally arranged ceremonies.

This year’s awards nomination form, which can be completed electronically, is at the link below and can also be found in the pro bono area of the PBA Web site at www.pabar.org/public/probono/awards.asp.

Questions about the awards should be directed to Pro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis by phone at 1-800-932-0311, Ext. 2236, or by e-mail to david.trevaskis@pabar.org.

Nomination Form