The Northampton County Bar Association approved a contribution of $50,000 to North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) at a recent membership meeting to support the employment a full time staff attorney at NPLS. The new attorney position will focus on a wide variety of legal issues affecting low-income people. NPLS estimates that it will be able to serve at least 150 additonal low-income people thanks to this major gift from the Bar Association.

“These are challenging economic times,” said Northampton County Bar Association President Victor E. Scomillio. “Resources from IOLTA have been limited by the combined factors of the decline in business transactions and extraordinarily low interest rates. The Northampton County Bar Association has committed to add its own additional resources to assist NPLS funding shortfalls .”

NPLS Executive Director, Victoria Coyle stated, “In this environment a decision to say ‘yes’ to legal aid is an affirmation of the work NPLS does on behalf of low-income people in our community.” Ms. Coyle also commented that the Northampton County Bar Association’s gift will “boost morale amongst not only NPLS staff; but the circle of support that staff receives from other social service organizations when they are coordinating services for clients. Fortunately, the barrier of access to justice just got smaller thanks to the generosity of the Northampton County Bar Association.”

Both Scomillio and Coyle noted that while this is a sizeable and unique monetary donation, it is by no means the only evidence of community support from local lawyers. Members of the Northampton County Bar are involved in community service projects, both as individuals and as a collective professional organization, and they also provide pro bono services when needed, as part of the lawyer’s oath of service.

Legal aid lawyers serve their communities by providing affordable counsel to clients, meeting them in the office, representing them in court, and visiting them at home if necessary. Staff attorneys may or may not have a specialized area of law but will take on 150 cases at a time and help each client through the legal process. In addition, legal aid lawyers provide services that include workshops held at the office, outreach events and fairs held in the community and assistance at social service agencies.