Carol Mills McCarthy, a former president of the Board of Directors of Neighborhood Legal Services Association, was recently honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association with the Jeffrey A. Ernico Award honoring her exceptional pro bono advocacy efforts. 

Pictured at right, David Trevaskis of the PA Bar Association presents the Award to Attorney McCarthy in recognition of her extraordinary volunteerism benefitting the clients of Neighborhood Legal Services Association and theAllegheny County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Center. Bob Racunas, Executive Director of  Neighborhood Legal Services Association, is also pictured.

The Ernico 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 PA Bar Association Legal Services to the Public Committee that is given to honor those whose efforts have “resulted in significant improvement in the provision of legal services to the neediest among us.”

McCarthy was nominated by Max Laun, General Counsel of ALCOA and NLSA board member who recently completed his term as NLSA board president, and Robert V. Racunas, executive director of Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLSA).   In nominating McCarthy for the Enrico Award, Laun said, “Carol knows first-hand the value and necessity of quality legal representation and takes to heart her professional responsibility to help others in our community gain access to the justice system.”

McCarthy is a partner with the Pittsburgh-based McCarthy McDonald Schulberg & Joy, focusing her practice on family law issues, including divorce, child custody, support and property division.  An accomplished attorney, McCarthy is consistently rated as one the region’s top family law attorneys by Super Lawyers. She began her practice of law at NLSA where she represented low income families experiencing a wide variety of difficult family law problems.  Throughout her career, she has unfailingly advocated for pro bono legal services to those unable to pay and has supported legal aid.  Since 2011, McCarthy has taken 217 pro bono cases for NLSA clients needing Protection from Abuse orders or representation in other family law issues.

“Carol’s heart for justice truly beats loudly in providing pro bono legal services to those who couldn’t otherwise access help and we are very proud to call her a member of the NLSA family,” said Racunas.