The Pennsylvania Bar Association's Legal Service to the Public Committee is currently seeking nominations for the 2019 Pro Bono Awards. This year marks the 32nd year that the committee has sought individual award nominees for Pro Bono service.

Additionally, nominations are also being sought for the Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille Award, the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, and the Pro Bono Partner Award.

This year marks the fifteenth year for both the Judges Award, now titled the Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille Award in honor of the retired former Chief Justice, and the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award, given, respectively, to a judge and a legal services attorney selected by the committee in recognition of exceptional contributions to improving civil legal aid in the commonwealth. 2019 marks the ninth year for the Pro Bono Partner Award to a non-attorney who supports legal services to the needy.

The 2019 Pro Bono Awards nominations are due on Friday, December 21, 2018.

The award winners will be acknowledged at various pro bono events throughout the 2019 year, whenever possible, by PBA President Charles Eppolito, III and by PBA President-Elect Anne John, who plan to continue to promote pro bono service and civil legal aid across the commonwealth by honoring these champions of pro bono during their bar travels.

The awards present an opportunity to recognize and thank those who have used their talents to help the needy in your county. While the obstacles to equal access to justice continue to mount, the willingness of attorneys to help meet the legal needs of the indigent in their communities is important to those in need of service and bestows honor upon our great profession. These nominees provide services that allow the doors of justice to remain open to all citizens.

As you select your nominees for the awards, please keep in mind the following criteria:

• The nominee works in Pennsylvania.
• The nominee, other than the Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year nominees, is not employed by an organization that has as its primary purpose the provision of free legal services to the poor. The Pro Bono Partner nominee may work for such an organization.
• The nominee has provided direct delivery of legal services or assisted in facilitating the delivery of such service in civil matters, with no expectation of receiving a fee, to a client or client group that does not have the resources to employ compensated counsel or has worked to facilitate such effort by other attorneys.
• The nominee has made an outstanding contribution to the provision of legal services to the indigent without charge.
• The nominee 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 nominee’s efforts have resulted in the increased access to legal services for low-income people

Nominations can be submitted online at the link below. Upon completion you will receive instant confirmation that your nomination was successfully submitted. 

If there are any questions regarding the Pro Bono Awards, please contact Pro Bono Coordinator David Keller Trevaskis  at: Office Phone: 800-932-0311; Ext. 2236; Cell Phone: 717- 571-7414; Email: david.trevaskis@pabar.org.