Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor has directed a letter to the attorneys of Pennsylvania thanking them for the financial support of legal aid programs as a component of their annual attorney registration fee and asking for their continued support of pro bono service.

Chief Justice Saylor joined Pennsylvania Bar Association President Anne N. John in calling upon each of Pennsylvania's nearly 70,000 attorneys to provide pro bono service through direct representation of the poor and to provide additional financial support for the Commonwealth's legal aid programs.

The Chief Justice noted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court supports civil legal aid in a variety of ways, from funding a loan forgiveness program for legal services practitioners to celebrating the work of pro bono volunteers.

Additionally, the Court has made it easier for retired attorneys to provide pro bono service through its Emeritus Status for Retired Attorneys program and has approved the creation of a continuing legal education (CLE) pilot program aimed at increasing support for civil legal aid for low-income Pennsylvanians.

The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network provides the framework and structure for legal assistance for the poor which is supplemented by pro bono attorneys who provide their time and financial contributions to help fuel the important work of representing those clients who have critical needs but cannot afford to retain private counsel.

The Chief Justice thanked participating attorneys for their efforts and asked attorneys who have not yet become involved in pro bono service to please consider adding their commitment to this meaningful endeavor.

Letter of Chief Justice Saylor