The Wayne County Bar Association (WCBA) was recently presented with the Pennsylvania Bar Association Ernico Award for calling upon all of its members to provide pro bono representation. In 2009, WCBA approved implementation of the 100 percent pro bono participation pledge based on a recommendation by its Pro Bono Committee.

The Ernico Award, named to celebrate the pro bono accomplishments of Harrisburg lawyer Jeffrey A. Ernico, is presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Legal Services to the Public Committee. The award honors individuals and groups providing unique services that significantly improve legal services for low-income individuals and families.

This year, the Pennsylvania Bar Association Legal Services to the Public Committee hits the quarter century mark in its efforts to highlight Pennsylvania lawyers who give generously of their time and expertise to provide legal services to low-income citizens. Nominations are currently being sought for the 2012 awards. Nominations for this year’s PBA Pro Bono Awards are due April 13, 2012.

The committee is also seeking nominations for its Judges Award and its Civil Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award.

Questions can be directed to the PBA’s David Trevaskis at 800-932-0311, Ext. 2236, and david.trevaskis@pabar.org.

The Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, is offering its 2011 Public Interest Law Day CLE and 20th Anniversary Celebration on December 1, 2011 from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute CLE Conference Center in the Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia.

Public Interest Law Day is designed to assist practitioners in continuing to provide high-quality legal services to poor and disadvantaged citizens. In addition to attorneys in public interest practice, this course will be of interest to pro bono practitioners and private practice attorneys who are interested in learning more about public interest law and other timely issues affecting the pro bono community.

Lawyers have a long tradition of providing pro bono services to Americans in need of legal assistance. For the third successive year, the American Bar Association is coordinating a national strategy to recognize pro bono work done by lawyers every day during its Celebrate Pro Bono Week, October 23-29.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Office is looking for volunteers to help with disaster relief resulting from the severe weather that recently struck Pennsylvania. Attorneys are needed to:

1. Volunteer at one of the 7 current disaster recovery centers (There are Disaster Recovery Centers in seven counties--(Bradford, Columbia, Dauphin, Lure, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Wyoming)
    
2. Staff a virtual law clinic. Volunteers would be on a listserv where requests for assistance would be posted. Volunteers would respond to the requests by email with the option of following up with a telephone call to the person in need. We have already had requests for people to help with insurance companies who are denying coverage.
    
3. Conduct general research on common problems. The results of that research would then be reported in a legal memorandum for use by other volunteer attorneys or consumer materials outlining the results of that research for disaster victims.

Lawyers interested in volunteering to help should complete the sign-up form, which will be processed through the PBA Pro Bono Office.

This article in the American Bar Association Journal voices the concerns of ABA President Stephen N. Zack about proposed funding cuts for the Legal Services Corporation. Zack issued a statement on July 7 that criticized a subcommittee vote to slash funding stating, “Here is an important question to ask in the wake of today’s vote: The next time a major natural disaster strikes, where should its victims turn for legal assistance in putting their lives back together?” he asked. “Because today’s cuts will decimate the operations of the local legal aid providers that normally step in to help. … Congress should look for savings in programs that don’t work. LSC works for millions of Americans across the country every year.”