Pro Bono Awards - 2002

LYCOMING LAW ASSOCIATION’S EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE AWARD 2002

In recognition of extraordinary volunteer work that demonstrates outstanding achievement and commitment to Equal Justice for the Poor.

Joy Reynolds McCoy

This year’s recipient of the Equal Access to Justice award has been participating in the referral program since 1993. While she has also been part of the Protection from Abuse panel, taking referrals on a rotating basis, averaging 3 referrals each year (some more never less) she has not limited her participation to that endeavor alone.Because of her specialty in family law, and Legal Services declining involvement in that arena due to the  scarcity of attorney personnel, she has been an invaluable resource to the Legal Services' office. She has provided training and guidance to the staff and volunteers. She has encouraged her own paralegals to volunteer their services to Legal Services' clients.When Legal Services developed the divorce clinic to aid victims of abuse she helped Legal Services' personnel to set up that program and develop the pro se documents by reviewing and recommending changes to existing documents.At that point Legal Services' offered her the opportunity to supervise paralegals who facilitated the divorce clinics. That involved reviewing the information on the client and the issues and determining whether or not the case was suitable for the clinic, overseeing the clinics and the filing and preparation of documents until the decree is entered. It was understood that she would only have two clinics a year, and that would serve as her "fair share participation".  She agreed to do the clinics but her participation did not end there. She continues to rotate in her firm on the Protection from Abuse panel, she has acted as a resource in matters that arise in divorces that are not anticipated nor provided for in the clinic, she has agreed to help mentor a new family law attorney and she continues as a resource to Legal Services in family law matters.

LYCOMING LAW ASSOCIATION’S FAIR SHARE AWARD 2002

In recognition of commitment to Equal Justice for the Poor by fair share participation in the Lycoming County Pro Bono Referral Program.For calendar year 2002, 89 Lycoming Law Association members handled 160 cases and 4 divorce clinics on referral from North Penn Legal Services in Williamsport. The following is a breakdown of the types of cases:, 130 Protection From Abuse Cases, 4 Guardianships, 1 Estate Matter, 7 Bankruptcies, 8 Unemployment Compensation Cases, 1 Landlord/Tenant, 2 Custody Matters, 3 Mortgage Foreclosures, 1 Tax Issue, 2 Consumer Issues, 1 Miscellaneous Civil Matters,4 Divorce Clinics,The Committee is recognizing that there are a number of attorneys who are willing to take pro bono referrals, but their practice does not include cases generally handled by Legal Services.It is the goal of the Legal Services To The Indigent Committee in 2003 to re-evaluate the program as it exists today and try to expand it so that we can use the expertise of those willing attorneys for whom we have been unable to refer cases over the past few years.