LLA & Foundation Receive 2013 Excellence Awards
Pa. Legal Aid Network honors awarded at annual banquet
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 20, 2013 --- The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) honored ten recipients of the 2013 Excellence Awards at its annual awards banquet on Wednesday evening, March 20, 2013 at the Harrisburg Hilton. Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Yvette R. Long, a disability and welfare rights advocate with the Pennsylvania Welfare Rights organization were honored with the Outstanding Leadership in Support of Legal Services Award at the event.
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. is a client-centered organization that provides leadership, funding, and support to improve the availability and quality of civil legal aid and direct legal services for low income people and victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network consists of fourteen civil legal aid programs helping those who have nowhere else to turn when facing a critical civil legal problem by providing a full range of civil legal services.
“The work of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) is honorable and vitally important as more of our residents require civil legal assistance in resolving critical problems involving such basic needs as shelter, healthcare, income and personal safety,” said Samuel W. Milkes, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. “The annual awards banquet provides the opportunity to applaud these individuals, who everyday give those who have nowhere else to turn, equal access to justice.”
The Excellence Awards recognize legal aid attorneys, paralegals, support staff and friends of civil legal aid who support the clients served by the civil legal programs that comprise the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. PLAN solicited nominations from across the Commonwealth and based its selection on a variety of criteria that demonstrated excellence and diligence in helping improve the availability and quality of civil legal services for low income people and victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania.
Among the recipients of a 2013 Excellence Award were The Lycoming Law Association and the Lycoming Law Foundation. The Lycoming Law Association is the professional organization composed of attorneys in Lycoming County. The Lycoming Law Association Foundation is the charitable arm of the Association.
The justification for the award was succinctly stated as follows:
<pstyle="margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px;"> The Lycoming Law Association and the Lycoming Law Foundation represent a commitment to pro bono services and the delivery of legal services that is outstanding. The Law Association has a membership of 220, representing active, inactive or retired members. Approximately two-thirds of the Law Association members are engaged in active private practice. <pstyle="margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px;"> The Lycoming Law Association, with support from the Judges of the county, mandates that each of its members take up to three pro bono referrals per year from North Penn Legal Services. In an opt-out program, members are considered to be participating unless they affirmatively opt out of the program. To date, fewer than 10 attorneys have opted out. <pstyle="margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px;"> The Lycoming Law Association Foundation is the charitable arm of the Association. Its mission is to “provide funding for worthwhile law-related community projects and activities and also to support the Williamsport Office of North Penn Legal Services.” Most recently, the Law Association Foundation gifted $6,000 to North Penn Legal Services to fund an AmeriCorps position in the Williamsport Office for one year.
