Lackawanna Bar Association Receives Awards

The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) presented two County Bar Recognition Awards to the Lackawanna Bar Association during the 47th Annual Seminar of the Conference of County Bar Leaders, Feb. 21 – 23, at The Nittany Lion Inn, State College.

Recognized for its Law Day ceremony and the 2012 T. Linus Hoban Memorial Forum, the Lackawanna Bar Association is one of 21 local bar associations in Pennsylvania honored this year for sponsoring projects that improve the legal profession, justice system or community. The awards are presented annually by the PBA.

“We proudly recognize lawyers who voluntarily lead and actively participate in efforts to improve their communities and better the legal profession and the justice system,” said Thomas G. Wilkinson Jr, president, PBA. “The intent of the County Bar Recognition Awards is to encourage even more legal professionals to be part of the organized bar’s ongoing efforts to advance projects and programs that benefit many Pennsylvania citizens.”

About the award-winning Lackawanna County initiatives:

The association kicked off Law Month on May 1 of last year with a Law Day ceremony beneath tents on the grounds of the Lackawanna County Courthouse. Reflections and commentaries based on the theme, “I Have a Dream,” were offered by lawyers Morey Myers and Sherman Wooden. Members of the Scranton Preparatory School’s mock trial team, who won last year’s Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, were recognized along with members of the District 3, Region 5 runner-up team from Lakeland High School. Additionally, fourth-grade poster contest winners were recognized and presented with awards. A luncheon, which was open to the public, followed the ceremony. The event received high profile media coverage. The ceremony was organized by a dedicated committee and staff in response to the vision of Jane Carlonas, the association’s 2012 president.

The association presented the 2012 T. Linus Hoban Memorial Forum, which featured guest lecturer Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst and best-selling author of Holy War Inc. and Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden – from 9/11 to Abbottabad. The Hoban Lecture, presented in partnership with the University of Scranton, was free and open to members of the bench and bar, students, faculty and administrators from the university and the general public. More than 400 people attended the 2012 lecture. This lecture series features speakers who have achieved distinction in the fields of law, government and public affairs. This forum has become one of the pre-eminent lecture series in the Northeast.

The Conference of County Bar Leaders, whose membership includes leaders from county bar associations throughout the state and from the PBA, organizes a yearly educational conference focusing on the exchange of innovative bar association projects and ideas and on the development of mutually-beneficial relationships among bar leaders that improve the legal profession.

Founded in 1895, the PBA strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 28,000 lawyers who are members of the association.