August 12, 2010
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Upcoming CLE and volunteer training sessions
ACBF grant application deadline August 13
ACBF Public Interest Law Fellowship Program application deadline August 16
Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership news
Share your story with the Pro Bono Center
Contact the Pro Bono Center
Upcoming CLE and volunteer training sessions
"Trauma in the Court: Recognizing & Overcoming Compassion Fatigue" ACBF grant application deadline August 13 The Allegheny County Bar Foundation will accept grant proposals from legal-aid organizations through this Friday, August 13. The foundation intends to fund programs that will assist in responding to the changing legal needs in the community at large and that will promote the public understanding, interest, and support of legal-related issues. The foundation is also accepting grant proposals for the Military Veterans and Elderly Fund, which provides funding for programs that assist military veterans and the elderly with fiduciary and legal services. In evaluating grant requests, preference will be given to proposals that assist in directly providing legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford representation. ACBF Public Interest Law Fellowship Program application deadline August 16 The Allegheny County Bar Foundation is accepting applications for the Public Interest Law Fellowship Program, which will award stipends ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per year in September 2010 to eligible ACBA public interest attorneys who have shown exemplary performance and commitment in their fields of law and demonstrate financial need. This program, now in its second year, is funded by a $100,000 state grant. Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership news Annual breakfast meeting--October 21, 2010, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Share your story with the Pro Bono Center Were you able to use your skills as a lawyer to make a positive impact on someone's life? Did you solve a client's legal problem with just a phone call or a letter, or reach a settlement in a case that would have dragged on and on? Contact the Pro Bono Center For more information on the Pro Bono Center please contact Barbara Griffin, Esq., Pro Bono Coordinator, at bgriffin@acba.org or 412-402-6668.
Friday, September 17, 2010, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Attorneys who volunteer to handle PFAs, custody disputes, and other family law matters may find this seminar interesting and helpful.
Compassion fatigue is an occupational hazard for professionals who are exposed to trauma, violence, and personal injury. How can judges, lawyers, social workers, and others working in the Family Division balance the need to be engaged with their work with the need to maintain professional distance?
The ACBA Juvenile Law Committee is pleased to host Dr. Joanne Dixon for a presentation on compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Dr. Dixon will discuss the findings of a national survey on the compassion fatigue experienced by judges, as well as the findings of a local survey of Family Division judges and practitioners, and identify proven coping and prevention techniques. Click here for program details and registration information.
"Introduction to Deportation Defense"
Friday, October 8, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Designed for practitioners with little or no previous experience with immigration law, the training will touch upon both basic and intermediate aspects of defending non-citizen clients in deportation proceedings. The trainer will cover a range of relevant topics, including a background of removal proceedings, information regarding mandatory and/or prolonged detention, immigration bond, and common forms of relief.
This program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC), the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Immigration Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the Pittsburgh Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (PRIAC) of the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Pittsburgh. It will be hosted by the law firm of Fox Rothschild LLP, 625 Liberty Avenue, 29th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Space for this program is limited. Registration is FREE for attorneys who agree to represent an immigrant in a case referred by PIRC or PRIAC. Further details and registration information will be announced as soon as they are available.
Common Grant Applications must be submitted no later than Friday, August 13, 2010 at 5 p.m. to:
Lorrie K. Albert
Director, Allegheny County Bar Foundation
400 Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Fax: 412-261-3622
Click here to obtain a copy of the application. Click here for application guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Rhodes at 412-402-6641 or erhodes@acba.org.
Applicants must be active members of the ACBA, employed full time by the Public Defender's or District Attorney's Office or by an ACBA recognized civil legal service agency as defined by the ACBA dues structure, and commit to an additional year of full-time employment at one of the recognized agencies. The application process will consider financial need, outstanding debt, current salary, and the applicant's contribution to the community.
All applications must be submitted to the ACBF by 5 p.m. on August 16, 2010. Click here for an application. If you are a current PILFP recipient, you must complete an affidavit provided by the ACBF, verifying that your eligibility has not changed. Program guidelines can be found here.
The administrative board of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership invites you to attend its annual meeting on Thursday, October 21, 2010, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at the Rivers Club. We are honored this year to have as our keynote speaker Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille. His remarks will be followed by "The Top Ten Reasons I Don't Do Pro Bono"--a fun and interactive program that will explore the challenges and rewards of providing free legal services to low-income clients through Partnership programs.
Come learn about the pro bono Signature Projects of your fellow members and hear how your law firm or legal department can contribute to the ongoing success of the Partnership. If your law firm or legal department is not yet a member, join us at the breakfast and see what you have been missing. To R.S.V.P. for the breakfast or to learn more about the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, contact Barbara Kern at kernb@nlsa.us or 412-586-6138.
The Pro Bono Center invites you to share your story about a pro bono experience. We encourage you to tell us about your successes and your challenges in doing pro bono work. And we always enjoy hearing about the ways clients show appreciation for your work, whether they send you a letter, knit you a scarf, or simply say "Thanks, you helped me so much." This information inspires new volunteers and helps us identify ways that we can assist attorneys in their volunteer work. You may be featured in the Lawyers Journal! Click here to send your story to the Pro Bono Center.
Become a volunteer by clicking here.
Visit the Allegheny County Bar Foundation website at www.acbf.org.
400 Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15219.