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October 19, 2012

Reception Kicks Off CBA Participation in National Pro Bono Celebration

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton received the Foundation’s 2012 Outstanding Pro Bono Service by a Judge Award at the annual Pro Bono Reception on October 15 for her sustained commitment to the legal needs of the military and especially veterans.

Also honored were Legal Aid Society of Columbus volunteers Ann Graf, retired from AEP, and Michele Noble of Thompson Hine. It is estimated that Columbus lawyers donated 3,949 hours to Columbus Legal Aid clients in 2011 and 3,201 hours so far this year. The estimated value of donated services is conservatively estimated at $1.2 million.

The reception kicked-off the CBA and the Foundation’s participation in the National Pro Bono Celebration. Justice Stratton is the 2012 Ohio honorary chair. In its fourth year, the Celebration highlights the part pro bono lawyers play to help provide vital civil legal services to people who cannot afford a lawyer, underscoring the difference pro bono lawyers make to their communities, to the courts, and to the clients that are helped.

For more information about the National Pro Bono Celebration, and for a complete listing of events taking place throughout Ohio, visit www.celebrateprobono.org.

Pictured, left to right: Marion Smithberger, Jill Snitcher McQuain, Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, and Columbus Bar Foundation President David Alexander.