The last week in October has once again been proclaimed Pro Bono Week in Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Corbett and both houses of the General Assembly.

Pro Bono Week in Pennsylvania is an opportunity to highlight the difference lawyers make in their communities, to recruit and train more pro bono volunteers and to acknowledge the partnerships that form the basis for many of the private bar's successful pro bono efforts.

Pennsylvania has been a national leader in the five year old American Bar Association National Pro Bono Week celebration, with events at many sites across the commonwealth.

The legal needs of the poor are local issues, and this celebration is intended to have a local focus and highlight and celebrate the good work of attorneys to address those needs in their individual communities. Goals for the celebration include:
•Recruiting more pro bono volunteers and increasing legal services to poor and vulnerable people.
•Mobilizing community support for pro bono.
•Fostering collaborative relationships
•Recognizing the pro bono efforts of Pennsylvania's lawyers