Savannah – The State Bar of Georgia Access to Justice Committee and the Pro Bono Project presented the William B. Spann, Jr. Pro Bono Award to the General Practice and Trial Section of the State Bar during the Bar’s annual meeting on June 1.

The Spann Award is given each year to either a local bar association, law firm or a community organization project which has "developed a pro bono program that has satisfied previously unmet needs or extended services to underserved segments of the population." The award is named for a former president of the American Bar Association and former executive director of the State Bar of Georgia.

The State Bar’s General Practice and Trial Section was recognized for its extensive commitment to the development and support for pro bono services through its annual statewide Ask A Lawyer Day that supports the provision of pro bono services in partnership with Georgia Legal Services Program. The Section was lauded for working to extend access to justice in rural and small cities in Georgia where access to free legal resources is extremely limited. The Section’s attorneys form advice teams and meet with low-income Georgians who have civil legal problems.

In his role as chair of the General Practice and Trial Section, Valdosta attorney Pope Langdale launched the project in 2009 as a way to involve the section’s members in a meaningful service project that could increase resources in Georgia outside Atlanta. The Award recognizes the Section project as a model for the other sections and local bar associations to engage lawyers in providing access to justice. Current Chair Darren Penn accepted the award on behalf of the Section.
 

The State Bar of Georgia, with offices in Atlanta, Savannah and Tifton, was established in 1964 by Georgia’s Supreme Court as the successor to the voluntary Georgia Bar Association, founded in 1884. All lawyers licensed to practice in Georgia belong to the State Bar. Its more than 43,000 members work together to strengthen the constitutional promise of justice for all, promote principles of duty and public service among Georgia’s lawyers, and administer a strict code of legal ethics.