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About the 2005 PLS Excellence Award Winners
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| Senator Jay Costa, Senator Jim
Ferlo and Senator Mary Jo White |
Pennsylvania Senate
Nominated by: Robert M. Brenner, Esq., Robert V. Racunas, Esq.,
Cynthia A. Sheehan, Esq., Robert A. Oakley, Esq., Joseph Olimpi, Esq.,
and Laurie Mansell Reich
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| These three extraordinary legislators are being
recognized for their support of and involvement in the Older and
Wiser initiative. Senator Ferlo successfully piloted the
program in his district and personally met with program planners to
help refine the presentation. Senator Costa sponsored five seminars
and spoke at the press conference kicking off the program in 2003.
Senator White was one of the first legislators to sponsor the program
outside the 14 county Southwestern Pennsylvania area. Their leadership
made it possible to educate seniors and their families about legal
issues of great importance. |
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| Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, PC and
Thorp, Reed & Armstrong, LLP |
Lawyers on Loan Project
Nominated by: Board of Directors, Neighborhood Legal Services
Association
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| The law firms of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, PC and
Thorp, Reed & Armstrong, LLP signed on as the inaugural firms of the
Lawyers on Loan Project. Unlike other similar programs
across the country, this unique partnership with Neighborhood Legal
Services Association allowed experienced associates, Linda Hernandez
and Jennifer Schnore to provide direct legal assistance to NLSA
clients. This project has added a successful new dimension to pro bono
representation. |
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| Marjorie Jackson Crowder
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Client Advocate and Board Member, Pennsylvania Legal
Services
Nominated by: Yvette R. Long
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| A life-long supporter of clients’ rights, Marjorie
Jackson Crowder has served on the boards of the National Legal Aid and
Defender Association, the Law Coordination Center, Community Legal
Services and is a current member on the board of Pennsylvania Legal
Services. She has been an active member of the Clients’ Council of
Pennsylvania, having served as regional vice president and the
immediate past president. Ms. Jackson Crowder has been an outspoken
advocate for the poor and provides valuable representation for clients
throughout Pennsylvania |
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| Marjorie A. Janoski |
Legal Services Attorney, Community Legal Services
Nominated by: Catherine C. Carr, Esq. and Deborah Freedman, Esq.
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| Marjorie Janoski has been a legal services attorney
for over 30 years, serving clients of Community Legal Services. She is
one of a very few people who has the expertise and experience to
handle complicated litigation on behalf of parents. In addition, she
seeks out the most challenging and complex cases because she knows
that the clients in those cases are the ones that need her help the
most. It has been said of her, “Marge’s tremendous advocacy for her
client, both in and out of court, stopped a moving train.” Marjorie
Janoski’s ability to sustain a high level of excellence in her
practice over time is unmatched. |
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| Eve Biskind Klothen |
Assistant Dean for Pro Bono and
Public Interest Programs
Nominated by: Alfred J. Azen and Catherine C. Carr, Esq.
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| A tireless advocate in seeking to address the civil
legal needs of the poor, Eve Biskind Klothen has served the public
interest and legal services community in a variety of capacities: as a
board member, director, employee, educator, mentor and donor. Eve was
singularly responsible for assisting PLS through major transitions,
providing the time consuming leadership of the Statewide Steering
Committee, and actually serving as interim executive director of PLS
for several months. She is currently the Assistant Dean for public
interest and pro bono programs at Rutgers-Camden School of Law. |
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| Laurence E. Norton, II |
Legal Services Attorney, Community
Justice Project
Nominated by: Harry Geller, Esq., Stephen Krone, Esq., Donald Marritz,
Esq. and Peter Zurflieh, Esq.
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| Larry Norton began his public interest legal career
in the late 1960’s as a Vista worker in Eastern Kentucky. He has
continued to serve poor people over the years in several different
capacities, ultimately settling with his family in central
Pennsylvania. He has provided mentoring and co-counsel support to
other advocates in numerous class action impact cases in Pennsylvania
and has initiated and played the lead role in many other cases. Larry
has published numerous law review and other articles and, with Don
Marritz and Jane Mueller-Peterson, teaches a course at Dickinson Law
School. He has earned the respect and admiration of legal services
advocates in Pennsylvania and in other states where he has worked and
thoughtfully shared his considerable wisdom and expertise. Currently
an invaluable attorney with the Community Justice Project, Larry
continues to devote a portion of his time to farm worker and low wage
employment issues with Texas Rural Legal Aid. |
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| Carolyn E. Sexton |
Legal Services Staff, MidPenn Legal
Services
Nominated by: Rhodia Thomas, Esq.
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A paralegal with MidPenn Legal Services’ York
County office, Carolyn first came to legal services as a client in the
early 70’s when she had a problem with a local school district. The
case she brought against the school district resulted in a district
wide policy change. As a result of her work in the community and her
advocacy, Carolyn Sexton was recruited by the Executive Director of
Tri-County Legal Services to work as a paralegal. Since then, she has
helped hundreds of individuals in the government benefits and housing
areas and is not afraid to take on unpopular causes. Carolyn has won
many awards during her years with legal services but remains humble.
She says that she continues to do the work because she understands
what it is like to be a client and wants to assist those who need the
same support she received from legal services some 30 years ago. |
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| Ann S. Torregrossa |
Senior Policy Manager, Pennsylvania
Governor's Office of Health Care Reform and Former Legal Services
Attorney
Nominated by: Michael Campbell, Esq. and Mark Schwartz, Esq.
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| Ann spent her early career assisting clients of
Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. Through the years, Ann
worked with community groups to prevent a proliferation of bars from
infiltrating the neighborhood, worked on behalf of prisoners,
increasing their access to the state pardon and commutation system. In
Gousby v. Osser, she won a unanimous reversal of the
lower courts and secured the right to vote for un-convicted pre-trial
detainees. She argued this case before the Supreme Court while eight
months pregnant, and subsequently named her son Brennan after Supreme
Court Justice Brennan. Ann ultimately developed a passion for advocacy
on behalf of access to quality health care. She partnered with Louise
Brookins, Shirley Beer and others fighting to avoid cuts and expand
eligibility and services through the Medical Assistance Advisory
Committee. In 1993, Ann incorporated the Pennsylvania Health Law
Project, where she served as executive director until she joined the
Rendell Administration in March, 2003. |
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