Pro bono awards presented in Wilmington

October 16, 2007 MEDIA RELEASE, LANC-Wilmington Office

(Wilmington, NC) – On Thursday, October 11, 2007, the New Hanover County Bar Association and Legal Aid of North Carolina – Wilmington Office presented Pro Bono Awards to area attorneys and an advocate who have contributed to providing free civil legal advice to low income individuals, actively advocated for the legal needs of women and made significant contributions to rehabilitating the legal profession in the eyes of the public. 

Judge Cobb

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Allen Cobb, Jr. spoke on the needs of pro bono work in our community and the New Hanover County Bar elected their new officers. 

Five attorneys were honored for their civil work contributions were:  Auley M. Crouch, III; Lawrence S. Craige, Sharon A. Hatton, Michael Murchison; and Andrew W. Olsen.  

Legal Aid of North Carolina receives federal and state funding to provide free civil legal services to eligible clients but does not have sufficient staff to represent all applicants with meritorious cases.  These five attorneys have provided free (pro bono) legal services enabling Legal Aid to serve more eligible clients.

The Addison Hewlett, Jr. Award is given for outstanding pro bono service to acknowledge and honor that attorney who has demonstrated a continued dedication to the promotion of equal justice for indigents in New Hanover County.  This special award was given to
Michael Murchison.

May Brantley, who is recently retired from the YWCA Resource Center, was honored for her long work in championing the cause of women. 

Christopher L. Oring, a private criminal defense attorney, was honored for his professionalism in personally handling hundreds of criminal cases, as well as referring cases to other members of the bar, after another attorney abandoned his own practice.  Oring and his referrals did not require any further fees from the clients that were without legal representation because of the situation.  Due to Oring’s efforts, each and every case was resolved.

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CONTACTS:

Richard M. Klein (Senior Managing Attorney, LANC-Wilmington Office), Wilmington, NC, 910-763-6207

James ("Jim") J. Wall (Senior Managing Attorney, LANC-Wilmington Office), Wilmington, NC, 910-763-6207

Lisa L. Sorensen (PAI Contact, LANC-Wilmington Office),
Wilmington, NC, 910-763-6207

 

 

 

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Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

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