Deborah Albert-Heise This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. PBA Pro Bono Quarterly Newsletter

   www.pabar.org/clenewsarchive/E - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/10/2004   Last Visited: 3/6/2005

   Deborah Albert-Heise was appointed pro bono coordinator for the program under the auspices of the Wyoming/Sullivan County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee.

2. 2. The New Age Examiner

   www.newage-examiner.com/site/n - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/20/2002   Last Visited: 11/21/2002

   Attorney Deborah Albert-Heise of Tunkhannock, who chaired the committee which developed the program, said other counties in the state have similar programs. But this one is unique in that all 25 members of the local bar have agreed to volunteer their services. "Everybody is participating, and they don't have to," she said, noting that most attorneys already take some pro bono cases, and locally many also provide free legal advice to community groups such as churches, libraries and service clubs. "Attorneys here (already) do a lot for the community," she said. Clients are referred to the pro bono program by North Penn Legal Services, which determines their eligibility. As chair of the program, Albert-Heise matches each client with the attorney who can best meet his or her needs. "We found ways for everyone to participate," she said. "Even (District Justice) Russell Shurtleff, who can't litigate in Wyoming County, speaks at our law clinics." The clinics address such topics as divorce, custody and support, and landlord-tenant problems, Albert-Heise said. The volunteer attorneys take only civil cases under this program, she noted. Criminal cases are handled by either the public defender or a court-appointed attorney, who is paid by the county. As of mid-November, the new program had assisted with 30 cases, Albert-Heise said, with attorneys averaging about five hours on each case. All costs associated with the program are absorbed by the bar association or the individual attorneys, she said. The new program is the culmination of some 10 years of work for Albert-Heise's committee, which also includes attorneys Paul Litwin of Tunkhannock and Kelly Carrubba, managing attorney for legal services for Wyoming, Bradford and Sullivan counties.
   ...
   Cutbacks in free legal services coupled with a substantial increase in indigent people in the last decade spurred the formation of the pro bono program, Albert-Heise explained. "The judge (Wyoming-Sullivan County President Judge Brendan Vanston) has seen more people (in court) without lawyers," she said. "He was very encouraging about setting up this program." She said she was surprised when she spoke at a recent pro bono seminar at Marywood University in Scranton and discovered that "the whole state has been looking at our program." In fact, the program is being used as a model for other small counties, Albert-Heise said, and will be nominated for a statewide award. In addition to helping people with their legal problems, she said, it's hoped the program will enhance the public's perception of the legal profession. "We want people to see we are doing something good for the community," Albert-Heise said, "although that's not why we do it - we do it because there is a need."
   
   ©The New Age Examiner 2002