Stites & Harbison has a rich tradition of pro bono service in the communities where our attorneys work and live. Our firm has been recognized annually by the Nashville Bar Association for its pro bono contributions. In Louisville, we were recently recognized as a Public Service Challenge Pacesetter by the Louisville Pro Bono Consortium, based on the firm's commitment to devote 50 hours per lawyer annually to pro bono publico causes.

Several individual attorneys have also been singled out for recognition. Morgan Ward, for example, has received the Legal Aid Society's Emmet Field Award for meritorious service. Riney Green was named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations and has been honored with the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award. The Middle Tennessee Legal Aid Society also named Riney as one of its Pro Bono All Stars.

Our pro bono work for The Center for Women and Families is consistent with this tradition of service. The Center recently presented the firm with its Mary D. Rudd Volunteer of the Year Award, given in recognition of the large number of lawyers we have participating and the hours we donate. This service benefits the firm as well, as it provides valuable training in courtroom experience for our litigators.

Here's a look at some representative, individual pro bono efforts:

• Clark C. Johnson fought for and received asylum for a Ukrainian woman who had been subjected to anti-Semitic violence.

• Marjorie Farris coordinates the firm's Volunteer Lawyer Program for Louisville's Center for Women and Families. Under Marjorie's leadership, several of our Louisville-based litigators provide pro bono legal counsel for victims of domestic violence at Emergency Protective Order hearings.

• One of our real estate lawyers, Larry Droege, has assisted attorneys with various tax and bankruptcy issues for the Legal Aid Society of Louisville and completed personal tax returns through the Voluntary Income Tax Association.

• Bill Schulman has been active with the Jefferson County Historical Society of Charles Town, W.Va., as both a member and pro bono attorney. He recently assisted the group in successfully stopping a local real estate developer from infringing on the society's copyrighted videotapes.

• Rick Vance developed the property acquisition program for Louisville Habitat for Humanity and has served as pro bono counsel, officer and director for the Kentucky state affiliate for 15 years. He was recently named Volunteer of the Year for the four-state Mid-America Region of Habitat for Humanity International.

In addition, Alex Scutchfield has earned the Fayette County, Ky., Bar Association's Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Alex MacKay was honored by the Tennessee Bar Association as a co-recipient of the 2004 Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Award, and The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has honored Brad MacLean with its Legal Service Award.