The Portage County Bar Association recognized two lawyers in the Portage County community on their membership in the Wisconsin Pro Bono Honor Society.

Donna Ginzl and Rebecca Paul, both of Stevens Point, were recognized at the November meeting of the Portage County Bar Association and are part of the group of 410 lawyers who earned membership in the Pro Bono Honor Society by providing at least 50 hours of qualifying free or low cost legal assistance to help low-income residents in 2015.

As all the justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently noted in their open letter, “A commitment to pro bono service is an important part of being a Wisconsin lawyer and a distinguishing feature of our profession. Volunteer lawyers also make a valuable contribution to the fair and effective functioning of our courts.”

The Pro Bono Honor Society was created by the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission as a volunteer recognition program for attorneys. Jim Gramling, president of the Access to Justice Commission, echoed the Supreme Court’s congratulations, saying that “these volunteers have made a very substantial donation of their time and are a vital part of the system of making equal justice available to more Wisconsin residents.”

The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission was created pursuant to a Wisconsin Supreme Court order. Commission members are appointed by justice system stakeholders. Its mission is to develop and encourage means of expanding access to the civil justice system for unrepresented low-income Wisconsin residents. Learn more about the commission’s work at wisatj.org or contact the commission at [email protected]