On Tuesday, September 15 Allegheny County Law Library Allegheny County (ACLL) was honored to win the Allegheny County Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Organization Award.
Every year, the ACBF recognizes individuals, firms, and organizations that have made exception contributions to elminating the justice gap by providing crucial free legal services and information to the community.
The ACBF had this to say about ACLL upon presenting the award:
Created at the direction of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1867, the Allegheny County Law
Library (ACLL) has been a fixture in providing free legal information to members of the public for
over 150 years. For those who cannot afford an attorney in civil legal actions, law libraries are
imperative in providing accessible information for those who must represent themselves in legal
proceedings. In 2023, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) assumed management
responsibilities of the ACLL, and in the three years of CLP’s involvement, library usage has
skyrocketed by 530 percent. The ACLL’s innovative management has created free legal information
workshops, resource fairs that include legal aid providers and government agencies, and self-service
legal access models both available in-person and virtually. A free CLP library card now allows
individuals to access legal information and forms without charge and free of fines through the CLP’s
shared catalogue, to pick up or return any print legal resources at any CLP location, and the
opportunity to conduct free legal research through Westlaw at all CLP libraries. These strategies in
bringing information to our neighbors demystify legal processes and put justice within reach of those
with low incomes. The ACLL’s efforts in improving access to justice to our community is
unprecedented.
Shannon Barron, Library Services Manager of Allegheny County Law Library, accepted the award on behalf of the entire ACLL team.