LLA Honors Nichols at Annual Banquet

Judge Gray receives Wood Award

The Lycoming Law Association held its 2012 Annual Dinner on Monday, January 9, 2012, at the Williamsport Country Club. The event was well-attended and well-received by the Association’s members and guests.

The evening began with a social hour. The guests then proceeded to the main dining room and enjoyed a buffet dinner of beef, salmon and pasta.

 After dinner, President Mike Wiley served as the master of ceremonies. He recognized his predecessor, Brian J. Bluth, who was presented with an engraved clock in recognition of his outstanding term as President of the Lycoming Law Association for 2011. Bluth will continue to serve the Association as Past President in 2012.

The evening’s main honorees were William E. Nichols, Esquire and The Honorable Richard A. Gray.

The Association presented its first ever Community Service Award in recognition outstanding commitment to community service beyond the practice of law by a member of the Lycoming Law Association. The newly minted award was presented to William E. Nichols and in recognition of the breadth of Nichols’ sustained commitment to volunteer community service, the Association surprised Nichols’ by naming the award the “William E. Nichols Community Service Award” in his honor as “a fine example to us all.” In accepting the award, Nichols reflected upon the impact and value of community service on his life and the role of attorneys and the rule of law in advancing the well-being of our community. "The most important thing in my life after my family is my legal profession."

Judge Gray was the recipient of this year’s “The Honorable Thomas Wood Equal Access to Justice Award,” awarded in recognition of extraordinary volunteer work that demonstrates outstanding achievement and commitment to equal justice of the poor. Judge Gray received the award for his leadership and initiative with the creation of the Court’s Mortgage Diversion Program designed to facilitate and encourage communication between homeowners in foreclosure proceeding and their lenders. In presenting the award, Danna Rich-Collins, of North Penn Legal Services, commented on the success of the program to date as a model for other counties thorough the state. In accepting the award, Judge Gray extended his thanks to all those involved with the program and its formation as well as the attorney volunteers assisting with the program.

Ninety-nine of the Association’s members received the Association’s Fair Share Awards for 2011 for their individual fair share participation in the Lycoming County Pro Bono Referral Program. Again this year, in lieu of individual awards to the attorneys, the Association will present $500 to Liberty House, at the YWCA, in the name of the attorneys.

The following eight county law firms received Association’s Outstanding Law Firm Achievement Award for 2011 in recognition of 100 percent participation by the attorneys in each firm in the Lycoming County Pro Bono Referral Program: Campana, Lovecchio and Morrone; Carpenter, Harris and Flayhart; Greevy & Taylor; J. Howard Langdon Law Firm; Mather & Stapp; Mitchell Gallagher; Murphy, Butterfield and Holland; Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Harris and Waffenschmidt; and, Williams & Smay.

With the presentation of the awards, the evening concluded. A fine time was had by all.