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LawyerFrom page 1munity.He provides volunteer legal services to the poor.For two years in a row — 1998 and 1999 — Cartwright, 46, has won the Lawrence County Bar Association’s Public Service Award, a special recognition of his generosity.Cartwright last year also received the 1998 pro bono award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Pro bono publico — for the public good — refers to voluntary service rendered by attorneys.The Pennsylvania Bar also created a 1999 Honor Roll and Cartwright’s name appears on it as the only attorney from Lawrence County.Cartwright is optimistic he is in the running for the state bar’s pro bono award again this year. The recipient will be notified in April.It seems, at least to one of his fellow lawyers, that Cartwright is gaining a reputation similar to that of his grandfather.“Jerry stands out,” said Jonathan Solomon, who serves on the Lawrence County bar’s pro bono committee.“Even before the awards, he was willing to do a lot of these things for nothing. It’s people like him who take up the slack for the rest of us who probably don’t do enough of our share.”The awards are based solely on the number of clients an attorneyserves free of charge in a given1;ftyear, Solomon explained. They are referred the cases by Neighborhood Legal Services Association or the lawyer referral service at the courthouse. Those' offices keep track of their volunteer hours and clients.The cases, all civil, included family law — divorce, support and custody — and landlord-tenant disputes.In 1998, Cartwright served 38 clients pro bono and donated 100 hours of free service. Last year he donated another 100 hours of his time to 34 clients.He also worked for reduced-fee referral programs sponsored by Neighborhood Legal Services.“He’s far and above everyone else” in terms of pro bono work, Solomon said.The county pro bono award has been in existence for only three years. Attorney Shawn Sensky won the honor in 1997, its inaugural year.Solomon explained that about 40 percent of the bar association takes on pro bono cases, but some members, such as Cartwright, far exceed others in numbers.There are no grants or government money behind it, he said. “There’s no big daddy that’s going to pay for it. It’s all at the lawyer’s costs.”Not only is pro bono work provided free by the attorney, it costshim time and money because he still has to run an office, Solomon said. “He really is taking moneyout of his pocket to help peoplei reason for doiAACartwright pro bono work is to stress that the courts are not closed to people when they don’t have the money to pay.“I’m just compelled to do it,” he said. “People come in and say, ‘I need help,’ and they don’t have much money, but that’s always secondary to me.“You see it in their eyes or in their voice they need help,” hecontinued. “I think the greatest reward for me is to make people think that things they thought couldn’t happen, can. It’s a way of creating fair justice. Maybe wecan all get to the point where fair-fness is the rule of the day, not litigation.”Sometimes Cartwright will see clients who have been physically abused or their children have been taken from them and they need help.“What seems to happen is that there is a grapevine out there,” Cartwright said.“I’m not Mother Theresa,” he said. “I’m an attorney like every other attorney, but I believe there’s justice out there.”It is his hope that by affording people a chance for that justice, good things will come back around and those people he helped will do something nice for someone else.Cartwright looks upon his awards for his voluntary work as being “for everyone in our bar association.“I don’t know of a single member who doesn’t extend himself to people who can’t afford an attorney,” he said. “The attorneys I work with are decent people, and I’m very proud to be a member ofEa12KftIIs.b0bIVirirCartwright Jr. has won the Law ion's Public Service Award twoPaul Hawthorne/NEWSOnslt;itSithe Lawrence County Bar Association. There’s a lot of heart in it.”Cartwright’s roots are in Ell-wood City. He is a 1971 graduate of Ellwood’s Lincoln High School and attended the University of Pittsburgh at its Johnstown campus, majoring in political science.He earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Slippery Rock University in 1993 and the following year enrolled in Duquesne University’s law school. He attended night school and taught high school and social studies during the day.For a while after high school, he enjoyed an acting and modeling stint in Los Angeles and New York City.Many in the Ellwood City business community may better remember Cartwright as having been its industrial development director in 1989, and executive director of the Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce from 1989 to 1993.He received an award duringthat time from Pennsylvania Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll for helping attract new industry and business to Ellwood City.Cartwright is a son of Helen Cartwright and the late Jerry Cartwright. He has a sister, Kirby Kegel, and a son, Jerry III, who is a senior at Lincoln High.He plans to open a second law office in Ellwood City in theirhlcdirfiatldeuTspring.nuANTIQUESWANTEDMost everything 40 years old bought. We will not be overbid byanybody. We buy furniture, dishes, babydolls, china cabinets, bed sets,dining sets, all fancy carved furnitureCash paid. WANTEu -Oriental rugs. We pay up to $100 on crocks with blue lettering.FOX ANTIQUES352-4500Night or DayONE DAY ONLY!DOWNTOWN NEW CASTLEMonday, March 20th9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.Diamond Restyling EventCreate a piece ofjewelry using your favorite gemstones or choose from our loosestone selection, makingit a timely NEWkeepsake. Watch ourgoldsmith as she workson your masterpiece.on Hundreds of Styles!STOP IN OR CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENTNGrS124 E. Washington St.JEWELRYThe Dig mood Specialist since 1914652-5525www.kingsjewelry.comWeingartnerFlowers Gifts and Garden CenterProudly PresentsSPRING SEMINARS2000Mondays, 7:00 P.M.At Our Store - 2701 Wilmington RoadTHE FUN OFGARDENING FROMSEEDnGrowing flowersfrom seed is funand easy and agreat way to get ajump on spring.MONDAYMARCH 20thfEIITIIDF SPMIMADS■ 1 -* . .y. iwi
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New Castle News Weekend
New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Mar 18, 2000
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