The Savannah Bar Association (SBA), in partnership with Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP), announces the 2020 winners of the Pro Bono Awards. The Pro Bono Awards honor attorneys who take on legal matters without the expectation of getting paid. Attorneys provide service without charge as a way to give back to their communities and to meet their ethical obligations as attorneys.

The awards were presented at the monthly meeting of the Savannah Bar on April 22.

Joey Turner will receive the Pro Bono Champion Award for handling the highest number of legal cases in a single year. Turner specializes in criminal defense and has been representing clients throughout southern Georgia for more than a decade. Stephen Harris will receive the Pro Bono Advocate Award for providing exceptional services to the underserved in the Savannah area. Harris has been in general practice in Savannah for 50 years. He is a long-time GLSP volunteer and tries to have an open file on a pro bono case most of the time. Bouhan Falligant LLP will receive the Pro Bono Catalyst Award for promoting the mission of GLSP. Bouhan Falligant is a Savannah law firm that handles a broad range of complex legal issues. The firm has a long history of supporting programs and projects that benefit the well-being of the local community. Jon Maire will receive the Pro Bono Service Award for his many years of service as an in-house volunteer attorney. Maire practiced law in Michigan before retiring to Savannah. He has volunteered with GLSP for nearly 20 years and has assisted over 350 GLSP clients during that time.

"I never realized that Georgia Legal Services had such a need for attorney volunteers,” said Joey Turner. “As an attorney blessed with a thriving practice, I feel that it is my obligation to help any way I can. I continue to encourage all of my lawyer friends to give some of their time to this worthy cause.”

In 2020, 51 pro bono attorneys handled nearly 180 of the 1,500 cases accepted by the GLSP Savannah office. GLSP provides free, legal assistance to Georgians in 154 counties. GLSP’s 10 regional offices are located in Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Brunswick, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon and Savannah. GLSP partners with local bar associations in each city. Those seeking assistance can call 1-833-457-7529.