Working from its office at the corner of South Main and Cunningham streets in Butler, the Butler County Bar Association provides a resource for county residents to locate legal services and to learn about the law. The association has a membership of 130 lawyers.

Many members voluntarily participate in the recently established Lawyer Referral Program. The purpose of this is to link residents seeking legal assistance to attorneys experienced in the appropriate area of law or to direct them to agencies for help.

An additional public service offered is a reduced fee program. This program helps people who lack the income to retain a lawyer. Attorneys who participate in the reduced fee program will work with low-income clients when their income exceeds Neighborhood Legal Services Association requirements.

For many years the bar association has closely cooperated with the Butler office of Neighborhood Legal Services Association. Legal Services Association serves low-income citizens by providing free legal advice and representation in a wide range of civil matters.

In 2008, 21 attorneys represented 240 low income clients through reduced fee and pro bono programs.

Each year the bar association hosts the Mock Trial Competition. Eight student teams from Butler and Lawrence counties participated in the district-level competition in February. Students from Butler High School, Freeport High School, Laurel High School in Lawrence County, Seneca Valley Intermediate High School, Seneca Valley Senior High School and Slippery Rock High School played the roles of lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants.

This year’s winners, Butler High School, will face the team from the Beaver County division for the District 1 title.

Each year on May 1, the Butler County Bar Association celebrates Law Day. Locally, attorneys volunteer to visit classrooms to help students understand the legal system.

To learn about the bar association, visit its Web site at www.butlercountypabar.org or call 724-841-0130.