BALTIMORE (June 3, 2013) – Ballard Spahr has been selected to receive a Pacesetter Award from the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau's Equal Justice Council in recognition of the firm's outstanding contributions to Legal Aid.



The award will be presented at the Equal Justice Council's 16th Annual Recognition Breakfast on June 18, 2013, at Camden Yards. Guest speaker at the event will be NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.



Jon M. Laria, Managing Partner of Ballard Spahr's Baltimore office, said the award recognizes the increased commitment by the firm and its lawyers to Legal Aid over the past several years. That support has been facilitated, in part, by the firm's United Way campaign, of which Legal Aid is a recipient. Ballard Spahr’s recent firmwide United Way campaign, which drew contributions from lawyers and staff in all 13 of its offices, raised nearly $700,000 to support a range of causes.



“While we view our commitment to Legal Aid and its clients, who could not otherwise afford legal representation, to be an obligation of our firm and profession, we are truly honored to be recognized for our increased effort and commitment,” Mr. Laria said.



Attorneys in Ballard Spahr's Baltimore office serve corporate, institutional, and entrepreneurial clients in business law, commercial litigation, labor and employment, public and project finance, securities, and real estate. They are active in Maryland's burgeoning life sciences and biotech sectors and are engaged in real estate development projects throughout the city and state. In addition, they devote thousands of hours to pro bono cases every year.





The Legal Aid Bureau is a private, nonprofit, multi-funded law firm providing free legal services to low-income people statewide. Legal Aid serves Baltimore City and Maryland's 23 counties from 13 office locations.



About Ballard Spahr

Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm with more than 500 lawyers in 13 offices in the United States, provides a range of services in litigation, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property, and public finance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, life sciences and technology companies, health systems, investors and developers, government agencies and sponsored enterprises, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The firm combines a national scope of practice with strong regional market knowledge. For more information, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.