When you're poor and in need of legal help, you can count on the public defender's office in criminal matters.

When it comes to family and civil cases, the poor are woefully underrepresented, according to Pennsylvania State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille.According to his estimates, "only one out of every 10 persons who qualifies for legal aid actually receives any help."That's a sad statistic the Pennsylvania Bar Association is trying to correct through a variety of efforts, including honoring those lawyers who do make a difference through their pro bono work.Tamaqua attorney Jeff Bowe is one of those special lawyers who provide help to those most in need.Bowe was honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association on Thursday for his "outstanding and lengthy pro bono service to the poor of Schuylkill County," according to David Keller Trevaskis, pro bono coordinator for legal services for the PBA.Bowe was nominated for the award for "donating extensive pro bono services to the citizens of Schuylkill County through MidPenn Legal Services for/of many years."Bowe has donated thousands of hours of free services to the needy throughout the years, a tradition he began his third year in law school.After establishing the Bowe, Lisella and Bowe Law Firm in 1979, with partners James Bowe and Thomas Lisella, he continued providing pro bono work, as well as being very active in his community through

T.I.D.E, the Tamaqua Chamber of Commerce, Tamaqua Lions Club and the Tamaqua Elks Club.At one time, there were legal aid offices in every county in Pennsylvania.Currently, there are six throughout the state, as offices were merged due to a decline in funding.Pro bono may mean "free," but there are always costs involved in providing any type of free service.Mid Penn now serves 18 counties in the state and counts on lawyers such as Bowe to help those most in need of help in family law matters.Trevaskis was joined in making the presentation by Schuylkill County Bar Association President Anthony J. Urban, Schuylkill County Bar Association Director Susan Kast and MidPenn paralegals Tricia Shilling and Lynn Breidegam."The program is working in Schuylkill County because of the partnerships forged here, Trevaskis said. "If every lawyer was like Jeff (Bowe), the state's legal system would be in much better shape."