(Memphis, TN / May 19, 2016) George T. "Buck" Lewis of the law firm Baker Donelson has received the William Reece Smith Jr. Special Services to Pro Bono Award from the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals.
The Reece Smith Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding commitments to and positive impacts on the institutions or systems of providing pro bono legal services. Mr. Lewis was recognized for his work chairing the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service project, "ABAFreeLegalAnswers.org," the country's first national online pro bono website. The site, which will launch in 40 states in August, is based on OnlineTNJustice.org, a statewide site launched in Tennessee in 2011. Since its launch, OnlineTNJustice.org has responded to more than 12,500 questions with the assistance of 500 lawyer volunteers.
Mr. Lewis, a shareholder in the Firm's Memphis office, is past chair of the Tennessee Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission, past president of the Tennessee Bar Association and past chair of the American Red Cross Mid-South Chapter.