For Immediate Release
	CONTACT: Christi Powers State Bar of Wisconsin (800) 444-9404, ext. 6025 cpowers@wisbar.org or Jason Westphal (800) 444-9404, ext. 6077 (608) 220-1258 (mobile) jwestphal@wisbar.org

Awards garnered by local lawyer and law firm
Both honored at State Bar Annual Convention this week

MADISON, May 6, 2003 - A La Crosse-area lawyer and a local law firm will be recognized for outstanding public service on Wednesday at the State Bar of Wisconsin's annual convention, where some 1,000 lawyers will convene at the Midwest Airlines Center from May 7 to 9. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson will officiate and provide opening remarks.

Recognized for exemplary volunteer efforts and community service, Atty. Megan M. Rosborough, of Stoddard, and the law firm of Davis, Birnbaum, Marcou, Seymour & Colgan, LLP, will be presented the awards by State Bar President Pat Ballman at a 5 p.m. ceremony in Milwaukee.

Rosborough graduated in 1999 from the UW-Madison Law School and is being recognized for devoting hundreds of volunteer hours at Western Wisconsin Legal Services where she helped develop a comprehensive list of needs-based benefits for low-income clients that is accessible on the WisBar.org Web site (Needs-Based Benefits A-Z PDF, 42KB). A native of La Crosse, Rosborough also assisted with the Legal Assistance for Institutionalized Persons Project and the Wisconsin International Law Journal while in law school.

On behalf of the Davis, Birnbaum, Marcou, Seymour & Colgan firm, Atty. James G. Birnbaum has served indigent clients on complex legal issues for more than 25 years. Birnbaum's commitment to pro bono service began in law school at St. Louis University where he worked at the Legal Aid Office of St. Louis. His volunteerism continued to flourish, particularly in the case of a mentally ill client. Birnbaum litigated a lengthy out-of-county housing case while the firm donated more than 400 hours of pro bono service. Throughout his career he and his firm have regularly provided pro bono services. Additionally, Birnbaum is a founding member of several community initiatives: the Neighborhood Preservation Association Inc.; the La Crosse Community Attitudes Task Force; and the Coalition for Children, providing educational opportunities for low-income students.

For more information, visit www.wisbar.org/convention/2003.

The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a law license in Wisconsin. With more than 20,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out initiatives to educate the public about the legal system.

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