BANGOR – Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell will receive the Scales of Justice Award from Equal Justice Works.

The award will be presented on Oct. 16 in at a banquet in Washington, D.C.

Mitchell will be honored for his personal commitment to public service throughout his career, according an EJW press release.

The mission of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit is “to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice,” according to information on its Web site.

“Senator Mitchell represents the ideals we hope to instill in law students and lawyers – he made public service an important part of his life after law school and he is a leader in motivating others,” said David Stern, chief executive officer for EJW.

Mitchell, of New York City and the China Lake area, is a partner and chairman of the global board at DLA Piper, a law firm with 65 offices in 25 countries.

Stern cited the following as examples of how Mitchell has promoted public service and free legal, or pro bono, work:

. In 2005, DLA Piper announced the creation of a nonprofit subsidiary dedicated to international pro bono work, and committed 13,000 attorney hours in the first year, valued at $5 million, under Mitchell’s leadership.

. Working on a pro bono basis, Mitchell was the independent overseer of the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund, an organization formed to help victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

. Mitchell used his legal education for public service as the U.S. attorney for Maine, as a U.S. District Court judge and later as a U.S. senator and Senate majority leader.

He was voted “the most respected member” of the Senate for six consecutive years by a bipartisan group of senior congressional aides. Earlier this year, Time magazine named Mitchell one of the world’s 100 most influential people.

Mitchell said that he wanted to teach young lawyers by example, lessons he learned from a mentor in Maine.

“Before I entered the Senate,” he said in an e-mail, “I was engaged in the practice of law with the firm of Jensen, Baird, Gardner and Henry. One of the senior partners was Merton Henry. Mert was a role model to me for his diligence, his integrity, his commitment to public service and to participating in community affairs. He encouraged me to get involved, which I did. I’ll forever be grateful to him.”

Mitchell was with the Portland firm from 1964 to 1977.

Henry, 82, of Scarborough, continues his public service work even though he no longer practices law full time. He serves on the boards of the Margaret Chase Smith Library, Hospice of Southern Maine, Scarborough Public Library, Tate House Museum and several private foundations, according to information on the law firm’s Web site. Gov. John Baldacci in 2006 appointed Henry to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Dirigo Health.

EJW will honor two others this fall along with Mitchell. Elena Kagan, dean of the Harvard University School of Law and Philip Schrag, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, also will receive awards.

For more than 20 years, EJW has collaborated with the nation’s leading law schools, law firms, corporate legal departments and nonprofit organizations to provide the training and skills that enable attorneys to provide effective representation to vulnerable populations.

The organization’s mission is to provide leadership to ensure a sustainable pipeline of talented and trained lawyers involved in public service. EJW provides a continuum of programs that begin with incoming law school students and extend into later careers in the profession. The group provides the nation’s leading public interest law fellowship program and offers more postgraduate, full-time legal positions in public service than any other organization, according to its Web site.

jharrison@bangordailynews.net

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