ABA honors Harding for support of FLA.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Major B. Harding has received the Judicial Recognition Award from the ABA's Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs for his leadership in helping impaired lawyers.

Michael Cohen, executive director of Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc., accepted the award on Harding's behalf at a CoLAP meeting in October.

The award cited Harding for helping organize the ABA's 1996 evaluation of FLA, Inc., which helped lawyers understand and appreciate the program.

"Chief Justice Harding has maintained his vocal support of FLA, Inc., has participated in several presentations by FLA to the full bench of the court and has embraced treatment of lawyer impairments as one of the aims of restoring professionalism to The Florida Bar," the award citation said.

"It is a problem that to ignore benefits no one," Harding said of his involvement. "As I saw the numbers grow and the people involved, I became sensitive that these are real issues involving real people and needed resolution."

The chief justice said he's...