Phil Burt practiced law starting in 1961, and was honored for his 50 years of service by the Allen County Bar Association in 2011. After graduating from the University of Michigan with both his Bachelor of Arts and L.L.B., he helped draft Indiana’s first civil rights litigation and served as first legal counsel for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

Throughout his practice, Phil represented numerous pro bono clients. Long before there was an organized volunteer lawyer initiative in Fort Wayne, Phil helped to establish a pro bono assistance program through a local church. Phil served on the Indiana Pro Bono Commission from 1999 to 2005, and served as the Commission’s Chair from 2002 to 2005. Prior to the creation of the Commission, he was a key architect of the state’s IOLTA Rule that directed funds to statewide pro bono programs and assisted in the development of local pro bono districts to build a statewide pro bono infrastructure. In his role as Chair of the Commission, he spearheaded many new initiatives, including a law school pro bono and mentoring project through the state Pro Bono Commission that brought together lawyers and law students in Indiana.

In 2005, Phil was the recipient of the American Bar Association’s prestigious Pro Bono Publico Award which honored him nationally for his commitment to delivering volunteer legal services to the poor and disadvantaged. In 2015, he was honored for his dedication to pro bono service by the Allen County Bar Association.

Areas of Practice:

• Banking & Financial Institutions

• Commercial Lending

• Real Estate Law

• Mortgages

Professional Associations:

• Allen County Bar Association (Past President)

• Indiana State Bar Association, Pro Bono Committee (Past Member and Chair)

• Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council

• American College of Mortgage Attorneys

• American Bar Association, National Peer Consulting Team, 2002-2005

• Tax Court of the United States

Achievements:

• Recipient, American Bar Association 2005 Pro Bono Publico Award

• Author, Indiana Depositions and Discovery, 1967

• Author, Legal Malpractice in Real Estate Transactions, 1988

• Author, 1977 Police & Fire Pension Fund for the State of Indiana

• Author, Nationwide Retail Banking Manual, Bank of America

Community Involvement:

• Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust