Philadelphia Bar Association | News Releases

Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center Opens Jan. 30

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Advocates for access to justice and leaders of the Philadelphia courts are launching the first Philadelphia Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center on Monday, Jan. 30, providing access to free legal information, advice, and limited representation for unrepresented, low‐income individuals of all ages who are facing eviction and other legal rental housing problems in Philadelphia.

This independent project, housed in Municipal Court, will be coordinated by SeniorLAW Center, a nonprofit organization that protects the rights of older Pennsylvanians, and will be staffed by a supervising attorney, volunteer attorneys and law students. The center will be on the 5th floor of the Municipal Court Building, 34 S. 11th St. Members of the Housing Working Group of the Civil Gideon Task Force of the Philadelphia Bar Association, including SeniorLAW Center, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, Community Legal Services, Regional Housing Legal Services, Homeless Advocacy Project, VIP, TURN, and pro bono leaders at Dechert LLP and Pepper Hamilton LLP, were instrumental in crafting this project over the past year, with the support and leadership of Philadelphia Municipal Court President Judge Marsha H. Neifield and her staff.

While housed at the court to make access meaningful, the project is an independent and collaborative venture of legal services agencies and pro bono leaders.

“More than 95 percent of low‐income tenants regularly face the legal system and eviction from their homes without an attorney and without basic information about their rights and the legal process,” said Karen C. Buck, executive director of SeniorLAW Center and co‐chair of the Housing Working Group. “While our ultimate goal is to provide a true right to counsel and individual representation for low‐income tenants facing the loss of shelter, this project is a first step towards expanding access to basic legal information and an opportunity to talk through their problems and learn about their rights in an area of essential human need.”

“Philadelphia Municipal Court is pleased to be able to work with SeniorLAW Center, the Civil Gideon Task Force, and the Bar Association to provide a location for volunteer attorneys to meet with unrepresented, low income individuals who are facing rental and eviction issues,” added Judge Neifield. “We anticipate that the Philadelphia Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center will be a tremendous resource for those who are eligible for this service and that the opportunity to consult with counsel will enable the cases to be addressed more easily by the court.”

Gerald A. McHugh Jr. of Raynes McCarty and president of Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network sits on the Civil Gideon Task Force and is also Pennsylvania state chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He took the project to the Foundation of the College, proposing a challenge match: if the Foundation would fund half of the cost, he would raise the remainder from Pennsylvania Fellows.

The proposal was accepted. “This represents an historic undertaking for the American College, because it is the largest grant its Foundation has ever made independent of its annual award for public interest law, and it marks the first time Fellows of the College are contributing directly as part of a matching campaign,” McHugh said.

“Without the College’s grant, and the generosity of its Fellows, this project would likely still be on the drawing table,” noted Anita Santos Singh, executive director of Philadelphia Legal Assistance, and Housing Working Group co‐chair.

The Philadelphia Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center will provide limited representation legal services, but also outreach, community education, a web presence, volunteer recruitment and training, and, eventually, services through a legal helpline for low‐ income tenants. Legal advice and information will also be provided to low‐income individual landlords through an initiative of the landlord bar, headed by David Denenberg and Todd Baritz.

For more information, please contact Karen Buck at kbuck@seniorlawcenter.org or call 215‐701‐3201 or Michele Cohen, Help Center supervising attorney at mcohen@philalegalhelpcenter.org or call 215‐ 523‐9577.

Get Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court May 14

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Philadelphia Bar Association will move up to 50 of our members for admission to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court on Monday, May 14. The admission ceremony will be made to the full court sitting in Washington, D.C.

The court's requirements for a group admission ceremony are very comprehensive. To review these requirements and to download the forms for admission please visit the Supreme Court's web site at supremecourtus.gov. Select the Bar Admissions tab on the left-hand side and this will bring you to the link for the Bar Admissions Form and Bar Admissions Instructions. Please read the instructions carefully. Once you have determined that you are eligible for admission, please print out and complete the Admission Form. The instructions and guidelines are very specific and must be followed scrupulously. Do not fold the application or use staples. Use paper clips only.

Once you have successfully completed the Admission Form, please mail it along with a check made payable to the Philadelphia Bar Association. The cost to attend the ceremony is $225 which includes your application fee and a continental breakfast. Please include an additional $25 if you plan to bring a guest. Per the Supreme Court’s rule, each inductee is permitted to bring only one guest. Please send payment to: Attn: Dawn Petit, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Do not send the application directly to the Supreme Court.

The event will be on a first-come, first-served basis and all applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2012.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact Dawn Petit at 215-238-6367 or dpetit@philabar.org.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Memorial Breakfast to Welcome More Than 400 Attorneys, City Officials, Jan. 16

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia will host the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Memorial Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 16 from 7:30 – 10:00 a.m. at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market St., Philadelphia, PA. Following the breakfast will be a Day of Service Mediation Program co-sponsored with the Philadelphia Bar Association at the Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, 2601 South 58th St. Middle school students will be taught how to resolve conflict through non-violent means by engaging in various real-life role-playing exercises.

The honorees at this year’s breakfast include: Bernard W. Smalley, Senior Counsel, Tucker Law Group, LLC, recipient of the Honorable William F. Hall Award; Naomi K. McLaurin, Director of Diversity, Philadelphia Bar Association, recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award; Philadelphia VIP, recipient of the Outstanding Organization Award; and Adiah I. Ferron, Counsel at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Award recipient Bernard Smalley will present the keynote address at the breakfast. The event will also feature remarks by Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia President Kevin V. Mincey and Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor John E. Savoth.

The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Mediation Program takes place from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. This year, the Mediation Program has the additional goal of training participating students to act as Peer Mediators for the school and to aid their fellow students in non-violent conflict resolution. Local attorneys volunteer to provide the mediation training.

Established in 1950, The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc.’s purpose – then and now – has been to address the professional needs and development of Black lawyers in the City of Philadelphia through programs such as seminars, cultural events and publications.

Founded in 1802, the 13,000-member Philadelphia Bar Association is the oldest association of lawyers in the United States and Pennsylvania's largest local bar association. As such, it is a keystone in the ongoing developments of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania legal systems.

YLD Annual Meeting and Welcome Reception for New Members - Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

All law firm associates are invited to The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia on Wednesday, January 18 at 5:30 p.m. to participate in the YLD Annual Meeting. Meet the 2012 leaders of the Philadelphia Bar Association and welcome new Bar members. This event will include the presentation of the F. Sean Peretta and Craig M. Perry Service Awards as well as the YLD Vision Award.

Bar Association section chairs and YLD Division leaders will be in attendance to provide information on the many areas of Bar involvement. Network while enjoying complimentary refreshments, a great venue and good company!

Being an active member of the Bar Association provides you with opportunities to professionally connect with practicing lawyers and judges in a supportive environment, allowing for one-on-one interactions and leadership opportunities that are invaluable in building your career and obtaining contacts for potential job opportunities.

Registration is required. This event is free for all YLD members, and only $15 for non-member attorneys. Click here to register!

2012 Award Recipients:

F. Sean Peretta Service Award - Paul W. Kaufman, United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Craig M. Perry Service Award - Albertine Y. DuFrayne, Sacks Weston & Petrelli
YLD Vision Award - Philadelphia District Attorney's Office

Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations Sought

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Justinian Society and the Comisky family are seeking nominations for the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in memory of Marvin Comisky and Judge G. Fred DiBona, to be awarded at the Philadelphia Bar Association's Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon scheduled for this spring. The Lifetime Achievement Award is not limited to an area of practice or an advocate for a particular cause. Rather, the purpose of the award is to recognize an outstanding member of the bench or bar who, at a minimum, satisfies the following qualifications: acts as a superb mentor and advisor to clients, the Bar, the judicial system and/or the community; makes a difference in the lives of others irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation; demonstrates a willingness to do what is right although sometimes unpopular; demonstrates legal acumen or scholarship; and exhibits great humility.

A charitable contribution will be made on behalf of the recipient to an organization of the recipient's choice.

Nominations should include the nominee's name, address and a statement of the nominee's qualifications. All nominations should be mailed to Thomas H. Chiacchio Jr., 2005 Market St., Suite 1930, Philadelphia, Pa., 19103 or may be emailed to chiacchio@thclaw.com. Nominations must be received no later than Monday, Jan. 16.

Business Law Section to Honor Beaser Feb. 6

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Business Law Section's Annual Reception will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at the Westin Philadelphia Hotel where former Association Chancellor Lawrence J. Beaser will be presented with the Section's Dennis H. Replansky Memorial Award.

The Section established the award in recognition of Replansky's career as a lawyer and his contributions to legal, civic, religious and other charitable causes. Replansky was a 51-year-old senior partner at Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP when he died in March 1994. He was a former chair of the Business Law Section.

The section will also recognize Katayun I. Jaffari as Committee Chair of the Year and the Human Resources & Employee Relations Committee as Committee of the Year at the event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Westin, 99 S. 17th St.

Tickets are $50 for members of the Business Law Section and $60 for non-members. Tickets are $70 for those who are not members of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Click here to purchase tickets.

Inaugural Address of John E. Savoth, 85th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Thank you, Rudy for your kind words and for all you have done for the Philadelphia Bar Association – not just during the past year, but throughout your career.

Ladies and gentleman, Rudy Garcia's time at the Philadelphia Bar Association and his leadership are worthy of emulation. You have given us a rich model to follow Rudy – and we are all indebted to you, and we thank you.

And not only am I happy and proud to have been part of Rudy's team this year but I'm also honored and delighted to have soon-to-be Chancellor-Elect Kathleen Wilkinson and soon-to-be Vice-Chancellor Bill Fedullo as part of our team. I so look forward to working with both of them.

Now, I'd like to take a moment to pause and reflect a bit.

I am so proud to be here leading the oldest association of lawyers in America. As a boy from Neptune City, growing up along the North Jersey shore, within earshot of the soul of Asbury Park, it is an honor to be heir to the legacy of Andrew Hamilton.

This is all quite humbling. And I ask myself: "What was it that made the difference for me?" I've been fortunate, that's for sure.

But beyond that, the answer is obvious.

The answer is right here in this room.

It was People… People made the difference.

People like my parents who taught me the value of hard work, determination and perseverance. While our Dad worked the family business, our Mom, who lost her arm to cancer when I was 2 years old, ensured that our childhood was filled with the care, concern and love that enabled me to flourish. The point is, they didn't simply teach it – they lived it. It is because of you and Dad that I stand here today.

It was my brothers, whose love, support, and, yes, brotherhood, fortified and nurtured by our parents, continue to provide me with strength and pride everyday.

It was people like school teachers and college professors who helped to open my mind to a larger world – a world of places, events, ideas and aspirations.

People like my junior high school classmate who staggered me the first moment I saw her and I subtly suggested to her continuously over the years that I was a gentleman worthy of her affections (didn't quite put it like that). I finally succeeded and now my wife, Nancy, continues to challenge, encourage and strengthen me with her love and support.

And our three boys, Alex, Nate and Evan, who we are so proud of and who so enrich our lives.

And people like so many professional colleagues who have reached out to me, most notably Bill Keller, who generously and daringly guided me in my career as a Philadelphia lawyer.

And the late Justice James T. McDermott, who taught me that our profession does not operate in a vacuum and that the lessons of great literature are equally applicable to the human condition today as they were centuries ago.

And Bob Mongeluzzi, whose passionate and relentless pursuit of justice serves as a guiding light every day. In fact, all my colleagues at Saltz, Mongeluzzi, including Larry Bendesky, Michael Barrett and the Trial Lawyers they've brought together to practice this honorable profession.

So let's be sure of it: People make the difference.

Every single one of you: You are the Philadelphia Bar Association. You make this profession what it is and you are a vital determining factor in the life of this city, this region, and yes – even our world.

I know this is true. Because when I came to this city to practice law I barely knew one center-city street corner from another, let alone one neighborhood from another. I didn't have a clue. Pat's, Geno's, Jim's? And what about Dalessandro's?

But whatever awkwardness I felt at not having a Philly neighborhood or street corner to call my own quickly vanished.

Why?

Because Philadelphians are proud of their cherished roots, and so accepting of many who travel here to make a life. It's the rhythm, the soul, the love, the brotherly and sisterly love that embraces us. It's the feel, and dare I say, The Sound of Philadelphia.

You've welcomed me just as you have welcomed so many others. Including: Andrew Hamilton, Ben Franklin, John Coltrane, Chase Utley, Charisse Lillie, Richardson Dilworth, Justice Juanita Kidd Stout, Ed Rendell, Rich Negrin and Chief Justice Castille, just to name a few.

And that's part of the magic of this town and that magic is what has contributed to the vibrancy of center-city in recent years.

So many people (especially young folks) are here now, not simply because this is where they've always been but because they've clearly decided this is where they always want to be. They're here by choice.

And the best choice I ever made when I first arrived was to join the Philadelphia Bar Association.

That's how I met people. That's how I made connections. That's how I learned about this town and its unique culture. That's how I developed lasting, cherished friendships.

And yes, it helped my career. And yes, I was able to network and gain business from it. And these are no small matters.

But here's the important thing: The bar association enriches not just your work but your life. It makes your life more meaningful.

That's because all of our real, live members are right here. In fact, most of them are within a dozen blocks of this ballroom.

You know that. You understand it. You see it.

You need only to walk out of your office onto the pulse of Market or Walnut or Chestnut or Broad and your fellow Philadelphia Bar Association members are right there. Often they're on their way, if not from court, then to or from a committee or section event at bar headquarters or the education center or Jenkins law library or at an event at a nearby hotel or other facility. And hopefully, you're joining them.

Yes, the Bar Association is on Facebook and Twitter and we have an impressive web presence but this Association lives with you and your real, live interactions with your colleagues in this relatively intimate community.

I point this out because it's easy to forget it or take it for granted.

It's easy to become so well-connected one way that you're disconnected in more important ways.

It's easy to become so seemingly informed, that you're jaded; so absolutely certain, that you're cynical; and so busy, that you're actually bored and eventually burnt out.

But the people you meet and the things that you accomplish through Our Great Association will make a difference in your life.

I know. I've experienced it.

So now We must ask ourselves: How can We make a difference this year? Together, what can We do for ourselves and others?

I'd like to offer up three suggestions – three important initiatives – for the year.

In late October, we heard the incredible news. President Obama announced that America's war in Iraq is finally coming to an end. Nearly 40,000 U.S. troops will be home for the holidays. In addition, the president announced earlier this year that 33,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September of 2012.

For these military personnel and their families, resuming a normal, everyday life won't be easy. For many, it will be a constant struggle.

As Philadelphia lawyers, who are distinguished by our pro bono service, we have a duty – an inherited responsibility – to help ease their burden.

And so next year, we will launch a major volunteer recruitment initiative through our Military Assistance Program, which we've named "MAP."

We will help ease the burden of re-entry for our service men and women and their families. We will provide them with pro bono legal assistance in areas that impact their daily lives, including consumer credit, bankruptcy, employment, housing, family law, wills and estates, and special issues such as eligibility for veterans benefits and compensation for service-related disabilities.
Clients will contact MAP through a new hotline at the offices of the Bar Association. Callers will be matched with volunteer attorneys who have registered with MAP.

I have asked Michael Taub, Staff Attorney for the Homeless Advocacy Project, and Wes Payne, our assistant treasurer and a partner at White and Williams, to co-chair this important new initiative. Michael's knowledge in this area is rooted in his deep commitment to veterans' issues through HAP's Veteran's Project, a 10-year-old program that serves the complex legal needs of homeless veterans. Wes, a veteran himself, has worked tirelessly on veterans issues for years now.

I'm honored to have the support and guidance of Chief Justice Ron Castille and Justice Seamus McCaffery to support our launch of this important endeavor.

Through MAP, we'll create opportunities for self-empowerment and sustainability for the hundreds of service men and women in the Philadelphia region who will soon be transitioning back to everyday life.

But our work next year on behalf of the community will not end there. It will also span our city's neighborhoods and extend to the youngest members of our community, who represent our future.

As we know, schools in Pennsylvania offer very little civics education. Most students spend only about two or three weeks reviewing civics in a U.S. history class.

In 2008, Chancellor Michael Pratt created our Association's Advancing Civics Education Program, or ACE.
This nationally recognized partnership with the School District of Philadelphia sends volunteer lawyers and judges into Philadelphia classrooms once a month to teach a curriculum of civics education that complements social studies programs.

More than 150 volunteer attorneys and judges have already participated in ACE, with 14 high schools and 2 elementary schools being touched by the program.

I am proud to announce that in 2012, we'll take ACE even further by expanding the program into even more elementary schools. Nine elementary school lessons have already been developed. To help us in this effort, we are launching an exciting new partnership with the National Constitution Center.

The Constitution Center's office of civics education will provide a new, enhanced level of administrative support for this rapidly growing program.

Our new partnership with the Constitution Center will enable us to increase our ranks of attorney and judicial volunteers, under the dedicated leadership of ACE Program Co-Chairs Jenimae Almquist and Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge John Milton Younge.

ACE also has strong support from many judicial leaders, including Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Rendell, who has lent her boundless energy to the program by connecting us with the Constitution Center and helping to recruit talented volunteers.
Next year, we'll strengthen the program's curriculum, launch a new ACE website and plan teacher in-service days.

Engaging students in civics education at an even younger age will help motivate them in their reading and critical thinking during their formative years. They will also gain a deeper understanding of the true meaning of a democracy, the rule of law, dispute resolution and, simply, how to be a good citizen.

And speaking of our partnership with the National Constitution Center, many of you may be aware that in 2012 the Center will host a new exhibition, "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen" -- the first major retrospective about the American songwriter.

I have a feeling that I'm going to find this exhibit quite fascinating.

Bruce Springsteen inspires us by illuminating the struggles and triumphs of working Americans and the importance of social justice and free expression – the very freedoms on which the legacy of the "Philadelphia lawyer" was born.

The Constitution Center is generously providing free admission to this exciting new exhibition for every person at today's luncheon. Tickets will be distributed as you leave the ballroom today.

Of course our service to the community also transcends the borders of Philadelphia.

Programs such as our highly successful relationship with our sister bar association in Lyon, our seat at the table at the World City Bar Leaders Conferences, and the work of our International Law Committee and our new International Business Initiative Committee demonstrate that our Bar is doing its part to help stimulate new avenues of business in our region.

In the coming year, we'll continue to track global issues that impact our profession, including the eligibility of foreign-trained lawyers for admission to the Pennsylvania Bar, and provide input in the reconstituted Global Philadelphia Association.

Pro bono service and community volunteerism are more than just a professional commitment. They define us as Philadelphia lawyers. Public service strikes at the very heart of who we are as attorneys, and as citizens. And it has been the legacy of our Association for 210 years--- through the many law-related public service agencies that we support and/or helped to create; particularly the work of our Civil Gideon Task Force, which has toiled for several years now to formulate a workable plan to aid those in our society who are threatened with the loss of basic human needs, such as those involving shelter and child custody.

Our legacy also includes service to our members.

Attracting and retaining clients continues to be a challenging prospect for many of our members in this recovering economy. And so I am proud to introduce a new program to help members with their ongoing business development efforts.

Early next year, we will provide new premium advertising opportunities on the Philadelphia Bar Association's website, exclusively to members -- at a fraction of the cost of display ads placed on commercial websites and in printed publications.

We call this new program "Lawyer Profiles." Charter members will be able to upload full online profiles, with a photo and resume of their professional services. Only a limited number of these opportunities will be available through a monthly subscription fee.

This program adds instant value to your Association membership. You'll be able to proudly display your profile on the website of America's first bar association.

And speaking of these profiles, they only serve to remind us that each one of us is unique.
We each bring special talents, special viewpoints, distinct experiences and a unique set of skills to our jobs and to our lives.

And we owe it to ourselves and to this city and region to share all that we bring – not just with one another but with the larger community beyond.

That's what the profiles and the civics education program and the veterans' legal assistance effort are all about.

These are three vital areas where we can make a difference.

Today we are bigger than most state bar associations and we are looked to nationally as trailblazers. Many of our programs and efforts have served as models for similar initiatives throughout the nation.

We're justifiably proud of all that.

But even though our founders included this nation's first leaders, and even though we trace our origins all the way back to 1802 when a small group of lawyers met in Independence Hall to form a Law Library Company, we must never forget that we were founded by people who had common needs and shared a desire to help one another and those they served.

These first Philadelphia lawyers really weren't much different than you and I.

Yes, they faced different challenges and struggles than we do today, but they faced struggles nonetheless.

And they were – each and every one of them – distinct individuals.

But they recognized that they could accomplish a great deal more by joining together and learning and working to help themselves and others.

Today, our modern mission reminds us of our core principles:

-- To serve the profession and the public by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the rule of law, and

-- To ensure that all of our citizens, no matter their economic or social status, have full and unfettered access to our justice system.

Never has this mission been more important than now.

Never have these principles been more relevant.

We are the soul of this profession.

Unless we choose to get involved, to step outside our comfort zones, to act on behalf of a cause greater than ourselves, the prospect of adding richness and meaning to our work and our lives remains just that – a mere prospect.

During the depression years of the last century, John Steinbeck so eloquently detailed the dignity of the human condition, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

It's vital that we, as a community of talented, thoughtful thinkers, do not lose sight of this.

Today, the integrity of so many in our community is under constant assault and we have the talent, knowledge, work ethic and legacy of greatness to combat these problems and, hopefully, raise the hopes of those in need.

I am honored by this position and look forward to working for you in 2012.

Thank you.

William P. Fedullo Elected Vice Chancellor; Five Gain Board of Governors Seats

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

William P. Fedullo, of counsel to Rosen, Schafer & DiMeo, LLP, will serve as Vice Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 2012 after running unopposed in the Association's Tuesday, Dec. 6 Annual Election. Fedullo will serve as Chancellor-Elect in 2013 and Chancellor in 2014.

The following candidates for Bar offices ran unopposed and will begin serving in their positions on Jan. 1: Sophia Lee, Secretary; Joseph A. Prim Jr., Treasurer; Jacqueline G. Segal, Assistant Secretary; and Wesley R. Payne IV, Assistant Treasurer.

The following five candidates for Board of Governors were unopposed on Dec. 6 and will begin their terms on Jan. 1.: Jennifer Segal Coatsworth, Rainy Papademetriou, James A. Rocco III, Eric H. Weitz and Kay Kyungsun Yu.

The following seven candidates for the Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee were elected on Dec. 6 and will begin serving their terms on Jan. 1:
Courtenay R. Dunn, Daniel J. Gillin, Maria E. Harris, Benjamin F. Johns, Erin Lamb, Kaitlin E. Picco and Jeffrey N. Rosenthal.

Savoth to Outline Plans at Dec. 6 Annual Meeting; Alva to Receive Fidelity Honor

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Philadelphia Bar Association's Annual Meeting Luncheon, featuring inaugural remarks from incoming Chancellor John E. Savoth, of counsel to Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC, will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets.

The event will also feature presentation of The Fidelity Award Presented By PNC Wealth Management to Daniel-Paul Alva. Click here to purchase tickets.

"If you want to meet people, you have to get involved in the Philadelphia Bar Association," says Savoth. "It really gives added depth and meaning to your life, both professionally and personally."

And Savoth should know. He recognized the value of being active in the Association early in his career.

Savoth is proud to be a Philadelphia lawyer. Philadelphia, he observes, is fortunate to have a vibrant legal community filled with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures and geographic roots -- who have chosen to make the city their professional home. "This gives an added dimension to the life and work of a Philadelphia attorney," he says.
The new Chancellor wants 2012 to be a year highlighting Philadelphia lawyers' work on behalf of the community at-large. He will also continue the Association's strong commitment to public interest efforts that serve the city's disadvantaged.

A native of Neptune City, N.J., Savoth learned the importance of family, self-reliance and a strong work ethic at an early age. His grandfather immigrated from Greece and eventually founded the family business selling bananas at the New Jersey shore in 1924. The business, later run by Savoth's father Edward -- and subsequently by his older brother of four years, Bill -- employed John during his high school years, as well as his mother, Catherine, and older brother of two years, Tom.

A graduate of Dickinson College and Widener University School of Law, Savoth began his legal career as a law clerk for the late Hon. James T. McDermott of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, thereafter working for his legal mentor, Bill Keller, at Keller & Associates, which later became Keller & Savoth. In 1996, he formed the law offices of John E. Savoth, and in 2003 merged practices with William Fedullo to create Fedullo & Savoth.

In 2007, he became Of Counsel to Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC. He focuses his practice on personal injury matters including construction, motor vehicle, and premises and products liability.

At the Bar Association, Savoth has served in numerous leadership roles including chair of the Board of Governors, secretary and assistant secretary of the Association, chair of the Young Lawyers Division and co-chair of the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference, as well as chair or member of various committees. He is a member of the Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention and a trustee of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, as well as a charter member of its Andrew Hamilton Circle.

Among his other service roles, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia.

Savoth resides in Swarthmore with his wife of nearly 30 years, Nancy, an author who serves as an instructor in Widener University's Writing Center, tutoring students from freshman to doctoral candidates. They have three sons: Alex, a graduate of Syracuse University with a BFA in film art, who is also a musician; Nate, a student in the Honors Program at Temple University who studies literature and plays jazz guitar; and Evan, an 8th grader at Strath Haven Middle School, a piano player who spends his free time on the soccer field.

As he prepares to lead his colleagues through 2012, Savoth will advance initiatives that carry forward the proud tradition and reputation of the Philadelphia lawyer in our region and beyond. Come hear John Savoth at our Annual Meeting Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at noon at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, in the Grand Ballroom.

Chancellor's Reception January 4

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

All members of the Philadelphia legal community are invited to a complimentary reception in honor of John E. Savoth, 85th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, on Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. No RSVP is necessary. This is the event in which even the city's busiest legal luminaries patiently wait in line to wish the new Chancellor and each other good luck in the year ahead.

Business Law Section to Honor Beaser at Feb. 6 Annual Reception

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Business Law Section’s Annual Reception will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at the Westin Philadelphia Hotel where former Association Chancellor Lawrence J. Beaser will be presented with the Section’s Dennis H. Replansky Memorial Award.

Tickets are $50 for members of the Business Law Section and $60 for non-members. Tickets are $70 for those who are not members of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Click here to purchase tickets.

More Than 100 New Citizens to be Welcomed at Bill of Rights Day Naturalization Ceremony

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On the 220th anniversary of the document that guarantees the essential rights of American citizens, approximately 120 people from 43 different countries will take the oath of citizenship at a special Bill of Rights Day Naturalization Ceremony sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association on Thursday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the U.S. Courthouse, Sixth and Market Streets.

Judge Michael M. Baylson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will preside over the ceremony, which will also include remarks from John Savoth, the incoming Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and distinguished guest speaker Leigh M. Skipper, Esq., Chief Federal Defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791 and contains the first 10 amendments, including freedom of speech, the right to practice any religion, the right to assemble, the right to protest and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES JUDICIAL RATINGS, RELEASES POLL RESULTS

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Contacts:

Rudolph Garcia, Esq.
215-665-3843
rudolph.garcia@bipc.com

Richard S. Seidel, Esq.
215-546-1225
rss@rss-law.com

Rudolph Garcia, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, has announced the final results of the Association's investigation into the qualifications of candidates for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court in the Nov. 8 general election. The investigation was conducted by the Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.

In addition, the Commission also released the results of a poll of all Philadelphia lawyers conducted for the Bar Association earlier this year by Votenet. The poll invited respondents to rate specific aspects of the judicial performance of each of the existing judges seeking retention for additional terms. Under the bylaws of the Association, the poll is not binding upon the Commission's deliberations, although it must be published with the Commission's findings.

"We wanted to get the results of our evaluations out as soon as possible and invite people to consider the ratings before casting their votes. They can do this by visiting our website at www.philadelphiabar.org," Garcia said. The Chancellor pointed out that the Association's Campaign for Qualified Judges has launched a banner that appears on the homepage of the Association's website. The banner contains a link to print the candidates' ratings so voters can bring the list to the polls. Garcia said the Association wants voters to know "not just who are recommended but why the judicial elections are so important and why we invest so much time and energy into evaluating these candidates. This is the one place for voters to find thorough, non-partisan, objective ratings of the candidates."

"In all, we conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, many hours of hearings, involved a great cross section of the Bar and lay people, all to the benefit of the Philadelphia voters. The Commission collects, evaluates and summarizes all of the information a voter could need," said Commission Chair Richard S. Seidel.

The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-partisan. It includes lawyers and non-lawyers. Among the members of the Commission are community leaders, officials including the District Attorney, Chief Public Defender, City Solicitor, and the President Judges of Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, and representatives of minority legal groups and various sections of the Bar. The ratings by the 30-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study and investigation by the Commission's own 120-member investigative division, one-third of whom are non-lawyer members. Candidates found "Recommended" satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability, experience, integrity, temperament, community involvement and judgment. Complete details can be found at www.philadelphiabar.org.

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "RECOMMENDED" for retention to the Court of Common Pleas:

Joan A. Brown	Recommended
Denis P. Cohen	Recommended
Rose Marie Defino-Nastasi	Recommended
Thomas Dempsey	Recommended
Kevin M. Dougherty	Recommended
Gary S. Glazer	Recommended
Elizabeth Jackson	Recommended
Margaret T. Murphy	Recommended
Arnold L. New	Recommended
George W. Overton	Recommended
Paul P. Panepinto	Recommended
Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro	Recommended
Lisa M. Rau	Recommended
Gregory E. Smith	Recommended
Albert John Snite, Jr.	Recommended
Earl W. Trent, Jr.	Recommended
Chris R. Wogan	Recommended

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "NOT RECOMMENDED" for retention to the Court of Common Pleas:

James Murray Lynn	Not Recommended
Robert J. Rebstock	Not Recommended

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "RECOMMENDED" for retention to Municipal Court:

Thomas F. Gehret	Recommended
Nazario Jimenez, Jr.	Recommended
William A. Meehan, Jr.	Recommended
Bradley K. Moss	Recommended
Harvey W. Robbins	Recommended
David C. Shuter	Recommended
Karen Y. Simmons	Recommended

The following judge was found "NOT RECOMMENDED" for retention to Municipal Court:

James M. DeLeon

Not Recommended

The Commission also announced its ratings of the following candidates who have been found "RECOMMENDED" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Diana Anhalt	Recommended
Anne Marie B. Coyle	Recommended
Charles Ehrlich	Recommended
Angelo J. Foglietta	Recommended
Jonathan Q. Irvine	Recommended
Vincent L. Johnson	Recommended
Sean Kennedy	Recommended
Barbara A. McDermott	Recommended
Maria McLaughlin	Recommended
Carolyn H. Nichols	Recommended
Thomas M. Nocella	Recommended
Kenneth J. Powell, Jr.	Recommended
Edward C. Wright	Recommended

The Commission found the following candidates "NOT RECOMMENDED" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Jim Divergilis	Not Recommended
Ted J. Vigilante	Not Recommended

The Commission announced its ratings of the following candidates who have been found "RECOMMENDED" for election to Municipal Court:

Joyce Eubanks	Recommended
Marvin L. Williams	Recommended

Bar Foundation Hamilton Benefit Nov. 19

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

More than 400 lawyers, judges and business leaders will gather at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on Saturday, Nov. 19 for the Philadelphia Bar Foundations 33rd Annual Andrew Hamilton Benefit. This event, the year's leading social and charitable event for Philadelphia's legal community, supports the Bar Foundation's mission of promoting equal access to justice for the less fortunate. Click here to purchase tickets to the event.

Wendy Beetlestone, president of the Bar Foundation and partner at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, said of the event, "This is the Bar Foundation's most important fundraiser in support of the grants we make to the legal services organizations that serve the most vulnerable members of our community. Those who attend are showing their passion for justice and for the law. The theme this year is 'The Art of Giving,' but at this amazing event we will be performing the arts of eating, dancing and celebrating our legal community as well."

By virtue of being held at Americas oldest art school and museum, art is playing a role in many aspects of the event. A competition held to provide artwork that would illustrate the theme of the event was won by local artist Jenny Lynn with her elegant black-and-white photograph. There will be a live and silent auction as part of the festivities to which acclaimed muralist Meg Saligman will be donating a piece and which will feature prizes including getaways to a Spanish villa and a condominium in Mexico and club box seats for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of Philadelphia's legal community. Every year, the funds raised through the Andrew Hamilton Benefit are used to support more than 30 nonprofit legal services organizations in Philadelphia. Click here to purchase tickets to the event.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES JUDICIAL RATINGS, RELEASES POLL RESULTS

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Contacts:

Rudolph Garcia, Esq.
215-665-3843
rudolph.garcia@bipc.com

Richard S. Seidel, Esq.
215-546-1225
rss@rss-law.com

Rudolph Garcia, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, today announced the results to date of the Association's investigation into the qualifications of candidates for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court in the Nov. 8 general election. The investigation was conducted by the Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.

The Commission expects to conclude its investigation process shortly, at which time a complete list of judicial ratings will appear at www.philadelphiabar.org.

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "RECOMMENDED" for retention to the Court of Common Pleas:

Joan A. Brown	Recommended
Denis P. Cohen	Recommended
Rose Marie Defino-Nastasi	Recommended
Thomas Dempsey	Recommended
Kevin M. Dougherty	Recommended
Gary S. Glazer	Recommended
Elizabeth Jackson	Recommended
Margaret T. Murphy	Recommended
Arnold L. New	Recommended
George W. Overton	Recommended
Paul P. Panepinto	Recommended
Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro	Recommended
Lisa M. Rau	Recommended
Gregory E. Smith	Recommended
Albert John Snite, Jr.	Recommended
Earl W. Trent, Jr.	Recommended
Chris R. Wogan	Recommended

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "NOT RECOMMENDED" for retention to the Court of Common Pleas:

James Murray Lynn	Not Recommended
Robert J. Rebstock	Not Recommended

The following judges, listed alphabetically, were found "RECOMMENDED" for retention to Municipal Court:

Thomas F. Gehret	Recommended
William A. Meehan, Jr.	Recommended
Bradley K. Moss	Recommended
Harvey W. Robbins	Recommended
David C. Shuter	Recommended
Karen Y. Simmons	Recommended

The following judge was found "NOT RECOMMENDED" for retention to Municipal Court:

James M. DeLeon

Not Recommended

The Commission also announced its ratings of the following candidates who have been found "RECOMMENDED" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Diana Anhalt	Recommended
Anne Marie B. Coyle	Recommended
Charles Ehrlich	Recommended
Angelo J. Foglietta	Recommended
Jonathan Q. Irvine	Recommended
Vincent L. Johnson	Recommended
Sean Kennedy	Recommended
Barbara A. McDermott	Recommended
Maria McLaughlin	Recommended
Carolyn H. Nichols	Recommended
Kenneth J. Powell, Jr.	Recommended
Edward C. Wright	Recommended

The Commission found the following candidates "NOT RECOMMENDED" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Jim Divergilis	Not Recommended
Ted J. Vigilante	Not Recommended

The Commission announced its ratings of the following candidates who have been found "RECOMMENDED" for election to Municipal Court:

Joyce Eubanks	Recommended
Marvin L. Williams	Recommended

Bar to Elect Officers, Board Members Dec. 6

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Philadelphia Bar Association's Annual Election of officers and members of the Board of Governors will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Ballroom Level of The Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Officers to be elected are Vice Chancellor, secretary, treasurer, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer and five members of the Board of Governors for three-year terms. There being no opposition for the following offices, a unanimous ballot will be cast for these individuals who will be elected to the offices as noted:

Vice Chancellor

William P. Fedullo

Secretary

Sophia Lee

Treasurer

Joseph A. Prim Jr.

Assistant Secretary

Jacqueline G. Segal

Assistant Treasurer

Wesley R. Payne, IV

Board of Governors (elect five)

Jennifer Segal Coatsworth
Rainy Papademetriou
James A. Rocco, III
Eric H. Weitz
Kay Kyungsun Yu

Balloting for members of the Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Ballroom Level of the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Seven seats are available on the YLD Executive Committee. Committee members serve three-year terms.

Note: only members in good standing of the Association's Young Lawyers Division may cast votes in this election. Attorneys are members of the Division if (1) they have not yet reached or reached in 2011 the age of 37, or (2) they have not yet reached or reached in 2011 the third anniversary of their first admission to the bar of any state. YLD members may also vote by mail. YLD mail ballots must be received (not postmarked, but received) at the offices of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, by 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. Ballots received after that time will not be counted. Anyone not returning their ballot in a timely fashion may still vote in person on Dec. 6 at the Bellevue. Click here to view Candidates for Office.

Chancellor Issues Statement on Passing of Daniels

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Rudolph Garcia has issued the following statement on the passing of former Pennsylvania Superior Court judge and former Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Robert C. Daniels:

"Philadelphia has lost one of its warmest, most congenial, most revered members of the bench and bar," said Chancellor Garcia.

"A leader in the legal community for more than 30 years, Bob was truly beloved among his many friends and associates throughout the profession. As Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, he was instrumental in the creation of the Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security, which promotes public confidence in the legal system and the administration of justice in Pennsylvania."

"An open, demonstrative man with a keen intellect, he had an enduring devotion to the law and a willingness to help all. He will be greatly missed," Chancellor Garcia said.

Testimony of Chancellor Rudolph Garcia Before the Committee on Law and Government - 9/28/11

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Good morning Chairman Greenlee and members of the Committee on Law and Government.

My name is Rudy Garcia and I'm the Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. I am joined today by Ken Shear, our Executive Director. As Chancellor, I am the primary spokesperson for approximately 13,000 Philadelphia lawyers and judges.

The Philadelphia Bar Association is the oldest association of lawyers in the United States. For centuries, we've promoted justice, professional excellence and respect for the rule of law. In addition to serving our members and the courts, we also consider public service to be a core part of our mission. For example, through the organizations we support and about 3,000 volunteers at private firms, Philadelphia lawyers handle 50,000 cases a year for free, for people struggling with poverty, abuse and discrimination.

We also speak out on issues affecting the law or our profession, as we did when the Philadelphia Board of Ethics proposed its first draft of regulations on the City's lobbying ordinance.

Since then, we have met with various staff members of both the Board and City Council, to further explain our concerns and to suggest potential solutions. This collaborative process has led to substantial changes to the regulations, and today's consideration of proposed amendments to the ordinance. In combination, these changes are a tremendous improvement over the previous versions.

The most important issues from our standpoint have been resolved in a way that makes sense for everyone. For example, it is now clear that the ordinance does not cover the practice of law or routine contacts with city government, as opposed to actual lobbying. So I'm here today to support the proposed amendments, and to thank you for addressing our concerns.

In particular I would like to acknowledge Sophie Bryan, of Councilman Green's office, Derek Green, of Councilwoman Tasco's office, and Shane Creamer, Evan Meyer and Nedda Massar, at the Ethics Board, all of whom worked very hard to get this right. They did not always agree with us, but we always felt that our suggestions were fairly considered, and they also came up with many great solutions of their own.

In our view, this process was city government at its best. Everyone worked together constructively to make this a better law. As revised, it will serve the intended purpose without all the unintended negative consequences.

We hope our input was helpful and we invite you to call upon us again if we can assist you in any other way.

If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them.

All Bar Association members are invited to a World Affairs Council of Philadelphia luncheon event with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer on Thursday, Oct. 13

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Registration and a wine-and-cheese photo reception with Justice Breyer begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Crystal Tea Room on the 9^th floor of the Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East.

Tickets for World Affairs Council members are $95 and include the reception, lunch, a signed copy of Justice Breyer’s book “Making Our Democracy Work” and program. Tickets for the program and book are $25.

For members of the general public, tickets are $125 and and include the reception, lunch, a signed copy of Justice Breyer’s book. The public can attend the program and receive a copy of the book for $40.

For more information, visit www.wacphila.org. Click here to register.

National Pro Bono Week Oct. 10-28

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Delivery of Legal Services Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Public Interest Section invites members of the Philadelphia legal community to participate in a range of pro bono recruitment events, legal clinics for low-income clients and continuing legal education programs from Oct. 10-28 in honor of National Pro Bono Week. The celebration is part of the American Bar Association's coordinated national effort to encourage and support local efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services.

Click here for a calendar of events in Philadelphia. The celebration recognizes the pro bono contributions of the city's attorneys and provides an opportunity for the recruitment and training of new volunteers to meet the increased demand for pro bono legal services. For more information, contact Sara Woods, executive director of Philadelphia VIP, at swoods@phillyvip.org.

PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COLUMNIST EUGENE ROBINSON OF THE WASHINGTON POST TO DELIVER HIGGINBOTHAM LECTURE SEPT. 27

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Eugene Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post, will deliver the Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Memorial Public Interest Lecture at the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at noon at The Hyatt at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut Streets, in Philadelphia.

Also at the event, the Association will present its Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award to Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge John W. Herron, an architect of the First Judicial District’s Commerce Case Management Program. Additionally, the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Pursuit of Justice” Legal Writing Competition Award will be presented to Katrina Young, a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Robinson, who writes a twice-weekly column in The Washington Post on American society, relies on a large and varied tool kit: energy, curiosity, elegant writing and the wide-ranging experience of a life that took him from childhood in the segregated South to the heights of American journalism. His remarkable story-telling ability has won him wide acclaim, most notably as the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for his commentary on the 2008 presidential race that resulted in the election of America’s first African-American president.

In a 25-year career at The Washington Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s award-winning Style section. He has written books about race in Brazil and music in Cuba, covered a heavyweight championship fight, witnessed riots in Philadelphia and a murder trial in the deepest Amazon, sat with presidents and dictators and the Queen of England, parried with politicians and handicapped three editions of American Idol.

Using the old-fashioned instincts and habits of a reporter, Robinson goes out and finds his stories. He sees them as the foundation that supports his provocative opinions – and as building blocks that can be used to assemble the larger narrative of today's America.

During the 1987-88 academic year, on leave from The Post, Robinson was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University. As The Post's South America correspondent, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he researched his first book, Coal to Cream: A Black Man's Journey Beyond Color to an Affirmation of Race, published in 1999.

Robinson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and has received numerous journalism awards. His second book, Last Dance in Havana: The Final Days of Fidel and the Start of the New Cuban Revolution – an examination of contemporary Cuba, looking at the society through the vibrant music scene – was published in 2004. His latest book is Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America. He is a regular contributor to MSNBC.

Tickets for the Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon are $55 for members and $65 for non-members and can be purchased at www.philadelphiabar.org.

Nominations Sought for FJD Roll of Honor

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Recognizing the crucial role that members of bar play in performing pro bono work in both the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court, the First Judicial District will honor attorneys in private practice who have performed pro bono services in the First Judicial District during 2011 at a reception that will be held on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011.

In addition to honoring attorneys who have performed exceptional pro bono service, the First Judicial District will recognize all attorneys who have performed pro bono service before the First Judicial District with its 2011 Roll of Honor. To be eligible for the Roll of Honor, an attorney must be in private practice and must have provided pro bono services to a client or client group in a case pending before the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania during the period of Jan. 1, 2011 to Oct. 1, 2011.

Please nominate yourself or any other attorney who meets the criteria listed on the nomination form. The deadline for Roll of Honor submissions is Friday, Sept. 30. Nominations should be submitted to Victoria Johnson at victoria.johnson@courts.phila.gov, by facsimile to 215-686-3748, or mail to Room 336 City Hall,Philadelphia, Pa, 19107. Click here for a nomination form.

CHANCELLOR EXPRESSES BAR ASSOCIATION OPPOSITION TO IMMIGRATION BILLS PENDING IN STATE LEGISLATURE

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Rudolph Garcia has expressed the Association's opposition to a package of immigration bills pending before the House State Government Committee.

The Chancellor detailed the Association's position in written testimony sent to members of the Committee in advance of hearings on the bills scheduled for Aug. 30 and 31.

"According to State Representative Daryl Metcalfe, Pennsylvania has been invaded by millions of illegal aliens who are stealing our jobs and victimizing our citizens. In response, he has proposed a package of more than a dozen bills that would do far more harm than good, by trampling our rights, reducing public safety and impairing our economic recovery," Garcia said.

"The bills would inconvenience and impair the rights of many people who are citizens or lawful residents, based solely on how they look or sound. That is a very inefficient, costly and discriminatory approach," the Chancellor stated in his testimony.

"It would be especially sad to see Pennsylvania impair our individual liberties over this issue. Pennsylvania is the birthplace of our nation. We declared our independence here in 1776, and our Constitution was written here in 1787."

Garcia cited House Bill 738 as an example of the problem. The bill compels law enforcement officers who stop anyone "who is or should reasonably be suspected of being unlawfully present in the United States" to demand production of a government issued identification card.

"Such racial profiling will affect many more citizens than undocumented aliens," Garcia said. "This is not the path we should choose for Pennsylvania."

House Bill 856 is just as troubling, Garcia said, because it would require employers to screen applicants with an inaccurate E-verify system. In a 2007 study conducted by Westat for the Department of Homeland Security, researchers found that E-verify incorrectly cleared illegal workers 54% of the time and erroneously categorized 10% of naturalized citizens as ineligible.

Thus, E-verify would expose employers to costly civil litigation and criminal investigations. To avoid such a fate, some employers will not take a chance on anyone with an accent and others will simply relocate elsewhere, he added.

"At a time when we are trying to recover from the recession, we can ill afford to drive businesses, jobs and talented people away," Garcia said.

House Bills 41 and 738 would also require all adult applicants for federal, state or local public benefits to produce photo identification. "Studies show that poor citizens are far less likely than others to have such identification. When people facing sudden hardship need help the most, these bills would place barriers in their path," the Chancellor said.

"The only reasonable solution is comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, not this patchwork of intrusive, discriminatory and economically harmful laws," Garcia said.

The complete testimony can be downloaded here.

Philadelphia Bar Association’s Office of Diversity to Present National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession, November 8

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Chief legal officers, law firm managing partners and diversity thought-leaders from across the nation will gather in Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 8 to discuss advancing diversity in the legal profession at the National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession, presented by the Philadelphia Bar Association's Office of Diversity at The Union League of Philadelphia.

The event will feature opening keynote remarks by Robert J. Grey, Jr., executive director of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and a past president of the American Bar Association. Three continuing legal education (CLE) credits will be available during the half-day program, which begins with a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. followed by an opening plenary and four concurrent breakout sessions. The event concludes with a VIP Networking Reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

"There is currently a scarcity of diverse lawyers in the profession, as well as in the pipeline," said Curtis Mack, a partner at the law firm of McGuireWoods LLP and the Symposium chair. "Yet, as the philosopher Voltaire opined, 'No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.'"
Some of the topics to be discussed will be best practices for the recruitment, retention and advancement of women and diverse attorneys; benchmarks to measure success; the roles white men can play to advance diversity and inclusion in corporate legal departments and law firms; generational diversity; and successful pipeline and mentoring programs.

A range of influential speakers will share their insights, including:

Thomas E. Cabaniss, managing partner, McGuireWoods LLP
Mark A. Hershey, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
H. Eric Hilton, senior vice president, secretary and general counsel, H.J. Russell & Company and Concessions International, LLC
Alan J. Hoffman, co-chair and managing partner, Blank Rome LLP
John L. Latham, partner, Alston & Bird LLP
James G. Leipold, executive director, NALP: The Association for Legal Career Professionals
Robert A. Nicholas, partner and global director of legal personnel, Reed Smith LLP
Karl A. Racine, managing partner, Venable LLP
Robin Sangston, vice president, legal affairs, Cox Communications, Inc.
Joel C. Trotter, senior counsel, GlaxoSmithKline
Michael K. Tucker, executive vice president and general counsel, Avis Budget Group, Inc.
LeRoy Watkins, partner, Jackson Lewis LLP
Sherry D. Williams, senior vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer, Halliburton
Sandra S. Yamate, chief executive officer, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

"The National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession will provide an excellent opportunity for the legal profession to impose its collective will on a problem that plagues the profession," said Scott W. Reid, a member at the law firm of Cozen O'Connor and the Philadelphia Bar Association's Cabinet-level diversity chair. "For decades we've talked about what we should do to diversify the profession. This Symposium will connect people who will take substantive action toward this worthy goal."

Advisory Board members hail from Washington, D.C.; Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Richmond, VA; Charlotte, NC; Houston, TX; and Philadelphia. They include:

Marcia A. Auberger, partner, Venable LLP
Wilma Beaty, former vice president, chief human resources officer, general counsel and secretary, Caraustar Industries, Inc.
Sonya Brantley, senior corporate counsel, Compass Group
Albert S. Dandridge, III, partner, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP
Dineen Garcia, vice president, diversity strategies, Macy's, Inc.
Doug Gaston, senior vice president and general counsel, Comcast Cable
Sayde Joy Ladov, shareholder, Dolchin, Slotkin & Todd, P.C. and past Chancellor, Philadelphia Bar Association
Sophia Lee, chief counsel-litigation, Sunoco, Inc.
Christopher Lewis, partner, chief officer for diversity and inclusion, Blank Rome LLP
A. Michael Pratt, partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP and past Chancellor, Philadelphia Bar Association
Roberta G. Torian, counsel, Reed Smith LLP
Marilou E. Watson, partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Charles Phillip Wells, partner, Williams Mullen
Gerry L. Williams, partner, DLA Piper

"Diversity is a pursuit in which good flows directly from right," said Mark Stewart, chair of the law firm of Ballard Spahr and a Symposium panelist. "When we provide opportunities for lawyers of all backgrounds, we align ourselves with our clients and we enhance the quality of our legal representation."

Rudolph Garcia, shareholder, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC is the Association's first Hispanic Chancellor.

For additional information, contact Naomi K. McLaurin, Esq., director of diversity at the Philadelphia Bar Association, at 215-238-6340 or email nmclaurin@philabar.org. More details, including registration and sponsorship opportunities and information on hotel accommodations at The Union League of Philadelphia, can also be found at www.NationalDiversitySymposium.org.