The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention of the Philadelphia Bar Association evaluates the qualifications of persons seeking election or appointment to the Philadelphia Common Pleas and Municipal Courts, and to Pennsylvania Appellate Courts when the candidate has a principal office or chambers in Philadelphia. 

Individuals who are considering filing for the 2025 primary election as judicial candidates or who wish to be considered for appointment, should visit the Judicial Commission page on the Philadelphia Bar Association website to obtain a Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire, the Commission’s Guidelines for Evaluation of Attorney and Judge Candidates, and the Bylaws of the Philadelphia Bar Association. 

In order to ensure that each candidate receives a full and fair evaluation, the completed and signed questionnaire with writing samples should be returned by TOMORROW to the Judicial Commission at judicialcomm@philabar.org 

Under the Commission’s Guidelines, any candidates who do not participate in the Commission’s evaluation process will receive “Not Recommended” ratings if they continue to pursue either appointment or election.

If you’ve never volunteered as a poll worker or election judge, or stepped forward in other ways to help with the election process in Philadelphia or the suburbs, this is the year to get involved! Our Association is partnering with the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Committee of Seventy and Troutman Pepper's Pepper Center for Public Service in an effort to recruit poll workers for all 67 counties this November.

If you’re interested in becoming a poll worker, sign up using the form below today!

Meet the candidates for the 2024 Bar Elections. The line office and Board of Governors races are uncontested. The YLD Executive Committee election is contested and members of the Young Lawyers Division will select seven candidates.

Celebrate individuals and groups making a positive impact on our community!

Achievement Award 
To be presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting on December 10, 2025
Description: The Award recognizes significant accomplishments in improving the administration of justice (preferably in Philadelphia.)
Deadline: Friday, November 7, 2025

What: Military Discharge Upgrade Clinic

Where: Philadelphia VA Medical Center
3900 Woodland Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19104

When: October 11, 2024

Agenda for the day:

• Mandatory Zoom training, Oct 9th, 11am – 1pm (2 CLE credits – 1 ethics and 1 sub, must attend the entire training to receive the ethics credit, must volunteer for the event to receive the CLE credits)
• 10am to 3pm appointments – last appointments will be scheduled at 3pm so for the most part everyone will be done by 4pm
• You will also receive 1 sub credit if you provide 5 hrs of client services that day

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Gabriele Miller-Wagner - email: gmw@pabar.org (place Discharge Upgrade in subject line).

Are you a pickleball fanatic or just interested in learning more about the game in a collegial setting? Mentorship and Professional Development Committee Co-Chair Jordan Strokovsky is organizing a Saturday pickleball outing for Bar Association members at Ballers in Fishtown.

Anyone interested in taking part should email Membership Coordinator Sam Lyons at slyons@philabar.org. Once a date is chosen, additional details will be posted on the Bar Association website.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for our 2024 Annual Meeting starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Crystal Tea Room in the historic Wanamaker Building! We will welcome 2025 Chancellor Katayun Jaffari, celebrate the Association's accomplishments this year, and honor the recipients of the 2024 Justice Sonia Sotomayor Award, the Achievement Award and the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "Pursuit of Justice" Legal Writing Competition. We will also recognize the 2024 inductees to the 50, 60 and 70-Year Clubs. 

A roundup of the latest activity taking place in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. 

Our Summer 2024 edition includes tributes to Steve LaCheen, a longtime editorial board member of The Philadelphia Lawyer who died in May, from previous and current board members. This issue also includes side hustles and second careers submitted by members of the Association.

Members have access to HeinOnline archive collection of Philadelphia Bar Association publications. To access the archive, you must be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

If you’re not quite ready to run for office, or if you are but want to get even more involved, there is yet another opportunity available: Our Judicial Commission is currently seeking investigative volunteers to serve this fall and winter, helping the Commission to review candidates for the 2025 judicial elections.

Serving as a volunteer is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Commission and its work, and also to bolster the Association’s effort to encourage voters to become informed about the candidates for judicial office, and to cast ballots for candidates who are rated Highly Recommended or Recommended. 

When starting a law career, finding your niche can be difficult. Often, it takes a pivotal experience for a young lawyer to find it. The Board Observer Program, one of the most prominent programs the Philadelphia Bar Foundation offers, sets out to help young lawyers find their way in the legal field while building skills taught by the best. 

When starting a law career, finding your niche can be difficult. Often, it takes a pivotal experience for a young lawyer to find it. The Board Observer Program, one of the most prominent programs the Philadelphia Bar Foundation offers, sets out to help young lawyers find their way in the legal field while building skills taught by the best. 

The 34th annual HBALEF scholarship banquet recognized the ten 2024 scholarship recipients, including the recipient of the Judge Nelson Díaz scholarship. Established in 2021, the Judge Nelson Díaz Scholarship honors Judge Nelson Díaz, one of the founding members of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania (the HBAPA is the sister organization to the HBALEF) who is well-respected for his commitment to the legal profession, to the Latino community, and to serving others. This year’s Judge Nelson Díaz scholarship was generously sponsored by Constellation.

Time to celebrate! On Saturday, November 9, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation will celebrate its 60th anniversary and honor four of the community’s fiercest advocates. Please join us as one city and one region, working together to help Philadelphia’s civil legal aid organizations and pro bono attorneys reach more people and expand access to justice.

By sponsoring the Philly Justice Ball, you’ll help the Philadelphia Bar Foundation raise much-needed funds to sustain unrestricted annual grants to our nonprofit partners, as well as support other initiatives that strengthen civil legal aid services. This is a major celebration and fundraising event that will direct more resources to help Philadelphians access whatever civil legal information, resources, and services they need, regardless of background, income, or zip code. For Justice Everywhere!

Learn more about the Philly Justice Ball and sponsorship opportunities below.

La Salle Mock Trial Association invites you to serve as a judge for the 2024 First Annual Explorer Invitational! The La Salle Mock Trial Association is thrilled to revive this event for universities and colleges. 

There will be four rounds of competition: two on Saturday, October 19th, and two on Sunday, October 20th. Each round will last approximately three hours with a brief break in between each round. Check out the tentative schedule!

We're all tied to heart disease and stroke in some way, and we must change that. Join your friends, family and co-workers to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

By registering for Lawyers Have Heart today, you are taking the first step to save lives.

Our Annual Partners and other benefit providers give Bar Association members access to discounts from local and national retailers, for legal and professional services and more!

DISCOUNTS INCLUDE:

• Wireless and data services discounts from Verizon, including 22% off your monthly bill for eligible members
• Travel discounts and planning services from Mondee
• Up to 35% PC computers and printers from HP
• Up to 20% off on gifts from 1-800-FLOWERS, Harry & David, and Cheryl’s Cookies
• Additional discounts on products and services, including performances at the Kimmel Cultural Campus, rental cars through Avis and Budget, and more

Philadelphia Bar Association members get FREE access to Decisis, a comprehensive, intuitive legal research tool powered by LexisNexis. Get a world-class citator and 24/7 customer support. Getting started is easy!

California's SB-1047, aka the “AI Act,” is moving forward through the state’s legislative process with new amendments aimed at regulating high-risk generative AI models. The bill, designed to prevent potential large-scale harm and ensure information safety, has been amended based on feedback from AI firms and others.

While it aims to set a precedent for AI safety, it faces criticism from tech giants and some lawmakers who worry it might hinder innovation. Next steps: approval from the state Assembly and Senate, and then Governor Newsom’s review. Will this law, should it pass in California, become a model for other states to follow? And how should lawyers try to leverage AI in their respective fields?

bit-x-bit has GenAI-supported software to help you build chronologies and case maps, as well as conduct document review. Contact us to learn more.

Join us for a happy hour and Pro Bono Story Slam, part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, on October 23^rd from 5:30 – 7:00 pm! Mingle with judges, attorneys, and non-attorneys across the Philadelphia legal community, and hear inspiring stories of working with pro bono clients.

Interested in sharing your pro bono story? You’ll have an opportunity to share it at the event. Stories should be your own personal pro bono experience, shared without notes, and no more than 5 minutes in length.

Please RSVP below by October 21 if you plan to attend; names are needed for security check-in. There is no cost to attend.  The event will be held at Ballard Spahr LLP, BNY Mellon Building, 1735 Market Street, 48^th Floor.

Additional events happening during the week:

• Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts

  • 10/21 PMC in the Community – Role of Courts in Elections – 1:00pm Rydal Park (In-Person) 

  • 10/22 – Attorney Generals Forum – C70 & PMC - 7:00-8:30 pm (virtual) 

  • 10/23   PMC in the Community – Roles of the Judiciary in Elections – People’s Light Theater – 6:00pm (In-person)

• Philadelphia VIP
  • Philadelphia VIP’s New Volunteer Open House Wednesday, October 23 | Anytime from 8:30–10:00 am
    1500 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Ste 1850
    RSVP here
    
    VIP volunteers assist our low-income neighbors with various civil issues ranging “from Adoption to Zoning.” Stop by our office to meet our legal team and learn about our probono projects. This event is open to lawyers and paralegals and will be catered by the Monkey and the Elephant, a nonprofit coffee shop that secured its current location with help from a team of VIP volunteer lawyers.

Building on the required trainings provided by Pennsylvania counties for poll workers, this CLE session, led by a former long-time experienced election official, will examine the basics of working the polls in Pennsylvania and give additional details on important election day procedures. The program will also address why attorneys and law students are particularly well suited to be poll workers. It is perfect for a first-time poll worker or experienced poll worker who wants to brush up on their knowledge. 

This timely CLE program will address a few of the more challenging issues you may face and provide training on de-escalation strategies and techniques to ensure a safe and peaceful voting environment. This program offers an opportunity to hear answers from an experienced election official on your last-minute questions before serving as a poll worker.

Attend this program to hear guidance to be better prepared to perform poll worker duties on Election Day and best serve the voters. 

Join the Wellness Committee and colleagues from the Montgomery County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations for this year's Wellness Walk through Wissahickon Valley Park!

Our Women in the Profession Committee requests your presence at an elegant Afternoon Tea. Enjoy networking with colleagues and friends over tea, traditional finger sandwiches, scones, and other treats.

Thank you to our event sponsors: