The Philadelphia Bar Association is seeking a Policy and Legal Services Department Coordinator to provide critical scheduling, database and record keeping, and organizational support for the Association’s Board of Governors, Lawyer Referral and Information Service and Fee Disputes Program, as well administratively support the Director of Policy and Legal Services. The ideal candidate will have experience in legal or nonprofit administration, and calendar, database and project management.

All ballots must be cast by Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 p.m. Winners will be announced during the reception at the Annual Meeting. Participating in the elections is your chance to have a say in the future leadership of our community. Use this guide to make an informed decision and cast your ballot.

Meet your compliance requirements with us!

Join your colleagues and friends at any of these upcoming Section holiday parties! 

Criminal Justice Section Annual Reception – REGISTER NOW
Tue, December 17, 2024
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

State Civil Litigation Section Annual Reception & Holiday Party – REGISTER NOW
Wed, December 18, 2024
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The Philadelphia Bar Association invites you and your guest(s) to experience an eye-opening journey at this pivotal moment in U.S.-Cuba relations. The specially designed program will explore Cuba's rich and varied cultural heritage and go beyond tourist corridors by engaging with local scholars, attorneys, entrepreneurs, musicians and artist who will offer in-depth commentary on the Cuban legal and political system, economics, art, history, architecture and religion. 

You do not want to miss this opportunity to experience the best of Cuba with the ability to earn CLE credit (pending)! SPACES STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ACT NOW – THE DEADLINE TO SECURE YOUR SPOT IS December 12!

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.

The Philadelphia Bar Association issued a statement congratulating Family Court Administrative Judge Hon. Margaret T. Murphy on her retirement. Judge Murphy was appointed to the role in December 2014, succeeding Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dougherty. Judge Murphy was appointed as a judge in 2000, and she was subsequently elected to a full 10-year term in 2001 and retained thereafter in 2011 and 2021. Prior to becoming a judge, she served as a master in divorce and support matters, and also as deputy court administrator of domestic relations.

The Philadelphia Bar Association was founded with the mission of defending the pillars of our democracy. Judicial security is critical to advancing those founding principles, including advancing the rule of law and ensuring judicial independence. With threats against judges and courthouses on the rise, there is a need in the community to discuss possible solutions. Join Chancellor Jen Coatsworth for a critical conversation between judges from all levels of the court system and the attorneys who work in those courts about the role we can all play in addressing this challenge.

Follow in the footsteps of the Civil Rights Movement and gain insights to enhance your practice by joining us March 20-23 on a trip to Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. Participants will gain perspective through interactions with people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement, along with attorneys from the Equal Justice Initiative. Additionally, we will be joined by Marissa Boyers Bluestine, assistant director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, who will discuss current legal cases and doctrine stemming from this period in history. 

**PLEASE NOTE: THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS FRIDAY, JANUARY 10.**

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

We want to hear from you! Do you have a legal analysis article idea or a story to share about a memorable case, social issues, travel or even pop culture, fiction or poetry? Share your submission with us to be featured in a future issue of The Philadelphia Lawyer magazine!

Email communications@philabar.org with the subject line: Magazine submission

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.

Our Fall 2024 edition includes perspectives from members of the Association on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Members share their past experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly - as well as hopes for the future of DEI. The need for fair access to opportunities, embracing diversity, and challenging of biases are all reflected in the experiences shared by our members.

Sometimes you just gotta get away. Having gone to college in Connecticut, I heard about how beautiful Mystic Seaport and the area was, but never got there. That was 46 years ago. From time-to-time I’d think about Mystic, and mention it to my Trusted Companion, but we’d just talk about it. On the first weekend of October, we decided to go to Mystic for a weekend.  

As many of you already know, Joseph DeRita, Director of the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication (WCOA), recently announced that he will be stepping down as the Director of Adjudication and resuming his role as a WCJ in the Malvern Field Office. This announcement truly marks the end of an era within the workers’ compensation community.  

It is that time of year again where YLD partners with Temple University to support the Bradway High School Mock Trial, and we need your help! 

There are a few opportunities available to support with mock trial bootcamp for youth who are participating in the upcoming competition this year. One session will be in-person at Temple University on Saturday, December 7th from 10am-3:30pm, and the other will be virtual on Zoom on Saturday, December 14th from 10am-11:30am.

If you are available to volunteer for either, or both, bootcamp sessions, please complete the form below ASAP. We are also looking for attorneys who are interested in coaching high school mock trial teams this year—if you are interested, please also complete the form to potentially be matched with a school!

Feel free to reach out to Sydney Groll (Sgroll@sccalaw.org) with questions or concerns. 

There will be four rounds of competition: Two on Saturday, January 11th, and two on Sunday, January 12th. Each round will last approximately three hours with a brief break in between each round. Food will be provided! We invite you to judge as many or as few rounds as you like. The tentative schedule for the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, January 11, 2025

• 8:00 - 9:00 | Check-in

• 9:00 - 9:15 | Judges Meeting

• 10:00 - 1:00 | Round 1

• 1:00 - 2:00 | Lunch & Judges Meeting

• 2:30 - 5:30 | Round 2 

Sunday, January 12, 2025

• 8:45 - 9:00 | Judges Meeting

• 9:30 - 12:30 | Round 3

• 12:30 - 1:30 | Lunch & Judges Meeting

• 2:00 - 5:00 | Round 4

• 6:00 - 7:00 | Closing Ceremony

Please register and fill out the application below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kenneth Lynch directly at lynchk18@lasalle.edu or (570) -780 - 1024.

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

Decisis is a fast, reliable legal research tool powered by LexisNexis - free for Philadelphia Bar Association members - a $1788 value! Search all courts and jurisdictions (Need a case outside Pennsylvania? Find it with Decisis™.)

To access the benefit login with your member account.

In today’s fast-paced world, your clients expect convenience, flexibility, and transparency—especially when it comes to payment options. Sticking to traditional billing practices could be holding you back and even costing you valuable clients. The legal industry is evolving, and staying ahead means meeting these new expectations head-on.  

TimeSolv’s comprehensive guide, “Beyond the Billable Hour,” is your roadmap to modernizing your billing practices. Discover actionable insights on how to implement flexible payment options that cater to client needs while maintaining the financial health of your firm. From subscription billing to alternative fee arrangements, this guide will equip you with strategies to attract and retain clients in an increasingly competitive market. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your firm’s approach to billing and client satisfaction. 

Ensure your law firm's long-term financial stability with this eBook, offering 10 straightforward tips to improve cash flow management and safeguard your practice.

This program explores the connection between compassion fatigue that attorneys experience and recent studies which have shown a dramatic increase in impairment due to alcoholism, addiction, and mental health disorders among members of the legal profession.