Renew your Philadelphia Bar Association membership for 2025 today! Don't miss out on amazing member benefits like the latest Bar news, upcoming networking opportunities, CLEs, discounted services, and much more!

The Philadelphia Bar Association’s 98th Chancellor, Katayun Jaffari, has been named one of the recipients of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s annual Diversity in Business award. Jaffari and other honorees was celebrated at a luncheon today, Thursday, February 20, 2025, at the Museum of the American Revolution and will be profiled in a special issue of the Business Journal tomorrow.

The Philadelphia Bar Association has entered into institutional partnerships with five legal services agencies in the city. The agreements extend all the benefits of membership to legal professionals working at Community Legal Services, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, The Public Interest Law Center, SeniorLAW Center and the Support Center for Child Advocates.

The Philadelphia Bar Association is now on Bluesky! If you'd like to follow us, you can create a FREE account to keep up with the latest news and updates!

It's that time of year again, and the YLD needs you more than ever! We have 31 high school mock trial teams competing in this year's John S. Bradway High School Mock Trial Competition, which is hosted annually by the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association and Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law. While we are excited to have so much student participation, we cannot make this happen without YOU! Please consider volunteering for one or more rounds as a judge—no prior experience needed.

The complete schedule and sign-up form for this year's competition are here: https://ow.ly/orql50UG8PR

You can sign up for as many or as few rounds of competition as your schedule permits. If you have trouble filling out the form on the Philadelphia Bar Association's website, please email Eric Pasternack at epasternack@cprlaw.com. Please pass this information on to your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sydney Groll at sgroll@sccalaw.org or Eric Pasternack at epasternack@cprlaw.com.

We hope to see you at one (or more!) of our mock trial rounds this year!

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH! 

As we continue our commitment to ensuring a welcoming inclusive organization, this month, we CELEBRATE and recognize the achievements and contributions of Black people, reflect on the past to inspire the future, and showcase the trendsetters, history-makers and innovators who influence us every day within the profession and beyond. 

Visit our Office of Diversity page to learn more.

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.

If you have a moment, we’d truly appreciate it if you could leave us a quick Google review. Share how your experience with the Bar Association has helped you to make connections and grow your career! It only takes a minute, and your insights can help others know what to expect. Your positive feedback helps our Association grow and continue providing the best service possible for members. 

Thank you for your support—it means the world to us!

Google: Philadelphia Bar Association -> Give us a star rating -> Write a review -> Hit Post

As of 2024, 39% of active judges in Pennsylvania are women. In recognition of National Women’s History Month, the Forum of Executive Women, in partnership with the Philadelphia Bar Association, is inviting Forum members, friends, and supporters to meet the groundbreaking women leaders of Pennsylvania's Judicial System.

Join your colleagues for a panel discussion with these leaders at the Duke & Duke Boardroom,123 S. Broad Street, followed by a networking reception. Refreshments and light fare will be served.

Panelists:
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd
President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer, PA Commonwealth Court
President Judge Nina Wright Padilla, First Judicial District
Andrea Tuominen, PA Court Administrator
Teresa Ficken Sachs, Counsel to Supreme Court of PA

The panel discussion will be moderated by Forum member Deborah Gross, president & CEO of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts. 

Sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association, Committee of Seventy and Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts.

• On February 26^th at 3:00 PM EST, the EJC will host a Webinar: Bridging the Justice Gap: Leveraging Virtual Hubs for Civil Legal Aid – a panel discussion moderated by Miguel Willis, Innovator in Residence at University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey School of Law’s Future of the Profession Initiative with leaders from Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, and North Carolina.

• On February 26^th at noon, the Board Observer Program will host a Lunch ‘N Learn Webinar: Effective Nonprofits and Board Promising Practices presented by Fernando Chang-Muy, MA, JD, Thomas 0’Boyle Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.

We are happy to share two exciting opportunities for a quick mindfulness practice to help you get through your work week offered by mindfulness expert and attorney Courtney Schulnik!

The Courts, Community, and Rule of Law Committee of the Judicial Council of the Third Circuit announced today that it is hosting an essay contest for elementary students focused on civics, citizenship, and the concept of “We the People” – which are the first three words of the Preamble to the United States Constitution. The essay prompt is: How did our Nation’s Founders envision ‘the People’ when they drafted the Constitution, and how should we interpret their vision in our country today?

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.

New Year. New Job? Alevistar Legal Search is a Philadelphia Bar Association Annual Partner, and the premier legal search firm in the Philadelphia area focused on partner placements, group mergers, and associate placements.

If you want to grow or take a new direction in your career in 2025, consider working with Alevistar. Some of the best jobs are never advertised and many law firms and companies turn to Alevistar to recruit and refer top candidates to fill these positions. Alevistar Legal Search has relationships with many types of law firms & organizations that rely on us to assist with their hiring process.

To learn more or set up a meeting contact Brian Levinson at 610-617-1218 or brian@alevistar.com or Jason Mandel at 610-617-1219 or jason@alevistar.com or visit www.alevistar.com.

Looking to grow your law firm? PracticeMadePerfect (PMP) offers custom marketing solutions designed to help attorneys build strong brands, attract high-quality clients, and boost practice growth. With 20+ years of experience, we are your trusted marketing partner, fully committed to managing and optimizing your marketing strategies.

From strategic website design and SEO to PPC advertising, content marketing, and reputation management, we provide tailored solutions that drive measurable results. At PMP, we focus on creating a brand identity you can be proud of, with data-driven strategies crafted specifically for the legal industry.

Let us handle your marketing so you can focus on practicing law. Trust PMP to deliver smarter, more effective marketing that enhances your presence and increases your case count.

Ready to take your law firm to the next level? Visit www.pmpmg.com to learn more.

Join us for a fun and interactive evening of Speed Dating with the YLD Executive Committee! This event is designed to give you the chance to meet and get to know as many committee members as possible in a casual, fast-paced setting. It’s a great opportunity to foster connections with the Executive Committee while also sharing your thoughts and ideas on what you’d like to see from the YLD this year.

We’re still celebrating the Eagles' big win in the Super Bowl, so come ready to share the excitement and your own winning ideas! The Executive Committee members will be dressed in pink and/or red to make them easy to spot, so don’t be shy—come ready to network, share your ideas, and build lasting relationships with both fellow YLD members and the leadership team.

Location to be revealed shortly. Thank you to our sponsor, Esquire Deposition Solutions, LLC!

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a larger firm, this webinar from our annual partner PracticeMadePerfect will provide you with actionable insights to improve your marketing strategy and outpace your competition. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with our experts and ask any questions you may have. 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your firm’s marketing game. Register today!

Maintaining strong legal research skills is crucial for saving time and money for your clients. Having access to a robust database of local and federal case law is necessary information often used to structure your case. Whether you are an entry level associate or partner, legal research is a vital daily task and one that must be continually developed. Decisis provides industry-leading tools to make legal research easier and more intuitive, and it’s a free benefit to Philadelphia Bar Association members in good-standing. Research is one of the foundational skills required by attorneys and this CLE program will introduce you to the Decisis system and examine legal research tools, strategies and techniques using content and features that are available in the system.

Attend to learn core research principles that apply to all varieties of online legal research that help attorneys enhance their practice and efficiency.  

Are you an attorney living with a disability? If so, we want your feedback. The Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee is requesting input from the Bar Association's own attorneys living with disabilities. We will be meeting on Thursday, March 6 at 12pm via Zoom to discuss the Committee's priorities, network with other attorneys living with disabilities, and enjoy each other's fellowship. If you can’t make the meeting but are interested in providing input, email the co-chairs who are both attorneys living with disabilities: Anne Armistead at armisteada@congreso.net or Melissa Mazur at mmazuresq@gmail.com.

Please join the International Law Committee for Stranger in a Strange Land: U.S. Discovery Tools in Foreign Litigation.

The first speaker is James Levine, a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke. The second speaker is Clara Duroure, visiting French intern at Troutman Pepper Locke and Élève-Avocate à l’École des Avocats de Rhône-Alpes. James Levine will present how and when to use 28 U.S.C. 1782 as a powerful tool to obtain discovery in U.S. courts in support of litigation in other countries, including France.

Clara Duroure will focus on discovery being almost entirely unknown in France. Have you ever wondered how French legal proceedings are conducted without discovery? What are the potential risks and challenges of taking discovery to France? She will explore the unique characteristics of French pre-trial practices, highlighting how they differ from those in the U.S. She will also examine the potential implications for international litigation, particularly in cases involving parties from both the U.S. and France.

The ILC is excited to invite you to our event. For more than 27 years, French interns have come to Philadelphia to undertake a 6-month internship. As part of this program, it has become a tradition for them to finish their visit by presenting about a matter of interest of French Law.

Join the Wellness Committee as they partner with the For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation

The Beccaria Award is given annually and it represents the highest honor that the Justinian Society in cooperation with Criminal Justice Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association can give to any member of the Bar, whether or not a member of the either Section, who exemplifies the ideals of the career of Cesare Beccaria, the 18th century Italian scholar whose writings presaged the dawn of the modern penal system. The Award is to recognize distinguished achievement of a member of the Philadelphia Bar in the field of criminal justice, including legal and/or general education activities in the field.

This year's recipient is the Hon. John R. Padova, Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  Judge Padova was appointed to the Federal bench in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.