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!

Watch the video of our recent event, “Meeting the Moment: Focus on Immigration," which focused on the state of the law and the impact of new policies at the federal level on Philadelphia legal services agencies and immigration attorneys/organizations and the clients they serve.

The event featured keynote remarks from and a fireside chat with U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D.-Pa.) and a panel discussion with speakers working directly with immigrant communities and on immigration issues and litigation.

You can also learn more about our Meeting the Moment initiative here. 

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!

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!

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

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

The Winter 2025 issue celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Civil Gideon Task Force, introduces the 98th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, highlights the 2024 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "Pursuit of Justice" Legal Writing Competition winning essay, and more.

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.

I’ve mourned the decline of the Italian BYO in Philly for most of the last decade. Memories of hearty, affordable South Philly nights out at trattorias like the beloved Mr. Martino’s are a quaint notion in an era of tighter margins and consumer taste for good onsite booze.

The core mission of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation is to remove barriers to justice as it engages the community in support of civil legal aid. Most of you know about the grant making arm of the Foundation and that is a critical part of who we are and what we do, but are you aware of all the other programs that the Foundation supports? In addition to making unrestricted grants to dozens of nonprofit partners, we also administer programs which are vital to our core mission and help to support the removal of barriers to the civil legal aid system in Philadelphia.

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.

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?

American Association for Justice’s Annual Student Trial Advocacy Competition Regionals will be hosted by Temple (Elizabeth Lippy) and AAJ at the Center for Criminal Justice located at 1301 Filbert Street in Philadelphia, PA. We need your help!  We have 18 teams from the northeast region of the country coming in for this competition. We are still in need of judges!

 The times for the rounds of competition are below:

• Thursday, March 6^th 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 7^th 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 8^th 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 8^th 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 9^th 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

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.

Check out these events from the Wellness Committee!

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!

We are delighted to invite you to an exclusive roundtable discussion, “Driving Law Firm Efficiency Through Technology and AI,” led by industry expert Nehal Madhani, Esquire, a tech entrepreneur and thought leader in legal technology, who will share practical insights on how midsize law firms can streamline operations, enhance client service, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

Many midsize firms are uniquely positioned to benefit from the growing array of efficiency-driven technologies and AI tools. During the discussion, we will explore:

• How midsize firms can gain a distinct advantage by adopting efficient, modern technology solutions.
• Practical steps to integrate these tools into your firm’s operations effectively.
• Real-world success stories from firms that have embraced these advancements.

This roundtable is not just an opportunity to learn but also to collaborate and share insights with other leaders in the legal field. By attending, you’ll leave equipped with actionable strategies to elevate your firm’s operations and deliver greater value to your clients.

Nehal Madhani is the CEO and founder of Alt Legal, a company revolutionizing legal practice with cloud-based IP docketing software. Formerly a lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis, Nehal is a self-taught programmer and frequent speaker on legal tech, recognized for his innovative contributions to the field.

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.

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. 

The Co-Chairs of the Career Development Committee cordially invite the members of the Young Lawyers Division, the Career Development Committee, and the Seasoned Lawyers Committee to a round table discussion on mentoring in the Philadelphia Bar Association. We will be discussing the changing hybrid work environment and strategies to re-engage attorneys in our Association with the mentorship that is needed for the young attorneys in our community. We hope to have an energetic discussion that will help us to re-establish the mentorship program within the Philadelphia Bar Association. 

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.  

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