The Philadelphia Bar Association issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA, a ruling that threatens to upend longstanding protections for birthright citizenship. The Court did not rule on whether Executive Order 14160 – the order to end birthright citizenship – is constitutional. However, it did lift the nationwide injunction that had blocked enforcement of such order and ruled that individual federal judges lack the authority to issue universal injunctions. Under today’s Supreme Court ruling, states have 30 days to obtain injunctive relief from the Executive Order. Currently 28 states, including Pennsylvania, must act within this 30-day timeframe to protect birthright citizenship.

As such, we condemn the Trump administration’s recent lawsuit against Maryland’s federal judges, saying they should recuse themselves from cases involving deportations. As Chief Justice John Roberts said earlier this year, the appellate review process exists to give litigants an opportunity to disagree with a judge’s ruling and to seek a reversal. Unprecedented actions like this lawsuit erode the ability of our judiciary to make rulings based on the law, in an effort to intimidate and perpetuate fear.

Our Association continues to meet this critical moment in our history by finding opportunities to bring our community together in defense of our democracy. Our Bar Association has filed four amicus briefs in support of law firms challenging specific executive orders attacking attorney independence; all of which have provided relief to the law firms. In addition (or Moreover), we partner with other organizations who are doing the same, including the American Bar Association, which recently filed a lawsuit seeking to halt executive orders targeting lawyers and law firms.

On June 26, two days after the lawsuit against the Maryland judges was filed, we held a virtual program, “Meeting the Moment: Focus on the Rule of Law,” to provide an overview of efforts to protect judicial and attorney independence and what the Association is doing to support this important work.

We need your help to urge the General Assembly to enact a funding plan to close SEPTA’s $213 million budget deficit before the implementation of severe cuts to service. The cuts would not just impact those who ride SEPTA or live in the area - they would have a significant economic and access to justice impact on the entire region and on the Commonwealth as a whole.

Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate and learn with our community: Join us Oct. 9-11 at the 2025 Philadelphia Bar Association Bench-Bar & Annual Conference! Enhance your practice with top-notch CLEs, grow your network and enjoy time with your colleagues.

Virtual Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 7

Thanks to our sponsors:

Annual partners: Alevistar Legal Search, bit-x-bit, PMP PracticeMadePerfect, My Benefit Advisor, USI Affinity

Presenting sponsor: The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania

Diamond sponsor: August

Platinum sponsors: ABC Bail Bonds, Joseph L. Messa Jr. and Messa & Associates

Gold sponsors: Clinical Expert Providers, Alta Claro, Cbiz, Esquire Deposition Solutions, M&T Bank Nota, JAMS, Profitsolv

Silver sponsors: Barbagallo & Associates, Disco, Premier Vocational Experts, Wilmington University School of Law

Friends of the Bar sponsors: ALM/Law.com, Our Family Wizard, Bellia

Thursday night sponsors: CODISCOVR, COSECURE

The Philadelphia Bar Association is excited to invite you to a fun night out at the ballpark to cheer on the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, September 9 at 6:45 p.m. as they take on the New York Mets!

Take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy America’s favorite pastime with your colleagues while also raising money to benefit The Philadelphia Bar Foundation! Every ticket purchased advances the Foundation's mission of equal access to justice.

**Deadline Extended: There Is Still Time to Buy Tickets** Tickets are located throughout the ballpark; if you want to sit with a certain group, you must buy your tickets together. 

Check out details for our Phillies pregame party starting at 4pm at Xfinity Live!

Join the American Heart Association along with your colleagues, family, friends and neighbors as we come together to inspire healthy living, mental health awareness and overall well-being. Whether in-person or through a digital experience, we're going to touch more hearts, move more feet and raise more lifesaving funds than ever before through the Philadelphia Heart Walk.

The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in our community. Equity is always at the center of our work, and it will continue to guide all that we do. By participating in the Heart Walk, your lifesaving dollars will fund research, address food insecurity and access to healthcare, and help us to better understand the root causes of health inequity in our region.

We have created the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Lawyers Have Heart Team and are hoping to get all sections/committees/Board of governors/law firms to create teams within the larger Philadelphia Bar Association “Company”

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

As markets grow more crowded and competition heats up, how can your law firm stay ahead? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with a leading professor from Indiana University as we unpack the forces driving competitive intensity today. This interview-style webinar explores the trends, strategies, and insights you need to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape — straight from the heart of academia to your screen.

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!

We take pride in supporting legal professionals in Philadelphia at every stage of their careers. Our members' experiences highlight the value of the Philadelphia Bar Association's resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy efforts. Whether you're a seasoned attorney, a recent law school graduate, or a law student preparing for the future, our community is here to help you thrive. Read what our members have to say about how the Philadelphia Bar Association has positively impacted their professional journeys.

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.

The Spring 2025 issue includes a Q&A with former 5x champion boxer and 6x Sports Hall of Famer Judge Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde, a brief primer on Drone law, the importance of legal name changes, and much more,

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

We are proud of all that we have done as an Association in the past six months and are committed to continue the work to be responsive to our members’ messages and asks.

What follows is a summary of some of the most pressing steps that we have taken in advancement of our mission to serve the profession and the public by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the rule of law. We have done all of these things while continuing to serve our members with countless CLEs, happy hours, substantive meetings and programming from our nine Sections, our many committees, and our Young Lawyers’ Division.

We enthusiastically invite you to participate in The GPALS Philadelphia Job Fair to be held on Friday, September 26, 2025.  For over 30 years, this program has provided employers with the truly unique opportunity to interview law students from University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Villanova University, Rutgers University School of Law-Camden,  Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Penn State Law, Widener School of Law- Harrisburg and Widener School of Law-Commonwealth. That’s nine schools in one program!  The interviews will be virtual and will happen on one day.

The GPALS Philadelphia Job Fair is entirely free to all employers! 

The GPALS Philadelphia Job Fair is a very cost-effective and efficient method of recruiting a superior group of law students who are truly focused on your specific practice and geographic location. We publicize your opportunity to all of the students and then provide applications of interested students to you in advance of the interview date. You pre-screen the applications and select only the students that you wish to interview. We schedule all of the interviews for you. Interviews will be conducted virtually, using your virtual platform that you will provide.

We sincerely hope that you will take advantage of the GPALS Philadelphia Job Fair in your search for talented professionals for summer and post-graduate positions with your organization.

Email Gwen Tolbert, Manager of Recruitment, Center for Career Development, Rutgers Law School gtolbert@camden.rutgers.edu for a registration form.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to administrative timelines, employer registrations that are received after June 20, 2025 will result in a Resume Collection. Resumes will be collected and forwarded to you for you to contact any students you wish to interview at your office directly. 

The Philadelphia Bar Association is partnering with Carpenters’ Hall historic site to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Provincial Conference in 2026. This June 1776 colonial gathering authorized the creation of Pennsylvania’s 1776 constitution and influenced the adoption of the Declaration of Independence just a week later. Due to the significance of this event, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has designated Carpenters’ Hall as the official birthplace of the Commonwealth.

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!

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

Join by June 30th, and we will waive your July and August monthly dues. That is two full months to enjoy the Club, complimentary. For more information, email joinus@fitlerclub.com

In Philadelphia’s fast-paced legal environment, eDiscovery software has become indispensable for streamlining document review. As litigation grows increasingly data-intensive, platforms like Relativity and Syllo offer attorneys powerful tools to manage electronically stored information (ESI) efficiently. 

These solutions automate data analysis from diverse sources—email servers, cloud storage, and social media—reducing manual errors and accelerating review timelines. Advanced features such as AI-driven tagging, deduplication, and generative AI document review enhance accuracy and consistency, allowing legal teams to focus on strategy rather than sorting through irrelevant data.

For firms navigating complex litigation or regulatory compliance, eDiscovery platforms also ensure secure storage, audit trails, and simplified production workflows. By integrating these tools, Philadelphia attorneys can reduce costs, mitigate risk, and deliver faster, more informed outcomes for clients.

As the legal landscape evolves, embracing eDiscovery technology is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity. Contact bit-x-bit to learn how our team of attorneys and technicians can support your eDiscovery needs.

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.

Save up to 41% OFF select major appliances and FREE DELIVERY on orders over $299.*

Plus, take advantage of flexible financing options.** 

Offer valid 6/18/25 – 7/9/25 on GE Appliances Store purchases only. Excludes small and countertop appliances. See Store for details.

Check out these events from the Wellness Committee!

Prioritize your well-being by joining the Wellness Committee for a series of enriching sessions focused on your health. From physical and mental practices to insights on longevity and cultivating happiness, there’s something for everyone looking to recharge and refocus.

Special thanks to Cozen O'Connor for hosting this wellness summit!

Thank you to our breakfast and lunch sponsor

**this event is free to members and advanced registration is required**

Please join the LGBT Rights Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association as we welcome incoming members of our profession, summer associates and law clerks, to the Philadelphia legal community. Graciously hosted by Ballard Spahr LLP, we hope that this event will provide opportunities for summer associates to network with established professionals and their peers.

In addition, we will be recognizing the 2025 recipient of the David M. Rosenblum Law Student Leader Award.

The award honors the memory of David M. Rosenblum, the late legal director of Mazzoni Center, a tireless lawyer and advocate, and an LGBTQ organizer while in law school.

Dive into the future with this interactive, hands-on workshop designed for Philadelphia Bar Association members. Perfect for those curious about AI, this session will break down ChatGPT and show you how to use it in practical, everyday ways—both personally and professionally. From brainstorming to industry research, you'll get hands-on experience with scenarios you can use today on your mobile or computer. Come curious, leave confident.

Join Matteo Pistono as he discusses his new book Breathe How You Want to Feel.  Matteo will walk us through a simple how-to guide to upgrading our nervous system to live an optimal life physically, emotionally, and spiritually.