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Nominations Sought for The Martha J Hampton Memorial Award

Nominations are now being sought for the Martha J. Hampton Memorial Award. The Award will be presented at the Section’s Annual Holiday Party on December 1, 2009. Nominations should be forwarded to Marc Jacobs, Esquire, at Galfand Berger, LLP, 1818 Market Street, 23rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Deadline for nominations is November 2, 2009.

This Award, established in 2000, was created by the Section to honor the memory of an attorney who was an advocate, educator, and friend to all. The Award is presented annually to the member of the Bar or Bench who best exemplifies the qualities of compassion, dedication, commitment, and professionalism, to our Section, to the public, and to the practice of workers’ compensation law, qualities which were so important to Martha.

The Award is accompanied by a donation, made on the honoree’s behalf, by the firm of Galfand Berger, to Kid’s Chance. Kid’s Chance provides college scholarships to the children of injured or deceased workers.

Past recipients of the Award are:

Christina J. Barbieri (now The Honorable Christina J. Barbieri)
The Honorable Jerold G. Klevit
Stephen T. Potako
Jeffrey S. Gross
Lenard A. Cohen
Maria Terpolilli
Peter J. Weber
The Honorable Pamela Santoro
Halmon L. Banks, III

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                           The Association's Workers' Compensation Section, was established in 1995 to address the specialized needs of lawyers practicing workers' compensation law. The section maintains a number of committees providing opportunities for lawyers to learn and enhance their skills: Pro Bono, Newsletter, Local Motions and Mediation, Membership, Education, Legislation and others.

The section sponsors a reception for new members of the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board and section members helped shape the recently enacted workers' compensation law by reviewing and commenting on various legislative proposals which emerged prior to the final passage of the statute. Section members receive and are invited to help produce the section' quarterly publication, the Workers' Compensation News.

About this site

The Workers' Compensation Section of the Bar Association's Web site features resources and information for Section members. Need to review a copy of the Act or the Regs? Need to research the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court for a case? Want to e-file a Petition? Need to perform an interest calculation?

Find links to practically every site the Workers' Compensation practitioner might need on the Resource Page. Just click on the Resource page link, located to the left.

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Interpreter Services

Interpreter services at WCOA hearings which are requested, but not cancelled more than 48 hours before the hearing, cause the imposition of a charge for the late cancellation. These charges are costly to the Office of Adjudication, to the Commonwealth, and to the public, and cannot be allowed to proliferate.

If you have a hearing where you have requested the services of an interpreter, you must notify the Judge’s office of your need to cancel the interpreter no less than 48 hours before the hearing.

Failure to provide prompt and proper notice to a Judge’s office may result in the offending attorney or party being billed for the cancellation charges.

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Mandatory Mediations Notice

Mandatory Mediations are now being scheduled by all Judge's pursuant to Act 147. Please be aware of the following policies regarding the Mandatory Mediations.

• 1) If either party believes the mediation would be futile that party must write to the assigned WCJ at least 14 days before the scheduled mediation.
• 2) If a party needs a postponement, the request must be made to the mediating WCJ at least 14 days before the scheduled mediation. A postponement of the mandatory mediation will not extend the mandatory trial schedule.
• 3) A representative of the employer/insurer with authority must present at the mediation. If the representative of the employer/insurer with authority could only be present by phone the mediating WCJ must be advised in advance.
• 4) A Mandatory Mediation Disclosure Report must be sent to the mediating WCJ at least 5 days before the mediation. It is preferred that the Mandatory Mediation Disclosure Report be sent to the mediating WCJ by mail, especially if there are attachments.

Read the Mandatory Mediation Disclosure Report.

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CLE discounts available

Section members are now eligible to receive discounts for CLE programs presented by their sections under a new agreement between the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

The new discount program only applies to programs proposed and presented by the sections and the various committees of those sections. It does not apply to stand-alone Bar Association committees. The discount program became effective on May 1.

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