Gift Certificates to Ruth's Chris Steak House for Winner, Runner-up of YLD Photography Contest; Entries Due Sept. 20

The YLD welcomes submissions from all members of the Bar Association for "Eyes on the Environment," a late summer photography contest in which the winner and runner-up will receive $200 and $100 gift certificates, respectively, to Ruth's Chris Steak House as well as have their images featured in The Philadelphia Lawyer, the Association's magazine.

Entrants are asked to consider the following: "As you embark on summer vacations or enjoy the season here in Philadelphia, the Young Lawyers Division asks you to capture particularly compelling images of environmental awareness and natural conservation. What did you witness during your travels that showcases nature's untouched beauty? What efforts did you see toward preserving it?"

One submission per entrant can be emailed to tplmag@philabar.org in JPG format. A professional panel of judges will select the winner. The deadline for entries is September 20.

Pro Bono Corner: The Philadelphia Bar Foundation

You probably hate it when a not-so-young lawyer says things like, "When I was a young lawyer..." and then tells some tedious anecdote. Well, at the risk of being that person, I'd like to share my perspective on being involved with pro bono activities, the public interest legal community, and supporting legal services for those less fortunate. (Alternatively: What I learned on the way from law school to President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.)

When I graduated from law school, I intended to work as a public interest lawyer. I had been President of my school's Legal Aid Society, committed to working on behalf of the poor, and thought there was only one way to help, i.e. by working for a legal services non-profit. But then I clerked, and concluded that working at a large private law firm would best help me get the experience I needed to be an effective public interest advocate. As an associate, I did a lot of pro bono work and it made my private practice more rewarding. Helping a family with financial issues, securing social security benefits for a developmentally challenged child, and working on a civil rights case made me feel good about myself as a lawyer and what I could accomplish, even working at a private firm.

I wound up staying in private practice, became a partner and, at the same moment in time, chair of my then law firm's pro bono committee. Given the opportunity to encourage and help other attorneys find the same fulfillment, I felt using my legal skills to help people in need made my taking a different path to achieving the same result - helping the disadvantaged obtain legal services - more than okay.

Now, as president of the Philadelphia legal community's foundation, through raising money and giving financial support to our 33 public interest grantee agencies, I feel I can even be more useful in helping to make sure the abused child, the family facing foreclosure, the senior facing bankruptcy, and all those who need a lawyer can afford one. For that is what the Foundation supports.

We have a creative, committed group of legal service agencies in Philadelphia. I urge you to seek out opportunities of fulfilling every lawyer's commitment to provide "equal access to justice for all" by directly representing individuals, working with our legal services agencies and financially supporting them. It makes a difference to them and, if you are like me, a difference – feeling like you matter – to you.

Now for the commercial break. I invite all young lawyers to join their colleagues (young and old, legal and judicial) at the 32nd Andrew Hamilton Benefit on November 6 at Lincoln Financial Field! The young lawyers cost is $100 for cocktails, buffet dinner, dancing, a live auction, and being at the Linc the night before a home game. Benefit ticket: $100; a chance to see your firm's managing partner on the dance floor: priceless.

And finally, I want to thank the YLD and your Chair, Abbie DuFrayne, for their support of the Bar Foundation. In July, Abbie eloquently wrote in her Bar Reporter column about the close relationship between the YLD and the Bar Foundation, characterized by the efforts of the YLD on behalf of the Bar Foundation through the Comedy Night fundraiser and the YLD Hamilton Circle. As a result of that article, and with Abbie and YLD Chair-Elect Carey Chopko leading the way, we have ten new YLD Hamilton Circle members. Along with Abbie and Carey, Rachel Branson, Teresa Rodriguez, Maria Feeley, Jonathan Goldman, Thomas Bielli, Aneesh Mehta, Anthony Chwastyk and Matthew Williams have pledged their support to the Bar Foundation. We thank them for their commitment.

If you too would like to show your individual commitment to the Bar Foundation, call Lynne Brown at 215-238-6347 for more information.

Amy B. Ginensky is the President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation and a senior partner in Pepper Hamilton LLP's Philadelphia office. She can be reached at ginenskya@pepper.com.

Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice, Sept. 14

Presented by the Professional Responsibility Committee and co-sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division and the Law Practice Management Committee, "Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice" will examine the great benefits modern technology provides for attorneys as well as the prevalent ethical concerns. The program takes place Sept. 14 at Bar Association headquarters at 12:30 p.m. and is approved for 1 Ethics CLE credit.

Blackberries, netbooks, laptops, USB drives, iPhones, cloud computing, virtual law offices and other technologies can provide great benefits for attorneys, including dramatic improvement in efficiency and virtually unlimited access to information. This intersection of technology and law also raises ethical concerns. Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice will discuss the issues raised by these new high tech tools, as well as potential solutions that allow lawyers to identify risks before using the latest and greatest technology.

The program has been approved for 1.0 Ethics CLE credit. Participants wishing to receive the CLE credit will be required to pay a fee of $25.00 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for more than five years, and $20.00 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for less than five years. Interested parties not seeking CLE credit may attend and purchase lunch for the fee of $8.00.

CLICK HERE to register for CLE credit. CLICK HERE to register for lunch.

The National Economic Outlook: A YLD 20/20 Program, Oct. 5

Jason Faberman, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, will present a national economic outlook with a review of the region at a Young Lawyers Division 20/20 program on October 5 at 12 p.m. at Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor.

The program is free to attend. Lunch can purchased for $8.

To register for the program, CLICK HERE. Stay tuned for more details.

Nominations Now Being Accepted for 2011 YLD Executive Committee; Information Session Being Held Sept. 20

The Young Lawyers Division is now accepting nominations from any voting member of the Division interested in serving a 3-year term on the YLD Executive Committee. This year's election takes place Dec. 7.

Who can run? Each year, 7 new members are elected to the Executive Committee. Any voting member of the Division is eligible for election provided that the term of office for which the individual runs shall not extend beyond his or her membership in the Division. A member is eligible if he/she is 37-years-old or less in the year 2013 or, if he/she is older than 37, not celebrating more than his/her third year of practice in 2013. The Nominating Petition and Personal Statement must be returned to the offices of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor, no later than 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2010.

What does the Executive Committee do? The Executive Committee manages and directs the business and activities of the YLD's approximate 3,000 members, including oversight of more than 30 committees in the areas of public service, law-related education and service to the legal community. Being on the YLD Executive Committee also gives lawyers in the early years of their careers opportunities for leadership, networking, and personal and professional growth.

To help explain the process further and answer any other questions interested parties may have, an Information Session will be held on Sept. 20 for those wishing to learn more about the YLD or running in the YLD election. This program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. and is free to attend with lunch included. Pre-registration is required. CLICK HERE to register.

If you have any questions regarding the Nominating Petition, the Executive Committee, or the election process, please feel free to contact Tracey McCloskey, Director of Meetings and Special Events, at 215-238-6360 or tmccloskey@philabar.org.

YLD to Kick Off 2010 National Pro Bono Week with Spotlight on Pro Bono Program, Oct. 22

The Young Lawyers Division will kick off National Pro Bono Week in Philadelphia on October 22 with "YLD Spotlight on Pro Bono," a free program co-hosted by the Delivery of Legal Services Committee and open to all attorneys interested in learning more about how to get involved in pro bono work and ways to balance these efforts with their professional careers.

The program will feature a panel of young lawyers sharing their experiences and lessons learned as pro bono volunteers. Presenters currently include Aisha Barbour of Ballard Spahr, Andy Boczkowski of GlaxoSmithKline and Michele L. Purdue-Dean, a solo practitioner. A question-and-answer session with the audience will also take place.

YLD Spotlight on Pro Bono will begin at 12 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center at Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Attendance is free but pre-registration is requested. Lunch is also available for $8. CLICK HERE to register.

Meet the Legal Blawgers, Sept. 16

The Bar-News Media Committee will present "Meet the Legal Blawgers: An Insiders' Perspective on Connecting with the Legal Blogosphere" on Thursday, Sept. 16.

Panelists include Jeff Blumenthal, staff writer, Philadelphia Business Journal; Hugh E. Dillon, editor, PhillyChitChat.com; Hank Grezlak, associate publisher and editor-in-chief, The Legal Intelligencer; Catherine Lucey, staff reporter, Philadelphia Daily News, co-writer, PhillyClout; Chris Brennan, political writer, Philadelphia Daily News, co-writer, PhillyClout; and Saul Segan, contributor, The Huffington Post.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8. CLICK HERE to register.

Cost Effectively Conducting Legal Research, Sept. 16

The Law Practice Management Committee will present "Cost Effectively Conducting Legal Research," a program reviewing the best ways to retrieve the information you need from Internet search engines and featuring Dan Giancaterino, Education Services Manager at Jenkins Law Library, on Sept. 16 at 12 p.m. at Bar Association headquarters.

Even though social networking sites such as Facebook are all the rage, search is still the Internet's killer app. Google, Microsoft's Bing, and others offer useful but poorly-advertised features that let you organize your results, filter them by time and location, and get the correct answer instead of a list of 10 blue links. We'll also cover additional sources for desired content such as cases, law review articles, books, articles, images, and more.

CLICK HERE to register. The event is free; lunch is available for $8.00.

Less Than Three Weeks Left for Early-Bird Pricing at 2010 Bench-Bar Conference

Register now for the Bar Association's 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference at the Borgata in Atlantic City, on Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16. The event features 14 distinct CLEs and a Grand Reception at newly-remodeled MIXX nightclub. YLD member costs remain at 2007 prices. Early bird pricing registration is available if tickets purchased by Sept. 17.

The 14 CLE programs, in which attendees can earn up to eight hours of credit (including the opportunity to earn two ethics credits), will feature judges and some of the city's most well-known practitioners, who will use their expertise and experience to enlighten attendees.

A dramatic re-enactment commemorating the 275th anniversary of Andrew Hamilton's historic 1735 defense of printer John Peter Zenger will be offered for CLE credit as the opening program on Oct. 15. The case established the concept of freedom of the press and coined the term "Philadelphia lawyer."

A state-of-the-court program will also be offered for CLE credit as the closing program on Saturday, Oct. 16. Vice Chancellor John E. Savoth and Board of Governors Vice Chair Regina M. Foley are co-chairs of the 2010 conference.

Full-conference admission is $349 for members and $399 for non-members, if reserved by the early bird deadline of Friday, Sept. 17. For members of the Young Lawyers Division and government and public interest attorneys, admission is only $199. CLICK HERE for a complete registration form and pricing guide.

Sponsors for the 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference include Iron Mountain and Kaplan, Leaman and Wolfe Court Reporters. For information on becoming a sponsor, contact Michael Petitti at 215-238-6342 or mpetitti@philabar.org.

Bench-Bar Conference Scholarships Available

Scholarships to the 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference are available by lottery to Association members who are public interest or government service attorneys. The lottery drawing will take place on Friday, Sept. 10 and the announcement of winners will be sent via e-mail on Monday, Sept. 13.

To enter the lottery, please submit your name and organization to Dawn Petit at dpetit@philabar.org by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10. Each scholarship will include hotel accommodations for the night of Friday, Oct. 15 at the Borgata as well as all conference fees, which include CLE programming and all sponsored meals and events.

You must be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association to participate in the scholarship lottery.

To date, scholarships have been provided by Duffy + Partners, Messa and Associates, Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky, P.C., and the Business Law Section.