THIS FRIDAY: Young Lawyer Bootcamp; Concluding Networking Happy Hour Location Confirmed

This Friday, Feb. 19, join fellow law students and young lawyers at "Young Lawyer Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers", an inaugural program featuring practical and fundamental knowledge on the intricacies of the legal profession from judges and experienced attorneys. The event runs 12-5:30 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and is sponsored by KLA Marketing Associates.

After the program, enjoy a networking happy hour at Tavern on Broad, where Bootcamp attendees will receive 1 drink ticket and hor d'eourves.

The program is divided into five distinct sessions in which Philadelphia judges and experienced attorneys will speak on case preparation, selecting a career path, fully benefiting from initial employment, considerations when starting a solo practice, and building networking skills. Featured are the following courses and panelists:

Entering Unknown Territory: Choosing a Career Path
Panelists:
Judge Dan Anders of the Family Court Division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
Brandi Brice, an Assistant City Solicitor at the City of Philadelphia Law Department
Sophia Lee, Assistant Treasurer of the Philadelphia Bar Association and a senior counsel at Sunoco, Inc.
Sara Woods, Executive Director of Philadelphia VIP
Kathleen Wilkinson, Secretary of the Philadelphia Bar Association and a partner at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman and Dicker, LLP

Honoring the Veterans: Advice from the Bench
Panelists:
To be announced

Accepting Your Mission: Get the Most Out of Your First Job
Panelists:
Natalie D'Amora, an associate at Dilworth Paxon LLP
Lizabeth Macoretta, Executive Director of West Mt. Airy Neighbors
Theresa Rodriguez, staff attorney, Friends of Farmworkers
Gina Sullivan, counsel at GlaxoSmithKline
Robert Tintner, a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP

Leading the Troops: Considerations Before Starting Your Own Practice
Panelists:
Jeffrey Campolongo, The Law Office of Jeffrey Campolongo
James Elam, a partner at Elam & Scott, LLP
Laura Feldman, a partner at Feldman & Pinto
Stephanie Mensing, a partner at Wisniewski & Mensing, LLP
David Walker, The Law Office of David M. Walker LLC

Earning Your Stripes: The Nuts and Bolts of Networking
Panelists:
Kimberly Alford Rice, Principal, KLA Marketing Associates
Kim Jessum, of counsel at Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP
Scott Reid, a member at Cozen O'Connor
John Savoth, Vice Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and of counsel at Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC

The cost of “Young Lawyer Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers” is $10.00 and includes lunch and 1 drink ticket and hor d'oeuvres at the concluding networking happy hour. Click here to register now.

Tip of the Month: Take Some Time For Yourself

By Stephanie Mensing

Hopefully everyone has made a list of personal and professional goals for the year. If you're like me, your list of professional goals is a lot longer than your list of personal goals, but this doesn't mean your personal goals have to take a back seat. While the two lists may seem very separate, making time for personal activities is important to both your professional and personal lives.

My advice is to think about something you enjoy or have always wanted to try and, chances are, there are plenty of options in Philadelphia with varying time commitments. You may find an art or a language class that meets once per week, a dance class that meets twice per week, music lessons that you can schedule at your convenience, or some form of exercise with numerous class times during the week.

I have known busy attorneys who have enjoyed everything from pottery to boxing to circus arts (there really is a circus school in Philadelphia!) or who love to run every day. All welcome the mental break their activities offer. One day last year when I was drafting a response to a summary judgment motion, I left everything around 5:30 p.m. and went to my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class. For an hour and half, I did not think about my response once. After class, I returned to my office with a clear head and a much needed break and continued to work.

It takes a little planning to juggle both work and personal activities, but yes, it is possible. Not only are personal activities a great way to refresh and clear your mind, they are also a good way to network with people who share a common interest. I guarantee you'll not only enjoy the time to yourself, but it will be a rewarding break from the office.

Stephanie Mensing is a partner at the law firm of Wisniewski & Mensing, LLP and a member of the YLD Executive Committee. She can be reached at smensing@wm-law.net

Entertainment Cornet: The Latest Buzz

By Aneesh Mehta

2002 brought us Myspace, 2006 brought us Facebook, and before I even got a chance to get on the Twitter bandwagon, 2010 sees Google throwing their hat in the social networking circle with the introduction of Google Buzz.

At first look, it seems like Google Buzz combines the broadcasting features of Twitter with Gmail's interface. Buzz appears as a folder in my Gmail window. After signing up for Buzz, all of my Gmail contacts were automatically integrated, so I am automatically "following" my Gmail friends and similarly people are automatically following me. Buzz lets users leave snippets of information, such as photos, links, videos, and status updates that appear in the Gmail window almost like an email. The interface is fairly simple to get used to. However, my initial thoughts are that the laptop/desktop version doesn't offer anything that Facebook and Twitter haven't already cornered the market on.

But where Buzz really has a chance to set itself apart is with its location based features that are available for users' smartphones. When logging on to Buzz's mobile site from my phone, I am immediately asked whether Buzz can access my GPS to determine my location. Once determining my location, I can choose to follow comments left from the people on my "Following" list, or I can follow comments left by people nearby my location. Another feature that may be useful is that Buzz is integrated with Google Maps. After determining my location, I'm presented with a "Buzz Map" which identifies restaurants and other attractions that are in walking distance. I can click on the restaurant to read more about it including comments left by users. Additionally, I can choose to tag each of my posts with my location. The next time I'm looking for a restaurant in an area, I'll definitely check to see what the latest Buzz comments are. The usefulness of this feature is really going to depend on the number of users that will take the time to comment on something. But judging from the explosion of Twitter, people have no aversion to speaking their mind electronically.

So far all of the Buzz features are available for Android 2.0-based phones and iPhones. Google's website indicates that it will be coming for other popular devices such as BlackBerry and Windows Mobile very soon.

Only time will tell if Google will successfully penetrate the social media market and, after that, the professional market just as Facebook and Twitter have. Google Wave came out last year with much fanfare on the web, but has yet to catch on for mainstream users. But just as Twitter cut into Facebook, perhaps Buzz will find its own niche.

Aneesh Mehta is an associate at the law firm of Volpe and Koenig and a member of the YLD Executive Committee. He can be reached at amehta@volpe-koenig.com

CNN's John King to Speak at March 17 Quarterly Meeting

John King, most recently the host of CNN's "State of the Union with John King," will be the keynote speaker at the Association's Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon on Wednesday, March 17.

At the event, Immediate-Past Chancellor Sayde J. Ladov will be presented with a gold box, an exact replica of the one presented to Andrew Hamilton for his defense of John Peter Zenger in 1735. The gold box is presented annually to the immediate-past Chancellor and is inscribed with the message "acquired not by money, but by character."

The Quarterly Meeting begins at 12 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Tickets are $55 and are available HERE.

King joined CNN in May 1997 and was appointed chief national correspondent in April 2005. He served as CNN's senior White House correspondent from 1999 to 2005. He is well known for his use of CNN's "multi-touch" board, which allows him to delve into data on election nights.

Applicants Sought for Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship, Due Feb. 26

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation, in partnership with Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (APABA-PA), is seeking applicants from first-year Asian Pacific students from local law schools for the Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship. Applications are due Feb. 26.

Judge Marutani was the first Asian American judge in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a distinguished member of the judiciary who served the Asiam American community and the community at large for many years. Judge Muratani's exemplary career is a model for current students who are committed to public service.

The Fellowship is offered to Asian Pacific American first-year law students at Dickinson School of Law, Rutgers University School of Law-Camden, Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Drexel University School of Law, and Widener University School of Law.

The Fellowship will provide a stipend for a first-year Asian American law student (up to $5,000) to subsidize a full-time summer internship position (of at least 10 weeks) with a non-profit public interest organization or with a federal, state or municipal government entity (including the judiciary) in the greater Philadelphia area. Applicants are eligible even if they seek or receive other sources of summer funding.

After completing the internship, the Fellowship recipient will be required to complete a two-page report summarizing his/her experience. The report shall be submitted in a finished form appropriate for publication in APABA-PA's newsletter. The recipient will also be recognized at the APABA-PA's annual banquet in the Fall.

All applications must be postmarked by Feb. 26, 2010 and received by 4 p.m. that same date. Mail or hand-deliver materials to Lynne Brown at the Bar Foundation offices, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Lunch Program on Submitting to Editorial Pages Rescheduled

The Bar Association's Bar-News Media Committee's program "How and When to Share Your Opinion with the Press - Submitting to Editorial Pages" originally set for Feb. 11 has been rescheduled due to inclement weather. A new date will be announced.

Members will hear from editorial page editors from several area newspapers. Panelists will include Bernard Dagenais, editor of the Philadelphia Business Journal; Hank Grezlak, associate publisher and editor-in-chief of The Legal Intelligencer; Lisa Hostein, executive editor, Jewish Exponent; and and Irv Randolph, managing editor of The Philadelphia Tribune. Additional panelists will be announced.

For more information about the Bar-News Media Committee, contact Committee Chair Gina Furia Rubel at gina@furiarubel.com.

TOMORROW: FJD Holding E-Filing Training Session

Tomorrow, Feb. 17, the First Judicial District will hold a training session on electronic filing featuring a faculty that includes several Philadelphia judges.

Electronic filing of all civil matters became mandatory in January 2009. This program will provide in-depth instruction on the use of the electronic filing system. It was designed to allow for the filing of all civil cases and legal document via the Internet from anywhere at any time. The system currently provides attorneys and litigants with unlimited online access to all papers and legal documents filed in their cases.

The faculty for the program includes President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe, Administrative Judge D. Webster Keogh, Supervising Judge William J. Manfredi, Deputy Court Administrator Charles A. Mapp Sr., Prothonotary Joseph H. Evers, and Deputy Prothonotary Deborah E. Dailey, along with Harold Palmer, director of application systems development and Steven Wulko from quality assurance.

The program begins at 9 a.m. in Conference Room 380 of City Hall. Click here for an electronic fillable registration form. Completed registration forms can be e-mailed to kara.behlau@courts.phila.gov. The cost of the program is $125 and includes and electronic version of the e-filing manual. The program has been approved for 3 substantive CLE credits.

Snow Impacts Mock Trial Competition; Volunteers Needed for Specific Dates

Due to school and court closings as a result of snow, 25 trials were canceled in the 2010 John S. Bradway Philadelphia High School Mock Trial Competition. Below is information on the new dates and the number of volunteer judges needed for each. All sessions are at the CJC and volunteers will need to download and review the Case Materials and Supplement to Case Materials here. Email Kristina Littman if you can help.

Wed. 2/17, 4:30-7pm (20 judges needed)
Thur. 2/18, 4:30-7pm (20 judges needed)
Sat. 2/20, 10-12pm (16 judges needed)
Sat. 2/20, 1-3pm (4 judges needed)
Wed. 2/24, 4:30-7pm (9 judges needed)
Thur. 2/25, 4:30-7pm (11 judges needed)
Sat. 2/27, 9-11am (4 judges needed)