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. READ MORE

Young Lawyer Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers

Law students and young lawyers will receive practical and fundamental knowledge on the intricacies of the legal profession from judges and experienced attorneys at "Young Lawyer Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers", an inaugural program presented by the YLD on Feb. 19 from 12-5:30 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

In five distinct sessions, 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. The program will conclude with a networking happy hour open to all attendees and features 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
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:
Kim Jessum, of counsel at Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP
May Mon Post, The Post Law Firm
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 admission to the concluding networking happy hour. Click here to register. Stay tuned for details on additional panelists.

Message from the Chair: Great Programs Ahead for Young Lawyers

Welcome to February! I hope everyone who attended the networking happy hour at Con Murphy's last month had a great time. I would like to extend a big "thank you" to MCS Group, Inc. for generously sponsoring the event and ensuring that fun was had by all, especially those who won the Sixers and Flyers tickets in the raffle.

As you surely know, in addition to putting on great social events, one of the YLD's functions is helping its members in their professional development. As young lawyers or soon-to-be new lawyers, this is perhaps our area of most concern, as all of us want to succeed and make our mark in whichever area of law we chose to practice. It's the "how" where many of us get hung up, and that's really why the YLD created this first-ever "Young Lawyer Bootcamp" program you've likely already read about.

For those of you that haven't had a chance to check out the email blast, press release or Facebook notice about the program, let me just go over the basics. "Young Lawyer Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers" takes place Feb. 19 at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute from 12-5:30 p.m. and features five separate courses on topics like networking, starting your own firm, surviving the first year of practice and choosing a career path (for more information, read the top story of this EZine). In addition to experienced attorneys from all areas of practice, we are lucky to have a few judges join us to lend their views.

We are really excited about this program and it appears you are, too. Since first announcing it in the Jan. 19 edition of this EZine, we've had more than 40 people pre-register. If you're not yet one of these 40+ law students or new lawyers, I hope you soon decide to join us. With all the information you will receive for just $10, it really is an amazing value.

As you may have also seen, the YLD is also in the final stages of organizing a Mentoring Program and we are still in need of mentors for law students and new graduates. Our goal is to match each law student or new graduate with one attorney mentor by the middle of February. Mentoring is as involved as you would like it to be and the law students are aware that you will not be hiring them for permanent positions or internships. A special networking event open to all participants of the Mentor Program is in the works for the end of March. If you are interested in participating, please contact Alexis Arena at alexis.arena@flastergreenberg.com.

Again, the YLD is here for you and I hope you take advantage of all the services we offer at our upcoming Bootcamp event, the Mentoring Program, and all other initiatives you'll hear about throughout the year. See you soon!

Albertine DuFrayne is the 2010 Chair of Young Lawyers Division and an associate at the law firm of Petrelli Law, P.C.

Volunteers Needed for YLD Mentoring Program

The YLD needs volunteers for its Mentoring Program, an endeavor that seeks to foster the professional development of Philadelphia's future attorneys and simulate the growth, diversity and participation of Philadelphia lawyers in Bar Association activities and the community at large.

Each mentor is assigned to serve as a role model and counselor to one mentee. Mentorship is an obligation and responsibility. Mentors must:

1) Reach out and make initial contact with their mentee;

2) Have one in-person or telephonic meeting with their mentee in advance of the Mentorship Program Event;

3) Have one or more in person meetings with their mentee after the Mentorship Program Event;

4) Remain as a resource to the mentee for the course of the year.

Download the sign-up form and questionnaire HERE. Completed forms can be forward to Daniel McKenna at mckennad@ballardspahr.com.

Sign Up Now To Be A Volunteer Coach or Judge of the 2010 Mock Trial Competition, Going On Now

The YLD is still seeking volunteer coaches and judges for the annual John S. Bradway Philadelphia High School Mock Trial Competition, going on now and co-run by Temple University's Beasley School of Law. Sign up now using this quick and easy link.

Once here, scroll to the bottom of the page to access the forms for each round of competition and sign up for a time slot(s) that works best for you. Remember, however, once that round is filled with volunteers, no more will be accepted. So sign up fast!

If you've volunteered in the past, we thank you and hope that you will do so this year. If you have not yet volunteered for the Mock Trial Competition, we encourage you to do so and are confident the experience will be rewarding. As a judge, you can chose to fill as many time slots as your schedule will allow and you do not need trial experience to participate. All you need is a willingness to give some time and be wowed by the high school students!

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.

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.

Webcast Reviewing Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Feb. 5

On Jan. 21, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a corporation’s right under the First Amendment to attack a political candidate required an invalidation of both federal and state prohibitions on corporate expenditures for political purposes. On Feb. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m., join a webcast where a panel of election law experts will delve into what the ruling really means.

Regardless of what one thinks about the decision, one thing is clear: it changes the rules on corporate expenditures in state and federal elections and anyone involved in any way in elections needs to know exactly what the decision says.

Join our panel of election law experts and get the full story, including:

-Analysis of the decision - the opinion of the Court, the concurrences and the dissents.
-What it changes - and what it doesn't change.
-Practical implications for candidates running in the mid-term federal elections, the 2010 Pennsylvania primary and general elections and next year’s Pennsylvania judicial elections.
-What political issues the Court likely will next address.
-Political expenditure guidelines for business corporations, not-for-profit social welfare corporations, and trade associations.
-Potential federal and state statutory responses.

The faculty includes:

-Gregory M. Harvey, Esq., Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP, Philadelphia
-Clifford B. Levine, Esq.. Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP, Pittsburgh
-Lawrence J. Tabas, Esq., Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, Philadelphia

This program has been approved for 2 hours of CLE credit in substantive law. CLICK HERE to register.

Legal Directory 2010 Launches Mobile Access

Instant access to Greater Philadelphia law firms and attorney listings is now available whenever and wherever you go - literally thousands of key contacts at your fingertips, all at no additional cost with the purchase of The Legal Directory 2010.

The huge Legal Directory database is now searchable via your handheld device thanks to a more streamlined interface that is ideally formatted to fit smaller screens. It is also conveniently interactive. Just click on a phone number and your handheld dials it; select an e-mail address and an e-mail template is instantly generated.

With this free mobile feature, The Legal Directory 2010 becomes the ultimate multi-platform database - all of the information is available to you in a traditional print version as well as handheld and online at www.thelegaldirectory.org. One purchase connects you to the most up-to-date contacts for law firms and lawyers in the five-county region.

Recognized as the official publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association, The Legal Directory 2010 delivers hundreds of new listings that are part of the most accurate database of Philadelphia-area firms and attorneys available. It also includes pages of indispensable information subscribers have come to rely on, including:

• Attorneys listed alphabetically and indexed by area of concentration;
• An index of judges, with phone numbers and addresses;
• Federal, state and county courts and government agencies;
• A special section devoted to corporate counsel;
• Alternative dispute resolution resources;
• Bar Association bylaws, contacts and committees; and
• A tabbed products, services and experts section with important information and resources in one concise area for all members of the legal community.

Order now and take advantage of the discounted pre-publication price of $59.95 (plus shipping and tax). This offer expires March 1, 2010.

For more information, e-mail legaldirectory@mediatwo.com or call 443-909-7843.