Networking Happy Hour, 1/20 at Con Murphy's

Join the YLD and other young professionals at the next Networking Happy Hour, Wednesday, January 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Con Murphy's, 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway (at the Windsor Hotel). The event is co-hosted by the Delivery of Legal Services Committee, the Justinians and the Lawyers Club of Philadelphia.

The first 50 to arrive will receive a complimentary drink ticket and appetizers will be served. Stay tuned for more details.

YLD Accepting Nominations for Peretta, Perry Awards; Deadline Jan. 22

The Young Lawyers Division is now accepting nominations for the F. Sean Peretta Service Award and the Craig M. Perry Service Award, both presented at the upcoming YLD Annual Meeting in early 2010. Deadline for nominations is Friday, Jan. 22, 2010.

The F. Sean Peretta Service Award is presented annually to an individual who has devoted substantial time to an innovative or non-traditional program that serves the community. Peretta was a private practitioner who died suddenly at age 31 who was a very involved community activist and a mentor to kids in his home neighborhood. He was viewed as a role model for African-American Youth.

The Craig M. Perry Service Award is presented annually to a young lawyer - 37 years old or younger or within the first three years of practice - who has devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities, including, but not limited to, pro bono and charity work. Perry was a member of the YLD Executive Committee who suffered an untimely death. He was very involved in community service and active in student-related and other YLD programs.

Nominations should include the individual's name, address and a brief statement describing his or her qualifications. The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 22, 2010. All nominations should be submitted to Tracey McCloskey at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or email to tmccloskey@philabar.org.

TONIGHT: Chancellor's Reception at the Part Hyatt at the Bellevue

The city's deep freeze will get a warm-touch antidote when a record number of handshakes are exchanged at the Philadelphia Bar Association's annual Chancellor's Reception tonight, Jan. 5, welcoming Scott F. Cooper as the Association's 83rd Chancellor, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut Streets.

This is the event at which even the city's busiest and most successful legal luminaries patiently wait in a long line to wish their leader and each other good luck in the year ahead.

At times, the line of well-wishers will flow through the ballroom foyer, around corridors, past meeting rooms and down to the escalator that leads guests up to the ballroom level. But Cooper, a partner at Blank Rome LLP who leads the Association through 2010, won't be complaining even though he'll be at the head of the line the whole time pumping as many as 13 hands per minute.

Cooper is enthusiastically looking forward to the event. "Every year, this is one of my two favorite days on the Bar Association's calendar," Cooper said. "Our gathering together is one of our most important and time-honored traditions. In this hi-tech and e-mail-driven age, it is more important than ever that we meet face-to-face as one Association. This gathering of lawyers and judges - of all disciplines and experience - is truly unique to Philadelphia."

Message from the Chair: An Exciting Year Ahead

Happy 2010! It's definitely a little strange writing that, considering the decades' worth of speculation about all the crazy technologies we'd have when we reached this futuristic year. Even though many of these predictions didn't come true - hey, we are carrying computers in our pockets now - I'm excited to start this year as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division. We have a lot of great, original programming in store.

I've been a member of the YLD for five years now, a member of the Executive Committee for four, and a member of the Cabinet for two. I know the value of being a part of this Division. As such, I encourage you to take advantage of your YLD membership in the New Year. When I first started practicing law, I chose not to participate in the programs being offered because I thought I was too busy or would rather spend my free time doing something else. Over time, I was invited to YLD events and meetings, and eventually I accepted an invitation to participate and discovered the many benefits.

At Bar Association meetings and events, I met other lawyers, judges and potential referral sources who I otherwise would not have met. I expanded my legal network, participated in numerous community service projects and mentorship opportunities, and developed both my reputation in the legal community and my book of business.

My main goal as Chair is to invigorate and enable you to share these experiences. As this New Year begins, I am excited to offer you the same opportunities that led to the further development of my professional life. During the year there will be monthly networking events and other social gatherings, legal education and mentoring opportunities, and community service initiatives, all with the aim of bettering you as both a lawyer and a young professional.

We have an energized Executive Committee with outgoing people representing a wide variety of backgrounds and practice areas. We are here to serve you and welcome you to join us throughout the year. We want everyone who would like to participate to have the opportunity. As part of our initiative to better serve you, we are adding some new content to this electronic publication (a pretty cool technological advancement in its own right). This will include several new articles and updates. Another addition will be a monthly column from myself.

We welcome your input and hope that you will not hesitate to contact us with your ideas for this publication and the YLD in general. You can reach me at adufrayne@petrellilaw.com. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at our events throughout the year - hopefully at our first one, a Networking Happy Hour on January 20 at Con Murphy's. I also look forward to meeting you in person!

Albertine Y. DuFrayne is an associate at the Law Office of Thomas J. Petrelli, Jr. and the 2010 Chair of the Young Lawyers Division.

Pros and Cons of Structured Settlements, Jan. 20

Brian J. Fillion will present "The Pros and Cons of Structured Settlements" at the Wednesday, Jan. 20 meeting of the Workers' Compensation Section. The program begins at 12:30 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. and has been approved for 1.0 substantive CLE credit.

Participants wishing to receive the CLE credit will be required to pay a fee of $25 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for more than five years, and $20 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for less than five years. If you wish to register in advance, CLICK HERE or call PBI Customer Service at 1-800-932-4637.

Lunch will be available through the Philadelphia Bar Association for an additional fee of $8 per person with payment being made to the Philadelphia Bar Association in advance of the meeting. CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Brandeis Society Law Student Networking Night, Jan. 27

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe will be the guest speaker when The Brandeis Law Society of Philadelphia holds its Ninth Annual Law Student Networking Night on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the offices of Fox Rothschild LLP, 2000 Market St.

The event gives Jewish law students from area law schools the opportunity to meet and chat with seasoned attorneys and judges. It includes breakout sessions focusing on specific practice areas as well as a general session, refreshments and socializing. It has proven to be beneficial to countless young lawyers making their way into the Philadelphia legal community.

The Brandeis Law Society welcomes all of its members as well as other lawyers to this free event and advance registration is not necessary.

The participation of experienced lawyers and judges is vital to the success of the evening. Participants will have an opportunity to sign up to mentor individual law students if they choose.

For more information about the Law Student Networking Night, contact Miriam Steinberg-Egeth at 215-898-6451 or e-mail info@jewishgrads.org; or Matthew G. Laver at 215-686-7097 or matthew.laver@courts.phila.gov.

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.