NEXT MONDAY: Chief Judge Lippman to Speak, Judge Rufe to Be Honored

Hon. Jonathan Lippman, chief judge of the State of New York and a strong advocate for equal access to justice, will be the keynote speaker at the Bar Association's Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon, next Monday, June 27.

The Association will also present the Sandra Day O'Connor Award to U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe at the event and honor the newest members of its Year Clubs, attorneys who have been practicing law for more than 50 years. The O'Connor Award is conferred annually on a woman attorney who has demonstrated superior legal talent, achieved significant legal accomplishments and has furthered the advancement of women in both the profession and the community.

As New York's chief judge, Lippman has championed equal access to justice issues and taken an active leadership role in identifying permanent funding streams for civil legal services, strengthening the state’s indigent criminal defense system, addressing the systemic causes of wrongful convictions, and reforming New York's juvenile justice system, among many other areas. Judge Lippman's four decades in the courts have been marked by a commitment to fostering a justice system that is independent, open, accountable and responsive to the people it serves.

Judge Rufe was nominated to the Eastern District by President George W. Bush on Jan. 23, 2002. She was confirmed by the Senate on April 30, 2002, and received her commission on May 3, 2002. She received her B.A. from Adelphi University and received her J.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo Law School.

Judge Rufe began her professional career as an assistant and coordinator in the Juvenile Division of the Bucks County Public Defender's Office in 1977. She was a deputy public defender with the Bucks County Public Defender's Office from 1980 to 1981. She served as solicitor for the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency from 1984 to 1988. She served as a judge on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas from 1994 to 2002.

We will also welcome Hon. Bruce W. Kauffman to join us in saluting the distinguished careers of our senior members of the Bar Association as we induct new members into the 50-, 60-, 65- and 70-Year Clubs. Our two new 70-Year Club members, Albert Konefsky and George Ovington, will receive special recognition for their extraordinary record of service.

Tickets for the event, to be held at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets, are $55 for members and $65 for non-members. Click here to purhcase tickets.

Bar Foundation Golf Classic June 28 at ACE Club

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation's 23rd Annual Golf Classic, one of its biggest fundraisers of the year, will be held at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill on Tuesday, June 28. The proceeds from the event fund the Bar Foundation's grants program that helps ensure that justice is for all, not just for those who can afford it.

"What differentiates this from other charity golf outings is that we cap the field at 108 golfers and you play your own ball so players get to experience ACE, one of the premier private courses in the area, as their own private golf club for the day," said Golf Committee Co-Chair David Kessler of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, the Presenting Sponsor of the 2011 Golf Classic.

Golfers will tee off at 11:30 a.m. after brunch and will compete for best net or gross score, longest drive, closest to the pin, best putt and best chip shot.

Not a golfer? Join us for an open bar cocktail reception and Surf and Turf dinner at 5:30 pm. A silent auction with high-end items donated by local restaurants, businesses and golf clubs will be part of the festivities.

Call 215-238-6347 or go to philabarfoundation.org for more information.

Tip of the Month: Goin' Paperless

by Stephanie Mensing

For the past few months, I've been going "paperless" - meaning, I'm transitioning to an almost paperless law practice. All of my open files are digital and now almost all of my closed files are too. Why? My first goal was to save office space since storing my closed files was no longer feasible. During the process of scanning my old files, I realized both how much paper was being wasted doing things the "old way" and also how much easier it would be to access my files from home (or anywhere else) if they were digital. Hopefully over the next few months, I can provide some helpful tips for those of you who are considering going paperless or are already in the process.

To start, you need a good document scanner. I recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap s1500M (for Mac users), which I use, or the s1500 (for PC users). It seems to scan everything, from a stack of different-sized documents to photographs, without many issues. The scanner also comes with some great software, including Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional (Mac) or Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard (PC). (Both versions allow users to search and edit documents.); ABBYY FineReader, which allows users to convert paperwork into editable text by scanning directly into Microsoft Word and Excel; and Cardiris 3.6 (Mac) or CardMinder 4.0 (PC). Both allow users to scan a stack of business cards, extract the information, and export to Address Book or Entourage (Mac) or Excel, Outlook, and other contact managers (PC).

After purchasing a good document scanner, the next step is to begin scanning. If you are starting a new practice or planning to go paperless for new files only, you can start scanning every document you receive and organize them the same way you organize your paper files. For example, I have a folder for each client and within those folders, I have folders for correspondence, pleadings, motions, etc. Within those folders, I create subfolders, as needed. The process for scanning closed files is basically the same, although you may choose to be less detailed in organizing the files.

Once you start going process, the key to avoiding paper pile up is to make sure you scan every document in a timely manner. For example, scan all mail the same day you receive it, encourage opposing counsel to send documents in PDF format, and when meeting with a client who brought documents for you, scan the documents and hand them back to your client.

Next month I will discuss security and backup of your paperless files and how to dispose of your old paper files.

Stephanie Mensing is in private practice at Mensing Law LLC. She can be reached at stephanie@mensinglaw.com.

Save $80 Now on Bench-Bar Registration

Register by September 16 to save $80 on full conference admission to the 2011 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference, Oct. 14-15 at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City.

Click here to register. Visit the official website here.

The Bench-Bar & Annual Conference provides attendees with the opportunity to earn CLE credit while networking with colleagues and members of the bench.

If booked by Sept. 16, registration for members is $349; for non-members, $399; and for members of the Young Lawyers Division and public interest and government attorneys, $199. After Sept. 16, registration is $429 for members, $479 for non-members, and $279 for for members of the Young Lawyers Division and public interest and government attorneys. For those wishing to attend only the Grand Reception at The Pool at Harrah's on Friday, Oct. 14, tickets are $150 for all members and $175 for non-members. Tickets will be an additional $25 if purchased at the door.

For those wishing to attend Friday's session only, tickets are $299 for members, $149 for the Young Lawyers Division and government or public interest attorneys and $349 for non-members. Members and guests wishing to attend without receiving CLE credit will pay $200. For non-members, the cost is $225. Admission includes all sponsored meals and events. Those wishing to attend programs on Saturday, Oct. 24 will only pay $229, while YLD members and government and public interest attorneys can attend for $79 and $279 for non-members. Click here to register.

Take Part in VIP's 30 for 30 Challenge

Matthew S. Olesh and Martha F. Reilly, co-chairs of Philadelphia VIP's 30th Anniversary Engagement Committee, are calling upon the members of Philadelphia's legal community to participate in the "30 for 30 Challenge." They are asking all Philadelphia-area attorneys to commit to 30 hours of pro bono service this year with an organization of their choosing in honor of Philadelphia VIP's 30th anniversary.

The "30 for 30" pledge form is available on Philadelphia VIP's website at phillyvip.org. All pledge signers will be recognized at a special 30th Anniversary ceremony during National Pro Bono Week this October. Philadelphia VIP will also track all participation and provide special recognition to practices of varying sizes with the highest rates of participation.

TODAY: Motion Practice in Appellate Courts

Leonard R. Blazick of the Central Legal Staff of Pennsylvania Superior Court will discuss "Motion Practice in Pennsylvania Appellate Courts" at today's (June 21) CLE program presented by the Appellate Courts Committee.

The program begins at 12:30 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Registration and lunch begin at 12 p.m.

The program has been approved for 1 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. Click here to register for CLE credit.

Interested parties not seeking CLE credit may attend and purchase lunch. Click here to register for lunch.