Play casino games for a winning cause at the YLD's Casino Night and Annual Fundraiser on May 14 from 7-10:30 p.m. at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel, 200 S. 17th St. All proceeds benefit the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, a non-profit group that provides funding to legal service organizations that represent impoverished individuals. Online registration for the event closes at noon on Friday, May 13 and tickets will be an additional $10 at the door.

Register here.

Seven authentic blackjack tables, 3 poker tables, 2 craps tables and a double roulette table staffed by professionally trained dealers will be available at the event. The chance to win prizes in a big ticket raffle, a 3-hour open bar, a generous dinner buffet, and a DJ are also included with admission.

Tickets are $65 each, $120 for two. Each guest will receive $200 worth of playing chips. Additional chips will be available for purchase at the event. Chips can be exchanged for raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes such as: overnight stays at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City and the Westin Philadelphia; unique tours of Philadelphia landmarks and complimentary admission to entertainment venues; Phillies tickets; gift certificates to renowned Philadelphia restaurants and retail establishments; and more.

Since 2006, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has raised more than $140,000 for the Philadelphia Bar Foundation through its signature fundraiser, which previously featured a comedian and a silent auction.

Gaming tables and dealers are being supplied by Philly Casino Parties. Please note, absolutely no cash prizes will be awarded.

Current sponsors are:

Leadership

Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig (sponsor of the Roulette Table)

Partnership

Cozen O'Connor
Pansini Mezrow
Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo

Friendship

Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett and Bendesky
Raynes McCarty
German Gallagher & Murtagh, P.C.

Fellowship

The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University
The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association
Littler Mendelson PC

Current raffle items are:

• Metropolitan Bakery: Ten, $5 gift certificates
• The Field House: $100 gift certificate
• Wine School of Philadelphia: $75 gift certificate
• Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel: One night stay in the Presidential Suite with a bottle of champagne
• Aldo Lamberti's Positano Coast: One $15 gift certificate and one $10 gift certificate
• Caesars Entertainment: One night stay with gourmet dinner for two at one of Caesars Entertainment-Atlantic City properties
• Penn Museum: Four complimentary admission passes
• Devon Seafood Grill: $100 gift certificate
• Bryn Mawr Film Institute: One year couple/family membership, which includes discounted admission and film education tuition, access to BMFI Film Studies Library, program guide mailings, Invitations to free sneak previews, and discounts at area businesses and attractions
• Angel kissed handmade soap in wildflower by Anna Pereira and a blue plaid handmade quilted zipper pouch by Good Marvin (donated by Abbie DuFrayne)
• Helium Comedy Club: Admission for six
• Fusion Cross Training: Pick from 1 of 3 Fusion services: group cross training, personal coaching, or nutrition counseling
• Lucky Strike Lanes Philadelphia: The Lucky Party - 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, chips and salsa, and mac-n-cheese bites for up to 8 guests.
• The Westin Philadelphia: One night deluxe weekend accommodation with breakfast for two
• Philly Improv Theater: Four tickets good at any show Philly Improv Theater produces
• Two Phillies tickets for May 23, 2011 against the Cincinnati Reds (donated by Veritext)
• Complimentary mid-week overnight stay at the Borgata Atlantic City (donated by Borgata Heart & Soul Foundation)
• Philadelphia Zoo: Four complimentary admission passes
• Free Chiropractic Evaluation and Massage (donated by Dr. Paul E. Rubin, Chiropractor)
• Pyramid Club: 2 month membership
• Triumph Brewing Company: $50 gift certificate
• Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: 2 tickets to a PCMS concert
• T-Shirt and baseball autographed by Jimmy Rollins (donated by Jimmy Rollins Family Foundation)
• Las Bugambilias: $20 gift certificate
• The Rittenhouse Hotel: Brunch for Two
• Loews Philadelphia Hotel: Overnight Stay for Two in Deluxe Accommodations
• Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site: Six passes for use during the day at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
• Curtis Institute of Music: Two tickets to one of three Curtis Symphony Orchestra performances during the 2011/12 season along with a CD.
• Four bottles of tequila and one of bourbon, courtesy of Southern Wine and Spirits of PA
• Philadelphia Belle: Lunch or Dinner Cruise for Two on the Philadelphia Belle Docked at Penn's Landing
• 1.5 hour French lesson for beginner student including pastry and coffee, donated by Jennifer Lin
• Embassy Suites Hotel Philadelphia-Center City: One night weekend stay with evening reception and full breakfast

DUE NEXT MONDAY: Entries Sought for Ginsburg Legal Writing Competition

Entries are due next Monday, May 9, for the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2011 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition.

The co-chairs of the competition are Bar Association Vice Chancellor Kathleen D. Wilkinson, partner at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker LLP and Diane Penneys Edelman, Assistant Dean for International Programs, Associate Professor of Legal Writing, Villanova University School of Law.

The Bar Association recognizes the importance of excellence in legal analysis and writing skills, and seeks to award a student enrolled in an American Bar Association-approved or provisionally approved Philadelphia-area law school for authoring a top-quality competition submission.

This competition is open to full- and part-time law students who are in their second or third year of study during the 2010-11 academic year at one of the following six institutions: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Rutgers University School of Law - Camden, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law and Widener University School of Law (Delaware Campus). Part-time law students in their third or later year of study are also eligible. Students must be in good standing at their institutions. The submission may not have been published previously, although it may have been prepared in connection with a law school course or for a law journal. The submission also may not have been submitted for any other competition during the time when it is under consideration for this competition, until after the time when awards are announced. The submission must be the work of one author alone (joint submissions will not be considered), and the author must certify that the submission has been prepared without substantial editing from others.

Candidates may submit a law review quality submission on any topic relating to rights, privileges and responsibilities under federal law. Entries must be received by Monday, May 9 at 4 p.m. by Dawn Petit, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or at dpetit@philabar.org.

The author of the winning submission will receive a cash award of $2,500, the publication of the winning submission in The Philadelphia Lawyer, on the Bar Association's website and/or in an appropriate Bar Association publication. The winner will be invited to a Quarterly Meeting of the Bar Association, at which time the award will be presented.

Help Prepare Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House, June 7

Please join the YLD for a guest chef dinner at the Ronald McDonald House located at 3925 Chestnut Street on Tuesday, June 7 beginning at 4 p.m.

The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House is a home-away-from-home for families and their seriously ill children who are being treated at area hospitals. What makes the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House special is its caring environment where families find physical and emotional comfort through one another and through volunteers like you.

Volunteers are asked to cook a full meal for the 80-90 residents of the house. Meal preparations begin at 4 p.m., and is to be served at 6 p.m.

We are seeking 15-20 volunteers to share in this valuable experience. It is a fun way to spend your afternoon, and it will certainly be a rewarding opportunity to give back to your community.

Please contact Matthew Laver if you are interested in volunteering or if you require further information.

TODAY AT NOON: VIP Speaker Series with Owen Lefkon

Join Philadelphia VIP at its upcoming Speaker Series on today, May 3, at 12 p.m., featuring keynote speaker Owen Lefkon, former assistant attorney general of Massachusetts.

The program, co-sponsored by the Public Interest Section, begins at 12 p.m. at the offices of White and Williams LLP, 1650 Market St., One Liberty Place, Suite 1800. To learn more about this event or to register, click here.

To learn about upcoming 30th Anniversary events, including the 30 for 30 Pledge and the 30th Anniversary Giving Circle, click here.

Chief Judge Lippman to Speak; Judge Rufe to Be Honored, June 27

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 Monday, June 27 Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon.

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.

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.

Phact-Philled Lunch with Phillies Senior VP Michael Stiles, May 12

Join the Philadelphia Bar Association Academy for a special members-only lunchtime event as we welcome Philadelphia Phillies Senior Vice President Michael Stiles for an inside look at the Phillies organization. Learn first-hand about Phillies management's perspectives on a team that has truly "broken through" to the big leagues, what it means for Philadelphia to win a major championship, legal and public relations issues from today's headlines, and more! This unique event will feature a special video presentation and ballpark-inspired treats.

All registrants will automatically be entered into a drawing to participate in an private VIP tour of Citizens Bank Park!

Stiles is senior vice president of administration and operations for the Phillies. He formerly served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as well a judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He also spent 12 years as a trial attorney and supervisor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Stiles joined the Phillies in April 2001 and became senior vice president in February 2007. He played a key role in the team's move from Veterans Stadium to Citizens Bank Park.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. To register for this free program, click here or visit baracademy.philadelphiabar.org. Lunch is available for $8 for Association members who pre-register. Registration is limited and required in advance. Click here to register for lunch.

The Philadelphia Bar Association Academy provides Bar members with civic and cultural educational experiences that allow for enhanced business development opportunities. Academy programs provide a unique entry to the city's most vibrant institutions and leaders, offering behind-the-scenes access to these institutions in a manner designed to benefit all participants.

Registrants may be contacted by the hosting organizations about future promotions.

Brennan Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

Nominations are being accepted for the Philadelphia Bar Association's prestigious Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award. The award will be presented at the Association's Quarterly Meeting in September 2011.

The award recognizes a jurist who adheres to the highest ideals of judicial service. Any member of the state or federal bench, whether active or retired, who has made a significant, positive impact on the quality or administration of justice in Philadelphia is eligible for consideration. Examples of accomplishments worthy of nomination include innovations in court administration, implementation of pioneering case management techniques, assumption of a leadership role in areas affecting the administration of justice, publication of a significant opinion, article, or other scholarly work, or the like.

Maria Feeley is chairing this year's Brennan Award Committee. Nominations for the Justice Brennan Distinguished Jurist Award should be forwarded to: Brennan Award, Attn: Dawn Petit, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. All nominations should include the full name, address and telephone number of both the nominee and the person submitting the nomination, a summary of the nominee’s accomplishments, and any pertinent supporting material the committee should consider.

All nominations must be received no later than Monday, June 6, 2011.