Welcome to the YLD EZine!

Starting today, Philadelphia's young lawyers have a colorful, interactive new online magazine for getting the latest news, photos, event details, hot column topics, podcasts, blogs and much more, all targeted for today's young attorney on the go. Look for the YLD EZine every Friday in your inbox - and stay on the cutting edge!

Nochumson to Serve as YLD Chair for 2007

Recognized as "A Lawyer on the Fast Track" by American Lawyer Media, 2007 YLD Chair Alan Nochumson focuses his practice in real estate law, litigation, employment and labor law, and land use and zoning.

Nochumson also serves on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (PAID), the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation (PCDC), and the Board of Trustees of Camp William Penn. Read more...

YLD Earns Top ABA Honors for 2020, Scholarship Efforts

The Young Lawyers Division was recently honored with two national First Place Awards of Achievement from the American Bar Association for the Philadelphia 2020 Lunchtime Series and the YLD Minority Bar Scholarship Program. The YLD Comedy Night charitable fund-raiser also won a Certificate of Performance in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in service to the public.


The Philadelphia 2020 Lunchtime Series was conceived by 2005 YLD Chair Natalie Klyashtorny, with a goal to work with other young professional groups in the city to help make Philadelphia more vibrant and competitive with other cities in attracting and retaining young professionals. Another function of the Philadelphia 2020 Lunchtime Series is to publicize Philadelphia's many assets as a potential world-class city.

Mock Trial Competition Seeking Volunteers

The John S. Bradway Philadelphia High School Mock Trial Competition, which is run by Temple University Beasley School of Law and the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association, is seeking volunteers for this year's competition beginning Monday, Jan. 29.


Each spring, students from 50 public, private and parochial schools compete in a simplified mock trial for the City Mock Trial Championship. The students are given the opportunity to play the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictitious criminal or civil case, focusing on real legal issues.

Go to the Young Lawyers Division page on the Bar Association's Web site to fill out the volunteer form.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Eleanora.Jones@Temple.edu or Roberta.West@Temple.edu or by phone at 215-204-1887.

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Nochumson to Serve as YLD Chair for 2007

Recognized as "A Lawyer on the Fast Track" by American Lawyer Media, 2007 YLD Chair Alan Nochumson focuses his practice in real estate law, litigation, employment and labor law, and land use and zoning. Nochumson also serves on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (PAID), the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation (PCDC), and the Board of Trustees of Camp William Penn. He received a B.A. in Political Science with magna cum laude honors from the State University of New York at Albany and graduated in 1999 from the George Washington University Law School.

Nochumson will oversee the Executive Committee, which manages and directs the business and activities of more than 2,300 YLD members, including oversight of 20 committees in the areas of public service, law-related education and service to the legal community.

Scott P. Sigman was elected chair-elect of the YLD in a Nov. 27 vote by the Division's Executive Committee. Also elected were May Mon Post, vice chair; Jocelyn Gabrynowicz, secretary; Brian Chacker, treasurer; and Scott Jones, financial secretary.

Sigman, an associate at Bochetto and Lentz, P.C., has served on the Executive Committee of the YLD since 2001. He was financial secretary from 2003-2004 and vice chair from 2004-2006. A 2001 graduate of Temple University's Beasley School of Law, Sigman spent four years as an assistant district attorney with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

Fill In Your Blanks by Lisa Goldstein

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. -William Arthur Ward

A few years ago I gave an introductory rainmaking seminar to YLD members. To promote active listening, the handouts contained "fill in the blank" statements. After the seminar, I read the comments on the feedback forms and came across one that stated: "We are lawyers. We went to law school so we wouldn't have to fill in the blanks."

I was initially taken aback by the comment. If a lawyer can't fill in a blank, how can that lawyer put himself or herself out there to do what it takes to bring in clients? A lot of lawyers, young and old, hold themselves on a pedestal, believing that certain things are beneath them. "Rainmaking" is certainly one of those things.

Having spent 10 years in the business community, I have been a client. I also frequently question in-house counsel and business executives about what qualities they seek in their lawyers. Clients don't want lawyers who are afraid to role up their sleeves and work with them to understand their problems. Clients most frequently cite that they are looking for lawyers who offer solutions that meet the needs of their problems, not lawyers who just interpret and execute upon the law.

Before they become rainmakers, a lot of lawyers think it is cheesy or unethical to approach a potential new client. They envision the high pressure salesman, trying to get them to buy something they don't need. Done properly, however, rainmaking is an empowering process that leads to rewarding mutually beneficial relationships.

Rainmaking enables you to identify the clients with whom you want to work, and to build relationships with clients who believe in your capabilities. The rewards are not only financial, but psychological. Successful rainmakers have more power to call their own shots than lawyers who have no books of business.

The main question is, How do you become a rainmaker? There is no quick, easy answer. First you need to be passionate about the problems you solve for your clients. Then you need to search your soul and truly answer these questions.

A client should hire me because _________________________.

My business development goals for this year are ____________.

A good client for me would be __________________________.

It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and commitment to become a rainmaker. You have to persevere with business development opportunities that might not make sense in order to identify the ones that do. You have to be confident enough in your capabilities not to waste time with clients who don't appreciate them. You have to put your clients' best interests before your own. You have to anticipate your clients' problems and proactively solve them. In the coming months, I will address these topics in more detail. I hope through this column I can inspire you to fill in your own blanks.

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