YLD Comedy Night with Adam Ferrara May 9 at Helium

The Young Lawyers Division will present an Evening of Comedy that Cares on Thursday, May 9 at Helium Comedy Club with comedian Adam Ferrara, star of hit TV shows including "Top Gear" and "Rescue Me."

Ferrara is an acclaimed comedian, who starred on the Emmy-nominated hit FX show "Rescue Me" and appeared opposite Kevin James in the theatrical feature "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." A regular comedian on various hit talk shows including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The View and Rachael Ray," Ferrara has been dubbed "hilarious" by "Entertainment Weekly" and is a two-time nominee for best male stand-up by the American Comedy Awards.

The event includes open bar and a buffet dinner. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Helium Comedy Club is located at 2031 Sansom St. The early bird deadline to purchase tickets is Thursday, April 25. The last day to purchase tickets is Tuesday, May 7. The event will benefit the Philadelphia Bar Foundation. Click here to purchase tickets.

Sponsors include Leadership Gift - Volpe and Koenig, P.C.; and Blank Rome LLP; Partnership Gift - Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo; Friendship Gift - Scarab Consulting; Chimicles & Tikellis LLP; and Martin LLC. Fellowship Gift - Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association; and Gay Chacker & Mittin, P.C.. For sponsorship information, contact Tracey McCloskey at 215-238-6360 or tmccloskey@philabar.org.

Volunteers Needed for YLD Law Week April 29 - May 3

The Young Lawyers Division will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright during Law Week from April 29 to May 3. The YLD needs volunteers to participate in its community outreach programs. Legal Advice Live! Monday, April 29: Legal Advice Live! kicks off the week with dozens of Philadelphia attorneys gathering to providving free, in-person legal advice from 12 to 2 p.m. at four branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Central (1901 Vine St.); Ramonita de Rodriguez (600 W. Girard Ave.; Spanish-speaking attorneys needed); Haverford (5543 Haverford Ave.); and Donatucci (1935 Shunk St.). Attorneys will provide answers to legal questions on a broad range of topics, including personal injury, medical malpractice, landlord/tenant law, divorce and child custody matters, wills and estate planning, real estate law and employment law. To volunteer please contact Ashley Kenney at akenney@griesinglaw.com or Vincent Barbera at Barberav@whiteandwilliams.com.

Poster, Essay Contests and Naturalization Ceremony – Tuesday, April 30: As part of Law Week, the YLD will sponsors a poster and an essay contest around the theme of Law Day. Winners of the poster contest receive gift certificates. The winner of the Edward F. Chacker Essay Contest – named after the former Chancellor of the Bar Association – will read aloud his or her essay at a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia, welcoming dozens of new U.S. citizens. The winner of the essay contest also receives a $1,000 college scholarship paid for by the law firm of Gay Chacker & Mittin, P.C. For more information, contact Jennifer Russell at jenniferannrussell@gmail.com or Andrew Kornblau at akornblau@lcbf.com.

Lawyer in the Classroom: Tuesday, April 30 - Thursday, May 2: The YLD sends its best and brightest minds into our local classrooms to answer questions about the legal profession and to address students' concerns about the law and the legal issues that affect them as they enter adulthood. Contact Jennifer Lin at jennifer.lin@phila.gov or Philip Amoa at pamoa@mccarter.com to volunteer.

LegalLine – Wednesday, May 1: Free and confidential legal advice will be given to those who call the LegalLine hotline from 5 to 8 p.m. Attorneys will staff a phone bank at the headquarters of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor. Contact Charece Z. Collins at ccollins@wglaw.com or Feyi Obafemi at oobafemi@cozen.com to learn more.

"Goldilocks," "The Big Bad Wolf," and "Jack and the Beanstalk" Mock Trials – Friday, May 3: Volunteer judges from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and attorneys dressed as fairy tale characters will use the facts from "Goldilocks," "Three Little Pigs" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" to present mock trials to nearly 300 Philadelphia grade school students at various courtrooms in City Hall. Spanish-speaking attorneys are needed for this program as well. Volunteer by contacting Erin Lamb at erin.lamb@courts.phila.gov or Ryan Gatto at gatto@smsm.com.

Lawyer for a Day – Friday, May 3: The culminating event of the Bar Association's Law Week 2013 celebration, volunteer attorneys from the Philadelphia Bar Association will accompany approximately 100 Philadelphia students from 14 different high schools into the Criminal Justice Center and City Hall to witness live court proceedings. Learn more from Shabrei Parker at shabrei.parker@gmail.com or Joe Fantini at jfantini@anapolschwartz.com.

Work, Life, Leadership: Conversation with Kathleen, Tom Wilkinson April 2

Please join us for "Work, Life, Leadership: A Conversation with Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Kathleen D. Wilkinson and Pennsylvania Bar President Thomas G. Wilkinson" on Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m.

This program, presented by Ms. JD, the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is geared toward young lawyers and law students. The program will begin promptly at 5 pm and will be immediately followed by a networking session at the Field House. There is no fee to attend however space is limited and registration is required by March 28. Click here to register.

The program will be held in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. For more information about Ms. JD please visit ms-jd.org.

Ginsburg Essay Contest Entries Due May 8

Entries are now being accepted for the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2013 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition.

Candidates may submit a law review quality submission on any topic relating to rights, privileges and responsibilities under federal 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. Entries must be received by Wednesday, May 8 at 4 p.m.

This competition is open to full- and part-time law students who are in their second or third year of study during the 2012-13 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.
The chair of the competition is Bar Association Chancellor Kathleen D. Wilkinson, a partner at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker.

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

Submit entries to Dawn Petit, c/o Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For more information, call 215-238-6367 or email dpetit@philabar.org.

34th Annual Bar Association 5K Run/Walk May 19

More than 1,000 runners and walkers are expected to take part in the 34th Annual Philadelphia Bar Association 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, May 19 along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

This is one of the oldest and most respected events of its kind in Philadelphia. The Run/Walk format provides the opportunity for athletes of all levels to participate in this charity event to benefit the Support Center for Child Advocates.

Many different competition divisions are available, including open run, individual run, Bar Association, legal team, corporate team, male and female and age groups. Law firms and companies may enter 5K Run teams. For an application contact Michael Berkowitz at mjberkowitz@crbcp.com or 215-567-2010 (ext 132). Deadline for team registration is May 11.

Awards will be presented to the top finishers in each age group and the overall male and female winners. A $300 prize will be awarded to any Philadelphia Bar Association runner who can defeat 13-time defending champion Neill W. Clark. The prize is sponsored by Neill's friends at Philadelphia Runner. All participants who complete the Run or Walk will receive a short-sleeve T-shirt. Children between the ages of 5 and 10 are encouraged to join in the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Kids’ Dash, a 200-yard non competitive dash.

Online registration is available at active.com. For more information, visit phillybarcharityrun.com.

SABA April Speaker Event April 3

SABA Philadelphia is proud to announce its April Speaker Series Event featuring Kiran Ahuja and Nina Ahmad. The event will be on Wednesday, April 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fox Rothschild LLP, 2000 Market St. Appetizers and drinks will be served.

Kiran Ahuja is the Executive Director of the White House Initiative of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Ahuja is responsible for directing the efforts of the White House Initiative and the Presidential Advisory Commission on AAPIs to advise the federal agency leadership on the implementation and coordination of federal programs as they relate to AAPIs across executive departments and agencies. The White House Initiative on AAPIs works with these entities to improve the quality of life and opportunities for AAPIs through increased access to, and participation in, federal programs in which they may be underserved. Ahuja will be speaking about the issues that directly affect AAPIs from the national perspective. In addition to identifying key issues that affect AAPIs, Ahuja will discuss what the federal government's plans on addressing these issues.

Nina Ahmad is the chair of the Mayor's Commission for Asian American Affairs. She is a founding member of APA for Progress, a grassroots, Internet-empowerd, national network of Asian Pacific Americans and friends for Progressive Action. Ahmad is also a board member of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, Asian Mosaic Fund Giving Circle, and serves on the Diversity Committee of Willian Penn Charter School. Ahmad will be speaking about the issues that directly affect Asian Americans from a local perspective and discuss the activities that the Mayor's Commission for Asian American Affairs is involved with.

Please RSVP to ashah@foxrothschild.com by March 31.

Conversation with Center City District CEO Levy April 12

Paul R. Levy, president and CEO of the Center City District, will be the guest speaker at the YLD 20/20 program on Friday, April 12.

The 2010 census revealed that for the first time in 60 years, Philadelphia added population. What will it take for the city to enjoy a similar turn-around in job growth? Philadelphia is very strong in health and education, but how do we recapture a larger share of regional office space, retain start-ups, small and minority business enterprises in the city as they expand and take on employees? Better public services or a more competitive tax environment - do we need to choose?

Registration and lunch begin at 12 p.m. and the program begins promptly at 12:30 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and $12 for non-members. Cancellations require 24 hour notice to receive a refund. Click here to register.

YLD to Present Diversity Scholarships; Deadline is April 15

Each year the Young Lawyers Division awards five scholarships to law students from diverse backgrounds. The YLD Diversity seeks to identify leadership qualities in addition to academic achievement. In considering candidates, the committee looks to involvement in the community, leadership skills, and a demonstrable commitment to practicing law in Philadelphia following graduation. The goal of this scholarship is to identify and promote students who will be future leaders within the bar and their respective affinity bar organizations.

Students who are interested in applying for this award must submit their materials and personal statement to the affinity bar groups to seek their recommendation. Affinity bar groups include, inter alia, the Philadelphia Barristers' Association, APABA-PA, GALLOP, Hispanic Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia and the National Bar Association. These groups then forward their nominations to the YLD. Each organization is encouraged to identify and nominate up to five law students for the scholarship. The winners will be honored during our Diversity Scholarship Reception, slated for late June 2013. If selected for one of the scholarships, students must be available to attend the Diversity Reception. If you have any questions or need any additional information, contact the YLD at diversityscholarship@gmail.com.

The following criteria will be considered by the Scholarship Selection Committee: academic achievement; demonstrated commitment to community service and bar association involvement; financial need; minority status; and connection to and/or anticipation of practicing law in the Philadelphia area.

Please email the submissions in PDF format to diversityscholarship@gmail.com on or before Monday, April 15. Nominations submitted after the deadline will not be considered.