Help Spread Word About Recommended Candidates

Street team volunteers are needed to help the Philadelphia Bar Association's Campaign for Qualified Judges better inform voters about the Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention's ratings of the judicial candidates for the May 19 primary election.

Volunteers will be stationed at highly trafficked locations throughout Philadelphia to hand out flyers listing the "Highly Recommended," "Recommended" and "Not Recommended" candidates. These volunteers will be stationed on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19 during the morning commute, lunch time and the evening commute. Each volunteer will receive a shirt and a hat to wear, representing the Philadelphia Bar Association.

To serve as a volunteer, contact Charlie Klitsch, the Philadelphia Bar Association's director of public and legal services, at 215-238-6326 or cklitsch@philabar.org.

Please be sure to include the following information: name, email address, cell phone number, the day(s) and time(s) you are available, your preferred location(s) and your shirt size. Refer below for a complete list of locations. Locations include:

• Olney Transportation Center, Broad Street and Olney Avenue
• Wissahickon Transportation Center, Ridge Avenue below Main Street
• 30th Street Train Station
• University City Train Station
• Jefferson Train Station
• East Falls Train Station
• Fox Chase Train Station
• Ivy Ridge Train Station
• Overbrook Train Station
• Torresdale Train Station
• Germantown & Chelten Avenues
• Broad Street & Erie Avenue
• Broad Street & Girard Avenue
• 52nd & Market Streets
• 36th & Chestnut Streets
• Piazza at Schmidt's
• 10th & Race Streets
• 9th Street & Washington Avenue
• Broad Street & Snyder Avenue
• Broad & Walnut Streets
• 6th & Walnut Streets
• 16th & Chestnut Streets
• Dilworth Plaza
• Juniper & Market Streets
• 8th & Market Streets
• 40th & Walnut Streets

YLD Criminal Defense Series Begins May 6

Are you a young lawyer looking to start taking court appointments? Interested in practicing criminal defense when you graduate?

Members of the YLD who are criminal practitioners in Philadelphia are presenting a multipart training program with members of the Philadelphia judiciary who sit in criminal court. On Wednesday, May 6, learn tips and strategies for negotiation, diversion programs, pre-trial motions, trial, interviewing techniques and more.

The first section will cover issues in the lawyer-client relationship, procedural issues in criminal litigation in Philadelphia county, understanding the process of arrest and prosecution, and things you can do to help your client at each step.

Presenters will be Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Charles Ehrlich; Brian M. Collins, Krasner and Long; and Leo M. Mulvihill, Mulvihill LLC. The program begins at 3:30 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. There is no cost to attend this program; however registration is required. Click here to register.

Judge Lewis to Speak, Honor for Carr at June 9 Quarterly

Hon. Timothy K. Lewis will deliver the Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Memorial Public Interest Lecture at the Philadelphia Bar Association's Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon on Tuesday, June 9 at 12 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Judge Lewis, counsel at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, serves as a mediator, arbitrator, settlement counselor, and trial and appellate practitioner.

Catherine C. Carr, executive director of Community Legal Services (CLS), will be presented with the Association's Sandra Day O'Connor Award at the event. Carr served as a staff attorney at CLS for 11 years before becoming director in 1995, specializing in public benefits case litigation, including access to welfare, Social Security and Medicaid benefits.

The O'Connor Award is presented to 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.

Before entering private practice, Judge Lewis served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was serving on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania when President George H. W. Bush elevated him to the Court of Appeals in 1992. At the time of both appointments he was the youngest federal judge in the United States.

New members of the Association's 50-, 60-, 65- and 70-Year Clubs will also be honored at the event. The Year Clubs recognize attorneys who have been practicing law for 50 years or more. Click here to purchase tickets.

The June 9 Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon is sponsored by PNC Wealth Management.

Registration Now Open for Bench-Bar at Borgata

The Philadelphia Bar Association will hold its Bench-Bar & Annual Conference on Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17 at Borgata in Atlantic City.

Attracting hundreds of lawyers and judges, the annual conference provides attorneys with an opportunity to earn CLE credits while getting a chance to network and socialize with colleagues and members of the judiciary.

Registration is available at benchbar.philadelphiabar.org. Sponsors for the 2015 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference include First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, USI Affinity,Love Court Reporting, Inc, JAMS The Resolution Experts, LawCash, Robson Forensic, Bellia Print & Design, RIMKUS, BPU Investments and The Legal Intelligencer.

Barristers' Scholarship, Awards Gala May 16

The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia will honor the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Lillian H. Ransom at its Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala on Saturday, May 16.

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project will be presented with the Cecil B. Moore Award and Judge Ransom will receive the A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Award. Prince Atlee Thomas will receive the J. Austin Norris Award.

The black-tie gala will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Top of the Tower, 1717 Arch St., 50th Floor. Click here to purchase tickets.

For more information, contact Shabrei Parker at shabrei.parker@gmail.com.

Ethics of Legal Marketing and Law Practice in Social Media

The Workers' Compensation Section and Young Lawyers Division will present the CLE program "The Ethics of Legal Marketing and Law Practice in a Social Media Environment" on Wednesday, May 13.

Speakers Ryan G. Gatto and Justin S. Moriconi will discuss how courts and state bars are addressing the legal ethics issues arising from attorneys' use of social networking sites, law firm websites and blogs to promote their services. The panelists will discuss how to stay on the right side of the ethics line when marketing legal services. Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube and Twitter have joined blogs and firm websites as viable arenas for marketing.

The program has been approved for 1 ethics 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.

The program will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center on the 10th Floor of the Wanamaker Building, Market and Juniper streets. Click here to register. A Happy Hour follows at Finn McCool's, 118 S. 12th St. from 4 to 7 p.m. Registration includes one drink ticket, appetizers and drink specials.

Ginsburg Essay Entry Deadline May 29

Entries are now being accepted for the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2015 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 Friday, May 29 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 at one of the following six institutions: Drexel University Thomas R. Kline 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 Thomas H. Chiacchio Jr.

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 Philadelphia Bar Association event, where the award will be presented.

Entries must be submitted in electronic form via email to tmccloskey@philabar.org unless submission of a hard copy is requested and approved. Requests for submission of a hard copy should be made by emailing tmccloskey@philabar.org or by calling (215) 238-6360. Visit philadelphiabar.org to download the contest rules.

A Modern Constitutional Convention Hosted by New Leaders Council Philadelphia May 9

New Leaders Council Philadelphia invites members of the YLD of the Philadelphia Bar Association to a pair of exclusive and engaging events on May 9. The first is "Northeast Conversation - A Modern Constitutional Convention" which will be held at the National Constitution Center and will feature remarks from U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley and Comcast's David L. Cohen.

Throughout the day, young professionals from all over the northeast will have the chance to work with policy experts in hands-on breakout sessions on various contemporary constitutional issues. These issues include criminal justice, immigration, education, privacy and surveillance, and money in politics. The Conversation will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here for tickets.

New Leaders Council will host a cocktail reception across the street at WHYY at 7 p.m. that celebrates efforts to build a better Philly.

Effective Online Marketing Strategies May 20

Join a discussion practical approaches to creating an online marketing strategy for smaller law firms at the Wednesday, May 20 Law Firm Laboratory program. Learn the reasons why a strong online marketing plan is essential to your practice, and how to measure the effectiveness of your online marketing.

Speakers for the program are Jennifer Boyd and Chris Fahrun, senior client development consultants for FindLaw. A part of Thomson Reuters Legal, FindLaw focuses on connecting small law firms to prospective clients by providing a range of marketing solutions that work.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. There is no cost to attend. Lunch is available for $9 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and $12 for non-members. Click here to register.

The program is presented by the Law Practice Management Committee and co-sponsored by the Solo, Small & Mid-Size Firm Management Committee.

Philly Idol Tickets on Sale Now

Join your colleagues and friends for an unforgettable night at Philly Idol on Thursday, June 4 at famed music venue, World Café Live, with performances by some of your favorite lawyers as they sing, dance, perform magic and do impressions all for your vote while raising money for the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

The night's entertainment includes the house band "Class Action" and performances by singers, dancers, musicians, magicians and impressionists. Click here for the full entertainment lineup.

The event is presented by the Young Lawyers Division along with The Legal Intelligencer and will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at World Cafe Live - Downstairs Live, 3025 Walnut St. Ticket prices include savory hors d'oeuvres, Italian buffet and open bar. Standard package includes select beer and wines only. Premium package includes premium bar, beer and wine. You must be at least 21 years old to attend. Click here to purchase tickets.

Celebrity Champion sponsor for Philly Idol is Martin Law. For sponsorship information, please contact Tracey McCloskey at tmccloskey@philabar.org.

Marketing Corner: Command Your Career by Cultivating your Contacts

By Kimberly Alford Rice
Contact lists - gotta have them - and you should be growing them.

If there is one element in the business development arsenal that is fatal to ignore or not attend to faithfully, it is the contact list. This is and will be the foundation of your practice for many years ahead. Why, you may ask? Put simply, no list equals no connections and communications with friends, peers, industry contacts, prospects and ultimately, no clients.

In my practice, particularly with newer attorneys, I hear consistently: "I do not have a list, how (or why) do a get one?" and "I don’t know anyone to add to a list." Unless you live in a cave on a deserted island, you have all the tools you need to grow your own quality list.

To be clear, a contact list should be comprised of a group of people who are interested, engaged and willing to both talk about and share your messages. These most likely will include:

• Friends and family
• School classmates (law school, college, high school, etc.)
• Co-workers and former co-workers
• Contacts from former clerkships
• Professional contacts (YLD members, Chamber YP contacts, etc.)
• Association contacts
• Community contacts
• Holiday card recipients, and so on

In short, most people with whom you come in contact who also have a network of contacts.

Living in the age of social media, it has never been easier to develop a network, professional and personal. We all "know" people and they "know" people, etc. Point being, it is imperative to "collect" contacts as you move along your career, even as early as "day one" as a lawyer.

Too many lawyers I coach sadly make the mistake of omission of not focusing on their list as soon as they start their career. Five or more years later when they realize they need to concentrate on expanding their network and educate their contacts to the legal services they provide, they find that they can't put the "toothpaste back into the tube" of individuals with whom they have lost touch.

It is critical to develop a clean, accurate and precise contact list in order to engage in specific marketing initiatives such as sending out e-newsletters, direct mail campaigns, blogging, seminars, trade show conferences, any anywhere you want to demonstrate your area of expertise and communicate directly in front of those individuals who may retain you directly and/or refer you to others.

Kimberly Alford Rice (kimberly@klamarketing.net) is principal and chief strategist of KLA Marketing Associates.