Craft Beer in Philadelphia Oct. 16 at Yards

The Young Lawyers Division and the Philadelphia Bar Association Academy is pleased to present "Craft Beer in Philadelphia - from the Cradle of American Libation to the East Coast's Craft Beer Mecca" on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Yards Brewing Company, 901 N. Delaware Ave.

Join us as we take a look at how Philadelphia developed into one of the nation's preeminent beer cities, the city's part in the American craft beer explosion, and the future of craft beer in the city. Our distinguished panelists include Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack); Tom Kehoe, Founder, Brewmaster and President of Yards Brewing Company; Trevor Prichett, Yards Chief Operating Officer; Adam Ritter, Owner, The Sidecar Bar & Grille and Kraftwork; Kristy Littman, Attorney and Co-Founder of PhillyTapFinder.com; and panel moderator Matthew Olesh of Fox Rothschild LLP.

Registration is $20 for Bar Association members and $15 for YLD members and includes beer from Yards and pizza and baked goods from Kermit's Bake Shoppe. Spots are limited, register today! Click here to register.

Chancellor's Forum - Future of the Legal Profession Oct. 9

Deborah Epstein Henry, founder and president of Law & Reorder, will be the moderator for the Chancellor's Forum "The Future of the Legal Profession: How Will Law Firms, Clients and Law Schools Embrace Change?" on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Co-sponsored by Large Firm Management Committee, Medium Size Management Committee and the Young Lawyers Division, the forum will include discussion on the following questions: How are clients driving shifts in the legal market and a new delivery of legal services? How are law firms responding to the changing demands of clients and the larger marketplace; Are law schools preparing law students to graduate as practice-ready lawyers? What recommendations by the ABA Task Force on the Future of Legal Education should be adopted? How can young attorneys become change agents in the legal profession.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. Click here to register.

Nominations Now Being Accepted for 2014 YLD Executive Committee

The Young Lawyers Division is now accepting nominations from any voting member of the YLD interested in serving a three-year term on the Executive Committee. This year's YLD Executive Committee election will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Each year, seven new members are elected to the YLD Executive Committee. Any voting member of the YLD is eligible for election provided that the term of office for which the individual runs shall not extend beyond his or her membership in the Division. A member is eligible if he/she is 37-years-old or less in the year 2016 or, if he/she is older than 37, not celebrating more than his/her third year of practice in 2016.

The Executive Committee manages and directs the business and activities of the YLD's approximately 3,000 members, including oversight of more than 30 committees in the areas of public service, law-related education and service to the legal community. Being on the YLD Executive Committee provides lawyers opportunities for leadership, networking, and personal and professional growth early in their careers.

The Nominating Petition and Personal Statement must be returned to Dawn Petit, Meetings Coordinator, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or dpetit@philabar.org, no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013.

Chancellor's Forum on Human Rights Oct. 22

The Oct. 22 Chancellor's Forum "Putting Power Behind the Prose: Using International Human Rights Law to Influence American Jurisprudence and Policy" will cover how international human rights law works, in theory and practice.

Specifically, it will look at the development of human rights treaties, with an overview of the major treaties that the United States has ratified, their implementing mechanisms, and how lawyers have used those mechanisms in their own advocacy as a tool to influence policy and action at all levels of government. The panel will instruct the audience as to techniques used to domestically implement international human rights norms with a particular focus on recent Bar Association resolutions adopting principles of international human rights treaties on discrimination against women and homelessness. The program is co-sponsored by the Immigration Law Committee.

Speakers for the program are Eric Tars, director of Human Rights and Children's Rights Programs at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; Sarah Paoletti, director of the Transnational Legal Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law; and Beth Lyon, director of the Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic of the Villanova University School of Law.

One substantive CLE credit will be available for this program which begins at 4 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. A reception featuring international wines will follow the event. Register online for this event at pbi.org.

Inside Scoop on Nonprofit Board Service Oct. 21

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation and Young Lawyers Division will present the Board Observer CLE program "The Inside Scoop on Nonprofit Board Service" on Monday, Oct. 21.

This CLE program address the basics of nonprofit board service, including charitable issues raised under state and federal laws, and will feature a panel of executive directors and current nonprofit board members. Our faculty will provide attorneys interested in serving on a nonprofit board an introduction to the role of the board of directors and the laws governing nonprofits, as well as focus on practical applications and how fiduciary duties come into play in the course of an individual's membership on a nonprofit board.

Lunch and registration begin at 11:30 a.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. The program has been approved for 1.5 substantive CLE credits. Participants wishing to receive the CLE credit will be required to pay a fee of $40 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for more than five years and $35 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for less than five years. Click here to register for CLE credit.

Lunch is available for $8 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and $12 for non-members. Cancellations require 24 hours notice. Click here to register for lunch.

YLD Bootcamp Oct. 25

Hear from experienced attorneys and members of the judiciary at the fourth annual "YLD Bootcamp: Tactics, Tips and Tricks for Law Students and New Lawyers," presented by the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association on Friday, Oct. 25 from 12 to 5 p.m. at Philadelphia Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor Conference Center. The topics and presenters for the 2013 YLD Bootcamp are:

Interview Skills with Judge Charles A. Ehrlich, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division; Joseph C. Bedwick, Hiring Partner & Member, Cozen O Connor; Jennifer Henfy, Executive Director of Career Strategy and Advancement, Villanova University School of Law; Austin Freundlich, Partner, Freundlich & Littman LLC; and Jason Mandel, Director of Legal Recruitment, Alevistar Group, LLC.

Advice from the Bench with Judge Gary S. Glazer, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division; Judge Juan R. Sanchez, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and Judge David R. Strawbridge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Considerations Before Starting Your Own Solo Practice or Small Firm with John E. Savoth, Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C.; Leo Mulvihill, Mulvihill & Rushie; and Richard K. Washington, R.K. Washington, Jr. & Associates.

You Passed the Bar, Now What?: How to Succeed in Your First Year As an Attorney, and How to Gain Experience in a Down Economy with Tami Wible, Associate General Counsel and Managing Attorney, Drexel University Office of the General Counsel; Russell Lieberman, Associate, White and Williams, LLP; Gail Weilheimer, Senior Counsel, Wisler Pearlstine, LLP; and Donald Ladd, Partner, Chair of Healthcare Litigation, White and Williams, LLP.

The cost is just $10 and includes lunch, each of the panel presentations and networking opportunities throughout the day. After the event concludes, we hope that you will be able to join us for a YLD Networking Happy Hour at the Field House, 1150 Filbert St. Click here to register.

The Happy Hour is co-hosted by the Delaware County Bar Association and Montgomery County Bar Association and begins at 5 p.m. at The Field House. The first 50 attendees will receive a drink ticket and there will also be hors d'oeuvres and drink specials. No registration is required.

Six Critical Pillars for Associates to Rock Their Practices

By Kimberly Alford Rice

No doubt, ambitious and motivated associates have read plenty about what they "should do" as they begin their legal practice to be successful. I've listed below the six "must-do" pillars for associates to be successful, early and often.

Develop Productive Habits from Day One. As you no doubt are learning, developing the discipline of effectively managing your time, harnessing the power of active listening, and maximizing non-billable time will serve you well throughout your entire career. These habits will manifest into your activities that, in turn, will determine your level of success.

Create a Marketing/Business Plan, Today. Though a number of my younger lawyer clients think their primary focus should be to learn their craft, setting written goals by way of a marketing plan will serve as the blueprint of your development as a lawyer and business generator. Having a written plan will provide for outlining actionable items and give you more control over your career. Today is not soon enough.

Proactively Build Your Network. Often, our newer lawyer clients tell us that they "don't really know anyone" to which I respond "rubbish." Think broadly. Enter into a contact list (Outlook or Gmail contact list will work just fine) names of your law school classmates, bar association colleagues, gym buddies, friends you run with, who live in your building, etc. Everyone you know could potentially be a referral source. Do not overlook the obvious, then get and stay connected with them via some communications means (social media update, e-blasts, etc.). This will serve you very well as you grow your network.

Double Check Your Professional Image and Etiquette. You are not in Kansas anymore, ya'll, and how you present yourself professionally inside the workplace as well as in professional settings sets a tone. Be sure you are making the "right" first impression. Aside from professional guidance, there is a fantastic new book ("The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success") that can be a perfect primer in this area.

Develop a Marketing Mindset. Tweaking your bio and social media profile (with a professional headshot), refining your elevator pitch, and deciding upon your "targeted networking" venues are all part of developing a marketing mindset. As a private practice attorney, you must always have your radar "on" to recognize opportunities to present yourself as a "go-to" resource, to thoughtfully build your network, and leverage new business engagements.

Be Mindful of Your Clients. As a new attorney, you have many clients - namely, your supervising partner, potentially all partners in your firm as well as any prospective new clients you may cultivate. Understanding clearly how to meet their expectations (and beyond), how to deliver extraordinary service and all that it entails in addition to producing an excellent work product will help distinguish you from your peers.

While there are space limitations to providing in-depth insights to all of the six pillars above, I will break each of them down in more detail in subsequent marketing posts. The implementation of these pillars is crucial to getting and staying on the top of the uber-competitive legal services environment that we are in.

In the interim, we are happy to work with you to help get you started on the right foot.

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