Approximately 50 volunteers gathered to distribute 60 large bags of donations to seven shelters and donation centers on Nov. 9 as part of the Young Lawyers Division's Harvest for the Homeless program. Donations were collected at 13 area law firms before being sorted for delivery at Ballard Spahr LLP.

YLD Holiday Party Dec. 12 at Bru

The Young Lawyers Division Annual Holiday Party will be Thursday, Dec. 12 at Bru Craft & Wurst, 1318 Chestnut St. beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for YLD members and are available by clicking here.

35th Annual Hamilton Benefit Nov. 16

The 35th Andrew Hamilton Benefit will be held Saturday, Nov. 16 at WHYY. This signature fundraiser of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation raises funds for the 2013 grants program. Join us for an exciting evening of cocktails, dinner and the best dance party in town! The Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award will be presented to Judi Bernstein-Baker, executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, the Pro Bono Award will be presented to TE Connectivity, Ltd. Sheila and Ed Chacker will be honored as Pillars of Justice for their dedicated philanthropy in legal services. Tickets are available at PhilaBarFoudnation.org.

Do's and Don'ts in Federal Court Nov. 20

Have you ever wondered what makes federal judges unhappy? Attend the Wednesday, Nov. 20 meeting of the Federal Courts Committee for "Do's and Don'ts in Federal Court. U.S. District Court Judges L. Felipe Restrepo and Timothy J. Savage will be the guest speakers at the program, beginning at 12:30 p.m. in the 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. Click here to register.

Tree Planting Volunteers Needed Nov. 23

TreeVitalize will be planting trees in the Southwest Center City/Graduate Hospital neighborhood on Saturday, November 23rd together with the Green Ribbon Committee. TreeVitalize is a public-private partnership to help restore tree cover, educate citizens about planting trees as an act of caring for our environment, and build capacity among local governments to understand, protect and restore their urban trees. Volunteers will be meeting in the parking lot of the church at 22nd and Bainbridge at 9 a.m., and anybody interested in helping out is invited to attend! Please email molesh@foxrothschild.com if you can help with the planting.

Barristers' Thanksgiving Drive Nov. 23

The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia is proud to sponsor its Twenty-Ninth Annual Thanksgiving Drive. This year, the Thanksgiving Drive will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23. Barristers' members and supporters distribute "turkey baskets" at the Cozen Police Athletic League, 732 N. 17th St. The baskets contain turkeys, stuffing, vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls, dessert, and more. Donations can be made online via the at phillybarristers.com. We are also looking for volunteers to help distribute the baskets during the Thanksgiving Turkey Drive. If you would like to help distribute baskets or help in any other way, please contact Amber Racine at (215) 255-4433 or at amracine@raynesmccarty.com.



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YLD Executive Committee Candidates Unopposed

There being no opposition in the Tuesday, Dec. 10 election for the YLD Executive Committee, a unanimous ballot will be cast for these individuals who will be elected to the Executive Committee as noted: Katie L. Bailey, Vincent N. Barbera, Grant Berger, Melanie S. Carter, Leo M. Mulvihill Jr., Brandon R. Sher and Keely James Stewart.

U.S. District Court Senior Judge Norma L. Shapiro will be presented with the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award and former Chancellor Sayde J. Ladov will receive the PNC Achievement Award at the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Annual Meeting Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Chancellor-Elect William P. Fedullo, of counsel to Rosen, Schafer & DiMeo LLP, will outline his plans for 2014 at the Annual Meeting Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 10, which begins at 12 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Click here for tickets.

How LRIS Can Grow Your Practice Nov. 12

If you aren't a panel attorney with the Philadelphia Bar Association's Lawyer Referral and Information Service, attend a Tuesday, Nov. 12 program and learn the nitty gritty about how to do it and how it helps develop business. Those already familiar with LRIS will learn about new developments and plans to make the service even more efficient and reach more people.

Speakers for this program are Charlie Klitsch, director of Public and Legal Services with the Philadelphia Bar Association and Jeffrey S. Lichtman, a longtime LRIS participant and principal in The Disability Law Office of Jeffrey S. Lichtman, LLC. The program is co-sponsored by the Solo and Small Firm Committee, Mid-Size Law Firm Management and Large Firm Management Committees. The program begins at 12 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.

Conversation with Bellows, Liebenberg Nov. 25

Join us for a special Chancellor's Forum on Monday, Nov. 25 as we welcome American Bar Association Immediate-Past President Laurel G. Bellows, who will discuss how she became the leader of the country's largest bar association, offer leadership advice and talk about solutions for eliminating gender bias in the legal profession.

Joining Bellows will be Roberta D. Liebenberg, Chair of the ABA Blue Ribbon Task Force on Gender Equity. The Task Force has produced several publications addressing pay equity.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. There is no cost to attend this program. Lunch is available for purchase to those who register in advance. The cost of lunch is $8 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and $12 for non-members. Click here to register.

Marketing Corner: Which You Will Show Up in 2014?

By Kimberly Alford Rice
As we head into a new year, consider committing yourself to making it different, better, more fulfilling.
Sure, the life of a lawyer is nothing if not an exercise in multi-tasking and constant balancing of multiple priorities but the savvy lawyer understands that her legal career is only as satisfying as she molds it to be.

To all the lawyers who lament about the tough grind, I would say you must understand, deeply, that whether you are a solo practitioner or a member of an AmLaw 100 law firm, if you are in private practice, you are a business owner and must regard yourself as a business owner regardless of whether or not you actually have any business of your own.

In order to take control of your legal career, you must become the boss of your own one (wo)man firm: "You, Inc.," and the one thing that "You, Inc." needs is clients. If you are a solo practitioner, you truly understand this completely. No clients, no business. No business, no legal practice.

However, I am often troubled that many attorneys practicing in law firms either proactively decide (professional suicide) or decide by default (no action taken) that as long as firm partners are feeding them work, they're good. These intelligent women (and men as well) are fed the "don't worry about bringing in new files in" line by firm partners or they are lulled into complacency as a result of the constant feeding at the trough of the few firm rainmakers. Either way, the long-term career prospects are dim unless these folks somehow have an "aha" moment to realize that increased earning potential and long-term job security is directly linked to developing and growing a healthy book of business.

Unless you have been living under a rock since 2008 when the recession began, you have witnessed law firms implode, explode, and lay off attorneys left and right. The attorneys who remain are the rainmakers and the ones who are "future" rainmakers. No law firm is exempt…none.

It is vital to understand that as a result of the economic changes and the dramatic paradigm shift in legal services there is no longer the age-old lock step tradition of moving from associate to partner in a pre-determined number of years. There is no guarantee that you will remain with the same firm without experiencing a layoff, at least once. In fact, there is no longer a guarantee that you will even have a legal job when you graduate law school.

The only way to secure your career and your future with a higher degree of certainty is to move from the "employee" mindset to that of the "CEO of Me" mindset, and take definitive, strategic steps to build a book. Sadly, here's the dirty little secret that is often hidden: law schools and most frequently law firms do not teach you or prepare you to make that happen. Sure, firms may say they have a healthy mentoring program and/or training curriculum; however, as a practical matter, the intentions may be honorable but the follow through is often disappointing.

If it's going to happen, you must be the captain of your own ship, and make it happen. There are many rainmaking books, classes, and professional trainers/coaches you can retain. Becoming a rainmaker is the only way to have job security - in a law firm or on your own.

Remember, rainmakers are not born - they are made, and you can learn the skills necessary to be successful in your own right.

So, I ask you, will the employee you or the CEO you show up in 2014, and how will that scenario define your next "best" year?

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

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