Oct. 21, 2008

Candidates Sought for YLD Executive Committee; Deadline is 3 p.m. on Oct. 29

Pursuant to the YLD Bylaws, every year seven new members are elected to serve three-year terms on the Executive Committee. This year's Election will take place on Dec. 8, 2008, in conjunction with the Association's Annual Meeting. The deadline for submitting your material is 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008.

Any Voting Member of the Division shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee provided, however, that the term of office for which the individual runs shall not extend beyond his or her membership in the Division. You are eligible if you are 37 years of age or less in the year 2011, or if you are older than 37, you will not be celebrating more than your third year of practice in 2011. The Nominating Petition and Personal Statement must be returned to the offices of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008. At 5 p.m. that same day, we will have an information meeting in the 10th Floor Board Room at the Bar Association where ballot positions will be drawn.

If you have any questions regarding the Executive Committee, or the election process, please feel free to contact Tracey McCloskey, Director of Meetings and Special Events, at 215-238-6360. Click here for a copy of a nominating petition. For a copy of the personal statement form, click here.

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Associate Dissatisfaction - Myth or Reality Oct. 27

The Law Practice Management Division will present "Associate Dissatisfaction: Myth or Reality" on Monday, Oct. 27.

After first examining just how prevalent - or not - the problem is inside of law firms, we will take a look at recently conducted surveys and studies to gain a grasp of the issues raised by associates. Then, we will analyze how much "fault" or blame lies with the firms and how much might lie with the associates, themselves. Finally, we will work together to identify practical responses to the challenges of associate dissatisfaction. There will be ample time for questions and answers, along with input from all in attendance. The presenters for the program are Bradford W. Hildebrandt, a consultant to law firms, and Joseph A. Gerber, a partner at Cozen O'Connor.

The program begins at 4 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. A reception will follow. There is no charge to attend, but space is limited and registration is required. Click here to RSVP.

Chancellor's Diversity Training Series Oct. 23

The Chancellor's Diversity Training Series continues on Thursday, Oct. 23 with a session on networking. This workshop is intended to help attendees learn about the importance of networking and attending networking events, and how to become an effective networker.

Panelists include Nadeem A. Bezar of Kolsby Gordon Robin Shore & Bezar; Sophia Lee of Sunoco, Inc.; Roosevelt Hairston, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Board of Governors Chair Stephanie Resnick of Fox Rothschild LLP; and former Chancellor Audrey C. Talley of Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP. The program will be moderated by Chancellor A. Michael Pratt.

The program will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Click here to register. There is no charge to attend this program.

Upcoming seminars in the Chancellor's Diversity Training Series include:

• Navigating the Partnership Track - Thursday, Nov. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. This workshop is intended to help attendees learn about the legal and other professional skills and abilities needed, as well as the practical steps that can be taken to advance to the partnership level.

• Transitioning from Government to Private Practice - Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. This workshop is intended to help attendees learn about legal and other professional skills and abilities needed, as well as the practical steps that can be taken to move from practicing law in the public sphere to a private firm.

• Life at a Mid-Size Firm - Dec. 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. This workshop is intended to help attendees learn about working at mid-size firms. Of particular interest are the benefits of mid-size firms, as well as how mid-size firms contribute to an attorney's growth and development in the legal profession.

Phillies in Six Games, for the Title and Parade

By Jeff Lyons
Phillies in six.

Now that the prediction is out of the way, I'll explain why the Philadelphia Phillies will defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win the 2008 World Series. Let's break it down by position, shall we?

First base
Ryan Howard vs. Carlos Pena
Howard is baseball's biggest run producer. He led the planet with 48 HRs and 146 RBIs. Pena is a nice player, but let's face it – he's not Ryan Howard. Advantage Phillies.

Second base
Chase Utley vs. Akinori Iwamura
Utley is the best second baseman in baseball; Iwamura isn't. Advantage Phillies.

Shortstop
Jimmy Rollins vs. Jason Bartlett
Rollins is the 2007 National League MVP and the Phillies sparkplug. Bartlett is solid defensively, but his offense is a non-factor. Advantage Phillies.

Third base
Pedro Feliz/Greg Dobbs vs. Evan Longoria
Longoria is a stud. He’s going to the AL Rookie of the Year. Big advantage to the Rays here.

Left field
Pat Burrell vs. Carl Crawford
Burrell is the Phillies main right-handed power bat. He's maddeningly inconsistent and slothlike on the bases. But he's underrated defensively and has a great arm. Crawford was limited to 109 games this year because of injuries. He's like Bobby Abreu without the power or high on-base percentage. And he can run. But Burrell's OPS is 150 points higher than Crawford's. Slight edge to the Phils.

Center field
Shane Victorino vs. B.J. Upton
Both have shown surprising power in the playoffs. Both can run like the wind and flash the leather in the field. Call it even.

Right field
Jayson Werth vs. Rocco Baldelli
Baldelli was on his way to stardom before injuries slowed his career. Werth became an everyday player this year and showed power, speed and defense. Slight edge to the Phils.

Catcher
Carlos Ruiz vs. Dioner Navarro
Navarro is much better offensively but the Phils pitchers love throwing to Ruiz, whose catcher’s ERA is slightly lower than Navarro’s. But the edge goes to the Rays.

Starting pitching
All five Tampa starters won at least 11 games. Cole Hamels is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Brett Myers (the one who pitched after his return from the minors) is a solid No. 2. Jamie Moyer, who has struggled in October, is the wild card. Moyer will confound the young Rays with an assortment of slow, slower and slowest breaking pitches and keep the fastball-loving Rays out of sorts. The Rays will hear all kinds of horror stories about pitching at Citizens Bank Park. They'll believe the hype. Slight edge to the Phils.

Bullpens
The Phillies had the best bullpen in baseball. The Phils were 79-0 this year when leading after eight innings. Closer Brad Lidge was almost perfect all season, converting 41 out of 41 save opportunities. When the Phils get the lead late, they keep it. But the Rays have three lefties in their pen, which could mean trouble for Howard. But the edge goes to the Phils.

So here's how it shakes out. Hamels wins game one and the Rays manage a split in a slugfest against Myers in Game 2. Moyer frustrates the Rays in Game 3 and Joe Blanton loses a heartbreaker in Game 4. Hamels wins again in Game 5 and Brett Myers redeems himself with a Schilling-like start in Game 6 for the World Series championship. And then it's time to find your place along Broad Street for the parade.

Jeff Lyons, senior managing editor of the Philadelphia Bar Reporter and Bar Reporter Online, is a fanatical Philadelphia sports fan. His email address is jlyons@philabar.org.

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