HARRISBURG (Feb. 4, 2002) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association Civil Litigation Section will hold its annual section retreat at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD, April 11 - 14. This year�s retreat will feature CLE programs, with up to 11 hours of CLE credit, meals, receptions and a free tour of the National Aquarium of Baltimore.

�This retreat has become one of the PBA�s premier events for good reason,� noted Jay N. Silberblatt, chair, PBA Civil Litigation Section. �The CLE programs have been designed to be entertaining, engaging and informative, regardless of practice concentration. It also provides lawyers with important networking and socializing opportunities with colleagues and judges from across the commonwealth.�

One of the featured CLE programs is �Trials of the Century� presented by national CLE lecturer Todd S. Winegar. Through actual film footage, recreations and verbatim trial transcripts, this program will take lawyers inside some of the most notable trials of the 20th Century, including the O.J. Simpson case, the Nuremberg trials, the Loeb and Leopold trial and the Scopes Monkey trial.

Other CLE programs will include �How to Speak, Write, Look and Act like a Lawyer Should� and �Civil Litigation Sound-Off and Roundtable Discussion,� which will give lawyers an opportunity to debate openly with Pennsylvania judges about timely topics such as merit selection, juror note taking and open voir dire.

There also will be several social events during the retreat, including receptions, luncheons and dinners. PBA President H. Reginald Belden Jr. will address the attendees at the Friday night dinner. The dinner will be followed by a game show, �Outcast: The Original Survival Game,� and Saturday�s activities will conclude with a tour of the National Aquarium of Baltimore and a dinner on Pier 3 of the Inner Harbor.

The registration fee for the retreat is $280 for section members and $350 for non-members. This fee includes all CLE and course materials, all meal functions and the Saturday Aquarium tour. The spouse/guest/child rate is $50 and includes all meal functions.

For more information on the Civil Litigation Section Retreat or to receive a registration brochure, call PBA Sections Relations Coordinator Michael Shatto at 800-932-0311, ext. 2243.