HARRISBURG (March 17, 2003) � Renowned trial lawyer Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., whose past high-profile clients include O.J. Simpson, Geronimo Pratt, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Reginald Denny, will be the featured speaker at the 15th annual Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Minority Bar Conference, themed �Progress or Regress: Where Do We Go From Here?� The conference will be held March 27-28 at the Westin Philadelphia Hotel.

�This year�s Minority Attorney Conference promises lots of thought-provoking and exciting discussions on issues that affect us both on a professional level as attorneys and as concerned citizens of this commonwealth and the United States,� said PBA Minority Bar Committee Chair Emmanuel Iheukwumere. �The theme of this year�s conference encapsulates the scintillating discussions that will address issues ranging from effective advocacy in both civil and criminal litigation to the progress, or lack of progress, of minorities within various sectors of our economy.�

Program topics include effective advocacy and litigation, civil rights and class actions, minorities in business, education updates, and the racial and gender bias report. A networking reception will be held Thursday evening. During the Friday luncheon, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Philadelphia City Solicitor Nelson A. Diaz and Distinguished Jurist awards will be presented to Judge Horace Davenport and Judge Robert A. Wright. Johnnie Cochran Jr. will be featured speaker after the award presentations.

During the past several years, Cochran has appeared on every major television news show, including �60 Minutes,� �Nightline,� �Dateline,� �20/20� and �48 Hours.� He has been featured in every major publication, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA Today, Time, Newsweek and Forbes.

Cochran founded the law firm of Cochran, Atkins and Evans in 1966 and returned to the private practice of law in 1981 under the firm name �Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Inc.� In 1999, Cochran became senior partner in the national plaintiffs� law firm, Cochran, Cherry, Givens, Smith & Stewart, which has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dothan, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York and Washington, D.C. He is the only lawyer in Los Angeles to receive both the �Criminal Trial Lawyer of the Year� award and the �Civil Trial Lawyer of the Year� award.

Most recently, Cochran was on Black Entertainment Television�s �Biographies in Black� (January 2002), received the Lifetime Achievement Award from N�digo in Chicago (June 2002) and published his latest book (October 2002), A Lawyer�s Life, which became a best seller.

Registration for the full conference is $130; a one-day registration is $75. For law students, the one-day registration fee is $25. Cost for attending only the Friday luncheon is $50. To register for the conference, call the PBA Member Service Center at 1-800-932-0311. To view the conference agenda and registration information, visit the PBA Web site www.pabar.org.