HARRISBURG (April 17, 2008) - Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter will deliver a keynote address and Philadelphia lawyer Jettie D. Newkirk will receive a lifetime achievement award during the 20th Annual Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Attorney Conference. The two-day program, "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Assessing Progress in the Legal Profession," will be held April 24 and 25 at the Sheraton City Center Hotel.

Nutter's address and the award presentation to Newkirk will take place during the April 25 luncheon.

Newkirk will be receiving the A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of a lawyer or judge who has demonstrated dedication to the legal profession and the minority community through civil, community or legal service. Higginbotham, who died in 1998, was a civic leader, author, academic and federal appeals court judge who fought tirelessly against racial discrimination.

Newkirk is a solo practitioner representing profit and nonprofit corporations in real estate, probate, and other transactional matters. Previously, she was a partner in the law firm of Clark, McGill, Newkirk & Seay and in the firm of Nichols, Nichols, Clark & Newkirk, PC. As a community leader, Newkirk has been outspoken in her commitment to helping struggling communities. She has actively supported the Penn-West Philadelphia Community Partnership Celebration Day, the Carroll Park Community Council in West Philadelphia and BEBASHI. Newkirk serves on the board of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

The conference also includes panel discussions on civil rights, judicial independence, hiring practices in law firms and corporations, and landmark legislative and legal decisions impacting education. Featured dinner speakers on April 24 include Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, and William H. Brown III. Former Minority Bar Committee Chairs Newkirk, Tsiwen M. Law and Michael Reed also will provide their perspectives on the committee's 20 years of activities.

Lawyers attending the conference receive up to seven hours of substantive continuing legal education (CLE) credit.

For more information about the conference, visit the PBA Web site at http://www.pabar.org or contact the PBA Membership Services Center at 800-932-0311.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.