Click here to read a summary of the Minority Bar Committee's Community Outreach Subcommittee events. (2nd quarter, 2012)

A special Martin Luther King Jr. Day presentation
The first community outreach event of 2012 was held on Jan. 16, 2012, at a historic Philadelphia landmark, Shiloh Baptist Church. This event was in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the church community. Prince Thomas (subcommittee co-chair) began the program with an overview of the PBA Minority Bar Committee and the Community Outreach Subcommittee. E. Nego Pile, Esq., who served as the moderator, offered stirring remarks highlighting the importance of service and the significance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and also co-presented with Rev. Edward Sparkman on real estate, mortgage foreclosures and bankruptcy. Attorney volunteers included Ersula Cosby (family law), Norris Benns Jr. (long-term care), Jettie Newkirk (estate planning/wills/living wills/power of attorney), Prince Thomas (bankruptcy/debtor and creditor's rights) and Maria Harris (Social Security disability and workers' compensation). Kadijah Turay-Sengova presented community sources for free legal help to the attendees. The audience of approximately 35 church and community members actively participated in the question-and-answer sessions and was also given an opportunity to have private discussions with the panel at the conclusion of the program. Click here to view photos from the event.

MBC Community Outreach kicks off education series
With only about one week's notice, members of the Community Outreach Subcommittee organized to present a "You and the Law" program at Wesley A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia. The MBC was specifically sought out to be the first in a series of programs for their education series. Honored by the invitation, the group delivered great presentations on several requested areas. Among the presenters were: Jettie Newkirk (estate planning /living wills/power of attorney), Ersula Cosby (family law), Prince Thomas (bankruptcy/debtor and creditor's rights) and Maria Harris (Social Security disability and workers' compensation). E. Nego Pile was the moderator for this event.

MBC Community Outreach Subcommittee presents legal forum in Philadelphia
The first snow storm of the season did not stop the members of the PBA Minority Bar Committee's Community Outreach Subcommittee from keeping their commitment to hold a legal forum at Vine Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Despite the weather, at least 20 of the West Philadelphia Church community members attended the Oct. 29 event, which was coordinated by Jettie Newkirk, Esq. They received information on several topics, including criminal law, living wills, power of attorney, family law, real estate and bankruptcy. For the first time, the program included a segment on both entertainment and sports law, which was well received by the crowd. Attendees interacted with the attorneys during the question-and-answer time, which could have easily continued past the allotted time based on the level of interest shown. Presenters: E. Nego Pile (moderator), Kevin Harden, Jettie Newkirk, Stacy L. Shields, Vivienne A. Crawford, Prince Altee Thomas and Kadijah Turay-Sengova.

Click here to read a summary of the Minority Bar Committee's Community Outreach Subcommittee events. (October 2011)

Bar Association Student Outreach Expo in Philadelphia
The consortium of Greater Philadelphia Area Law Schools invites you to a Bar Association Student Outreach Expo from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, 2010, at Temple Center City Campus, Philadelphia. During the expo, students from the seven Greater Philadelphia Area law schools (Villanova, Temple, Penn, Rutgers-Camden, Widener, Penn State-Dickinson and Drexel) can meet with representatives from bar associations in the region and learn what the organizations offer. Register your group by Sept. 24, 2010. For more information, please read the event flier.

Minority Bar Committee members present legal advice and information
Attorneys from the PBA Minority Bar Committee will present information on family and immigration law, personal injury, real estate, estate planning, financial planning and more in a special program from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010, at The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about recent legal developments and participate in a question-and-answer session. The deadline to register is Sept. 23, 2010. To register or for more information, please read the event flier.

Minority Bar Committee is Juror Appreciation Day Civic Partner
Among other civic and bar associations, the PBA Minority Bar Committee was warmly welcomed as a Juror Appreciation Day Civic Partner by the Philadelphia Courts and Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts at Juror Appreciation Day on May 20, 2010, at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center. The event celebrated jurors as an integral part of the justice system, without which our system of justice could not exist. More than 100 jurors, appearing at the center to perform their civic duty, were welcomed and thanked by the Honorable Michael A. Nutter, mayor of Philadelphia, and President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe and by numerous other judges and civic leaders. Click here to view the program.

A key organizer and speaker at this annual event is MBC member Lynn A. Marks. Lynn, we salute you and Philadelphia for such an outstanding celebration and for consistently making the MBC a partner.