HARRISBURG (May 19, 2008) � Geraldine A. Ferraro will be the keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession�s 15th annual conference, �Women and Politics,� June 5, at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pa.

Ferraro, currently a principle in the government relations practice of Blank Rome, earned a place in history as the first woman vice-presidential candidate on a national party ticket. She was first elected to Congress from New York�s Ninth Congressional District in Queens in 1978 and served three terms in the House of Representatives.

Prior to joining Blank Rome, Ferraro chaired the public affairs practice of the Global Consulting Group, a leading international communications firm.

Ferraro has counseled clients on a wide range of public policy issues, not only giving strategic advice but also providing lobbying support when needed. She has handled matters before agencies of the United Nations, the U.S. government, Congress and the Conference of Mayors, as well as state and local entities.

From 1996 to 1998, Ferraro was a co-host of Crossfire, a political interview program on CNN. She was a partner in the CEO Perspective Group, a consulting firm that advises top executives. In 1994, she was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission by President Clinton and served in that position through 1996. She served as a public delegate to the commission in February 1993 and was also the alternative U.S. delegate at the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in June 1993 and vice-chair of the U.S. delegation at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, September 1995.

An active participant in the nation�s foreign policy debate, Ferraro serves as a board member of the National Democratic Institute of International Affairs and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ferraro is currently a political analyst on FOX News and a columnist for the New York Times Syndicate.

Ferraro received her J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law. She has honorary degrees from a number of colleges and universities nationwide and serves on several not-for-profit boards as well as on the board of Goodrich Petroleum Inc.

Ferraro has written numerous articles and three books, Ferraro, My Story, which recounts the 1984 campaign, Geraldine Ferraro: Changing History and Farming a Life.

Additional information, including registration details, about the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession�s conference is available on the association�s Web site at www.pabar.org.

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.