PBA Honors 26 County Bar Associations |
Allegheny County Bar Association
The ACBA Bar Leadership Institute program was developed to provide leadership training to young lawyers in the bar. Each year, 15 lawyers participate in the program to meet with bar leaders, learn the bar structure and attend section and committee events. At the conclusion of the program, the lawyers attend the ACBA Bench-Bar Conference.
Beaver County Bar Association
The BCBA partnered with Habitat for Humanity to construct a residence in Beaver County. Thirty BCBA members donated their time to the construction, and the BCBA donated $1,000 to the project through its charitable giving fund.
In 2002, the BCBA instituted a charitable fund and Charitable Giving Committee to enable the association to address charitable requests and promote charitable giving among its members. The fund is housed within the Beaver County Foundation, and all donations are tax-deductible.
Berks County Bar Association
The BCBA is in the process of renovating its bar building. It has created two courtrooms, which are being used for hearings by the Workers� Compensation Bureau, and a series of arbitration and mediation rooms. These rooms will be leased to Berks County to help with the overflow in the Berks County Courthouse/ Government Center.
Bucks County Bar Association
In May 2002, the BCBA invited elementary school students to the Bucks County Courthouse for tours as part of its annual Law Day program. Members of the association volunteered to serve as tour guides and present a mock trial with the children�s participation.
Centre County Bar Association
Recently deceased Centre County lawyer Eugene W. Lederer compiled and edited The Centre County Bar Association History: 1950-2000. Derived from interviews and oral history recordings, this publication brings cohesion to the legal community by documenting the county�s common goals, history and roots of legal practice. Copies of the book have been donated to local libraries and historical societies.
CCBA members have been involved with an annual high school mock trial competition held on Law Day. Local high school students act as witnesses, parties and counsel in mock criminal and civil fact pattern trials. Centre County Court of Common Pleas judges serve as judges, and CCBA members administer the program and evaluate the presentations. A similar, but separate activity, is the CCBA�s work with the Penn State Mock Trial Association. CCBA members work to prepare college students for mock trials through coaching, training, evaluating and judging.
Chester County Bar Association
The IMIS Implementation enabled the CCBA to install a new association management software program to better serve its membership. The program allows members to interact with the CCBA, and it enables the CCBA to plan meetings and CLE more efficiently.
The CCBA Member & Nonmember Survey was designed to identify ways in which the CCBA can better serve its members and learn about issues facing all members of the legal profession.
The CCBA Elder Law Section wrote and published the Guide for Senior Citizens and Their Families for residents of Chester County. It provides county-specific information on services available to seniors.
Cumberland County Bar Association
Through the Partners for Students program, lawyers raise awareness among high school students about the legal ramifications of marriage. Started in 1998, this year�s program was made available to eight Cumberland County schools and had 58 bar members participate.
One of the major community-oriented projects sponsored by the CCBA YLD, Casino Night, raised money for the A-T Children�s Project, which is a nonprofit organization that raises funds to support and coordinate biomedical research projects, scientific conferences and a clinical center aimed at finding a cure for ataxia-telanglectasia, a lethal genetic disease that attacks children. A portion of the proceeds also was donated to the Cumberland County Bar Foundation for community outreach and educational projects.
Dauphin County Bar Association
The DCBA created a Senior Lawyers Section for members 55 years and older. The section is designed to address the needs of senior lawyers and develop programs and events to serve their interests.
In 2002, 42 members of the DCBA were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during two separate group admission ceremonies in Washington DC. The DCBA organized trips to the ceremonies that included opportunities to observe oral arguments in several landmark cases.
A new DCBA staff position, public services coordinator, was created to help provide assistance to the general public and members of the bar in obtaining legal services.
Delaware County Bar Association
The Town Hall Line is set up during Law Day Week. Through this program, a panel of attorneys makes itself available in the town�s government hall for a few hours each day to provide free legal advice.
The Reading Is Fundamental program celebrates books, encourages literacy and distributes books to students who might otherwise lack access to such materials. Lawyers travel to local schools to read to elementary school students and then meet with the students individually to help them select books to take home. The DCBA�s goal is to excite students to read and also focus the community�s attention on literacy and the importance of reading to the education and development of our children.
Erie County Bar Association
The Project PEACE Showcase highlighted the successes of elementary schools that participated in Project PEACE training and implemented the peer mediation program in their buildings. Elementary school teachers and administrators whose schools do not have peer mediation programs were invited to attend and watch Project PEACE demonstrations by students from schools that have the program.
Franklin County Bar Association
Through A Morning With the Judges program, three of Franklin County�s common pleas judges presented a continuing legal education program titled, �Local Practice in the 39th Judicial District,� to nearly 60 bar members.
Started in 2001, the FCBA electronic newsletter evolved in 2002 into a weekly publication that offers bar members reminders about CLE programs and social events, shares news about members, includes information from the PBA and ABA and provides an opportunity for interaction among members.
Recognizing the increasing need for civil legal aid assistance, the FCBA spearheaded the creation of Franklin County Legal Services in 2002. The FCBA allocated funds to create the new organization and assisted FCLS in securing other funding sources. Individual attorneys donated furnishings and contribute toward the office rent. FCLS complements the two other legal services agencies in the county by employing two full-time attorneys, bringing the number of civil legal aid attorneys in Franklin County to five.
Lackawanna Bar Association
The Harold E. Miller Support Staff Luncheon, which was initiated in 1991, annually attracts 250 legal support staff and their member employers/supervisors and features the presentation of the Harold E. Miller Award. Past recipients of this award include county and federal government employees including tipstaves, court administrators� personnel, judges� secretaries, probation/parole and row office employees.
Lancaster Bar Association
To honor the county�s 60 high school mock trial team competitors, the LBA involved the students in the Dialogue on Freedom program, which was created by Justice Kennedy after Sept. 11 to challenge students to think and talk about our country�s values. This program promotes an appreciation of democratic principles and the American judicial system and asks students to express themselves clearly and concisely.
The LBA Diversity Task Force seeks to promote a better understanding of cultural differences and their impact on the practice of law and the legal system. It works to reduce the inequalities in opportunities for minorities and to increase the number of minority attorneys who practice in Lancaster County. As such, bilingual attorneys participate in Spanish-language radio broadcasts about different legal topics, and representatives of the LBA attend local college job fairs to talk with minority students about employment opportunities in Lancaster law firms.
The LBA, in conjunction with the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 Gifted Program department, developed a daylong program to introduce high school students to the courthouse and various careers in the law. The students were given a tour of the courthouse, including explanations of each row office, and sat in on a session of Family Business Court. Following the tour, the students participated in a panel discussion with law-related individuals who each explained his/her position and the educational path followed to attain the position.
Bar Association of Lehigh County
This year marked the 14th anniversary of the BALC�s Holiday Assistance program, which raises funds to provide holiday meals for the needy and homeless. The project is coordinated by the association�s Community Service Committee.
The BALC Community Service Committee joined with the local Program for Women and Families to host a December holiday party for children of the agency�s clients. Over 150 guests attended the party, which featured entertainment, crafts, food and holiday gifts. BALC donors provided gifts according to the requests of the individual children and assisted with all of the activities.
Through a series of educational programs, the BALC Mentoring program introduces young lawyers to specific areas of law in the county and local courthouse procedures. The project consists of seven late-afternoon programs, each focusing on a different topic.
Lycoming Law Association
The LLA sponsored a blood drive in conjunction with the Paralegal Association. The association promoted and conducted the visit and recruited donors. There were 174 donors registered and 144 pints of blood collected.
In cooperation with the county court, the LLA Web site publishes all court opinions in a searchable format, along with local rules and notices. A directory of attorney information is available, and the site catalogues and preserves historical photographs and information about its members. All public outreach material regarding Law Day, mock trial and awards also is published on the site.
Through the Toys for Tots project, the LLA distributed collection boxes to its members to collect toys for distribution to needy children. Over 200 toys were collected and distributed in time for Christmas.
Mercer County Bar Association
Twenty local lawyers spoke at county schools as part of the MCBA Law Day and Stepping Out programs. Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick, a native of Mercer County, spoke at a public park about Law Day and the American justice system.
Monroe County Bar Association
In an effort to help newly admitted Monroe County attorneys become more quickly acquainted with the court system, the MCBA developed a manual of pertinent county, court and bar association information, including the local Rules of Civil Procedure. The manual was given to new attorneys at a swearing-in ceremony.
In its 21st year, the annual MCBA Law Day Race attracted over 100 participants for the five-mile competition. Each year, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Pocono Mountain Kidney Foundation in memory of Lester T. Brown.
The MCBA Bench/YLD Lunch Program is designed to bring together young lawyers and members of the judiciary for a monthly collaborative luncheon. A local judge serves as the guest of honor and keynote speaker.
Montgomery Bar Association
The MBA Legislative Roundtables brought together bar leaders, local legislators and their staff for a series of issue-oriented breakfast meetings.
The MBA installed listserv software to give each of its 66 committees and sections the opportunity to engage in e-mail dialogue. This service allows members to exchange important information related to their practices as well as meeting and event updates.
The MBA developed a custom software program to produce its law journal and run all day-to-day functions associated with the management of the MBA. The software features accounting interfaces, Web applications and production capabilities for the Montgomery County Law Reporter in electronic format. The weekly electronic delivery of the journal to members allows them to search the entire publication and reported opinions.
Northampton County Bar Association
Nine high schools participated in this year�s Mock Trial Competition. During the four-night competition, actual judges presided over each case, and 50 area law professionals served as jurors.
The NCBA Service to the Public Committee presented the People�s Law School at a local community college. Seventeen area attorneys, along with Northampton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Edward G. Smith and District Justices Joseph Barner and Michael Koury Jr., offered the eight-week evening mini-law school course. More than 48 students attended the classes to familiarize themselves with legal issues such as wills, divorce, bankruptcy, elder law, real estate, civil litigation, DUI, criminal law and the court system.
This year, over 150 NCBA members attended the association�s Bench/Bar Conference. One of the featured conference sessions was 21st Century military law.
Philadelphia Bar Association
Century 3 was a yearlong celebration of the Philadelphia Bar Association�s 200th anniversary. It featured a new Hall of Fame of Philadelphia lawyers, a commemorative publication, the welcoming of delegates to the 2002 ABA Midyear Meeting in Philadelphia and significant corporate and law firm sponsorship.
The Philadelphia Bar Association YLD and Federal Courts Committee co-sponsored a CLE course that offered instruction and tactics for litigating a federal jury trial. The course focused on a variety of trial-related issues, including trial preparation, strategies for preparing a witness, courtroom procedures, litigation etiquette and ethical issues. A panel of federal judges, senior lawyers and young lawyers provided practical instruction in trial principles by presenting scenarios and discussing methods for handling the scenarios. Approximately 80 young lawyers attended the event.
Bruce Tulgan, Esq., founder of Rainmaker Thinking Inc., facilitated a roundtable discussion on law firms� retention of satisfied lawyers. Senior managing partners, young lawyers and legal recruiters examined the professional aspirations of young lawyers.
Schuylkill County Bar Association
During the Rules Committee Meetings, the Schuylkill County president judge and the five associate judges meet with the civil, criminal, orphans� court, and domestic relations rules chairmen and their committees to discuss the daily operations of the court and where improvements are needed. The court administrators and department heads of the county court offices also participate.
The SCBA assisted with the investiture of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Judge John E. Jones, who was sworn in at the Schuylkill County Courthouse in September.
The SCBA Women�s Law Caucus helped bring Christmas to 129 children who are patients of the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center�s DePaul Pediatric Dental Clinic, which treats children whose working parents cannot afford dental care. The members of the caucus worked to solicit monetary donations from the legal community, plan the Christmas party, and shop and wrap the gifts on the children�s wish lists. Over 100 attorneys, six Schuylkill County judges and individuals in the legal community contributed toward the project.
Susquehanna County Bar Association
Presented to schools in Susquehanna County, the SCBA�s Stepping Out Program was designed to help graduating seniors make the often intimidating first step into adulthood by providing them with valuable information on such legal matters as renting an apartment, buying a car, driving under the influence, marriage and divorce.
Washington County Bar Association
The WCBA Community Projects Committee, in cooperation with the Washington City Mission, sponsored a clothing drive at the Washington County Courthouse that collected five vanloads of men�s and women�s suits, business attire and business-casual clothing. Vouchers were provided to eligible nonprofit organizations whose low-income clients may need interview or work appropriate clothing. Vouchers also were made available to WCBA members with low-income clients who may need appropriate attire for court appearances. Clients could take their vouchers to the City Mission, where the clothing was made available at no cost.
In 2002, the WCBA worked to increase participation in the WCBA Direct Service Conflict Program with Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services. Through the effort, the number of conflict panelists rose from 20 to 74 and a total of $8,520 was donated to support the program.
In an effort to educate the public about the law, the WCBA continued its ongoing �Classic Law Film Series� to show the public several films that offer dramatic and powerful portrayals of lawyers and the legal profession. Each film is hosted by an attorney or judge and a brief commentary is presented prior to the film. The series is co-sponsored by Washington and Jefferson College�s Pre-Law Program.
Westmoreland Bar Association
The WBA began offering technology-related lunch and learns on Fridays for lawyers, judges and staff members. Partnering with the local YMCA�s technology center, the one-hour sessions offer group and individual instruction. The coordinator focuses on topics such as using e-mail, Outlook, Excel and Word.
The WBA/YLD held a dinner for its members and area district justices. An educational program was presented by the district justices that focused on tips for practicing in front of DJs. The lawyers then presented the district justices with an overview of the activities the young lawyers have undertaken within the WBA and the community.
In September, the WBA Employment Law Committee partnered with a community college to present an employment and labor law program for lawyers, small business owners and human resources personnel. The half-day seminar focused on �how-to�s� and recent developments in labor law issues. Topics included: the Family Medical Leave Act; military leave; wage and hour developments; disciplinary do�s and don�ts and employee privacy issues.
Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association
In 2002, the W-BLLA sponsored an international moot court based upon the Connecticut-Pennsylvania land dispute that was the subject of two Yankee-Pennamite Wars. The event was held at King�s College before a live audience and was telecast on closed circuit television and on PCN. Co-sponsors of the event included the Pennsylvania and Connecticut Bar associations, the American Bar Association Litigation Section and King�s College. A distinguished panel of judges sat as the U.S. Supreme Court, including U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Max Rosenn, Judge John Colyer, Q.C., of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, England, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin and Connecticut Superior Court Judge Alexandra D. DiPentima. Pennsylvania and Connecticut lawyers argued the case.
The W-BLLA launched a public awareness campaign in Luzerne County to inform the public of the good things that lawyers do beyond their work as legal professionals. A three-phase billboard and newspaper campaign was developed that focused on the involvement of lawyers in the community.
The W-BLLA Legal Aid/Pro Bono Committee partnered with Legal Services to create a special pro bono program tailored to meet the needs of elderly residents in Luzerne County. Volunteer attorneys meet with elderly citizens to execute wills and prepare living wills, powers of attorney and other documents critical to the elderly population.
York County Bar Association
The Juvenile Drug Court Project was created to establish a mechanism and process for securing incentives and awards for youth enrolled in York�s Juvenile Drug Court. The project was formed through a collaboration of the YCBA Chamber Liaison Committee, York County Bar Foundation, the York Foundation, the Juvenile Drug Court and the York County Chamber of Commerce. Funded in part by a York Foundation grant, the project is coordinated through a partnership of the YCBF and York Chamber that identify businesses, community leaders and local individuals to make donations of incentive items appropriate for the youth. The Juvenile Drug Court, the first in Pennsylvania, is designed to reduce the number of youth with substance abuse issues being placed in residential treatment centers. The availability of incentive items has proven effective in encouraging juveniles to do well in the program and has increased the court�s success.
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