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Mission

The mission of the Minority Bar Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (hereinafter PBA) is to assure full and equal participation of minorities in the PBA, the legal profession, and the justice system in general. In order to achieve this mission, the Minority Bar Committee will:

  • Identify and promote opportunities that allow minorities within the legal profession to participate fully in the work, responsibilities, and rewards of the PBA and the legal profession in general. Included in this objective are matters relating to the advancement of minorities within law firms and other professional and business entities, job opportunities for minorities, elimination of racial discrimination in the legal profession and within the broader community, and effective avenues for minority lawyers and judges to avail themselves of opportunities within the PBA to address issues of special interest to minority lawyers.
  • Monitor the current status of minorities in the legal profession and the justice system in general, identify their career paths and goals, and actively promote their advancement and achievement.
  • Develop educational programs in the way of seminars and surveys, among other measures, to address discrimination against minorities within the legal profession, and the justice system in general.
  • Make recommendations to the PBA Board of Governors and House of Delegates for action on issues affecting minorities within the legal profession and the justice system in general.
  • Make recommendations to the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government, and other groups within the justice system on issues affecting racial minorities and their communities in accordance with the PBA Bylaws.

Featured Member: Samuel G. Encarnacion

Samuel G. Encarnacion serves as the First Assistant Public Defender of Lancaster County, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his extensive career in the legal field. Fluent in both English and Spanish, he hails from the Dominican Republic, spent his formative years in Puerto Rico, and relocated to Texas in 1980. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin before obtaining his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

Throughout his career, Sam has held various significant roles, including serving as a partner at Spahn & Encarnacion, where he handled diverse legal matters, and represented injured plaintiffs with Haggerty & Silverman.

Beyond his legal practice, Sam has been actively involved in numerous legal committees, including the Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Bar Committee. He also served as an at-large minority governor on the PBA Board of Governors. In addition to these roles, Sam chaired the PBA Insurance Fund and Trust, receiving the prestigious PBA Special Achievement Award during his tenure. He further contributed to the legal community as a member and Chair of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Committee on Rules of Evidence.

Sam's extensive experience in death penalty litigation adds a profound dimension to his legal expertise. Furthermore, for decades, he has been an esteemed instructor at Penn State Dickinson Law School's specialized program for public defenders, where he imparts invaluable knowledge and skills.

In 2018, representing a juvenile lifer offender in York County, Sam achieved a significant legal victory when he overturned a conviction and sentence due to prior legal inadequacies. This unique resolution led to the client's parole in 2020 after 16 years in prison and his subsequent admission to Columbia University. The case gained widespread attention and was featured in a documentary directed by Academy Award nominee David Peterson. Sam's role was pivotal, although he did not participate in the documentary's production.

Recently, Sam was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the newly established Indigent Defense Advisory Committee. Additionally, PBA President Michael J. McDonald appointed him as vice-chair of the newly formed Technology Committee. Sam has also become a frequent presenter on Artificial Intelligence's future impact on the law, further solidifying his reputation as an innovative and forward-thinking legal professional. It has just been announced that Sam will be honored with the 2024 PBA Achievement Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the legal profession.

Past Featured Members

Judge Carolyn H. Nichols

Jasmine Butler

Tsiwen Law

Kristine L. Calalang

Tyesha C. Miley

Jada Greenhowe

Obinna I. Abara

Morgan M. Bonekovic

Jacqueline B. Martinez

J. Lynette Carter

LaToya Winfield Bellamy

Arlene Marshall-Hockensmith

Su Ming Yeh

Anthony D. Cox Jr.

Trent Hargrove

Judge Cheryl Lynne Austin

Philip Yoon

Gina M. Thomas

Nigel Scott

Judge Stephanie Domitrovich

Ana Paulina Gomez

Judge Nicola Henry Taylor