8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

1. Decision Points and Defining Moments –Kick-off Session

“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” Theodor Seuss Geisel

9:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.

1. Your Year as Bar Leader

“A leader’s job is to look into the future and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be.” Jack Welch

Why you should attend

This session is designed for current bar presidents, future bar presidents, association leaders and bar execs. We will cover topics bar association presidents and leaders are likely to encounter during their term and we will benefit from the experience of past leaders who have successfully led their associations through various challenges. Examples of specific topics covered include: board governance, media relations, relationships with the bar exec and staff, maintaining your practice and representing clients, work/life balance, time management, relationships with the courts, and relationships with the state and affinity bars. Your questions are encouraged.

2. Civility, the Virtual Practice of Law and Beyond

“Civility isn’t just the absence of incivility. Civility in the fullest sense requires something more: positive gestures of respect, dignity, courtesy, or kindness that lift people up.” Christine Porath

Why you should attend

This session will address the significant changes encountered through the virtual practice of law, such as fewer in-person interactions, hearings, depositions, trials or closings and will invite bar leaders to consider their role in helping member attorneys practice with civility now and into the future. We will also look at the evolving nature of Rule 8.4(g).

One challenge of practicing law is that, in the midst of a heated dispute, attorneys can sometimes lose sight of the importance of treating others in a professional and civil manner. Further, with all of the suffering, uncertainty, stress and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, civility may be an afterthought for some attorneys. However, while attorneys may have an obligation to act as zealous advocates for their clients, courts have recognized that it is especially important for attorneys to act with integrity and basic decency in the current environment. Bar associations are also urging attorneys to be mindful of others, avoid unnecessarily contributing to the stress through your actions and to maintain the integrity of the legal profession. 

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

1. County Bar President Roundtable

This informative session is open to everyone. PBA President David Schwager will lead the conversation and engage leaders as we work collectively on issues that are impacting the legal profession, including but not limited to relationships with the courts and AOPC, legislation that impacts our practices, providing high quality CLE programs, keeping up with technology changes, and other topics that are on YOUR mind as you lead. These roundtables are one of the strategies the PBA has implemented to connect with and support bar leaders. They provide a venue where all leaders from counties across Pennsylvania can gather to exchange information, share ideas and ask questions to help us all lead our associations and serve members.

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Grab your lunch and join bar leaders for an important discussion

1. Learning from the Past to Create a Better Future

“We are leaders, not promoters of the status quo.” Danielle Conway

Sponsored by:

Moderators: Dan McKenrick and Bernie Ilkhanoff
Speaker: Kevin Harden, Jr.

Why you should attend

In America’s not-so-distant past, governmental and private industry leaders made conscious decisions through law and public policy to racially segregate our communities. Using the book written by Richard Rothstein, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, this panel will discuss the lasting impacts of racial segregation and address the need for bar leaders to set the tone within the association, law firms and the practice of law to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion. Bar leaders have the opportunity to define its future. Join this session for an open and honest conversation on how to help your association become stronger and more robust.

#BLIcares

Each year the PBA Bar Leadership Institute class members get together and identify a service project they can work on as a class. The project is part of their year-long journey and exploration of what it means to be a good and effective leader. They are asked to consider the importance and value of giving back and making a difference through service. This is always a bit challenging with a group of diverse young attorneys who are geographically located in communities all across Pennsylvania. The 2020-2021 class had the additional challenge of never meeting in person - all of their connections and interactions occurred through Zoom. Please join us as we watch this inspiring video they created to capture their acts of kindness and caring for others in their local communities during November and December. #BLIcares.

Awards Presentation

Join us to celebrate the recipients of the Arthur J. Birdsall Award, the Chief Justice John P. Flaherty Award, and the Gilbert Nurick Award.

1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

1. Moving your Member Association Forward – Post COVID-19

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Why you should attend

This session will focus on the future of member associations following the COVID 19 pandemic and all of the resulting changes to how we work and live. Leaders will be asked to reflect on the value of your bar association during times of crisis and consider the role and value of membership moving forward. How will we engage and retain our members as well as recruit new members?

Jennifer Lewin, a respected and popular presenter at CCBL programs, serves as the Deputy Director of the ABA’s Division for Bar Services. She will share her national insights and draw upon the experiences of bars across the country to help all bar leaders strategize solutions that will position their associations and members to thrive in the reality of our transformed world. Small group discussions will be an important part of this session. To make the most of the time together, bar leaders should come prepared to share three things: 1) your best easy win from 2020, 2) your most creative pivot, and 3) a change you made that likely will endure post COVID-19.

2. Beyond Board Basics: Role of Good Governance and Financial Understanding for Board Leaders

“A budget is a financial plan to control future operations and results.” Jae K. Shim

Why you should attend

Being selected to serve as an Officer or Director on the Board of your Bar Association is a great honor which requires strong leadership skills and a commitment to the Bar’s mission. Beyond dedication to serving the Association, though, Officers and Directors should understand their roles as Board members, know the importance of good board governance, and have a general understanding of how to read the Association’s financial statements and contribute to the budgeting process. The purpose of this program will be to present information about best board practices, review governance policies and procedures, and discuss the financial/fiscal duties of board members. The session will also look at how crises can affect the way Boards have to operate and how sound governance and financial oversight can help to maintain a strong Bar Association.

3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

1. How Winning is Done!

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. . . . [Life is] about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Why you should attend

Bar Foundations, like many charitable organizations, found 2020 to be a defining year. With so many people in need in so many different ways Foundations felt the pain of lower than projected revenue coupled with an apparent inability to raise money. Some felt this was the wrong time for fundraising and floundered in finding ways to fulfill their missions. But times of crises typically expose the best in us. Fred Rogers said “When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Attendees will learn useful strategies to design a successful and engaging strategic plan, tactics to fundraise, the cycle of giving, developing cases for support and stewardship that will make your Foundation a helper during any crisis. The experience of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation will serve as a teaching example of these initiatives as it seized 2020 as an opportunity to self-evaluate from top to bottom and come out on the other side streamlined and stronger.

2.Corona is not the only virus we need to prepare for. How to prepare yourself, your firm and your bar association for cyber threats and attacks

This session qualifies for 1 ethics CLE and for the USI/CNA insurance discount if applicable

“Our future success is directly proportional to our ability to understand, adopt and integrate new technology into our work.” Sukant Ratnakar

Why you should attend

Being prepared means staying one step ahead of cyber criminals who are attacking associations, businesses and nonprofits in new and evolved ways every day. To do this, we must address cybersecurity from all angles – taking steps to mitigate risks, being familiar with where and how to report incidents and how to minimize damage if you become affected. This session will provide one hour of ethics CLE and will qualify for a discount for those insured through USI/CNA while educating participants about how to guide your organization through attack, recovery and back to normal. Is your organization ready to respond effectively to financial theft, ransomware, or a privacy and data breach?

4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

CCBL Business Meeting and Wrap-up

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend the CCBL Business Meeting where all attending members have the opportunity to vote for the open seat on the CCBL Executive Committee. Wes Payne will also wrap up his year as CCBL President and pass the gavel to the incoming President. Please join us for this brief meeting to officially close out the 55th CCBL.