PBA President on 9-11 Anniversary: Reflect and Help Others

Dear PBA Friends and Colleagues,

Whether in school or in the workplace, all of us vividly remember where we were and what we were doing when we learned of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

That day, planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and, closer to home, Flight 93 collided into an open field in Shanksville, Pa. Among those lost were many heroes, including those on Flight 93 who saved many lives.

9-11 would set the United States on a different path with each of us dealing with shock and sadness.

Despite this darkness, many of us found better ways to rekindle the light in our world.

At the PBA, one such effort is the ongoing Wills for Heroes program. The PBA Young Lawyers Division brought the program to Pennsylvania with assistance from the Wills for Heroes Foundation.

The PBA YLD works with local first responder organizations and veterans’ groups to set up events that provide free wills and other estate planning documents. More than 19,000 Pennsylvanians on the frontlines for our personal safety and those who have served our country now have the tools they need to be adequately prepared for the future. I thank the many member volunteers who have been there along the way to help make this community-spirited initiative a reality.

As we reflect on the 20 years that have passed and we again grieve for those who lost loved ones, I ask that you join me in renewing a professional commitment to help others through pro bono service and by defending the rule of law, which is paramount to securing our democracy.

Thank you for your membership.

Kathleen D. Wilkinson

President