HARRISBURG, Pa. (Oct. 24, 2023) — Erin M. Siciliano, of counsel at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, Philadelphia, and the Montgomery Bar Association Meditation Team will be honored with 2023 Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) C. Dale McClain Quality of Life/Balance Awards during the association’s Committee/Section Day on Nov. 16 in Harrisburg.
Presented by the PBA Quality of Life/Balance Committee, the annual award recognizes the substantial contributions that Pennsylvania attorneys have made by identifying issues relevant to balancing the professional and personal lives of their peers, and the progress made in assisting attorneys with maintaining and improving their overall quality of life.
The award is named after C. Dale McClain, one of the founders of the PBA Quality of Life/Balance Committee and the 114th president of the PBA. McClain spent much of his career fulfilling the mission of the committee through educating attorneys on the importance of attaining a quality of life/balance in the practice of law.
Erin Siciliano
Siciliano, co-chair of the PBA Quality of Life/Balance Committee, is being recognized for her consistent efforts to research and present information to help attorneys balance their professional and personal lives. During the pandemic, Siciliano helped navigate the committee through a variety of unprecedented issues impacting lawyers at that time, stressing that “balance” does not mean equal, but “fluctuation” — and that is normal. A leader on the committee for several years, Siciliano created numerous CLE presentations that were adopted by PBA committees and sections, and county and regional bar associations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She also has presented workshops on wellness for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Pennsylvania, a free confidential service for legal professionals and law students who struggle with mental health/substance use issues.
One of Siciliano’s nominators said: “She consciously attempts at every opportunity to assist fellow lawyers in their quest for work-life balance … and to ensure all are aware of the resources and opportunities that are or can be available to them.”
Active in the PBA, Siciliano is co-vice chair of the Lawyers’ Assistance Committee, and a member of the Civil Litigation Section, Large Law Firm Committee and Plain English Committee. In addition, she has served on the WIP Quality of Life Committee.
Siciliano earned her Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania.
Montgomery Bar Association Meditation Team
The Montgomery Bar Association (MBA) Meditation Team comprises a diverse group of attorneys who carve out time from their professional lives to lead wellness meditation sessions twice a day for members of the MBA and others interested in participating. Team members record on-demand sessions and post them on the association’s webpage and offer private sessions and general support. To bolster participation, the team ensures that meditation sessions are different each day.
Initiated during the pandemic, the team formed to serve as wellness ambassadors for the Montgomery County legal community. Team members from various legal backgrounds include Michael R. Kehs, court administrator, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Norristown; John I. McMahon Jr., partner, McMahon, Lentz & Thompson, Norristown; Sharon R. Meisler, senior partner, AMS Law PC, Norristown; Jacqueline M. Reynolds, shareholder, Marshall Dennehey, King of Prussia; Marc Robert Steinberg, managing partner, Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford PC, Colmar; and Adam D. Zucker, partner, Mudrick & Zucker PC, Blue Bell.
One of the team’s nominators said: “The camaraderie and engagement are a thing to behold, and so beneficial to our precious legal community. Most amazingly, this team has not let interest wane, and each week the program continues to expand and strengthen and works hard to be an important piece of our members’ quality of life.”
To learn more about the MBA and its Meditation Team, visit https://www.montgomerybar.org.