Nerdy PBA Stuff

I just had the honor to attend the Pennsylvania Bar Association Annual House of Delegates meeting as the Philadelphia Zone 1 YLD chair.

The PBA House of Delegates meeting is really a sight to behold. Delegates from every zone in Pennsylvania congregate to decide not only issues pertinent to the association, such as bylaw amendments, etc., but also the determine which bills in the Pennsylvania House and Senate the PBA will support or oppose. The PBA even has its own Political Action Committee. I had no idea it was so political.

Philadelphia was very well represented. Some of the more interesting issues that were debated on the floor included:

whether the PBA should oppose county and state legislation that attempts to regulate immigration;

whether the PBA should support legislative efforts to add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as a protected class;

whether the PBA should support efforts to restore Habeas Corpus for the detainees of Guantanamo Bay;

and whether hospitals that provide emergency care to women who have been raped must advise those patients regarding the option of emergency contraceptives, as well as to then provide those patients the option to be treated with such emergency contraceptives.

I felt like I was witnessing democracy in action. Amazingly, to me, at least, the votes were fairly contentious. Philadelphia was a veritable liberal island.

If anyone wants to know more information about getting involved in the PBA, I would be happy to do everything I can to help. At the very least, I hope to see more of you at PBA yld events.

It felt really good to have a voice on some issues that are very near and dear to many of our hearts.

My First Federal Trial

 Michael Adler asked me to post this:

“Hey YLD Members!  Getting ready for your first federal court appearance or perhaps your first big trial in federal court?  Interested in learning some pointers from a terrific panel of seasoned trial lawyers and judges?  Looking for an incredible networking opportunity?  Need CLE credits?  On Thursday, May 3, 2007, at 4 PM, come down to the Federal Courthouse (that’s the tall brick building on the north side of 6^th & Market!) for a program sponsored by the Federal Courts Committee, together with the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, called “My First Federal Trial.”  This highly-entertaining and well-attended annual CLE program features experienced lawyers who are also good practical teachers, as well as a panel of the Eastern District’s best Judges, who will address topics such as:·         What to do in those last few hours (things that are not set out in the rules) ·         What to expect at the final pretrial conference ·         The mechanics of a trial – where to stand, where to sit, what to do with exhibits, etc. ·         What to do if you get in trouble ….and much more This program offers more than your time and money’s worth for two hours of CLE credits, plus an opportunity to meet and talk to the Judges at a reception following the program.  For further details and registration information, please contact Ellen Meriwether at emeriwether@caffertyfaucher.com or
Michael Adler at madler@hotwiremail.com or simply click on the link for online registration.  

Business Cards Are My Baseball Cards

Great networking advice, Abbie!

I know I have said this before, but Abbie’s piece got me going.   I love meeting new people.  It gives me a rush.  I love learning about where people come from, how they got where they are, what kind of work they do, where they want to go.  Some of my favorites recently have been the “young friends” events:  Young Friends of the Free Library, Young Friends of the Art Museum, Young Friends of the Philly Orchestra…etc.

And I also love figuring out how me and my new friend are connected.  Its my new game.  How many people do we have in common?  Philly is a small town, so you are bound to have at least one person in common.  For those of you stuck in the oficina due to billable hours, there are of course various online networking outlets (not nearly as fun as my game) such as friendster, myspace, and LinkedIn.   LinkedIn is a great professional resource.

 Michael Adler is a LinkedIn guru.  Check him out.  (I had to give you a shout out since you said you read this)

I am not so good at the LinkedIn–I only have 13 connections.  =(