We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association to create a State Civil Litigation Section pursuant to Section 900(B) of the Association's Bylaws. The contemplated jurisdiction of the proposed Section shall be all matters affecting civil litigation within the courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Among other things, the Section may conduct continuing legal education programs, consult with the judiciary regarding the administration of civil justice, and advise the Board of Governors with respect to positions that the Association may take with the courts or the legislature as they affect the field of civil litigation.

The State Civil Committee, the Compulsory Arbitration Committee and the Medical-Legal Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association have resolved to become committees of the proposed Section. Accordingly, we also petition the Board of Governors to remove those Standing Committees from the Association's Register of Committees upon formation of the Section, so that the proposed Section's jurisdiction will not be in substantial conflict with the jurisdiction of any Standing or Special Committee that will continue after the Section is established.

We hereby certify that each of us is a Member in good standing of the Philadelphia Bar Association whose principal practice or interest is within the contemplated jurisdiction of the Section.

1.  The proposed State Civil Litigation Section is hereby created;

 

2. The Association's State Civil Committee, Compulsory Arbitration Committee and Medical-Legal Committee are hereby removed from the Register of Committees as Standing Committees of the Association; and

 

3. The members of the Task Force appointed by the Chancellor to investigate the formation of the new Section are hereby authorized to:

a. Adopt appropriate Bylaws for the Section;

 

b.  Serve as the Section's interim Executive Committee;

 

c.  Establish a Rules and Procedures Committee, Compulsory Arbitration Committee and Medical-Legal Committee of the Section, consisting of the former members of the Association's State Civil Committee, Compulsory Arbitration Committee and Medical-Legal Committee, respectively;

 

d.  On or before December 31, 2004, arrange for the first election of Officers of the Section; and

 

e.  Otherwise assist in the Section's initial organization.