Support a Winning Cause at YLD's Casino Night & Annual Fundraiser, May 14

Play casino games for a winning cause, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, at the YLD's Casino Night & Annual Fundraiser on May 14 at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel from 7-10:30 p.m. Thirteen tables of poker, blackjack, craps and roulette will be accompanied by a big ticket raffle, an open bar, a dinner buffet, and a DJ. Admission is $65 for one ticket and $120 for two. READ MORE

Law Week Celebration Kicks Off Next Monday, May 2

Volunteer lawyers of all ages are needed to offer free legal advice and guide children on tours of the city's courtrooms in celebration of Law Week 2011, an annual occasion marked by the Philadelphia Bar Association and presented by its Young Lawyers Division through a host of special events and services reaching thousands of citizens. This year's theme is "The Legacy of John Adams: From Boston to Guantanamo."

The weeklong fest, taking place all next week, May 2-6, is one of the most ambitious public outreach efforts of its type in the nation. All of the Law Week activities are under the direction of Bar Association Chancellor-Elect John Savoth and are coordinated by the Association's Young Lawyers Division with the help of scores of lawyer-volunteers. The Law Week 2011 co-chairs are Roxane Crowley and Matt Laver.

CLICK HERE to view the official Law Week 2011 webpage.

The following is a schedule of the Law Week activities still in need of volunteers and contact information for those interested:

Legal Advice Live!, Monday, May 2

LAL! kicks off the week with dozens of Philadelphia attorneys gathering to provide free, in-person legal advice from 12 to 2 p.m. at four branches of the Philadelphia Library: Central, Haverford, Ramonita de Rodriguez and Donatucci. Two more volunteers are needed for the Donatucci branch. Attorneys will provide answers to legal questions on a broad range of topics including personal injury, medical malpractice, landlord/tenant law, divorce and child custody matters, wills and estate planning, real estate law and employment law.

If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Christopher Guth or Christopher Sharp.

LegalLine, Wednesday, May 4

Free legal advice will be given to those who call the Legal Line hotline from 5 to 8 p.m. on May 4. The program is being sponsored by the Barristers Association of Philadelphia. Area residents can call lawyers at 215-238-6333 and have their legal questions answered confidentially without a fee. The lawyers will staff a phone bank at the headquarters of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor.

If you are interested in volunteering for Legal Line, please contact Roxane Crowley.

Lawyer for a Day, Friday, May 6

Volunteer attorneys and judges pair with high school students and "show them the ropes" of their jobs by taking them into the courts during the Lawyer for a Day program. Ten more volunteers are needed. Several city courtrooms will be open to allow the participants to observe the proceedings. The students will meet the lawyers and judges and will participate in a concluding lunch, during which the students will recount their experiences and hear from the event's special guest speaker, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams.

If you are interested in volunteering for Lawyer for a Day, please contact David Walker.

For more information on both contests, click here.

Play casino games for a winning cause at the YLD's Casino Night and Annual Fundraiser on May 14 from 7-10:30 p.m. at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel, 200 S. 17th St. All proceeds benefit the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, a non-profit group that provides funding to legal service organizations that represent impoverished individuals.

Register here.

Seven authentic blackjack tables, 3 poker tables, 2 craps tables and a double roulette table staffed by professionally trained dealers will be available at the event. The chance to win prizes in a big ticket raffle, a 3-hour open bar, a generous dinner buffet, and a DJ are also included with admission.

Tickets are $65 each, $120 for two. Each guest will receive $200 worth of playing chips. Additional chips will be available for purchase at the event. Chips can be exchanged for raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes such as: overnight stays at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City and the Westin Philadelphia; unique tours of Philadelphia landmarks and complimentary admission to entertainment venues; Phillies tickets; gift certificates to renowned Philadelphia restaurants and retail establishments; and more.

Since 2006, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has raised more than $140,000 for the Philadelphia Bar Foundation through its signature fundraiser, which previously featured a comedian and a silent auction.

Gaming tables and dealers are being supplied by Philly Casino Parties. Please note, absolutely no cash prizes will be awarded.

Current sponsors are: Leadership: Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig (sponsor of the Roulette Table); Partnership: Cozen O'Connor; Friendship: Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett and Bendesky; and Fellowship: The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.

Current raffle items include: Two Phillies tickets for May 23, 2011 against the Cincinnati Reds; T-Shirt and baseball autographed by Jimmy Rollins; a complimentary mid-week overnight stay at the Borgata Atlantic City; a $100 gift certificate to Devon Seafood Grill; a $100 gift certificate to The Field House; a one-night stay in the presidential suite with champagne at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel; a one-night stay with a gourmet dinner for two at one of Caesars Entertainment-Atlantic City Properties; admission for six at Helium Comedy Club; an 8-guest party at Lucky Strike Lanes; and a one-night deluxe weekend stay at The Westin Philadelphia with breakfast for two. Click here for full list.

THURSDAY: Feinberg to Speak at Chancellor's Forum

Kenneth R. Feinberg, President Obama's compensation chief and administrator of the federal 9/11 fund, which distributed nearly $7 billion to more than 5,000 survivors and families of victims, will be the featured speaker at this Thursday's (April 28) Chancellor's Forum presented by the Business Law Section.

Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Rudolph Garcia will welcome attendees, and Albert S. Dandridge III, past chair of the Business Law Section, will introduce Feinberg.

The Chancellor's Forum will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, 10 Avenue of the Arts, at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for this plated-lunch program are $35 for Business Law Section members, $45 for non Section members who belong to the Philadelphia Bar Association and $55 for non-members. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

Feinberg was named by President Obama in June 2010 as the independent administrator of a $20 billion fund set up by BP to compensate victims of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury in 2009 to serve as the Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation.

Feinberg was the fund administrator responsible for the design, implementation and administration of the claims process for the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund following the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech University in April 2007.

Entries Sought for Ginsburg Legal Writing Competition, Due May 9

Entries are due May 9 for the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2011 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition.

The co-chairs of the competition are Bar Association Vice Chancellor Kathleen D. Wilkinson, partner at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker LLP and Diane Penneys Edelman, Assistant Dean for International Programs, Associate Professor of Legal Writing, Villanova University School of Law.

The Bar Association recognizes the importance of excellence in legal analysis and writing skills, and seeks to award a student enrolled in an American Bar Association-approved or provisionally approved Philadelphia-area law school for authoring a top-quality competition submission.

This competition is open to full- and part-time law students who are in their second or third year of study during the 2010-11 academic year at one of the following six institutions: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Rutgers University School of Law - Camden, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law and Widener University School of Law (Delaware Campus). Part-time law students in their third or later year of study are also eligible. Students must be in good standing at their institutions. The submission may not have been published previously, although it may have been prepared in connection with a law school course or for a law journal. The submission also may not have been submitted for any other competition during the time when it is under consideration for this competition, until after the time when awards are announced. The submission must be the work of one author alone (joint submissions will not be considered), and the author must certify that the submission has been prepared without substantial editing from others.

Candidates may submit a law review quality submission on any topic relating to rights, privileges and responsibilities under federal law. Entries must be received by Monday, May 9 at 4 p.m. by Dawn Petit, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or at dpetit@philabar.org.

The author of the winning submission will receive a cash award of $2,500, the publication of the winning submission in The Philadelphia Lawyer, on the Bar Association's website and/or in an appropriate Bar Association publication. The winner will be invited to a Quarterly Meeting of the Bar Association, at which time the award will be presented.

Help Prepare Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House, June 7

Please join the YLD for a guest chef dinner at the Ronald McDonald House located at 3925 Chestnut Street on Tuesday, June 7 beginning at 4 p.m.

The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House is a home-away-from-home for families and their seriously ill children who are being treated at area hospitals. What makes the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House special is its caring environment where families find physical and emotional comfort through one another and through volunteers like you.

Volunteers are asked to cook a full meal for the 80-90 residents of the house. Meal preparations begin at 4 p.m., and is to be served at 6 p.m.

We are seeking 15-20 volunteers to share in this valuable experience. It is a fun way to spend your afternoon, and it will certainly be a rewarding opportunity to give back to your community.

Please contact Matthew Laver if you are interested in volunteering or if you require further information.

VIP Speaker Series with Owen Lefkon, May 3

Join Philadelphia VIP at its upcoming Speaker Series on Tuesday, May 3 at 12 p.m., featuring keynote speaker Owen Lefkon, former assistant attorney general of Massachusetts.

The program, co-sponsored by the Public Interest Section, begins at 12 p.m. at the offices of White and Williams LLP, 1650 Market St., One Liberty Place, Suite 1800. To learn more about this event or to register, click here.

To learn about upcoming 30th Anniversary events, including the 30 for 30 Pledge and the 30th Anniversary Giving Circle, click here.