Prizes Announced for YLD Photography Contest; Entries Due Sept. 20

The Young Lawyers Division welcomes submissions from all members of the Bar Association for "Eyes on the Environment," a late summer photography contest in which the winner and runner-up will receive $200 and $100 gift certificates, respectively, to a to-be-determined Philadelphia restaurant as well as have their images featured in The Philadelphia Lawyer, the Association's quarterly magazine.

Entrants are asked to consider the following: "As you embark on late summer vacations or enjoy the remainder of the season here in Philadelphia, the Young Lawyers Division asks you to capture particularly compelling images of environmental awareness and natural conservation. What did you witness during your travels that showcases nature's untouched beauty? What efforts did you see toward preserving it?"

The winner will receive a $200 gift certificate and the runner-up a $100 gift certificate.

One submission per entrant can be emailed to tplmag@philabar.org in JPG format. A professional panel of judges will select the winner. The deadline for entries is September 20.

Less than a Month Left for Early-Bird Pricing at 2010 Bench-Bar Conference

Register now for the Bar Association's 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference at the Borgata in Atlantic City, on Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16. The event features 14 distinct CLEs and a Grand Reception at newly-remodeled MIXX nightclub. YLD member costs remain at 2007 prices. Early bird pricing registration is available if tickets purchased by Sept. 17.

The 14 CLE programs, in which attendees can earn up to eight hours of credit (including the opportunity to earn two ethics credits), will feature judges and some of the city's most well-known practitioners, who will use their expertise and experience to enlighten attendees.

A dramatic re-enactment commemorating the 275th anniversary of Andrew Hamilton's historic 1735 defense of printer John Peter Zenger will be offered for CLE credit as the opening program on Oct. 15. The case established the concept of freedom of the press and coined the term "Philadelphia lawyer."

A state-of-the-court program will also be offered for CLE credit as the closing program on Saturday, Oct. 16. Vice Chancellor John E. Savoth and Board of Governors Vice Chair Regina M. Foley are co-chairs of the 2010 conference.

Full-conference admission is $349 for members and $399 for non-members, if reserved by the early bird deadline of Friday, Sept. 17. For members of the Young Lawyers Division and government and public interest attorneys, admission is only $199. CLICK HERE for a complete registration form and pricing guide.

Sponsors for the 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference include Iron Mountain and Kaplan, Leaman and Wolfe Court Reporters. For information on becoming a sponsor, contact Michael Petitti at 215-238-6342 or mpetitti@philabar.org.

Bench-Bar Conference Scholarships Available

Scholarships to the 2010 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference are available by lottery to Association members who are public interest or government service attorneys. The lottery drawing will take place on Friday, Sept. 10 and the announcement of winners will be sent via e-mail on Monday, Sept. 13.

To enter the lottery, please submit your name and organization to Dawn Petit at dpetit@philabar.org by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10. Each scholarship will include hotel accommodations for the night of Friday, Oct. 15 at the Borgata as well as all conference fees, which include CLE programming and all sponsored meals and events.

You must be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association to participate in the scholarship lottery.

To date, scholarships have been provided by Duffy + Partners, Messa and Associates, Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky, P.C., and the Business Law Section.

Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice, Sept. 14

Presented by the Professional Responsibility Committee and co-sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division and the Law Practice Management Committee, "Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice" will examine the great benefits modern technology provides for attorneys as well as the prevalent ethical concerns. The program takes place Sept. 14 at Bar Association headquarters at 12:30 p.m. and is approved for 1 Ethics CLE credit.

Blackberries, netbooks, laptops, USB drives, iPhones, cloud computing, virtual law offices and other technologies can provide great benefits for attorneys, including dramatic improvement in efficiency and virtually unlimited access to information. This intersection of technology and law also raises ethical concerns. Managing the Risks and Benefits of Technology in Your Practice will discuss the issues raised by these new high tech tools, as well as potential solutions that allow lawyers to identify risks before using the latest and greatest technology.

The program has been approved for 1.0 Ethics CLE credit. Participants wishing to receive the CLE credit will be required to pay a fee of $25.00 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for more than five years, and $20.00 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association admitted for less than five years. Interested parties not seeking CLE credit may attend and purchase lunch for the fee of $8.00.

CLICK HERE to register for CLE credit. CLICK HERE to register for lunch.

The National Economic Outlook: A YLD 20/20 Program, Oct. 5

Jason Faberman, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, will present a national economic outlook with a review of the region at a Young Lawyers Division 20/20 program on October 5 at 12 p.m. at Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor.

The program is free to attend. Lunch can purchased for $8.

To register for the program, CLICK HERE. Stay tuned for more details.

YLD to Kick Off 2010 National Pro Bono Week with Spotlight on Pro Bono Program, Oct. 22

The Young Lawyers Division will kick off National Pro Bono Week in Philadelphia on October 22 with "YLD Spotlight on Pro Bono," a free program co-hosted by the Delivery of Legal Services Committee and open to all attorneys interested in learning more about how to get involved in pro bono work and ways to balance these efforts with their professional careers.

The program will feature a panel of young lawyers sharing their experiences and lessons learned as pro bono volunteers. Presenters currently include Aisha Barbour of Ballard Spahr, Andy Boczkowski of GlaxoSmithKline and Michele L. Purdue-Dean, a solo practitioner. A question-and-answer session with the audience will also take place.

YLD Spotlight on Pro Bono will begin at 12 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center at Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Attendance is free but pre-registration is requested. Lunch is also available for $8. CLICK HERE to register.

Meet the Legal Blawgers, Sept. 16

The Bar-News Media Committee will present "Meet the Legal Blawgers: An Insiders' Perspective on Connecting with the Legal Blogosphere" on Thursday, Sept. 16.

Panelists include Jeff Blumenthal, staff writer, Philadelphia Business Journal; Hugh E. Dillon, editor, PhillyChitChat.com; Hank Grezlak, associate publisher and editor-in-chief, The Legal Intelligencer; Catherine Lucey, staff reporter, Philadelphia Daily News, co-writer, PhillyClout; Chris Brennan, political writer, Philadelphia Daily News, co-writer, PhillyClout; and Saul Segan, contributor, The Huffington Post.

The program begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8. CLICK HERE to register.

Cost Effectively Conducting Legal Research, Sept. 16

The Law Practice Management Committee will present "Cost Effectively Conducting Legal Research," a program reviewing the best ways to retrieve the information you need from Internet search engines and featuring Dan Giancaterino, Education Services Manager at Jenkins Law Library, on Sept. 16 at 12 p.m. at Bar Association headquarters.

Even though social networking sites such as Facebook are all the rage, search is still the Internet's killer app. Google, Microsoft's Bing, and others offer useful but poorly-advertised features that let you organize your results, filter them by time and location, and get the correct answer instead of a list of 10 blue links. We'll also cover additional sources for desired content such as cases, law review articles, books, articles, images, and more.

CLICK HERE to register. The event is free; lunch is available for $8.00.

Contribute to a Great Cause by Joining the YLD of the Andrew Hamilton Circle

In 2001, the YLD partnered with the Philadelphia Bar Foundation to launch the Young Lawyers Division of the Andrew Hamilton Circle, a group of young lawyers who pledge to donate to the Bar Foundation for at least 3 years.

To become a member, one pledges to donate $100 per year for three years, a contribution that benefits local public interest agencies including the Support Center for Child Advocates, Philadelphia VIP and the Senior Law Center, to name a few. For your generous donation, your name will be listed on the Bar Foundation's website and in a variety of print publications.

Click here to learn more.