Online Registration for Bench-Bar 2010 Ends TOMORROW

Online registration - including discounted admission to the Grand Reception - for this weekend's 2010 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference at The Borgata ends tomorrow, Oct. 13. Register now and take advantage of the same YLD member price as 2007. Also, be sure to join the Twitter conversation before, during and after the event by including #BenchBar10 with each of your related tweets.

Bench-Bar 2010 features 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 $429 for members and $479 for non-members. For members of the Young Lawyers Division and government and public interest attorneys, admission is only $279. Walk-in cost to the Grand Reception will be $150, up from the pre-event price of $125. CLICK HERE for a complete registration form and pricing guide.

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

Bar Association - and YLD - to Celebrate National Pro Bono Week with Range of Events from Oct. 18-29

The Delivery of Legal Services Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Public Interest Section invites members of the Philadelphia legal community to participate in a range of pro bono recruitment events, legal clinics for low-income clients and continuing legal education programs from October 18-29 in honor of National Pro Bono Week. The celebration is part of the American Bar Association's coordinated national effort to encourage and support local efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services.

The below events in Philadelphia recognize the pro bono contributions of the city's attorneys and provide an opportunity for the recruitment and training of new volunteers to meet the increased demand for pro bono legal services.

October 18-22
Pro Bono Road Shows: Pro bono organizations Good Shepherd Mediation Program, HIAS and Council, Homeless Advocacy Project, Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Philadelphia VIP, SeniorLAW Center, SCRUB: Public Voice for Public Space and the Support Center for Child Advocates will hold 30-minute interactive workshops at local law firms and corporations to highlight their available pro bono opportunities. To schedule a Road Show, contact Jodi Schatz at jschatz@advokid.org.

October 22, 12 p.m.
Young Lawyers Division Spotlight on Pro Bono: The Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association will ceremoniously kick off the National Pro Bono Week celebration with a panel of pro bono volunteers discussing how to get involved in pro bono work and balancing this work with professional careers. Bar Association Vice-Chancellor John Savoth will give opening remarks and presenters include Aisha Barbour of Ballard Spahr, Andy Boczkowski of GlaxoSmithKline, Michele L. Purdue-Dean, a solo practitioner, Rebecca Santoro of Hangley Aronchick Segal and Pudlin, and Matt Olesh of Fox Rothschild LLP. A question-and-answer session with the audience will follow the presentation. The event will take place at Bar Association’s headquarters, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor Conference Center. Register here.

October 25, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Life Planning Clinic: Senior LAW Center and Blank Rome LLP will present a life planning clinic at Center in the Park, 5818 Germantown Ave. The clinic will serve low-income seniors 60-years-old and up with free advance planning counseling and documents. Client pre-registration is required with Karen Buck, kbuck@seniorlawcenter.org.

October 26, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to Handle a Child Abuse Case CLE Program: The Support Center for Child Advocates will present a training program on handling child abuses cases at the PBI Conference Center on the 10th Floor of the Wanamaker Building, Suite 1010. The program is worth 5 substantive and 1 ethics CLE credits. Register with PBI at 1-800-274-4724 or online here.

October 26, 10 to 11 a.m.
Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) Legal Clinic at Kirkbride/Traveler's Aid, 111 N. 49th St. Pre-registration is required with Cary Moritz, 215-523-9587 or cmoritz@philalegal.org.

October 27, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m
VIP Pro Bono Opportunities Day: Spotlight on Stabilizing Families: Philadelphia VIP will present a pro bono training program focusing on custody, protection from abuse, and guardianship at the law firm of Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, 123 S. Broad St., 28th Floor. The program is worth 2 substantive CLE credits in exchange for handling a VIP case within 6 months of training. Register with Bailey Anderson at 215-523-9567 or jvolunteer@phillyvip.org.

October 28, 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Immigration Relief: How to Handle a Cancellation of Removal Case CLE Program: HIAS and Council and Philadelphia VIP will present a pro bono training program on handling Cancellation of Removal cases at the law firm of Cozen O’Connor, 1900 Market St. The program is worth 2 substantive CLE credits in exchange for handling a removal case within 6 months of training. To register, contact VIP at 215-523-9550.

October 29, 1:45 to 3 p.m.
Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) Legal Clinic at St. John’s Hospice, 1221 Race St. Pre-registration is required with Cary Moritz, 215-523-9587 or cmoritz@philalegal.org.

For a printable listing of the above events, click here. For more details about the American Bar Association’s 2010 National Pro Bono Celebration, visit www.celebrateprobono.org.

Understanding Your Primary Top Clients and Other Tips for New Lawyers

by Kimberly Alford Rice

For new lawyers entering private practice this Fall, the whole scene can be daunting. In addition to just finding the restrooms in your new firm, there are beastly challenges starting with clearly understanding your primary top clients.

Below are a few ways you can take positive steps to boost your standing early on.

Know Your Top Clients. During the first few years of practice, it is essential that new lawyers recognize that their top clients are the lawyers to whom they directly (and indirectly) report. Essentially all firm lawyers. They will watch and evaluate how well you take on and complete assignments. Impress them.

Develop Positive Habits. Arrive a little early and stay a little late. Demonstrate your commitment and partners will notice. Earn their attention in a positive way by becoming the best lawyer you can be.

Never Turn Down Work. Not only is delivering a high quality work product required every time, but also the manner in which you handle the project delivery process will be scrutinized. Do you gladly accept projects or complain that you will have to work the weekend? None of this will go unnoticed. Bet on it and respond accordingly.

Get Involved in the Firm. Volunteer for a committee assignment such as the summer associate or hiring committee. Partners will be impressed with the initiative you take to integrate into the firm.

Practice the Golden Rule. You can make strong allies for life or derail your career early on by how kind you are to support staff. They know the ropes and can help you in a pinch, or not. Do not overlook how important support staff is to your success.

Shepherd Marketing Initiative. Most lawyers struggle with consistency in their marketing initiatives. Find out what your practice group is (or is not) doing and volunteer to shepherd a specific project. Facilitate a new blog or some other direct communication for your group.

You Receive As Much Feedback As You Seek. As you hone your craft, actively seek feedback from everyone with whom you work. Partners and other supervisors will appreciate your enthusiasm and take note.

Pay It Forward. As you progress in your career, don't forget to help newer attorneys as others helped you.

While there are so many other steps new lawyers can take to embrace their first years of practice, follow the steps above and you will be recognized as being a cut above.

Kimberly Alford Rice is Principal of KLA Marketing Associates, a business development advisory firm focusing on servicing the legal sector. Kimberly helps law firms and lawyers develop practical business development and marketing strategies which lead directly to new clients and increased revenues. She can be reached at 609-458-0415 or at kimberly@klamarketing.net.

TOMORROW: Negotiating With Confidence CLE

The Women in Intellectual Property Committee will present the 1 substantive credit CLE program "Negotiating With Confidence" tomorrow, Oct. 13, at Bar Association headquarters.

In our practices, and our personal lives, we are repeatedly faced with situations that require us to negotiate. Whether it is representing clients in business transactions and settlements, or handling employment-related or personal issues, it is important to have strong negotiating skills to achieve your goals. While many attorneys have the skills to be effective negotiators, they tend to shy away from negotiations or are weak negotiators.

Speakers for the program are Harrie Samaras and Judy W. Weintraub. Course planners are Christina Frangiosa and Nancy Frandsen.

The program begins at 12:30 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Click here to register for CLE credit. Lunch is available for $8. Click here to purchase lunch.

Strategically Using Technology in Your Practice, Oct. 21

Jack Schaller of Eastern Legal Systems, LLC will discuss strategically using technology in your law firm practice at the Thursday, Oct. 21 meeting of the Law Practice Management Committee.

This presentation will focus on the main 10 reasons why solos and small law firms are reluctant to automate their law practice management systems, offer some reasonable responses to each objection, and provide seven simple "Technology Do's and Don'ts" which are important for a law firm of any size to consider.

Also at this meeting, Committee Co-Chair James E. Elam will discuss using technology to benefit your practice, cut costs and better serve your clients. 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.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Summit, Oct. 21

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and the Area Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution will present "2020: Our Vision of ADR in Philly" on Thursday, Oct. 21.

Speakers for the program include Cassandra Georges, principal, Above & Beyond Dispute Resolution; Cheryl Cutrona, executive director, Good Shepherd Mediation Program; and Michael Wolf, 2010 president Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution.

This interactive summit will explore the growth of mediation, arbitration, and other forms of ADR throughout the region.

The program begins at 4 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. There is no cost to attend this program, however, registration is required. Click here to RSVP.

Nominations for Business Law Section's 2010 Replansky Award Due Nov. 5

The Business Law Section is seeking nominations from the Philadelphia legal community for the Section's 2010 Dennis H. Replansky Memorial Award. The nominations are due NOv. 5 and the award will be presented at the Section's Annual Reception to be held on January 25, 2011. The award recipient will receive the privilege of designating the recipient of the Section's annual charitable contribution to a public interest organization.

Award criteria are:
>Superior legal talent in the area of business law.
>Unique contributions to and significant achievements within the business law community in the Philadelphia area.
>A reputation for mentoring young attorneys.
>Significant participation in and contributions to civic and charitable causes in the community.
>Uniform recognition in the legal community of the candidate's honesty, integrity and professionalism.

Each candidate must be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Business Law Section.

The Section established the award in recognition of Dennis Replansky's career as a lawyer and his contributions to legal, civic, religious and other charitable causes. Dennis Replansky was a 51-year-old senior partner at the law firm of Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley when he died in March 1994. He was a former chair of the Business Law Section.

The deadline for award nominations and letters of support is noon on Friday, November 5.

Written nominations detailing the nominee's qualifications for the award should be sent to: Dennis H. Replansky Memorial Award, c/o Lee Applebaum, Esquire, Fineman Krekstein & Harris, P.C., Mellon Bank Center, Suite 600, 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia PA 19103; or e-mailed to lapplebaum@finemanlawfirm.com.

More information about the Dennis H. Replansky Award or the nomination process for the award may be obtained by calling Lee Applebaum at 215-893-8702 or on the Business Law Section's website here.