YLDEZine.080307

August 7, 2007

Register for Bench-Bar by Aug. 14 for Early Bird Discount

Association members and non-members have until Tuesday, Aug. 14 to take advantage of the early bird discount and save on registration for the 2007 Bench-Bar Conference at Bally's Atlantic City on Sept. 28 and 29.

This year's conference, "Saddle Up to a Bench-Bar Bonanza," has a Wild West theme and includes a black tie and blue jeans reception on Friday evening, Sept. 28. A total of 7 CLE credits and 14 different courses are available. Sponsors for the 2007 Bench-Bar Conference include USI Colburn Insurance Service, LexisNexis, PNC Wealth Management, JAMS, Veritext and Kroll.

Additionally, Bally's Atlantic City is now accepting reservations for attendees. Book early for the best rates: rooms Thursday night, Sept. 27 are just $99; rooms Friday night are $144, and Saturday night rooms are $189. Call 1-800-345-7253 for reservations and mention you are attending the Philadelphia Bar Association Bench-Bar Conference to get these special rates.

For more information on the 2007 Bench-Bar Conference go to: Bench-Bar 2007

Program on Success for Women Sept. 18

The Women in the Profession Committee and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC will host "Successful Interviewing And Beyond: Learning to Effectively Navigate Your Way as a Woman Lawyer to Ensure Success" on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center on the 10th floor of the Wanamaker Building.

This program will offer in-depth discussions of how women law students and practitioners can develop the necessary skills to succeed and how employers can achieve more diversity in the legal profession. The first panel, which is available for one ethics credit of CLE, will discuss how women law students can select a woman-friendly employer and how practitioners and employers can create and ensure more gender diversity. The second panel will share interview tips and information about what employers want. It will also uncover how women practitioners successfully conduct themselves professionally and navigate their way in the profession. A cocktail reception will follow.

Sponsors include the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Abelson Legal Search, Coleman/Nourian, Oxford Legal Associates and Sacks Legal Search. Contact the Pennsylvania Bar Institute at 800-247-4724 for additional information.

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Accident Waiting To Happen

by Jeff Lyons

Football season is just around the corner and so are...four exhibition games? Find out what Jeff thinks of this. Read more...

The YLD's PhiLAWdelphia Blog: Should You Use a Legal Recruiter for Your Job Search?

The Next Mayor Blog: Next Mayor TV: Educate yourselves about public education

Peter Bloom and a discussion on government repression and the popular movement in Oaxaca, Mexico at the Aug. 2 meeting of the Civil Rights Committee

Blogging for lawyers at the July 19 meeting of the Law Practice Management Division's Technology Committee

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Appellate Advocacy Practicum August 16

The Appellate Courts Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, along with the Appellate Practice Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is sponsoring a very special CLE seminar on Thursday August 16, 2007 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.with a wine and cheese reception from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

The CLE will take place at Pennsylvania Superior Court, 530 Walnut Street, 17th floor and is worth 2 Substantive CLE credits.

Please click here for registration.

Lawyerpalooza -October 25

On October 25, the YLD will host Lawyerpalooza at Kildare's (2nd & South streets). Lawyers who moonlight in bands will be featured. You've seen them in court, now see them on stage!

Stay tuned to philadelphiabar.org for more details.

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Bench-Bar Scholarships Available

Scholarships are available for the 2007 Bench-Bar Conference, to be held September 28-29 at Bally's in Atlantic City. Scholarships are available by lottery to Association Members who are public interest or government service attorneys. Scholarship winners will be drawn and announced on Wednesday, September 5th during a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor Conference Center.

To enter the lottery, please submit your name and organization to Areetha Carter by Aug. 30, 2007.

Scholarships include one night hotel room at Bally's as well as all conference fees, CLE credits and meals.

This year's conference is expected to bring together hundreds of lawyers and judges for two days of programming that lets practitioners and the judiciary share ideas and best practices. Click here to register online.

For more information on the 2007 Bench-Bar Conference go to: Bench-Bar 2007

Accident Waiting To Happen by Jeff Lyons

I'm not even an NFL player and I think training camp is too long. I'm not out there under the broiling sun, grappling and pushing against 350-pound linemen in ungodly humidity. And this year, your Philadelphia Eagles have four exhibition games scheduled. And every year, someone gets hurt in exhibition games.

I'm writing this column with my fingers crossed. I'm not doing this to say "I told you so" when a key player goes down with an injury. Look, I know injuries are a part of football. But why the need for so many exhibition games? Shouldn't three be enough? Can't the coaches and general managers get a good enough read on their players in practice? Don't they have an idea who can play and who can't?

The almighty dollar has a lot to do with the extended exhibition schedule, as well as the NFL's desire to expand its audience overseas. I get it. But what good is having an overseas product when your best players are subject to injuries in meaningless games? And Eagles season ticketholders are REQUIRED to purchase the tickets as part of their package. The seats cost the same as regular season games. The same price? For an exhibition game? Come on.

The 49ers have already lost running back Frank Gore to a broken hand. Anthony McFarland is likely gone for the year for the Colts. Eric Parker of the Chargers could miss two months with a broken toe. And the games haven't even started yet. Look for more guys to get sidelined once the exhibitions begin.

If the NFL were to start training camp just a week later, and start the season a week earlier, a number of issues could be addressed. What better time to start a new season than on a holiday weekend? Celebrate Labor Day by watching the Birds!

And the NFL can add an extra bye week to the schedule, giving each team two weeks off during the year. They have no problem with having a week off between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. It'll give the banged-up players a chance to recover and actually take the field.

I know the purists out there may scoff at this idea. But do you really want your team's season hinging on exhibition injuries?

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The Phillies are still hanging around the fringes of the playoff race. How they're doing it with pitching this bad and the number of injuries they've suffered is beyond me.

They could have easily mailed it in on Sunday after Saturday's absolutely crushing defeat. But they somehow rallied for five runs in the 9th inning of one of the best closers in baseball and hung on for a win. A win like that can build some momentum. Here's wishing speedy recoveries to Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn. The next 12 games are huge for the Phils. They only play one team with a winning record (the Braves) while hosting the Marlins and visiting the Nationals and Pirates. If they can win 9 or 10 of the next 12, they'll have plenty of confidence for the next homestand with the Dodgers, Padres and Mets coming to town.