Register Now for 33rd Annual Bar 5K on May 20

The 33rd annual Philadelphia Bar Association 5K Run/Walk will be held Sunday, May 20 with more than 1,000 runners and walkers expected to participate. The 5K benefits the Support Center for Child Advocates. Click here to register.

The 5K begins at the entry to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (West River Drive), adjacent to Philadelphia Museum of Art, at 8:30 a.m. The 5K Walk begins at 8:35 a.m.

The registration fee for Bar Association members is $40. General registration for the 5K Walk is $20. Family registration for the Walk is $60. There is no fee to compete in the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney 200-Yard Kids Dash for children ages 5 to 10. The Kids' Dash begins immediately after the Run/Walk starts. All participants will receive a Race give-a-way. Child-friendly activities will be offered all morning. Registration is required for each child. A parent or guardian must be present.

Law firms and companies may enter 5K Run teams. For an application contact Michael Berkowitz at mjberkowitz@crbcp.com or 215-567-2010 (ext 132). Deadline for team registration is May 6.

Neill W. Clark has won the Legal Competition for a record 13 consecutive years. His friends at Philadelphia Runner will award $200 to the first registered Philadelphia Bar Association runner who beats Clark's 2011 time. When you beat your 2011 race time, you'll receive a Brooks gift at Philadelphia Runner. So start training now! All recipients who beat their 2011 Race time will be notified by email.

Pick up your race packet in advance when you register by May 13. Packets are available on Friday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Philadelphia Runner, 1601 Sansom St.

Registered participants can receive 20 percent off Brooks footwear, apparel and accessories at all three Philadelphia Runner stores. Visit www.philadelphiarunner.com for store locations.

Silver bowls will be awarded to the first-place male and female runners in the 5K Run; Philadelphia Runner gift certificates will be awarded to the first-place male and female runners in each age group; and commemorative awards will be given to the first-, second- and third-place finishers, both male and female, in each age group. T-shirts will be given to all participants who finish the Run or the Walk.

Click here to register for the 33rd Annual 5K Run/Walk.

Mind Your Manners to Mine Your Career

As much as our society has "loosened up" its mores and social rules, manners still matter in the workplace.

When you have been in school for most of your life, it can be challenging to turn the corner and recognize that it is no longer OK to wear T-shirts, sweatpants and flip flops on a daily basis. How you present yourself, your clothes, your posture, your nonverbal communications (facial gestures, eye contact, what you do with your hands, etc.), how you style your hair…it all really does matter to employers, to how you are perceived and ultimately, your professional reputation.

Below I've outlined just a few key communication skills which dramatically affect business etiquette behavior.

First Things First
The basics of professional etiquette are really quite simple. First, understand the difference between business etiquette and social etiquette. Business etiquette is genderless. For example, the traditional noble etiquette of holding the door open for a woman is not necessary in the workplace and can even have the unintended effect of offending her. In the work environment, men and women are peers.

What Exactly Are You Saying?
As we all know, first impressions are lasting and there is usually not a second chance to elicit a first impression. And, you never have to even open your mouth.

What does how you stand say about you? Studies show that some women tend to make themselves smaller when in conversations with men by crossing their ankles when standing; by drawing their shoulders inwards; and, by essentially "shrinking" in their space. Ladies, check the amount of personal space you take the next time you engage with your practice group leader or someone on your firm's management team. A healthy personal "space" is your feet standing parallel to your hips. This stance exudes confidence.

The Eyes Have It
People want to feel special. They want to feel as though you are speaking directly to them or that they are the most important person in the room during your conversation. How many times have you engaged someone only for he/her to look all about you (behind you, beside you, around you) but never settling on establishing eye contact with you? Not good. You don’t want to be the someone who is creating that same feeling for someone else. It takes practice and confidence, but the power of establishing and maintaining eye contact is like connecting with someone’s soul. Very powerful.

Mother Was Right – aka Stand Up Straight
I am often astonished at how many "young" folks slouch and have rounded shoulders. Of all the non-verbal communications skills, presenting a confident appearance and image hinges upon standing up straight. To do otherwise conveys negative messages such as "I don’t matter;" "I really don't want to be here;" and "I'm not interested in what you are saying." Make it a habit to check your posture each time you pass by a mirror. You may be shocked at what you see. Stand up straight, already.

My Personal Favorite – the Mumbling Moe
Maybe it's a function of the Internet age, social media, texting, or none of that, but not annunciating words properly and/or drifting off towards the end of a sentence is essentially sending the message that either you don't care about what you are saying or you don't care about to whom you are speaking. Either way, this behavior does not make a positive impression. Be mindful not only of what you are saying, but HOW you are speaking.

Each of these business communications etiquette skills requires making a conscious effort to pay attention to how you present yourself. You’ve worked hard to arrive at your specific professional station. Take pride in the positive professional reputation you are developing by minding your manners to mine your career.

Kimberly Alford Rice is principal of KLA Marketing Associates, a business development advisory firm focusing on legal services. As a law marketing authority, Kimberly helps law firms and lawyers develop practical business development and marketing strategies which lead directly to new clients and increased revenues. Additionally, Kimberly provides career management services to lawyers in transition. She may be reached at 609-458-0415 or via email at kimberly@klamarketing.net.

Dalton to Receive O'Connor Award; Berry to Speak June 26

Dr. Mary Frances Berry, former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, will deliver the Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Memorial Public Interest Lecture at the Tuesday, June 26 Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon. Click here to purchase tickets.

Jane Leslie Dalton, who has served as Chancellor, chair of the Board of Governors and co-chair of the Women in the Profession Committee, will be presented with the Association's Sandra Day O'Connor Award at the event, set for 12 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. The O'Connor Award is presented to a woman attorney who has demonstrated superior legal talent, achieved significant legal accomplishments and has furthered the advancement of women in both the profession and the community.

Dr. Berry is currently the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. She has written numerous books including "Power in Words: The Stories behind Barack Obama's Speeches, from the State House to the White House."

New members of the Association's 50-, 60-, 65- and 75-Year Clubs will also be honored at the event, set for 12 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. The Year Clubs recognize attorneys who have been practicing law for 50 years or more. Click here to purchase tickets.

New Revel Resort to Host Bench-Bar in October

Revel, Atlantic City's newest beachfront resort, will host the Bar Association’s 2012 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference on Oct. 5-6. The Bench-Bar & Annual Conference provides attendees with the opportunity to earn CLE credit while networking with colleagues and members of the bench. Hundreds of attorneys and judges are expected to attend.

The website for the conference, benchbar.philadelphiabar.org, is now up and registration is open.

Maria A. Feeley, a partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP, is chair of the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference. Molly Peckman, director of professional development at Dechert LLP, is programming chair of the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference. Jeffrey S. Gross, a principal with Batt & Gross, is serving as sponsorship chair and Jennifer Segal Coatsworth, an associate with Margolis Edelstein, is sponsorship vice chair. Regina Foley of Raynes McCarty is chair of the scholarship subcommittee.

Revel, with more than 1,800 guest rooms and suites filling 47 floors and more than 6 million square feet of space, officially opens on Memorial Day Weekend.

Among Revel's features is Revelry, located 61 feet above sea level and named for its energetic and vibrant atmosphere, which showcases 12 restaurants, 46 retail shops, nightclubs, dayclubs, an intimate performance space for 700 and 150,000-square-foot casino. The $2.4 billion glass Revel is located on 20 beachfront acres on the Boardwalk between South New Jersey and South Connecticut Avenues.

For sponsorship information, please contact Aimee Cirucci at 215-238-6342 or via email at acirucci@philabar.org. Learn more at benchbar.philadelphiabar.org.

Barristers Awards, Scholarship Dinner May 18

The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia will host its Annual Awards & Scholarship Dinner on Friday, May 18 at The Westin Philadelphia Hotel, 99 S. 17th St., beginning at 6 p.m.

This year's Award recipients are: Danielle Banks, of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, winner of the J. Austin Norris Award; Charles Cunningham, of the Defenders Association of Philadelphia, winner of the Cecil B. Moore Award; and U.S. District Court Judge Petrese B. Tucker, winner of The Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Award.

Scholarships will also be presented to local law students. For more information please visit www.phillybarristers.com or contact Amber Racine at aracine@anapolschwartz.com.

Judge Rendell is Lunch Speaker at June 8 Federal Bench-Bar

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie O. Rendell will present "Oral Arguments – What the Court Wants to See and Hear" in her keynote remarks at the Friday, June 8 Federal Bench-Bar Conference. Click here to register.

The conference will include six presentations and begins at 8:15 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of The Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse Square. A total of 3.5 CLE credits are available.

The conference opens with the presentation "Cost Shifting and Cost Reduction - E-Discovery and Beyond" featuring U.S. District Court Judge Joel Slomsky and Steven E. Bizar and Anthony J. Bolognese.

U.S. District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg, Ronald H. Levine, Catherine M. Recker and Peter F. Schenck will discuss "Criminal Discovery in the Aftermath of United States v. Ted Stevens." The Stevens case and the Department of Justice report on the "systematic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence" will be discussed for lessons learned and how the investigations and prosecutions of matters will be affected going forward.

In addition to a brief update of developments in civil law, a panel of judges and practitioners will discuss, among other things, proper preparation for case management conferences, should you really file a motion for summary judgment and how to make sure that newer attorneys get courtroom experience. The speakers for this program are U.S. District Court Judges Gene E.K. Pratter and Eduardo C. Robreno, along with Catherine B. Slavin and Matthew A. Taylor.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Curtis Joyner and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge Stephen Raslavich, along with Clerk of Court Michael E. Kunz, will present reports on the state of the court.

U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Bartle III and J. Dennis Faucher will present "Mortals with Tremendous Responsibilities: A History of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania" where they will discuss Judge Bartle's book and the evolution of the court.

A lunch break follows and Judge Rendell's remarks close out the conference. Tuition includes course book, breakfast and lunch. 
Registrations received three or more business days before the presentation qualify for the early registration discount. Click here to register.