Comedy Night Less Than 2 Weeks Away, Register Now

The YLD will hold its annual Comedy Night and Silent Auction Fundraiser in just 11 days, Saturday, May 9 at The Franklin beginning at 7 p.m. Gerry Dee of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" will be the headliner. All proceeds benefit the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

Also at Comedy Night will be opening act William Chiang - a favorite performer on the East Coast - an open bar, hors d'oeuvre, a DJ and a silent auction. Tickets are $65 for both Bar Association members and non-members and can be purchased by calling 215.238.6300 or on the Bar Association’s website here. For more details, click here.

If you are you interested in sponsoring the event, email Brian Chacker. If you are interested in donating silent auction items, email Abbie DuFrayne.

Celebrate Law Week 2009

Law Week 2009 kicked off yesterday and volunteer lawyers will be reaching out to the community all week in a variety of ways.

The week-long fest, sponsored by the 13,000-member Bar Association, is one of the most ambitious public outreach efforts of its type in the nation. The theme for Law Week 2009 is "A Legacy of Liberty: Celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial."

All of the Law Week activities are under the direction of Association Chancellor-Elect, Scott F. Cooper, and are coordinated by the Association's Young Lawyers Division with the help of scores of lawyer-volunteers. The YLD Law Week co-chairs are Abbie DuFrayne, Kelly Gastley and Carey Chopko.

The following is a schedule of remaining Law Week activities:

Legal Advice Live!, Wednesday, April 29: At lunchtime, dozens of Philadelphia attorneys will gather to provide free, in-person legal advice during the Legal Advice Live! program, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Central (Main) Branch of the Philadelphia Library, located at 1901 Vine Street, and other satellite branch locations throughout the city. 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.

Also on Wednesday, April 29, free legal advice will be given to those who call the Legal Line hotline. From 5 to 8 p.m., 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.

Juror Appreciation Day, Thursday, May 14: The First Judicial District and Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts will sponsor the 10th Annual Juror Appreciation Day at 8:30 a.m. in the Criminal Justice Center's Jury Assembly Room on the first floor to recognize the crucial public service performed by local citizens who respond to jury duty.

Lawyer for a Day, Friday, May 1: 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. 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 a special guest speaker, Judge Midge Rendell, the first lady of Pennsylvania .

Also on Friday, May 1, a Naturalization Ceremony welcoming dozens of new United States citizens will be held at the U.S. Courthouse, 6th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, at 10:30 a.m. The winner of the Edward F. Chacker Essay Contest will also read his or her essay.

Finally on Friday, May 1, volunteer attorneys will use the facts of the well-known fairytales "Goldilocks" and "The Three Little Pigs" as the basis for mock criminal trials during the "Trials of Goldilocks" and the "Big Bad Wolf" program, taking place at six different City Hall courtrooms. Volunteers will act as prosecutors, defense attorneys and witnesses in the criminal trials, which include opening statements, examinations and cross-examinations of witnesses, closing arguments, and instructions of the juries. At the conclusion of each trial the students are instructed on the role of the jury and determine whether the Big Bad Wolf or Goldilocks is guilty of a crime.

April 22 Networking Happy Hour A Great Success

by Roxane Crowley

On April 22, the Young Lawyers Division, in conjunction with the VIP Board of Directors, hosted a Networking Happy Hour at The Palm from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The event, sponsored by ACE Court Reporters, was a great success with over 70 attendees, delicious butlered hors' d'oueveres and a generous allotment of drink tickets. ACE Court Reporters also raffled off Phillies tickets.

Over the buzz of young professionals socializing, Kelly Gastley of the YLD Cabinet and members of the VIP Board of Directors called for volunteers to continue participating in a variety of public outreach endeavors even in these hard economic times. If the turnout for his past Networking Happy Hour is any indication, Kelly and VIP shouldn't have too many problems on this end.

The YLD's next Happy Hour event will be held June 16 at the Mexican Post when we hand out our Diversity Scholarships (see above column). We hope you can join us and, if you couldn't make it to The Palm, we'd love to see you at the Mexican Post. It really is a great time!

Roxane Crowley can be reached at rcrowley@SeniorLAWCenter.org

Lawyers in Transition CLE, May 13

On Wednesday, May 13, from 1-4:40 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Philadelphia Bar Association Law Practice Management Division is sponsoring "Lawyers in Transition," a 2.5 CLE-credit program meant to assist lawyers who are either looking for employment or are considering ways to further their legal careers during the economic downturm. The program will also assist those who counsel lawyers on how they can find employment and continue to practice law in the interim.

If you are seeking a job, you will get advice about what steps to take, how to practice on your own if you decide to do so, how to market yourself, and the ethical considerations about which you need to be aware. This program will also provide an opportunity to network. If you are looking for others with whom you may want to practice or planning to hire lawyers, this course will help you meet them.

Join us and learn how you can help yourself and others who have been affected by the difficult economy in which we currently find ourselves.

Faculty: Daniel J. Siegel, Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC; Mary Platt, Montgomery, McCraken, Walker & Rhoads LLP; Ellen Freedman, Law Practice Management Coordinator; Kenneth Hagreen, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc.; Shelly Lawson, Director, Bar Assn. Programs, USI Colburn Insurance Service; Elizabeth Lloyd, Ajilon Professional Staffing; Susan G. Manch, Shannon & Manch, LLP; Barbara S. Rosenberg; and Gina Furia Rubel, Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.

Special Note: In furtherance of PBI's goal of assisting attorneys who find themselves in transition and are looking for work during these difficult times, PBI is pleased to offer this program at a substantially reduced fee. In addition to the reduced fee, those who cannot afford to pay for the seminar may attend at no cost. PBI will not require verification for this opportunity; you simply need to check the box appropriate to you.

Learn more and register here

"Tax Aspects of Loan Workouts" CLE, May 5

On Tuesday, May 5, from 12:30-2:30 p.m., the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Philadelphia Bar Association Tax Section will present "Tax Aspects of Loan Workouts," a CLE program addressing the tax consequences of debt restructuring, workouts and foreclosures for real estate transactions.

The program will also include some practical structuring tips that would help mitigate the sometimes surprising tax results that occur in workout situations and a discussion of recent tax law changes offering relief from recognition of cancellation of debt income.

Faculty: Michael Hirschfeld, Dechert, LLP, New York; Wendi L. Kotzen, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP; and David G. Shapiro, Dechert, LLP, Philadelphia.

To learn more and register, click here

YLD to Co-Sponsor Chancellor's Forum for Candidates for District Attorney, May 11

The Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association will co-sponsor a Chancellor's Forum for candidates seeking to become the city's next district attorney on Monday, May 11.

Democrats Brian Grady, Daniel McCaffery, Daniel McElhatton, Michael Turner and Seth Williams and Republican Michael Untermeyer have been invited to discuss and answer questions regarding the critical issues facing this city. Chancellor Sayde Ladov will be the moderator.

The forum will be held at 4 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center on the 10th floor of the Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market Streets. The Chancellor's Forum is co-sponsored by the Criminal Justice Section and the Young Lawyers Division.
The candidates are seeking to replace District Attorney Lynne Abraham, who is not seeking re-election. Abraham has been district attorney since 1991.

Attendees are encouraged to visit philadelphiabar.org to reserve a seat for the program.

VIP Mortgage Foreclosure Training, May 6

The next mortgage foreclosure training takes place May 6 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm and is worth a total of 5 free* CLE credits. Included will be training on how to handle a case in the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Project and on mortgage foreclosure defense litigation.

From 8:30 to 11 am new, revised training will take place on how to handle a case in the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Project, the mandatory negotiation program run by the First Judicial District.

From 11:30 am to 3:30 pm (with a lunch break) is a session on mortgage foreclosure defense litigation. (Breakfast is provided but not lunch.) Two free CLE for the AM and three for the PM or five in total. Attendees can come in the AM or PM or both.

*The training/CLE is free if the attorney handles two pro bono mortgage foreclosure cases within 6 months of the training date.

Location is GlaxoSmithKline, 16th and Vines Streets. Register through phillyvip@phillyvip.org or by calling 215- 523-9550.