dauphin county bar association may, 2015 - Dcba

DAUPHIN COUNTY
BAR ASSOCIATION
MAY, 2015
Pamela C. Polacek
President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
213 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA
(717) 232-7536
Fax: (717) 234-4582
www.dcba-pa.org
Board of Directors
Pamela C. Polacek
President
J. Michael Sheldon
President-Elect
The Dauphin County Bar Foundation recently kicked-off its We Care About Children campaign to
fund a dedicated Custody Attorney for an additional five years. The Custody Attorney Campaign
started in 2010 with strong monetary support from local attorneys, law firms and businesses, as
well as a Dauphin County Gaming Grant. The innovative program funds an attorney to assist lower
-income residents with custody issues. This benefits both the recipients of the services and the
local legal community.
Edward F. Spreha, Jr.
Without the Custody Attorney initiative, Mid-Penn Legal Services would not be able to handle all of
the custody cases that come before it. In fact, other legal aid offices around the Commonwealth
no longer accept custody cases due to the resources that are needed to address other civil matters for their clients. Although the generous pro bono attorneys in Dauphin County could assist
with some of the custody cases, the existence of the Custody Attorney ensures that many more
are helped.
John. D. Sheridan
Vice-President
Matthew M. Haar
Secretary
Thomas P. Gacki
Treasurer
Past-President
Nicole R. Antos
Young Lawyers Chair
Amanda A. Batz
YL Chair-Elect
Here are a few facts about the success of the Custody Attorney initiative:
Since the initiative began in December 2010, Shana Walter has handled over 750 cases;
The average cost to handle each case was $370; and
90% of the cases were handled without a hearing.
Providing parents and caregivers with a professional advocate also reduces the stress and emotions for the clients on both sides of the custody issue. The fact that 90% of the cases were handled without a hearing is a huge testament to the success of the initiative. In many instances, the
parties seeking custody have been able to work out an amicable resolution, which can only ease
the adverse impact on the children involved. It also helps to increase the participants' confidence
in the justice system.
The Dauphin County Bar Foundation's goal is to raise $375,000 to fund the Custody Attorney for
five additional years. Donations can be paid in a single payment, or in installments over the five
years of the campaign. If you would like additional information, please contact the DCBA.
MAY, 2015
Directors:
William L. Adler
Charles O. Beckley II
Robert E. Chernicoff
Devin J. Chwastyk
Salvatore A. Darigo, Jr.
Peter M. Good
Joshua A. Gray
Paula J. McDermott
Jeffrey T. McGuire
Tina L. Orndorff
Richard L. Placey
Kimberly A. Selemba
Margaret M. Simok
Leonard Tintner
Bradley A. Winnick
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YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION 5/K RUN WALK
E ve r y ye a r t he Yo u n g L aw yer s S ectio n s u p po r ts a loc a l c ha r it y 5 K as Tea m
DC BA . Th is ye a r, w e ar e h a pp y t o a n n ou nc e w e a re s e nd in g Te a m DC BA to t h e
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Yo u c an re g is te r at t he lin k be low . U nde r “ Tea m I nf o r m at io n” , p leas e o pt t o
“J o in a Te a m” a nd a d d yo u rs elf t o Te a m DC BA .
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F or a n yo ne in te r es te d in b e in g in vo lve d w ith o u t ru n n in g 3 m iles, th e p ro g r a m is s t ill ac cep t in g vo lu nte e rs to h e lp on th e d a y o f
th e r ace. P leas e co n tac t N ic o le A ntos at n ic o le. an tos @pa b a r. or g o r A ma n da B atz at ab a t z @d au p h inc. or g f o r m o re inf o r ma t io n.
You may purchase your Team DCBA shirt by either purchasing it ahead of time by stopping by the DCBA and picking
one up, or you may contact Amanda Batz at [email protected] with the size and she will bring it to you the day of
the race. Shirts are $10.
YOUNG LAWYERS SENATORS BASEBALL GAME PHOTOS
MAY, 2015
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Calling all DCBA Members!
230th ANNIVERSARY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY COURTS
This year is the 230th Anniversary of the Dauphin County Court and in partnership with the Dauphin
County Historical Society, we will be planning some unique events. We want to involve as many members as possible in this historic occasion. Below is a listing of all judges in our county since the
court’s inception. Please look at this and if you have any information, connection or personal relationship to any of these judges with stories to share, please contact me at [email protected].
Keep a lookout for upcoming information on the events to come!
You can find more information regarding each judge listed at: https://www.dcba-pa.org/UserFiles/File/courthistory.pdf
Timothy Green
1785-1791
John H. Weiss
1899-1905
J. Douglas M. Royal
1957-1958
Richard A. Lewis
1994 - Present
William Augustus Atlee
1791-1793
Michael William Jacobs
1903-1904
R. Dixon Herman
1958-1970
Scott Arthur Evans
1994 - Present
John Joseph Henry
1793-1810
George Kunkel
1904-1920
Carl B. Shelley
1960-1970
Todd A. Hoover
1994 - Present
Walter Franklin
1811-1815
Thomas H. Capp
1905-1907
Lee F. Swope
1961-1991
Lawrence F. Clark, Jr.
1996 - Present
Amos Ellmaker
1815-1816
Samuel J. M. McCarrell
1907-1920
G. Thomas Miller
1962-1964
John F. Cherry
2000 - Present
David Scott
1816-18181
William M. Hargest
1920-1948
James S. Bowman
1964-1970
Bruce F. Bratton
2001 - Present
Samuel D. Franks
1818-1830
Frank B. Wickersham
1920-1942
William W. Lipsitt
1965-1986
Deborah Curcillo
2009 - Present
Calvin Blythe
1830-1839 &
1842-1843
John E. Fox
1921-1942
William W. Caldwell
1970-1982
Bernard L. Coates, Jr.
2009 - Present
J. Dress Pannell
1937-1937
Warren G. Morgan
1970-1993
Andrew H. Dowling
2009 - Present
Karl E. Richards
1938-1961
John C. Dowling
1970-1993
William T. Tully
2014 - Present
J. Paul Rupp
1942-1952
Richard B. Wickersham
1972-1980
Robert E. Woodside
1942-1951
Clarence C. Morrison
1980-2000
Paul G. Smith
1949-1960
Herbert A. Shaffner
1984-1992
William H. Neely
1949-1962
Sebastian D. Natale
1986-1994
Walter S. Sohn
1951-1965
Jeannine Turgeon
1992 - Present
Homer L. Kreider
1952-1972
Joseph H. Kleinfelter
1992-2009
James M. Porter
1839-1840
Anson V. Parson
1840-1841
Nathaniel B. Eldred
1843-1849
John J. Pearson
1849-1882
Robert M. Henderson
1874-1882
John W. Simonton
1881-1903
John B. McPherson
1882-1899
MAY, 2015
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Magna Carta:
Symbol of Freedom under the Law
To All Members of the Dauphin County Bar Association:
Each year during the month of May, our nation celebrates Law Day. The purpose of Law Day is to educate
people of all ages about the American legal system. In its annual Law Day celebration, the American Bar Association
hopes to accomplish this goal by encouraging lawyers and judges to visit their local schools and teach students about
this year’s theme: AMagna Carta: Symbol of Freedom under the Law.”
The Dauphin County Bar Association and the American Bar Association are working together to ensure that
lawyers and judges visit each school district in Dauphin County during this year=s celebration. Last year we had 82
volunteers visited 93 local classrooms in order to educate our youth about the great freedoms that we, as a nation,
are afforded. The Honorable John F. Cherry, Nicole R. Antos, Chair, Young Lawyers Section, and I would like to encourage your participation in this year=s program so that we can ensure that an attorney or judge will be available to
visit each and every classroom that wishes to participate.
If you would like to volunteer, visit the ABA website by copying and pasting the following link:
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/initiatives_awards/law_day_2015.html
At this website, you can download a lesson plan. There are links to lesson plans appropriate for students from elementary through high school.
Once it is available, DCBA members will be sent a list of schools and grades. We ask that you make two selections in order of preference and send an email to Joyce at [email protected] to request your preferred classes.
She will respond with the appropriate contact information and you will need to contact the teacher directly to set up
a mutually convenient date and time for your visit. While Law Day is officially observed on May 1, 2015 the classroom visits can be held at any time in May.
We hope that we can count on your cooperation and involvement in making Law Day 2015 a success! If you
would like to acquire more information, visit the Pennsylvania Bar Association website at:
http://www.pabar.org/public/education/lawday/15ldinformation.asp
Jessica E. Lowe, Esquire
Chair, Young Lawyers Law Day Committee
MAY, 2015
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LAW DAY MEMBERSHIP PHOTOS
W illiam L. A dle r, Vice P res ide nt, Ne ighborhood Dis pute Se ttle ment acce pts the
2 0 1 5 D C B A L i b e r t y B e l l A wa r d f r o m D C B A L a w D a y C h a i r , F r a n c i s T. C h a r d o , I I I.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s B i l l a n d N e i g h b o r h o o d D i s p u t e S e t t l e m e n t o n a j o b we l l d o n e !
T h a n k y o u t o C h i e f J u s t i c e T h o m a s G . S a yl o r f o r s p e a k i n g a t o u r 2 0 1 5
L a w D a y B re a k f a s t m e e ti ng. H is re m a r ks c a n be fo un d he re : h ttps : //
w w w . d c b a - p a . o r g / p d f s / e v e n t A d s / F i n a l % 2 0 c o m m e n ts . p d f
C a t h l e e n A . K o h r , P a . , C . P . p r e s e n t s J e n i S m o k e r wi t h t h e 2 0 1 5 C e n t r a l
P A P a r a l e g a l A s s o c i a t i o n S c h o l a r s h i p A wa r d . C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s J e n i !
DCBA Secretary, Matthew M. Haar introduces new member Lindsay A.
Berkstresser with Post & Schell, PC to the membership. Welcome Lindsay!
MAY, 2015
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LAW DAY MEMBERSHIP PHOTOS
MAY, 2015
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PRO BONO RECEPTION PHOTOS
MAY, 2015
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PRO BONO RECEPTION PHOTOS
MAY, 2015
8
CAN YOU HELP A CHILD?
Pro bono family law attorneys are needed in Central PA to address a growing need among immigrant children throughout the state. HIAS PA (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania) seeks pro bono attorneys to assist adult caretakers of immigrant children (many from Central America) with custody petitions. The adult caregivers may or may not be legal residents and many speak only Spanish.
HIAS PA is located in Philadelphia and has an excellent track record of providing legal representation to children and other vulnerable populations in immigration matters. HIAS PA provides legal malpractice insurance for all its pro bono attorneys. HIAS does not expect the pro bono attorney to speak Spanish and would help the clients find interpreters for meetings.
HIAS PA will assist these children in applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS is a form of humanitarian immigration relief available to children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused by one or both parents.
However, for a child to qualify, a family court must first have
Made a custody or dependency determination and
Found that it is in the child's best interest to remain in the United States and
Found that parental reunification is not viable.
Therefore, HIAS PA seeks pro bono family law attorneys who are able to assist the adult caretakers of immigrant children here in Central PA with custody petitions. Once the local court
has made the findings, the Central PA attorney would close the case. Then, HIAS PA would assist the child in requesting SIJS from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
If you are interested in assisting these children, please contact Elizabeth Yaeger, HIAS Pennsylvania Staff Attorney, 2100 Arch St., Phila., PA 19103 (215)-832-0910 (direct) or email at [email protected].
BAR BRIEFS
Am a n da A. Ba t z is now an A ss oc ia te w it h B r ya n M cQ u illa n.
Car a A. B o ya now s ki is n ow a P art ne r w ith O be r m a ye r R eb m an n M axw ell & H ipp e l LLP , Ha rr is b u rg off ic e.
2015 WIDENER LAW MINORITY ALUMNI HONOREE RECEPTION
The 2015 Widener Law Minority Alumni Honoree Reception was held Tuesday, March 31, 2015. The event, co-sponsored by
the Black Law Students Association and the Latin American Law Student Association, recognized two outstanding alumni.
DCBA Members Monica R. Cliatt, Esq. ’99 and Julia P. Coelho, Esq. ’09 were honored for their notable efforts in diversifying
the legal community. Congratulations to both!
MAY, 2015
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PRO BONO RECOGINITION
Th e f o llow in g p a rt ic ipa n ts p r o vide d p r o b on o s e r vice d u r in g
th e m on t h of A pr il b y ac c ep t in g n ew c lie nts , ma kin g a
financial contribution to M idP enn Legal Services,
pa r t ic ip at in g in o ne of o u r p r o b o n o p r o g ra ms , o r c o nd uc t in g
o ne of o u r f a m ily law c lin ic s :
Attorneys
Attorneys
Bernadette Barattini
Eric
L. J. Brossman
Paralegals
Paula Knudsen Burke
Fredrick Cabell, Jr.
Mark
R. Calore
Interns
Karen L. Cummings
Patrick J. Daniels
Stephen J. Dzuranin
Jonathan C. Edmunds
Donna L. Fisher
John W. Frommer III
Meghann L. Garrett
Stephen R. Krone
Gina Lynne Lauffer
Shelby A. Linton-Keddie
Doreen A. McCall
Brian E. McDonough
Benjamin A. Ried
Mark T. Silliker
Lauren Starlings
Richard B. Swartz
John Sweet
John J. Talaber
Senator Robert F. Teplitz
Sunshine J. Thomas
Steven R. Tregea
Forrest Neal Troutman II
Carol L. Verish
Jonathan Vipond III
Isaac Paul Wakefield
PRO BONO PERFORMANCE
In 2015, our Pro Bono Program has:
Assisted 151 clients (based on new cases)
Donated 363 hours of legal services
Valued at $54,420
Conducted 9 Pro Se Clinics
Additionally, our Lawyer Referral Program has fielded 380 calls and referred
361 clients, including 19 clients who qualified for Modest Means Panel. Thanks
to all those who helped maintain this tradition of community service.
Paralegals
Dillon Epler
Amber Fye
Rose Merrick
Melissa Miller
Jonette Taylor
Students
Jeanne Dumas
Erika McLain
Grant Wicklem
MAY, 2015
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May 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
Law Week
11:30am - 1:30pm
Ask a Lawyer
Strawberry Square
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
11:00am Naturalization Ceremony
Dauphin County
Courthouse
Mother’s Day
5:00pm Lipsitt
Inn of Court
Lunch & Learn
11:30am Lunch
12 Noon program
“Criminal Law
Smackdown”
9:00am Custody
Clinic
5:00pm Bowman
Inn of Court
Senior Lawyers Social
19
Armed Forces Day
11:30am Family Law
Meeting
https://www.dcbapa.org/pdfs/
eventAds/051215charsseniorl
aywes%20social.pdf
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12:00pm Bar
Foundation Meeting
https://www.dcbapa.org/Calendar/
Signup.aspx?
EventNo=407
https://www.dcbapa.org/Calendar/
Signup.aspx?
EventNo=398
17
“Breakfast with the
Registers”
8:00a.m. - Breakfast
8:30a.m. - 9:30am. Program
Radisson Hotel
Volleyball begins
20
Supreme Court Trip
21
9:00am Custody
Clinic
22
23
29
30
4:30pm Board of
Directors Meeting
Volleyball
24
25
26
DCBA Closed
Memorial Day
Lunch & Learn
11:30am Lunch
12 Noon program
27
12:00pm CLE
Committee Meeting
28
Volleyball
“Critical IOLTA
Changes for Smaller
and Solo Practices”
https://www.dcbapa.org/Calendar/
Signup.aspx?
EventNo=406
31
MAY, 2015
11
June 2015
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
3
5:30p.m.-7:30pm
CAMP Reception
Thu
Fri
Sat
4
5
6
11
12
13
18
19
20
11:30a.m.-1:00p.m.
Government Law
Section Lunch &
Learn
“FOIA Practice Tips
and trends in Federal
and State Access”
https://www.dcbapa.org/Calendar/
Signup.aspx?
EventNo=401
8
7
9
10
Lunch & Learn
11:30am Lunch
12 Noon program
9:00am Custody
Clinic
“Knowing Enough
(not) to be Dangerous, Basic Intellectual
Property Law for the
Non-IP Attorney??
https://www.dcbapa.org/Calendar/
Signup.aspx?
EventNo=409
15
14
17
16
9:00am Custody
Clinic
Young Lawyers
Race with Victim/
Witness (Harrisburg
East Mall)
4:30pm Board of
Directors Meeting
22
21
24
23
25
26
27
Lunch & Learn
11:30am Lunch
12 Noon program
TBD
29
28
MAY, 2015
30
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2015 BENCH BAR
Frida y, July 31, 2 015 through Sunda y, Augus t 2 , 2015
at
Omni Bedford Springs Resort
http://www. omnihotels.com/Find AHotel/BedfordSprings.aspx
Click here to register:
https://www.dcba-pa.org/Calendar/Signup.aspx?EventNo=387
MAY, 2015
13
“The purposes of the Dauphin County Bar Association are to advance
the science of jurisprudence, to promote the administration of justice,
to encourage a thorough legal education, to promote continuing legal
education, to uphold the honor and dignity of the Bar, to encourage the
fulfillment of the obligations of the profession among its members to
the courts and to society, to promote programs to provide effective,
affordable legal services to all segments of society, to cultivate cordial
intercourse among the members of the Association and to perpetuate
the history of the profession and the memory of its members and such
kindred purposes as the Association may from time to time determine.”
DAUPHIN COUNTY BAR
ASSOCIATION
213 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717-232-7536
Fax: 717-234-4582
www.dcba-pa.org
DCBA HAS PARTNERED WITH DATAMOTION TO BRING
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JUNE NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
If you would like an event or member update advertised in our next newsletter, please submit it NO LATER THAN MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 to
[email protected].
Newsletter set up and designed by Bridgette. Thank you.
DAUPHIN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION STAFF
Elizabeth G. Simcox
Joyce A. Tambolas
Bridgette L. Hilbish
Sandra A. Ballard
Michael P. Furjanic
MAY, 2015
Executive Director
Administrative Assistant
Receptionist/CLE Coordinator
Public Services Coordinator
Accountant
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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