From a Powerful 2025 Finish to an Exciting 2026 Start

Here at The Philadelphia Bar Foundation, we are ending the year with a flurry of activity. In partnership with The Lawyer’s Club of Philadelphia and Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts PMC) we presented a Continuing Legal Education seminar entitled A Jury of Whose Peers: The Struggle for Representation in Juries. I was fortunate to moderate the distinguished panel, which was led by former President Judge Juan Sanchez, of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and included Philadelphia Bar Foundation Trustee Jacqueline Romero who is a partner with BakerHostetler, PMC President & CEO Deborah Gross, and Leigh Skipper, who is a partner with Duane Morris. The seminar explored the systemic barriers which have led to reduced jury participation by underserved communities in the Eastern District and explained in detail what the Eastern District Court is doing to ensure that federal court juries reflect the diversity in the area they serve. We were proud to be a co-host of this conversation as we strive to continue to be a bellwether for equality in the Philadelphia legal community. We look forward to future collaborations with both organizations and thank Marshall Dennehey for providing event space. 

We followed our CLE with the presentation of The Philly Justice Awards. The backdrop of the evening was the magnificent setting of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP). Our guests were able to view original documents which included drafts of the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. We were actually able to see a draft of the Constitution with original edits! It was hard to tear our guests away from the wonders of the HSP, but we did and presented our three signature awards. 

The law firm of Reed Smith received the Pro Bono Award for their commitment to advancing justice. Reed Smith has a firm-wide pro bono committee which has donated more than 70,000 hours to advancing justice. The firm has partnered with leading organizations to protect the rights of vulnerable individuals and communities. They have defended voting rights, aided survivors of human trafficking, and helped to resettle refugees through their Lamp Lifeboat Ladder initiative. Their innovative approach demonstrates how the private bar can drive systemic change. The award was accepted by Joseph J. Mahady who is the managing partner of Reed Smith’s Philadelphia office. 

Louise Hayes, an attorney with Community Legal Services, received the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award for her dedicated service at CLS’s North Philadelphia Center. Ms. Hayes has worked tirelessly to help thousands of Philadelphians secure and maintain vital public benefits, including SNAP awards and cash assistance. She gave a timely and impassioned acceptance speech in which she emphasized how important these benefits are and how they impact the communities served by our non-profit partners. She was resolute in her continuing commitment to these causes. 

Our Trailblazer for Justice Award was given posthumously to the Honorable Doris May Harris who broke many barriers throughout her legal career and time on the bench of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Judge Harris was one of the first African American women to graduate from what was then the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Before taking the bench, she was a named partner in the first African American law firm in Philadelphia. She was known for her mentorship and tireless advocacy of women attorneys, particularly women attorneys of color. Some of her former clerks attended the event in honor of Judge Harris and listened proudly as her son accepted the award in his mother’s memory. 

As exciting as these events were, we now turn our focus to fundraising. We end the year knowing that individual giving is at its height in December. As you consider financial support for organizations that are important to you, I ask you not only to remember the Bar Foundation and the work we do but that you go one step further this year and also ask a friend or colleague to give to the Foundation.  This support is a critical need as so many of our non-profit partners have experienced funding cuts this past year and have had to reallocate resources. ̇We anticipate these needs to continue to grow. 

This is my last column as the president of the Bar Foundation as my term ends on December 31. I will be succeeded by Josh Snyder, who has served the Foundation for many years and in many capacities including as vice president. I know that the Bar Foundation is in good hands with Josh at the helm, and I am excited to see the heights that he and the Foundation will reach. I will continue to be engaged in the Foundation and look forward to helping in ways that I can. 

I have so enjoyed my tenure at the Bar Foundation. I am honored to have served in this position and am grateful to the Philadelphia legal community for all of the support it has given to the Bar Foundation.  So many people work tirelessly, and without praise, to support the Foundation and its work. I was fortunate to have served at a time when we celebrated our 60th anniversary. Imagine, for sixty plus years the Philadelphia Bar Foundation has served the citizens of Philadelphia by providing access to civil justice. While we have done a tremendous job, there remains work to do! 

Thank you all for all that you have done and all that you will continue to do to uplift the Bar Foundation. As we move into our 62nd year, I remind you all of the words of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, who was a champion for justice, “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” Remember those words as we go forward. 

P,S. My December book recommendation is The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. This haunting story, set in Maine, focuses on the loss of a four-year-old girl by her Indigenous family. The book tracks the impact of her loss on her family while detailing a parallel story about a young girl growing up in a troubled family. It’s a wonderful read. 

P.P.S. Thank you for letting me share my love of books with you! 

Best wishes to all for a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!