Throughout the past year, our battle cry has been ‘justice matters.’ We have acted at the local, statewide, and national level to speak out against threats to the rule of law and equal access to justice.

The Philadelphia Bar Association released a statement in support of the Supreme Court's ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump. In a 6–3 decision, the Court held that the President lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose significant tariffs on imports from countries including Canada, Mexico, and China.

Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Ezra Wohlgelernter released a statement in memory of Jason Daria, president of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (PTLA) and a shareholder at Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig LLP. Daria passed away on February 14.

The Philadelphia Bar Association issued a statement in memory of former Pennsylvania State Supreme Court Judge Sandra Schultz Newman who died February 2. Newman was the first elected female justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 1995, serving until 2006.

Read more about U.S. District Court Judge Hon. Cynthia Rufe's granting of the City of Philadelphia's request to temporarily block the federal government's changes to the exhibit and ordering the National Park Service to restore the exhibit pending the outcome of litigation.

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Read Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Ezra Wohlgelernter's January 30 statement calling for the restoration of exhibit.

The Philadelphia Bar Association Board of Governors approved several nominations for 2026 leadership at its January 8 meeting and retreat. Chancellor Ezra Wohgelernter also made appointments to his cabinet and to the Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.

What makes our Association special is that we bring together legal professionals from different backgrounds and perspectives, to learn from each other and to develop policies and initiatives that advance the profession, help our clients and make a difference to the city.

Jane Dalton, a longtime employment litigator at Duane Morris who served as 2007 Chancellor of the Bar Association, passed away on December 20. 

Relatives and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. A visitation will be held from 9-10 a.m. at the Emil J. Ciavarelli Funeral Homes and Crematory, 951 E. Butler Pike, Ambler, PA, followed by a 10 a.m. Celebration of Life. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jane's name can be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, http://www.michaeljfox.org.

The Philadelphia Bar Association recognized outstanding members of the legal community throughout November and December with 2025 Section awards. Here is a full list of recipients, including the Section giving the award and a description of the award criteria.

The Philadelphia Bar Association honored several outstanding members of the community at the 2025 Annual Meeting on December 10. In addition to introducing 99^th Chancellor Ezra Wohlgelernter, the event also recognized the winners of the Citizens Bank Achievement Award, the Brennan Distinguished Jurist Award, the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Award, the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award and the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Pursuit of Justice” Writing Competition.