Christie R. Jones, who most recently served as executive director of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), will officially take the reins on July 1 upon Harvey Hurdle’s retirement.

The Philadelphia Bar Association held a program titled, "Meeting the Moment: Focus on Education and Disability Rights," on Wednesday, May 28. This webinar continues our series on topics affecting our clients and the community, this time focusing on education. We provide an overview of the recent threatened rollbacks in federal education funding, oversight, and support, including the proposed shutdown of the U.S. Department of Education and the impacts on students with disabilities. Panelists discussed top-of-mind issues and impacts due to recent policy changes at the federal level, the critical court cases on the horizon, and what the legal community can do to help.

For the fourth election in a row, only judicial candidates for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas rated “Recommended” by the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention won positions on November’s general election ballot.

In the primary election for Philadelphia Municipal Court, Amanda Davidson, the only candidate rated as “Recommended” by the Commission, will move forward to the general elections after receiving significantly more votes than the Non-Recommended candidates. The 36-member Commission, composed of judges, lawyers and community leaders, conducts a thorough, nonpartisan review and investigation of Philadelphia-based judicial candidates’ qualifications in such critical areas as legal ability, experience, integrity, temperament, community involvement and sound judgment before issuing a rating.

Watch our April 29 program: With the rollback of legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community, education, collaboration, and advocacy will be critical to charting a path forward.

As the May 20 primary approaches, make an informed choice by viewing the Judicial Commission’s 2025 candidate recommendations for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia Municipal Court and the recommendations for Philadelphia-based candidates in statewide appellate races. 

The Philadelphia Bar Association’s Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is conducting its biannual poll on the qualifications of judges seeking retention in the November 2025 general election. The poll closes Friday, May 30!

Take the poll now.

More than 400 Philadelphia legal professionals reaffirmed their commitment to the rule of law at our Law Day of Action event.

At noon on Thursday, May 1, I will stand with hundreds of other Philadelphia lawyers and retake the Attorney’s Oath:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity, as well to the court as to the client, that I will use no falsehood, nor delay the cause of any person for lucre or malice."

To me, these are more than words on a page. They are a promise that I made as a young attorney to be a guardian of the rule of law, a defender of judicial independence and an advocate for furthering the cause of equal access to justice for all.

The Philadelphia Bar Association stands with and supports all lawyers with the right to practice their trade without intimidation or fear of retribution.

The Philadelphia Bar Association held a hybrid event titled “Meeting the Moment: Impacts of the Federal Funding Freeze,” on Tuesday, March 25. With its robust legal nonprofit and community engagement sectors, Philadelphia stands to be particularly impacted by recent actions that would freeze or dramatically cut federal funding in those areas. This program examined the far-reaching impacts of these cuts on our state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and communities, and delve into how the philanthropy sector might help fill the void.