Lawyers Journal - Vol. 16, No. 8 - April 18, 2014 · 9 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 22. The elections close at 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 5. Only “active” and “honorary” members

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Vol. 16 No. 8 April 18, 2014The Journal of the Allegheny County Bar Association

ACBA annual elections open from April 22 to May 5by ACBA Staff

The ACBA elections for 2014-2015Officers, Board of Governors, andJudiciary Committee positions open at9 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 22.The elections close at 5 p.m. EDT onMonday, May 5. Only “active” and“honorary” members who joined theACBA before March 17, 2014 are eligible to vote in this election. Theelections will be conducted onlineonly. There will be no paper ballots.

On April 22, our elections vendor,Survey and Ballot Systems, will emailand mail a letter that contains a username, password and votinginstructions to ACBA members whoare eligible to vote. SBS staggers thetimes that the emails are distributed.As a result, ACBA members mightreceive their voting email at a differenttime than others in their firm.

A member who would like to votebut does not have a computer may useone at the ACBA Headquarters in theKoppers Building or the AlleghenyCounty Law Library. To do so, bring acopy of the letter or email from SBSthat contains your voting usernameand password to the ACBA Headquartersor the Allegheny County Law Library.Please note that ACBA staff does nothave access to any usernames or passwords and will not be able to provideyour username or password to you.

All members are encouraged to readthe following biographical informationfor each candidate prior to voting.Candidates selected by the ACBANominating Committee are noted as such.

There is one candidate for president-elect who will succeed to the presidency in July 2015. There is onecandidate for treasurer. There are five available spots on the Board ofGovernors, and there are 10 candidates.There are eight available spots for the

Judiciary Committee, and there are 10candidates. The positions on theBoard of Governors and the JudiciaryCommittee are three-year terms.

Ballots for the election of the 2014-2015 Young Lawyers Division andWomen in the Law Division officersand council members will be includedonline for eligible ACBA members.The Homer S. Brown Division is notconducting contested elections.

The biographical details for thecandidates follow:

President-elect

Mark A. MartiniMartini was

nominated by theACBA NominatingCommittee.

E m p l o y m e n t history (post lawdegree):

Robb LeonardMulvihill LLP, partner.

Education:Duquesne University, B.A.;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, J.D.

Year admitted to practice: 2003

Activities:Eight years on the Board of Governors

as governor, assistant secretary-treasurer and treasurer; 50th Anniversary Bench-Bar Conferencechair; ACBF trustee; Finance Committeemember; PAC treasurer and committeemember; Investment Committeechair; UBIT Committee chair; ACBAand ACBF Nominating Committeemember; Civil Litigation Sectioncouncil member; ACBF Fellows Committee member; Loans and

Scholarships Committee member;Local Civil Rules Committee member;Bench-Bar Committee member;multi-term ACBA representative tothe PBA House of Delegates; YLDchair, secretary and Council member;Founder of YLD Diversity Committee;Founder of the Young Lawyers Fellows;and Bar Leadership Initiative chair.

Why are you seeking this particularACBA office or position?

I have had the pleasure and privilegeof serving the ACBA and its membersfor more than a decade, and my experience has shown me firsthandwhy the ACBA is one of the premierlocal bar associations in the UnitedStates. My involvement in all criticalareas of the ACBA and ACBF has prepared me to step into the presidencyready to do everything in my power toassure that the ACBA will remainstrong for many years to come. Whilesome may question why a full-time litigator would want to take on theadded responsibilities and commitmentassociated with serving as ACBApresident, I view serving the association and its members not as aburden of any sort, but as a blessingand an honor. The ACBA is a memberorganization and it is the hard work

and dedication of the association’smembers – from the active younglawyers to the 50 and 60-year practitioners who first blazed the trail– which make the ACBA the bench-mark that other local associations lookto. With this knowledge that it is ourmembers who give us identity andmake us great, I intend to lead theassociation with a focus on serving themembers and their needs.

Treasurer

Bryan NeftNeft was



Pietragallo GordonAlfano Bosick & Raspanti LLP, 2004-present, partner;

DKW Law Group, 2004, associate;Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling

PC, 2000-2004, associate;Bower Greer & Panzarella, 1999-

2000, associate;

The ACBA Annual Election will run from April 22 - May 5.

The election this year will be conducted as an online election, with no option for paperballots or biographies. On April 22, Survey and Ballot Systems will email and mail a letter thatcontains a username, password, and voting instructions to all ACBA members who are eligibleto vote.

Please remember to cast your ballot!If you do not have a computer but would like to vote, you may use a computer at ACBA headquarters in the Koppers Building or the Allegheny County Law Library. Simply bring acopy of the letter or email Survey and Ballot Systems sends to you that contains your votingusername and password to ACBA headquarters or the Allegheny County Law Library andsomeone will assist you.

Please note: ACBA staff does not have access to any usernamesor passwords. You must bring your letter or email from SBS thatcontains your username and password to vote.

ACBAElections

Continued on page 6

ACBAElections

Page 2 / April 18, 2014

THE FULL TEXT AND/OR HEADNOTES FOR THE CASES BELOW APPEAR INTHE ONLINE, SEARCHABLE PLJ OPINIONS LOCATED AT WWW.ACBA.ORG.

l a w y e r sJ o u r n a lThe Lawyers Journal is published

fortnightly by the

Allegheny County Bar Association

400 Koppers Building

436 Seventh Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1818

Editor: 412-402-6623/[email protected]

Advertising: 412-402-6686/[email protected]

Address Changes: 412-402-6612

Fax: 412-261-6438

www.acba.org

Circulation 6,218

© Allegheny County Bar Association 2014

Editor-in-Chief: Hal D. Coffey, Esq.

Editor: Jennifer A. Pulice, Esq.

Supervising Editor: David A. Blaner

Advertising Coordinator: Peggy Lewis

Graphic Artist: Jessica Wysocki Valesky

Proofreader: Sharon Antill

Editor/Graphic Artist: Mark Higgs

■ The LJ editorial policy can be found

online at www.acba.org.

■ Information published in the LJ may

not be republished, resold, recorded, or

used in any manner, in whole or in part,

without the permission of the publishers.

Gender Bias Duty OfficersIf you have observed or experienced any

form of gender bias, you may contact one of

the following members of the Gender Bias

Subcommittee of the Women in the Law

Division. The duty officers will keep your

report confidential and will discuss with you

actions available through the subcommittee.

Kimberly Brown......................412-394-7995

Rhoda Neft ..............................412-261-2753

Jill M. Weimer ........................412-201-7632

Ethics HotlineThe ACBA Professional Ethics Committee

“Ethics Hotline” makes available Committee

Members to answer ethical questions by

telephone on a daily basis.

AprilRobert A. Cohen ......................724-693-9696

Andrea Geraghty ....................412-456-2822

Stanley W. Greenfield ............412-261-4466

May

Michael Feeney ......................412-338-4733

Dan Fitzsimmons ....................412-350-4407

Paul A. Supowitz......................412-624-2901

would cause an undue financial burden on law firms.

The resolution states that the board“opposes any proposed legislation,regulations, or other governmentalmeasures that would require lawfirms and other personal service businesses that now compute taxableincome on the cash receipts and disbursements method of accountingto convert to the accrual method ofaccounting, thereby accelerating theirtax payments.”

On behalf of the ACBA, I sent lettersenclosing this resolution opposing thepassage of the Tax Reform Act 2013,subsequently cast as the Tax ReformAct of 2014, to U.S. Senators RobertCasey and Patrick Toomey and toHouse of Representative members MikeDoyle, Tim Murphy and Keith Rothfus.

The ACBA took this action inresponse to an American Bar AssociationLegislative Action Alert, in which theABA reported that under Section 212of the discussion draft of the TaxReform Act, Congress is poised toreconsider tax reform legislation thatwould impose substantial new financialburdens and potential hardships onmany law firms and other types

of personal service businesses by fundamentally changing the mannerin which they must pay their taxes.

Recently, House Ways and MeansCommittee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI)released Section 3301 of the draft TaxReform Act of 2014, which is nearlyidentical to the former Section 212;and the Senate released Section 51 ofa similar draft bill prepared by formerSenate Finance Committee ChairmanMax Baucus (D-MT). Both draftswould require all such businesseswith annual gross receipts over $10million to use the accrual method ofaccounting, rather than the traditionalcash receipts and disbursement method.

As a result, many law, accounting,and medical provider firms, and otherpersonal service providers would beforced to pay taxes on income longbefore it actually is received (evenperhaps never received).

Under current law, individuals andmost partnerships and other pass-through entities, as well as other typesof businesses with annual grossreceipts of $5 million or less, are permitted to use the simple cashmethod of accounting, in whichincome is not recognized until cash or

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

ACBA opposes Tax Reform Act

by Nancy L. Heilman

The ACBA Board of Governorspassed a resolution in March tooppose tax reform measures that

Nancy L. HeilmanACBA President

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Lloyd Bundy, Borkowski, J. ......................................................Page 97Criminal Appeal—SORNA—PCRA—Petition to Enforce Plea Agreement—Not a PCRA Petition

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Leslie Weathers, Borkowski, J. ................................................Page 98Criminal Appeal—Weight of the Evidence—Restitution—Delay in Ordering Restitution

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Abraham Mitchell, Borkowski, J. ..........................................Page 100Criminal Appeal—Homicide (3rd Degree)—Weight of the Evidence—Evidence—Waiver—Photographic Evidence—Jury Instructions—Court Objection to Testimony—Recalling a Witness—Prior Inconsistent Statements

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Lonnie Snow, Borkowsi, J. ......................................................Page 104Criminal Appeal—Possession/PWID—Suppression—Sufficiency—Sentencing (Discretionary Aspects)—RRRI—Illegal Sentence

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Antonio Stamps, Williams, J. .................................................Page 108Criminal Appeal—Homicide (1st Degree)—Weight of the Evidence—Choice of Counsel—Crime Scene Visit—Relevancy—Photo Array—Prior Inconsistent Statement

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Rory A. Kriest, Williams, J. ...................................................Page 110Criminal Appeal—Probation Violation—Due Process Violations—Request for Remand for New Hearing

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Duran Anthony Thomas, Cashman, J. ..................................Page 111Criminal Appeal—Sufficiency—Identification

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v.Clinton Lance, Mariani, J. ......................................................Page 113Criminal Appeal—Sufficiency—Robbery of a Motor Vehicle—Proof of Force

April 18, 2014 / Page 3

other payment is received. In addition,law firms and various other types ofpersonal service businesses areallowed to use the cash method ofaccounting regardless of their annualrevenue unless they have inventory.Most other businesses are required touse the more complicated accrualmethod of accounting, in whichincome is recognized when the right toreceive the income arises, not whenthe income is actually received.

Sections 3301 and 51 would dramatically change current law byraising the gross receipts cap to $10million, while eliminating the existingexemption for law firms and otherpersonal service businesses, partnershipsand S corporations, and farmers.

In its Legislative Action Alert, theABA called upon state and local barassociations to join in contacting U.S.senators and representatives tooppose key provisions of the draft taxreform bills. On Jan. 13, the ABA sentletters to the House Ways and Meansand Senate Finance Committeesopposing Sections 3301 and 51 inrespective draft bills. The ABAexpressed a number of concerns aboutprovisions that would create complexityin the tax law, increase compliancecosts, and cause hardship to affectedlaw firms by requiring them toadvance tax payments against incomenot yet received and income thatmight never be received.

Law firms, among other personalservice businesses, favor the cashmethod of accounting because it generally correlates with the mannerin which these businesses operate –that is, on a cash basis. Along with theincreased complexity associated withthe accrual method of accounting,enactment of the proposed bills will,

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among other things, raise compliancecosts for businesses while increasingthe risk of noncompliance with theTax Code. Financial hardship wouldresult from clients’ delayed paymentfor legal services until long after thework is performed.

The traditional cash method ofaccounting produces a sound and fairresult because it properly recognizesthat the cash a business actuallyreceives, rather than the firm’saccounts receivable, properly reflectsits true income and ability to pay taxeson that income. Requiring law firms topay taxes on income long before it isreceived, using scarce capital or borrowing money, would impose aserious financial burden and hardshipon many of these firms. Moreover,economic distortions are likely tooccur in law firms that are organizedas partnerships or in firms in whichthe partners change yearly because ofretirements, promotions to partnership,and lawyers switching firms.

Those firms operating on the cashmethod can ensure that the partnersare taxed on the income actuallyreceived that year, but if they areforced to use the accrual method,partners will be taxed on income theirfirms accrue on paper in the currentyear even though the partners maynot be around when, and if, the clientspay their bills.

This far-reaching proposed legislationwould create unnecessary complexityin the tax law and increased compliancecosts by disallowing the use of thesimple, straightforward cash methodof accounting. In addition, the proposalwould impose significant new financialburdens and hardships on millions ofpersonal service businesses throughoutthe country, including many law firms

and their personal service businessclients by requiring them to pay tax onincome they have not yet received andmay never receive.

And let’s not forget the slipperyslope: as under current law allowingthe cash method of accounting forindividuals and partnerships withannual receipts of up to $5 million,once in the door with a $10 millionthreshold, who is to say law firms withreceipts of $5 million will not fall preyto legislative amendment, furtherinflicting hardship on even smallerfirms, partnerships, and solo practices.

The ACBA Governors urge membersand law firm managing partners towrite to U.S. senators and House ofRepresentative members to voicetheir concerns about the proposed TaxReform Act of 2014. The ACBA willcontinue to promote the defeat ofthese draft bills, but members need tojoin in writing to lawmakers.

Sample letters, along with theaddresses of local representatives, areavailable from the ABA website at:w w w. a c b a . o rg / a c b a / M e m b e r s /Committees-Sections/PoliticalActionComm.asp. ■

Page 4 / April 18, 2014

How much can you recover whendefendant is a no-show at arbitration?by David A. Strassburger

The Board of Judges of AlleghenyCounty voted unanimously last year toincrease the arbitration limits inAllegheny County to $35,000.

The new limits, which took effectJuly 15, 2013, may be found in LocalRule 1301(1)(a), which states: “Civilactions, proceedings and appeals orissues therein where the demand is for$35,000 or less (exclusive of interestand costs),” shall first be submitted toand heard by a Board of Arbitrators.

In contrast, Local Rule 1303(a)(2),governing failure to appear at thearbitration hearing, has not changed.Specifically, Local Rule 1303(a)(2)(1)states that the failure of a party toappear at the arbitration hearing mayresult in the immediate transfer of thematter to a judge of the Court of CommonPleas “for an ex parte hearing on themerits and entry of a non-jury verdict,from which there shall be no right to atrial de novo on appeal.” Local Rule1303(a)(2)(2) states that the verdict atsuch a trial shall not exceed $25,000,exclusive of interest and costs.

Confusion has arisen over the different limits in Local Rule 1301 and1303(a)(2), but the rules are consistentand give the plaintiff a choice of remedies.If the defendant fails to appear, theplaintiff may elect to proceed before

the Board of Arbitrators, request anaward of $35,000, and then wait to seeif the defendant appeals. Alternatively,the plaintiff may elect to proceed to anon-jury trial, and request damagesnot in excess of $25,000, from whichthere would be no right to a trial denovo on appeal.

The different limits, which dependon how the plaintiff elects to proceed,reflect a policy choice by the Board ofJudges. When the Allegheny CountyBar Association Court Rules Committeerecommended raising the arbitrationlimits, the committee received comments from the bench supportingthe proposal, but not if the failure toappear could result in an immediatefinal judgment of $35,000.

The sentiment from the bench wasthat too many litigants do not understandtheir obligation to appear at arbitration.A final judgment of $25,000 as a consequence of the failure to appearhas been ingrained in local practicefor some time. For some members ofthe bench, however, a final judgmentof $35,000 against the absent partyseemed overly harsh.

The ACBA Court Rules Committeecontinues to review the Local Rulesand make recommendations to theBoard of Judges as part of its work. Atechnical review of the rules toaccount for such matters as the

change in location of the ArbitrationDivision and the Lawyer ReferralService was recently undertaken andwill be submitted to the Board of

Judges in the near future. Anyone whowould like to propose a rule change maycontact the committee’s ACBA liaison,Whitney Hughes, at [email protected]. ■

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April 18, 2014 / Page 5

ADA provision results in favorableverdict for employee with no disabilityby Maria Greco Danaher

In addition to protecting qualifiedapplicants and employees with disabilities from employment discrimination, the Americans withDisabilities Act (ADA) guards againstdiscrimination based on a relationshipor association with an individual whohas a disability.

The “association” provision of theADA protects qualified applicants andemployees from discrimination basedon their relationship or associationwith a person who has a disability,whether or not the applicant oremployee has a disability.

Last fall, a western Pennsylvaniajury awarded damages under the ADAto an individual who alleged she wasfired because she was caring for ateenage son who had cancer. (Buffingtonv. PEC Management II LLP, W.D. Pa.No. 1:11-cv-229 October 18, 2013).

Theresa Buffington worked as amanager at a Burger King restaurantin western Pennsylvania that is ownedand operated by PEC ManagementGroup, a company with 34 BurgerKing locations. In that position, she wasresponsible for scheduling, overseeingemployees, financial matters, andcompliance with all Burger King Corp.and PEC Management standards,ordering and maintaining products, and

ensuring the smooth and profitableoperation of the restaurant.

Buffington’s son passed away in2011 at the age of 14, after sufferingfrom cancer for 12 years. During theperiod within which Buffingtonworked for PEC, her son relapsed anumber of times, making it necessaryfor her to miss work to care for him.Buffington only used vacation andsick time to care for her son and neverrequested additional time off underthe Family and Medical Leave Act orotherwise. She generally was rated as anaverage or better performer and receivedraises throughout her employment.

On Nov. 7, 2010, Buffington askedanother employee to run an errand,using the employee’s own car. Whileon the errand, that employee wasinvolved in an accident. PEC firedBuffington, stating that she violated acompany policy by allowingnon-managerial employees to runerrands in personal vehicles. Buffingtonfiled a lawsuit in October 2011,claiming that the actual basis of heremployment termination was the factthat PEC knew her son’s conditionwas declining and wrongly assumedthat she would not be able to do herjob while caring for him.

In March 2013, a federal judge inthe Western District of Pennsylvaniadenied PEC’s motion for summary

judgment, saying that a jury shoulddetermine whether Buffington wasfired for violation of policy or becauseof her association with a disabled person. The case went forward to ajury, which held in favor of Buffingtonon Oct. 18, 2013.

During the trial, the plaintiffoffered evidence in an attempt toshow that PEC’s stated legitimatebusiness reason for the terminationwas pretextual. First, multiple witnesses testified that the policy forwhich Buffington was fired was notstrictly enforced prior to or after hertermination. In addition, witnessesstated that the decision makers whofired her knew that other employeeswho were not associated with any disabled person committed the sameviolation as Buffington, but they werenot terminated.

In addition, Buffington testifiedthat at the termination meeting, herboss told her the company was aboutto spend $400,000 on remodeling herrestaurant and needed someonewhose “head is there 100 percent,”and that “now [Buffington] couldspend all her time with her son.”

Pittsburgh attorney David Spear,who represented Buffington at thetrial, said she was able to prove pretext “because of the overwhelmingcomparator evidence, numerous

damaging statements by defendant’sdecision makers, and a sympatheticand likeable plaintiff who connectedwith the jury through her testimony.”

The case is instructive on a numberof issues. The comments by Buffington’smanager at the termination meeting,whether or not they were intended tobe well meaning, created an inferencethat Buffington’s caretaking responsi-bilities played a role in the decision toterminate her employment. Terminationmeetings should be scripted and comments should be limited to factual,objective information.

In addition, by firing an individualwho never had been disciplined previouslyand who had received numerous payraises throughout her employment,the company may have created a perception that Buffington’s performancewas not the actual basis of her firing.Terminations should be supported bydocumentation that clearly supportsthe factual basis for the decision, leavingno chance for speculation.

Employers also should be awarethat damages in “association” disabilitycases can be extensive. In this case,the damages consisted of $115,000 infront pay and $70,000 in compensatorydamages, and a stipulation of $43,000in back pay. The plaintiff ’s counselhas filed a petition for attorney’s feesof more than $350,000. ■

Page 6 / April 18, 2014

Frankovitch, Anetakis, Colantonio& Simon, 1995-1999, associate;

Superior Court of Pennsylvania,1991-1995, law clerk to the HonorableWilliam F. Cercone;

Zittrain & Zittrain, 1990-1991, law clerk;

Wolf & Leo, 1989-1990, associate.

Education:Boston University School of Law,

1989, J.D.;University of Pennsylvania, 1986,

B.A., political science


Activities:Bryan Neft has served on the Board

of Governors for nine years and theFinance Committee for the last 14years. He is a past trustee and treasurerof the Allegheny County Bar Foundationand a past chair of the Civil LitigationSection and Appellate Practice Committee. He has served on the Gender Equality and IndependentAudit Committee Task Forces, and theCode of Professionalism and Fee DisputeAd Hoc Committees at the request ofbar leadership. He is a member of theGender Bias Subcommittee of theWomen in the Law Division and theHomer S. Brown Division.


I am seeking the position of treasureras it is a natural progression from mywork on the Board of Governors andfor the Bar Foundation. I am keenlyinterested in preserving the financialhealth of our bar association andensuring that it has all of the necessaryfunding streams to maintain its positionas a preeminent bar association.

Board of Governors(three-year term, five seats available)

Dennis J.KusturissKusturiss was



Feczko & Seymour, 1981-1984, associate;

Vuono & Gray, LLC, 1984-present,associate, partner.

Education:University of Pittsburgh,

B.A., 1972;Delaware Law School of Widener

College, J.D., 1978


Activities:Allegheny County and Pennsylvania

Bar Associations, Family Law, CivilLitigation and Federal Court Sections;ACBA Judiciary Committee chair-elect, 2012-2013 and chair, 2013-2014;ACBA Bench-Bar Conference Committee, 2014-present, chair-elect,2012-2013 and chair, 2013-2014; CivilLitigation Section Council, 1999-2012,chair 2010-2011; Family Division Innsof Court, 2005-Present; ACBA Nominating Committee, 2012-2013;Special Master for Allegheny CountyCourt of Common Pleas; CLE Programs: “Medicine for Lawyers,”“Allegheny County Motions CourtMaze”; Lunch and Learn TransportationLaw; Mediation Presentation andBench-Bar Conference; Mock Trialjuror, 2001-2004; Moot Court judge;Conference of Freight Counsel presenter, 2013 and 2014; numerouschurch committee activities.


I believe it is important to do morethan just work and earn a living. Istrive to give back to the professionand to the community. I hope to beelected to the ACBA Board of Governorsand to continue to actively participatein and contribute to the ACBA’s futureas one of the premier bar associationsin the country. I have had leadershippositions in sections and committeesand want to have the opportunity to befurther involved in and help to leadthe ACBA.

Dianne S.WainwrightWainwright was



Margolis Edelstein, 2008 to present, partner;

Levicoff, Silko & Deemer, P.C.,1996-2008, partner;

Rose Schmidt Hasley & Disalle,P.C., 1990-1996, associate.

Education:Washington & Jefferson College, 1986,

bachelor’s degree, political science;University of Pittsburgh, 1990, J.D.


Activities:ACBA Rules Committee member,

ACBF fellow, Western PennsylvaniaWomen’s Bar Association member,Pennsylvania Bar Association member,Mt. Lebanon Community RelationsBoard member, YouthPlaces Board

member, Mount Lebanon BaseballAssociation Board secretary, ChristUnited Methodist Church Staff PastorRelations Committee member, AmericanLegion member and American LegionAuxiliary member.


I am seeking election to the Boardof Governors because I am interestedin working with other ACBA membersto oversee and guide the ACBA as itcontinues to grow, educate and touchthe lives of so many Allegheny Countyresidents and lawyers. I have servedon committees and boards involvingthe community and my family for manyyears. I now welcome the opportunityto serve my colleagues and membersof the Bar, and I appreciate the chanceto participate in this election.

Rosemary C.CrawfordCrawford was



Crawford McDonald, LLC, 2002-present, Chapter 7 bankruptcytrustee;

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, 2002-2007, director of legal resources;

McGuire Woods, 2001-2002, seniorassociate;

Dominion Resources, 1999-2001,employment counsel;

Tucker Arensberg, PC, 1994-1999,senior associate.

Education:Georgetown University Law Center,

1989, J.D.;Rhodes College, 1986, B.A.,

political science


Activities:Rosemary Crawford is an award-

winning attorney who graduated fromGeorgetown. She has served as aChapter 7 bankruptcy trustee since2002. She is a certified mediator andarbitrator with a broad range of civil,criminal and appellate experience,having worked for the U.S. Departmentof Justice, the YWCA and Pittsburgh’sfinest law firms. In 2014, she was ratedhighly recommended by the ACBAJudiciary Committee. She was electedchair of the Young Lawyers Section in1998, and has served on the boards ofthe ACBA, the PBA, the WBA, theHSBLA, and the NLSA, where shehandled pro bono PFA cases.


I want to serve on the Board of Governors to benefit my fellow attorneysas it is important to uphold the standards of proficiency, integrity andethics while being compassionate andunderstanding. I understand thefinancial, life-altering, and competitivechallenges that all lawyers face in thisday of billable hours and social media.Also, my tenure on both the AmyReynolds Hay Inn of Court and theHonorable Judith Fitzgerald Inn ofCourt has reinforced my desire topromote civility in the legal field,which is well suited to the consensus-building necessary to be an effectivemember of the board.

Samuel W. BraverBraver was



Brennan Robbins & Daley, 1974-1976, associate;

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, (formerly Buchanan Ingersoll RodewaldKyle & Burger), 1976-present, partner/shareholder since 1982.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, 1971, B.A.;Duquesne University School of

Law, 1974, J.D.


Activities:ACBA Board of Governors, two

terms; ACBA Judiciary Committee,two terms, including holding positionof chair; PA Bar Association, StateAppellate Judiciary Committee; Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, past president andvarious committee chair positions;Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation(Pittsburgh), Board of Directors; Jewish Community Center of GreaterPittsburgh, Board of Directors, chair of Audit Committee, and assistant treasurer; National OvarianCancer Coalition (Pittsburgh), Boardof Directors.


I have been committed to the goals and mission (and the strengthening of each) for the ACBAsince becoming a member in 1974 and if my participation can help indoing that, I am committed to givingmy time toward its continued strengthand success. We have the obligation togive back to the profession and bybeing a member of the ACBA Board ofGovernors, I feel that I can help fulfillthat obligation.

ACBA ANNUAL ELECTIONScontinued from front cover

April 18, 2014 / Page 7

Having the right team makes all the difference

Labor & Employment AttorneysEmployment Litigation AttorneysPittsburgh, Pennsylvania(412) 338-1100www.rothmangordon.com

Back Row: Colleen Ramage Johnston, Stephen H. Jordan, James W. Carroll, Jr., and Alan C. Blanco Front Row: Louis B. Kushner, Nikki Velisaris Lykos, and Lori R. Miller

James R. SchadelSchadel was



Grogan, Graffam,McGinley & Solomon (now GroganGraffam), 1978-1985, associate andthen partner;

Kiger, Alpern, Schadel, & Folino,1985-1987, partner;

Murphy Taylor & Associates, 1987-1994, special partner and partner;

Weinheimer, Schadel & Haber,1994-present, partner and president.

Education:Indiana University of Pennsylvania,

1975, B.S. Ed. (history and economics);University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 1978, J.D. (cum laude, Order ofthe Coif)


Activities:ACBA Lawyer Insurance Committee

(past chair); Professional Ethics Committee (past chair and duty officer);Judiciary Committee; co-chair of jointprogram called “Operation Experience”with the Academy of Trial Lawyers ofAllegheny County and ACBA; Academyof Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County(immediate past membership chair);PBA-Lawyers Professional LiabilityCommittee (past chair); ProfessionalEthics Committee; House of Delegates;PBA Bar Foundation; frequent CLEpresenter for ACBA, PBA and PBI onsubjects relating to ethics, legal malpractice; defense of legal malpractice

suits; previous member of HamptonTownship Parks and Recreation Boardand Hampton Township School Board;past chair of Hampton Association forEducational Excellence.


I have been active in serving theACBA in various capacities during myentire career of 35-plus years at thebar and now I hope to continue thatservice on the Board of Governors. Iwill soon be ending my service on thePBA House of Delegates after about15 years and the time seemed right.

Rebecca D.SpanglerSpangler was



The Honorable Dante Pellegrini,Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania,1992-95, law clerk;

Office of the District Attorney ofAllegheny County, 1995-present, currentposition first assistant/chief of staff.Spangler has been with the Office ofthe District Attorney of AlleghenyCounty since 1995 and has supervisedattorneys in the following divisions ofthe District Attorney’s Office: PostConviction/Federal Habeas Corpusdivisions of the Appeals Unit; Pre-Trial Screening and ARD Units;Phoenix Docket Court Unit; and General Trial Unit. In March of 2013,District Attorney Stephen Zappalaappointed her to the position of firstassistant/chief of staff.

Education:West Virginia University, 1978, B.A.;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 1992, J.D.


Activities:Active member of the ACBA

Criminal Litigation Section, memberof the Judiciary Committee.


I am an active member of theACBA Criminal Litigation Section,past Criminal Litigation Section Councilmember and am currently completinga three-year term on the JudiciaryCommittee. In addition to enjoyingparticipating in the Criminal LitigationSection, I found service on the JudiciaryCommittee to be very fulfilling. I amseeking a position on the Board ofGovernors to further serve our legalcommunity. As the governing body forour membership, participation on theBoard of Governors provides a uniqueopportunity to furnish leadership toour members and address individualand community issues and initiatives.

SusanFagan-WeberFagan-Weber was



Hearing officer in the Family Division, Adult Section for theAllegheny County Court of CommonPleas. I have worked in the section

since 1997 and have been a hearingofficer since 2001.

Education:Mercyhurst College, 1978, B.A. in

law enforcement;Duquesne University, 1983, master’s

in education;Duquesne University, 1990, J.D.


Activities:Member of the ACBA and the Family

Law Section since 1992. Served on theJudiciary Committee for three years.Have been on council with the FamilyLaw Section for two different terms;chair of the Program Committee forthree years and co-chair of the PublicService Committee for one. Volunteerwith the Pittsburgh Aids Task Forcefor three years; board member withCrisis Center North for seven years.


I want to become more active andinvolved with the ACBA. My childrenwill both be in college and I feel I candevote more time to the bar. TheACBA is an outstanding organizationand I want to give back. I believe I canmake a valuable contribution to theboard based on my experience in thecourt system and previous employmentprior to law school.

Continued on page 8

ACBAElections

Page 8 / April 18, 2014

Derrick J. Fluhme, M.D.Christopher M. Manning, M.D.Brett C. Perricelli, M.D.Damon B. Combs, DPM

2000 Oxford Drive, Suite 211Bethel Park, PA 15102

The Doctors at South Hills Orthopaedic SurgeryAssociates are board certified and are available

for IME’s, depositions, and narrative reports.Please contact Sheryl at 412-283-0267

to discuss your legal needs.

412-283-0260 Fax 412-283-0070 Toll-Free 1-888-817-2019

www.southhillsortho.com

SOUTH HILLS ORTHOPAEDICSURGERY ASSOCIATES, P.C.

Law clerk in the Court of CommonPleas of Allegheny County, 1987 topresent, currently with the HonorableLawrence J. O’Toole, administrativejudge of the Orphans’ Court Division;

Public Defender of AlleghenyCounty, 1984-1987.

Education:Marquette University, Milwaukee,

WI, B.A., 1979;Duquesne University School of

Law, J.D., 1984.


Activities:Board of Governors, 2011-present;

Special Fee Determination Committeechair, 2007-present; Family Law Sectionmember; Bench-Bar Conference Committee member, 2009-present;Nominating Committee member, 2012,2013; Amicus Curiae Brief Committeemember, 2013 to present; LGBTRights Committee member, 2012 topresent; PAC Committee member,2012 to present; Allegheny County BarFoundation, Board of Trustees, 2009-present; Board of Trustees, 2008 topresent; Neighborhood Legal ServicesAssociation Board of Directors, 2013-present; Disciplinary Board of theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania HearingCommittee member, 2012-present;Pennsylvania Bar Association FamilyLaw Section member.


When I was elected to the Board ofGovernors in 2011, I did not knowwhat to expect. Without question, thepast three years have exceeded myexpectations. I have truly enjoyedserving on the board. Looking to thefuture, I want to assist the board inachieving the following goals for thebenefit of the association: maintainingprint legal advertising to ensure therevenues of the PLJ, emphasizing ourpositive image in the community, andincreasing the participation of ourmembers in the various committees,sections and divisions.

Jacqueline B. MartinezMartinez was



Jacqueline B. Martinez is thefounder/member of JBM Legal LLC, alaw firm dedicated to the practice ofimmigration and nationality law withoffices in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.JBM is an innovative law group focusingon immigration law and providingcustomized legal solutions to clientsthroughout the United States and

internationally. Full-service immigrationlaw firm handling family-based,employment-based, naturalization,consular processing and removalcases. Martinez has represented U.S.corporations and international corporations in obtaining non-immigrantvisas for their employees, executivesand managers. Additionally, she hasrepresented research institutions,healthcare professionals, universities,and manufacturing companies.

Education:Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,

B.S., 1987;New York School of Industrial and

Labor Relations;Arizona State University College of

Law, J.D., 1991;Regent’s Scholar, Moot Court,

Dean’s List, 1991.


Activities:Martinez first joined the ACBA as a

young lawyer and found a home withthe YLD soon thereafter. She hasactively participated in the committeeas a member of the Education Committee.She was an original organizer of theHispanic Bar Association of WesternPennsylvania, which eventually becamethe Hispanic Attorneys Committee ofthe ACBA. Martinez has also servedas chair of the local chapter of theAmerican Immigration Lawyers Association (Immigration Committee ofthe ACBA), and AILA National Boardof Governors. Additionally, she hasserved on various AILA committees.


As an active member of the ACBA,I understand the important role thatthe Board of Governors has withregard to the present and future of theBar Association, the individual membersand our communities at large. I havehad the privilege to participate in theACBA at various levels and believethat my role as a member of the Boardof Governors will be to continue toadvocate for diversity and for continuedservice to the many diverse communitiesin Western Pennsylvania. I lookforward to collaborating with themembers of the board.

Judiciary Committee(three-year term, eight seats available)

JenniferO. ArnetteArnette was



Allegheny County Office of the District Attorney, 5 1/2 years, assistantdistrict attorney.

Education:Fayetteville State University, 2003 cum

laude, B.S. in business administration;Hamline University School of Law,

2007, J.D.


Activities:WLD Council member; Homer S.

Brown Division member; YLD DiversityCommittee member; Diversity Collaborative member; Bartko Foundation, committee member; PASupreme Court Disciplinary BoardHearing Committee member; GreaterPittsburgh Literacy Council boardmember; Adagio Health InternalAffairs Committee member.


I am interested in seeking a positionon the Judiciary Committee because Ithink my professional experiences,both in the courtroom and outside thecourtroom, have equipped me with theintegrity and judgment skills necessaryto make a decision. As an assistantdistrict attorney and hearing officerfor the Disciplinary Board, I exercisediscretion regularly when evaluatingcases, interviewing witnesses/victims,and determining sanctions for attorneys.I would use that same discretion whenevaluating candidates for the judiciary.Additionally, my professional activitieshave equipped me with leadershipskills I would also use to perpetuaterobust conversations.

William J. WyrickWyrick was



Lynch Weis, LLC, 2007 to present,partner, head of litigation;

Leboeuf, Lamb, Greene & MaCrae,LLP, 2003-2006, senior counsel;

Pietragallo, Bosick & Gordon, 2002-2003, assistant chair, LitigationDefense Practice Group;

Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek& Eck, PLLC, 1997-2002, associateand partner;

C. Leon Sherman & Assoc., PC,1992-1997, law clerk and associate.

Education:University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, J.D., 1993;University of Vermont, B.A. in

political science and English, 1990;American Arbitration Association,

“Essential Skills for the New Mediator”Certificate of Completion, 2013.

Michael A.ShinerShiner was



Tucker Arensberg, P.C., 1996-2003,associate;

Tucker Arensberg, 2003-2011,shareholder;

Tucker Arensberg, 2011 to present,shareholder and director.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, 1993,

B.A., political science;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 1996, J.D.


Activities:ACBA Bankruptcy & Commercial

Law Section chair (2010-2011), vice chair(2009-2010), treasurer & symposiumchair (2008-2009), secretary (2007-2008); ACBA Nominating Committee,2011; ACBA Audit Committee, 2012 topresent; Bankruptcy Court StrategicPlanning and Electronic Case FilingImplementation Committee; treasurerand Executive Committee member forJudith K. Fitzgerald Bankruptcy Innof Court; regular speaker and presenterat ACBA Bankruptcy & CommercialLaw Symposium and other CLE events.


The legal profession has changedsignificantly since the Great Recession.A law degree no longer assures a joband it is often accompanied by amountain of debt. These new graduatesare not following the established pathto the practice of law and they facenew challenges. I am seeking a positionon the Board of Governors to helpguide the ACBA in reaching out to thisnew generation of attorneys, whilealso continuing its key role as the onlytrade association for attorneys inAllegheny County.

MelaineShannon RotheyRothey was



Jones, Gregg, Creehan & Gerace,LLP, 2007 to present;

Raphael, Ramsden & Behers, P.C.,1995-2007;

ACBA ANNUAL ELECTIONScontinued from page 7

April 18, 2014 / Page 9


Activities:I have been a member of the ACBA

since 1993 and am a regular attendeeat the Bench-Bar Conference and Iam also a member of the ACBA’sADR Committee and the Civil Litigation Section.


I am interested in serving on theJudiciary Committee because it is animportant position, providing anopportunity to affect the evaluation ofcandidates for the most prominent rolesin our profession. Even temperament,education and experience, combinedwith a strong sense of fairness andobjectivity and a strong work ethic,are the most important qualities ajudge can have and I think the membersof the Judiciary Committee shouldhave these same qualities. I havedemonstrated these same qualities tothe members of the ACBA over theyears and I am qualified to recognizethese qualities in others.

Brian S. RosinskiRosinski was



McCarthy McDonald Schulberg &Joy, 2004 to present, partner.

Education:Carnegie Mellon University, 2001, B.S.;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 2004, J.D.


Activities:Board member, Neighborhood Legal

Services (2012-present); president ofthe Board of Directors of SamaritanCounseling Services (2013-present,board member from 2011); UnitedWay reviewer of fundraising grantsfor its Impact Fund (2006-present);graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh’sLeadership Development InitiativeXV (2007-2008); member, YLD Council(2012-2014); chair, YLD CommunicationsCommittee (2013-2014); BLI (2011-2012); Stepping Out presenter (2012);MVP presenter (2012); Children’sHoliday Party (2011, 2012); presenterat a series of lunch-and-learn seminarson family law at the offices of HefrenTillotsen (2012); presenter at theHomewood-Brushton YMCA LegalClinic regarding family law (2014).


I believe that it is our privilege andresponsibility as members of the bar toprovide knowledgeable recommendationsas to judicial candidates. As a familylaw attorney in Allegheny County whointeracts with various judges on aweekly basis, I have developed aninformed perspective as to the qualitiesnecessary for effective judges. In acounty with elected judges, wheremany voters know little about thecandidates or the attributes of successful judges, I would appreciatethe opportunity to use my knowledgeand experience to vet the candidatesand help provide these influential andvaluable assessments.

W. Scott HardyHardy was



Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak &Stewart, P.C., shareholder, 2010-present, and Pittsburgh office managingshareholder from 2012 to present;

Cohen & Grigsby, P.C., associate(1997-2003), director (2004-2010), deputygroup head of Labor & EmploymentPractice Group (2007-2010);

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, 1996-1997.

Education:Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 1996;Allegheny College, B.A., 1993

Year admitted to practice: Pennsyl-vania, 1997; West Virginia, 2009

Activities:ACBA Federal Court Section Council

member (2008-2010); fellow, AlleghenyCounty Bar Association; fellow, American Bar Association; vice chair,Labor & Employment Practice Group,American Health Lawyers Association;W. Edward Sell Chapter AmericanInns of Court, member (1997-Present),Executive Board (2003-Present), vicepresident (2004-2005), president(2006-2008); Laurel Highlands Councilof the Boy Scouts of America boardmember (2009-Present); Good SamaritanHospice of Pittsburgh board member(1998-Present).


I desire to serve on the ACBAJudiciary Committee to contributetoward the informed and prudentselection of judges who will fairly andcapably administer justice. Our judicialsystem dispenses credible justice onlywhen diligent and wise men andwomen, as judges, afford litigants dueprocess and then prudently and fairlydecide their cases and controversiesin a manner faithful to the rule of lawand with a temperament respectful ofthe litigants and their counsel and witnesses. Our neighbors deservesuch judges and I hope to assist inhelping others make informed decisionswhen selecting them.

Tony J.ThompsonThompson was



The Hon. R. Stanton Wettick Jr.,Court of Common Pleas of AlleghenyCounty, 2006-2007, law clerk;

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, 2007-present, associate.

Education:Washington & Jefferson College,

2003, B.A., economics;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 2006, J.D.


Activities:My prior involvement with the

ACBA includes serving on the boardof directors of Proliance Solutions(formerly ACBA Services Inc.); as amember of the Nominating Committee;and as a council member of the YoungLawyers Division. I presently serve on theCivil Litigation Section, the DiversityCollaborative Committee (chairman),and the Homer S. Brown Division.


I am seeking election to the JudiciaryCommittee because the judiciaryplays an extremely important role inour jurisprudence system and Iwould like to ensure that our association puts forth and supportsthe appropriate candidates.

Matthew F. DolfiDolfi was



City of PittsburghDepartment of Law, 2004-2006, assistant city solicitor;

Robb Leonard Mulvihill, 2006-2009, associate attorney;

Dolfi & Dolfi, 2009-2010, attorney;Robb Leonard Mulvihill, 2010-

2013, associate attorney;Thomas H. Ayoob & Associates,

2013-present, associate attorney.

Education:Duquesne University, 2001,

B.S., education;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 2004, J.D.


Activities:I have presented for the YLD of the

ACBA on the topic of settlements. Iam the vice president of JMac Cyclingand the NovaCare RehabilitationCycling Team. I have been selected asa Pennsylvania Super Lawyers RisingStar in 2008 and 2011-2014.


As an active trial lawyer, I wouldlike to be more involved in the evaluationand recommendation of judicial candidates. I believe that as a memberof the Judiciary Committee, I will beable to accomplish that task. Also, as anattorney specializing in civil litigation,appointment to this committee willallow me to better serve the ACBA,the legal community and my clients byobserving, analyzing, and evaluatingthose individuals running for judge, as well as those currently sitting onthe bench.

P. Brennan HartHart was



Allegheny CountyDistrict Attorney’s Office, 1973;

Meyer Darragh Buckler Bebenek &Eck, 1974-1988, associate-partner;

Zimmer Kunz Loughren Hart,1988-1993, partner;

Marshall Dennehey Warner ColemanGoggin, 1993-2001, partner;

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick &Raspanti, 2001 to present, partner andchair of Professional Liability Group.

Education:Ohio State University, B.A.;Duquesne University School of

Law, J.D.


Activities:Former chairman of the Judiciary

Committee, member of the Civil Litigation Section, member of theConstruction Law Section, formerhearing officer for the DisciplinaryBoard of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, immediate past chair ofthe NKF of the Alleghenies, boardmember of the National Kidney Foundation, member of the board ofthe Professional Liability AttorneyNetwork, president-elect of theDuquesne Law Alumni Association,member of the Academy of TrialLawyers, designated as a PennsylvaniaSuper Lawyer in the area of defenselitigation, given an AVÂ® PreeminentRating by Martindale-Hubbell.


I have had the privilege of servingon the Judiciary Committee before forthree years, including a year aschairman. I have had the opportunityto appear before hundreds of judgesthroughout Pennsylvania at not onlythe trial level, but also the appellatelevel, and in both state and federalcourt. I, therefore, recognize the qualitiesof scholarship, experience and thefairness that make a good judge.

Thomas N. FarrellFarrell was



Since 1999, I have been the managingpartner of Farrell & Associates. I practice in every division of the Common Pleas Court; however, myprimary focus is in the criminal division. I have tried numerous juryand bench trials, including capitalcases. I handle appellate cases in theSuperior, Commonwealth andSupreme courts, as well as the ThirdCircuit. In 1998-1999, I worked at theOffice of the Attorney General in themoney-laundering division. Prior to 1998,I worked at the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office in the post-conviction unit and ultimately becamechief of that unit.

Education:Duquesne University School of

Law, J.D., 1991;Rutgers University, B.S., 1984.


Activities:I am a 2013 fellow of the ACBA. I

have also served as a council memberand a section member of the criminaldivision. I have taught numerous continuing legal education programsfor the Allegheny County Bar Association,as well as other institutions.


I believe that there is no greaterinfluence on our daily professionallives than the acts of judges and/ortheir staffs. When there is a hard-working, intelligent and honest personon the bench, cases seem to beresolved in an efficient and positivemanner. Judges who hold an appropriatejudicial temperament can create anexcellent working atmosphere. I amseeking this position to attempt toensure that our daily professionallives are better. I believe I am qualifiedto help enhance the quality of thejudiciary through our bar association.

Julie R. ColtonColton was



Voelker & Colton, LLC, 2011-present, partner, family law attorney;

Family Legal Center, 2009-2011,senior associate;

Jones, Gregg, Creehan & Gerace,2008-2009, associate;

Goldberg, Gruener, Gentile, Horoho& Avalli, 2006-2008, associate;

Allegheny County Court of CommonPleas, 2005-2006, judicial law clerk.


Law, 2005, J.D.;Gannon University, 2002, B.A.,

psychology.


Continued on page 10

ACBAElections

Page 10 / April 18, 2014

District of Pennsylvania, 2009-2011,law clerk;

Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC,2011-2012, associate;

Law Office of Samuel I. Yamron,2012-present.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, B.S. in

physics, 2005;Duquesne University School of

Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2008


Activities:Chair of ABCA Hispanic Attorneys

Committee, 2012-2014; co-chair ofACBA YLD Education Committee,2011-2014; ACBA YLD Council member,2011-2013; chair of 2012 and 2013ACBA YLD Golf Outing; board memberof American Heart AssociationAllegheny Division, 2013-present; chairof AHA Allegheny Division EmergingLeaders Committee, 2013-present;member of PBA House of Delegates,2013-present.


My reason for running is to encouragemore young lawyers to participate inthe dialogue that will shape the futureof our profession. Through educationalprograms and by highlighting the purpose of the YLD and the ACBA, Iwould seek to increase young lawyers’involvement in their own professionaldevelopment and take advantage ofthe resources the YLD offers in creatingand maintaining a profession we canbe proud of. I would also seek to promote the discussion on quality-of-life issues within the practice, includinghow to keep young lawyers motivatedand caring for their health.

MichaeleneWeimer


Michaelene iscurrently a litigationassociate in thePittsburgh office of

Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman& Goggin. She has been a member ofthe firm’s casualty group since 2010.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, 2007, B.A.,

political science and communication;Duquesne University School of

Law, 2010, J.D.


Activities:Michaelene is an active member of

the Young Lawyers Division of theAllegheny County Bar Association. In2012, she began serving a two-yearterm on the YLD Council. She wasappointed liaison between the YLDand Duquesne University School ofLaw for the 2013-2014 academic year.She is active with the Member ServicesCommittee and is currently chair forthe sub-committee planning the 2014YLD Golf Outing.


I am seeking the position ofchair-elect of the YLD because I amdedicated to ensuring that younglawyers within the Pittsburgh legalcommunity have the resources andsupport available in order to practice and prosper. I want to continue the tradition of having theYLD be an active and respecteddivision within the Allegheny County Bar Association. In order tocontinue this tradition, it is importantthat all young lawyers feel that theprogramming, services and opportunities offered through theYLD are relevant to them. Ensuring abroad appeal will be my primaryfocus, if elected.

Young Lawyers DivisionSecretary

Maribeth Thomas


U.S. BankruptcyCourt for the WesternDistrict of Pennsyl-vania, 2013-present,

law clerk to the Honorable Gregory L.Taddonio;

Bernstein-Burkley, P.C., 2011-2013,associate;

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for theWestern District of Pennsylvania,2009-2011, law clerk to the HonorableJudith K. Fitzgerald.


Law, 2008, J.D.;University of Pittsburgh, 2001,

B.S., bioengineering


Activities:Young Lawyers Division, Council

(2012-Present); YLD MembershipServices Committee (2011-Present);ACBA Finance Committee (2013-Present); ACBA Bankruptcy andCommercial Section Council (2012-Present); Bar Leadership InitiativeClass (2011-2012); Sarah Heinz Houseassociate board secretary (2014-Present); Junior League of Pittsburgh(2003-Present); Tri Sigma AlumnaeAssociation, Pittsburgh Chapter(2013-Present).


Since my graduation from lawschool in 2008, I have been an activemember of the bar association and,most recently, the YLD. Throughattending YLD-sponsored events andserving as a member of the YLDCouncil, my enthusiasm for the YLDhas only grown. I am now eager to takeon a leadership role and the positionof secretary is the perfect chance forme to do so. As secretary, I wouldstrive to enhance both the professionaland social experiences of youngattorneys, bringing to them newopportunities for growth on both acareer and personal level.

Jaclyn M. Belczyk


JURIST, researchdirector, 2008-present;


Law, J.D., 2008;University of Pittsburgh, B.A. in

anthropology and philosophy, 2005


Activities:YLD secretary, 2013-present; YLD

Council member, 2011-present; BLIClass of 2009-2010; YLD Public Service Committee, 2009-present;YLD Communications Committee,2010-present; Big Brothers Big Sistersof Greater Pittsburgh, 2009-present.


As I enter the latter half of myyears as a “young lawyer,” I believethat now is the time for me to take ona leadership role within the organization.I have served as secretary for the pastyear, keeping track of all of the YLD’sprogramming and events and takingan active role in their planning andexecution. I hope to continue to serveas secretary in the coming year so thatI may help expand the programmingwe offer our members.

Young Lawyers DivisionTreasurer

Kimberly S. Tague


S t r a s s b u r g e rMcKenna Gutnick &Gefsky, 2013-present,senior associate;

Fenchel Law Offices, 2006-2013,associate;

Charles Fenchel & Associates,2004-2006, associate.


Law, 2004, J.D.;University of Pittsburgh, 2001, B.A.


Activities:YLD Council member, 2012-2014;

current YLD Diversity Committeechair and co-chair of Diverse Law Student Initiative; Bar Leadership Initiative Class, 2011-2012; Real PropertySection member; ACBA MembershipCommittee member; Duquesne LawAlumni Association Board of Governorsmember; volunteer attorney for ProSe Motions and the Landlord/Tenantprograms and for the Stepping OutProgram and Children in Shelter Holiday programs.


I am very active in the ACBA andthe Young Lawyers Division and haveserved on the YLD Council for thepast two years. I am running for YLDtreasurer because I would like to continue my involvement as an activemember of the YLD Council next year.I look forward to working with theYLD to continue to offer programmingand opportunities tailored to assistyoung attorneys in developing theirpractice and networks.

Jill Lipman Beck


Pe n n s y l v a n i aSuperior Court, theHonorable ChristineDonohue, four years,

deputy judicial law clerk;KidsVoice, 3 1/2 years, attorney.


Law, 2006, J.D.;The George Washington University,

2002, B.A.


Activities:Beck is currently the treasurer of

the ACBA Young Lawyers Division,chair of the YLD Public Service Committee, is the YLD member on theACBF Board of Trustees, and co-chairsthe ACBA/ACBF Public ServiceCommittee’s Backpack Project. In2011 and 2012, she was a member ofthe YLD Council and served as co-chair of the YLD’s Children inShelter Holiday Party. Beck is alsofounder and director of sue’s run4kids,a 5k run/walk and one-mile walk thatraises money for KidsVoice to benefitteenagers involved in the foster caresystem in Allegheny County.


My involvement with the YLD andACBA, combined with my experiencemanaging budgets for various projects,makes me uniquely suited for the position of treasurer of the YLD. I havegreatly enjoyed my tenure in this positionfor the past year and would be honoredto continue to serve in that capacity.

Activities:Member/PA Delegate ABA, 2011 to

present; member Matrimonial AmericanInn of Court, 2010 to present; memberMediation Counsel of Western Pennsylvania, 2010 to present; memberPBA, 2010 to present; member PBA,Family Law Section, 2010 to present;member ACBA Public Service Committee, 2008 to present; memberACBA Family Law Section, 2006 topresent; assistant secretary/treasurer,ACBA Board of Governors, 2013-2014;immediate past chair/BLI instructorACBA YLD, 2013-2014; Spring 2014Host Committee member ABA, YLD2013-2014; member ACBA Board ofGovernors, 2011-2014; chair ACBAYLD, 2012-2013; chair-elect ACBAYLD, 2011-2012; Council memberACBA YLD, 2008-2011; secretaryACBA YLD, 2009-2010; project co-chair ACBA Bar Leadership Initiative, 2007-2008.


I am running for the JudiciaryCommittee because it is important tohave qualified candidates in the judicial elections and for the public tobe informed of the candidates’ qualifications from a neutral source.Having worked as a law clerk in theAllegheny County Court of CommonPleas Family Division, I gainedunique experience that makes me ableto evaluate candidates for judicialoffice. During my time as a law clerk,I learned the inner workings of thecourt, learned the demeanor necessaryto work within the court system, andwitnessed firsthand the responsibilitiesand stresses of judges.

James S. EhrmanEhrman was



Kyle and Ehrman,1971-1981, partner;

Tighe, Evan, Ehrman, Schenck andParas, 1981-2005, partner;

Margolis Edelstein, 2005-present,partner.

Education:Denison University, 1968, B.A.;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 1971, J.D.


Activities:Member of the ACBA Law and

Disability Committee; pro bono forACBA handling unemployment compensation matters; family chairand Board of Directors of the NationalAssociation of Mental Illness, Southwestern Pennsylvania; Board ofDirectors for Hickory on the Greencondominiums; fundraiser for theEagle Scout Association.


Having practiced law in Pittsburghfor many years, I believe it is time to give my time and energy back to the Bar.

Young Lawyers DivisionChair-elect

Samuel I. Yamron


Hon. DonettaAmbrose, 2008-2009,law clerk;

Federal DistrictCourt for the Western


April 18, 2014 / Page 11

Young LawyersDivision Council(two-year term, five seats available)

R. BrandonMcCullough


Picadio SneathMiller & Norton,P.C., 2011-present,associate attorney;

Levicoff Silko & Deemer, P.C.,2009-2011, associate.


Law, 2008, J.D., cum laude;University of Pittsburgh, 2005, B.S.,

information science, magna cum laude.


Activities:Member, YLD Communications

Committee, 2012-present; member,YLD Education Committee, 2012-present; speaker, YLD Insurance Law101 Lunch and Learn, December 2013;assisted with planning various YLDeducational programs; participated ina variety of YLD and ACBA eventsover the years including YLD Rollingwith the Judges, YLD Night with theBig-Wigs, YLD Judicial Trivia, BarBuddies program; DRI vice chair,Young Lawyers Subcommittee ofInsurance Law Committee; DRI member,2013 Insurance Coverage and ClaimsInstitute Marketing Committee;member, American Bar Association;member, Pennsylvania Bar Association;member, Pennsylvania DefenseInstitute; member, Duquesne LawAlumni Association; contributor, PBACivil Litigation Newsletter, FederalBusiness Decisions.


I am seeking to serve on YLDCouncil to enhance the commitment ofthe YLD to developing the best younglawyers in the country, both professionally and personally. I trulyenjoy working with and assisting myfellow young lawyers, and I look forward to continuing to do so in amore prolific role. If elected, I willdevote my time and attention to developing and improving continuingeducation programs for younglawyers and expanding the awarenessof the many notable projects that theYLD has to offer, particularly to lawstudents and recent graduates.

James R. Silsley


I am currently anassociate attorneywith the civil litigation law firm ofBootay, Bevington &

Nichols. I am also currently a licensedreal estate agent with All PittsburghReal Estate. Before joining my lawfirm in 2011, I served as the judiciallaw clerk for the Hon. Ronald W. Folino in the Civil Division of theCourt of Common Pleas of AlleghenyCounty. I served as Judge Folino’s tipstaff from 2008 until becoming hislaw clerk in 2010.


Law, 2010, J.D.;Washington & Jefferson College, 2005,

majored in English and psychology.


Activities:Currently, I am co-chair of the YLD

Member Services Committee and Iserve as a YLD representative on theACBA’s Finance Committee. I am also

a section member of the ACBA’s Real Property Section, the Pro-BonoCommittee, and the ADR Committee. Myprofessional and civic activities include:active planning and participation inYLD events (Golf Outing 2014, VIPAuction 2014, Scavenger Hunt 2013,etc.); serving on the Board of Directorsfor the Pittsburgh Urban LeadershipService Experience; and playingACBA Softball and ACBA Soccer.


Quite simply, I am running for YLDCouncil because I enjoy being anactive YLD member. I have participatedin the division as a newly admittedattorney, as a member of the 2013 BLIclass, and as co-chair of Member Services.I believe that my participation andservice have prepared me well toserve the YLD as a member of Council.

Justin T. Romano


Robb LeonardMulvihill LLP, 2009-2012, associate;

Dickey, McCamey& Chilcote, P.C.,

May 2012 to July 2012, associate;Del Sole Cavanaugh Stroyd LLC,

2012 to present, associate.

Education:Pennsylvania State University,

2006, B.S. in crime, law, and justice;minor in sociology, minor in labor andindustrial relations;

Duquesne University School ofLaw, 2009, J.D.

Year admitted to practice: Pennsyl-vania, 2009; West Virginia, 2010

Activities:I joined the Young Lawyers Division

as a law student and have remainedactive since. I have consistently participated in numerous YLD events,including community service events,lunch and learns, annual meetings,and networking events. I currentlyserve as an adjunct professor at theDuquesne University School of Law. Irecently had the opportunity to serveon Mayor Bill Peduto’s TransitionCommittee. I am also involved withTeam Tassy and the Pittsburgh UrbanMagnet Project. Additionally, I have hadthe opportunity to handle numerous PFAsand represented a local Christian schoolin an administrative appeal pro bono.


I feel fortunate to have had a verydiverse professional experience thusfar. I have worked for small, mediumand large firms in Pittsburgh, handlinga wide variety of litigation matters.These experiences have provided mewith unique insight into the challengesfacing young lawyers in AlleghenyCounty. I hope to use my experiencesto improve this legal community. Ihave also never held a position withinthe YLD. This provides me with a freshperspective when it comes to makingdecisions that are in the best interestsof the organization and its members.

Samantha Quinn


After graduatingin 2010, I was a lawclerk to the HonorableIdee C. Fox in theCourt of Common

Pleas in Philadelphia County. I thenreturned to Pittsburgh to start a positionas an associate at Zimmer Kunz and Ihave worked there for almost two years.

Education:College of William and Mary, 2007,

B.A. in English;

University of Pittsburgh School ofLaw, 2010, certificate in civil litigation.


Activities:This past year, I participated in the

BLI program, which has given meinvaluable experience with manyaspects of the ACBA. I also had theopportunity to participate in the YLDChristmas Toy Drive, attend severalof the social events for the YLD, and Iam a member of the Environment andEnergy Law Section of the ACBA.Outside of the bar, I am the presidentof the William and Mary PittsburghAlumni Chapter, and I am on the NewMember Committee for the JuniorLeague of Pittsburgh. Most recently, Ijoined the associate board for theSarah Heinz House.


I am seeking to be a member of theYoung Lawyers Division Councilbecause I recognize that the truestrength of any bar is the ability forthe members to connect and learnfrom each other, and I want to beinvolved in building connectionsbetween the members of the ACBA. Ihave been very fortunate to havemade connections with some incredible,experienced attorneys in law schooland in my career, and I want to giveback to the bar by making sure thatothers are able to make valuable connections, as well.

Louis Kroeck


Lou Kroeck is anattorney at the lawoffices of Anstandig,McDyer and Yurcon.He also volunteers

his services for GPAC Volunteer Lawyersfor the Arts and the PittsburghAmerican Civil Liberties Union.


2005, B.S. in information science technology;

Case Western Reserve School ofLaw, 2008, J.D. with a specialization intechnology, law and the arts.


Activities:Co-chair for the Pennsylvania Bar

Association YLD, 2014-2105; co-chairACBA YLD Communications Committee,2013-2014; chair, ACBA Arts and theLaw Committee, 2012-2013; 2012-2013YLD BLI class; co-chair ACBA Artsand the Law Committee, 2011-2012;active YLD member, 2009-2013; co-authored YLD project “Legal Guidefor Families in Medical Crisis;” volunteer attorney for the PittsburghACLU; Greater Pittsburgh Arts Councilvolunteer lawyer; member of thePittsburgh Intellectual Property LawAssociation; member of the Pennsyl-vania Bar Association; advisory boardmember for Carnegie Mellon’s FutureTenant Art Cooperative.

“Why are you seeking this particularACBA office or position”

Lou Kroeck is currently the co-chair of the YLD CommunicationsCommittee and the Pennsylvania BarAssociation’s YLD. He has been aguest lecturer at Carnegie MellonUniversity and the University of Pittsburgh on topics, such as copyright law, cyberbullying, onlineprivacy and the Stop Online PiracyAct. He is interested in a Council position in order to help the YLD continue to provide strong programming with a focus on socializing,community service and member education. If elected, he intends toserve as the Council co-chair to theYLD Communications Committee.

Shawn P.McClure


Bernstein-Burkley,P.C., seven years,partner.


Law, 2007, J.D.;Saint Francis University, 2003,

accounting


Activities:Allegheny County Bar Leadership

Initiative class member of 2010-2011;Commercial Law League of America –Creditors’ Rights Section ExecutiveCouncil member; and Young MembersSection Executive Council member;International Association of CommercialCollectors SCOPE Publication Committee; named 2013 PennsylvaniaRising Star in the area of bankruptcy& creditor/debtor rights by Philadelphiamagazine; American Board of Certification Creditors’ Rights Specialist – application pending.


I am seeking the position of YLDCouncil member. My decision to runfor YLD Council was prompted by adesire to get back involved with theACBA, particularly the YLD. A coupleof years ago, I participated in the BLIprogram and became familiar with theworkings of YLD and the ACBA, andthe wonderful people that make ourbar association function. As a YLDCouncil member, I would seek to put afocus on educating young lawyers onthe business realities of what is achanging legal workplace.

Cara Group


Newton Consulting,2011-present, in-houselegal counsel.

Education:West Virginia Wesleyan College,

2007, B.A., history;Duquesne University School of

Law, 2010, J.D.


Activities:YLD Bar Leadership Institute,

member of current class; YLD EducationCommittee member; member of theAssociation of Corporate Counsel;member of the PA Bar Association;member of ACBA Toastmasters; volunteeras an advisor for Alpha Gamma Deltachapter at Duquesne University.


As a member of the YLD BLI classthis year, I have gained leadership skills,as well as insight into the operationsof the ACBA, that I believe will helpme as a YLD Council member. I wouldlike to remain involved in the directionand leadership of the YLD and believethat YLD Council would be a greatway to give back to the Bar in theprocess. In particular, I am interestedin working to expand our membershipto include more young lawyers whowork in non-traditional legal fields.

Beth L. Slaby


PNC Bank, 2010,asset specialist;


University of Pittsburgh School ofLaw, 2012, J.D.


Activities:Allegheny County Bar Association,

Young Lawyers Division MemberServices Committee,

Allegheny County Bar Foundation,Attorneys Against Hunger Committee,Western Pennsylvania EmploymentLawyers Association.


Getting involved with the YLD is anatural extension of my desire tobecome more involved in the community.Through my short time with theACBA, I’ve helped with Wills forHeroes, stocked food pantry shelves,delivered presents to children inshelters, and raised money to combathunger. And as a member servicesparticipant, I’m connecting a newgeneration of lawyers with seasonedpros as co-chair of the VIP Auction.I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished inmy first year and if elected to YLDCouncil, I will continue to work hardfor our community.

Lacee C. Ecker


U.S. Steel Corp.,2 0 1 2 - p r e s e n t , attorney.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, 2009,

bachelor’s in business administrationand political science;



Activities:1L Diversity Clerkship Program;

Public Service Committee; YLD PublicService Committee; YLD MemberServices Committee; Backpack ProjectCommittee member; Stepping Outprogram coordinator; Judicial TriviaNight co-chair; Expungement Projectvolunteer; Law Student InitiativeCommittee member; Small BusinessLegal Assistance Program Committeemember; Attorneys Against Hungervolunteer; Pennsylvania Bar Association;Association of Corporate Counsel; BigBrothers Big Sisters; East End Cooperative Ministry; Auberle-NEXTProgram member and volunteer; University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association, Young Alumni Council;Theta Phi Alpha (Women’s) Fraternitychapter advisor.


I am seeking a position on theYoung Lawyers Division Council tocontribute to the growth and successof the division through my diverseexperiences and new initiatives fordevelopment. My diverse experienceswith the ACBA, Pittsburgh community,and as an in-house attorney will bringa well-rounded approach to workingtoward Council goals. A new initiativethat I would support as a Councilmember would be the fostering of collaborative relationships betweenyoung lawyers and professionals inother industries and associations,thereby providing a more comprehensivenetwork of resources to benefit eachyoung lawyer’s practice.

Amie Mihalko


Ogg, Cordes,Murphy & Ignelzi,LLP, 2008-2010,associate;

Burns White LLC, 2010-2012, associate;

Gordon & Rees LLP, 2012-present,associate.

Education:Grove City College, 2005, B.A.,

communications/political science(magna cum laude);

Duquesne University School ofLaw, 2008, J.D. (cum laude).


Activities:Duquesne Law Alumni Association

board member; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh; Varietythe Children’s Charity; AlleghenyCounty Bar Association member;Pennsylvania Bar Association member;American Bar Association member.


I believe my current work as aboard member with the DuquesneLaw Alumni Association and my pastwork as Duquesne’s Law Student BarAssociation president will allow me toprovide a new perspective as to thecurrent issues facing our region’syoung attorneys. Through the ACBAYLD Council, I hope to provide as muchassistance as possible to our communityof young attorneys, especially thosewho are newer to the profession.

Women in the Law DivisionVice-Chair

Danielle Dietrich


Tucker Arensberg,PC, 2007-present,attorney;

Heintzman, War-ren, Wise & Fornella,

2005-2007.

Education:University of Pittsburgh, 2005, J.D.;University of Pittsburgh, 2002, B.A.


Activities:Two terms on the Women in the

Law Division Executive Council,ACBF Young Lawyers fellow,WLD/IGE Summit Committee, WLD“Let’s Do Lunch” facilitator, pastYoung Lawyers Division Councilmember, Bar Leadership Initiative,Carnivale chair, Backpack Project,Neighborhood Legal Services AssociationExpungement Program volunteer,NLSA PFA volunteer, founding memberof Variety the Children’s CharityDevelopment Advisory Board, pastsecretary and board member ofLydia’s Place, Southpointe Chamberof Commerce.


I am committed to advancingwomen in the legal profession and thebusiness world. I want to continue thetradition of the energetic and talentedwomen who have gone before me inenhancing the practice of law forwomen in Allegheny County. I want tocontinue to offer programming, suchas the WLD/IGE Summit, to helpwomen of all areas of the practicegrow their book of business and theirpractice, thus increasing their value.Greater value of women leads togreater retention of women in thepractice. Retaining that talent benefitsus all and improves our community.

Susan M. Seitz


Reed Smith,1999-2001, litigationassociate;

U.S. District Court, Western Districtof PA, law clerk to the Hon. Ila JeanneSensenich, U.S. Magistrate Judge,2001-2003;

Highmark, 2003-present, team leadfor provider contracts.

Education:Boston University School of Law,

J.D., 1999 (cum laude);University of Massachusetts,

Amherst, Ph.D., 1993 (Literature);University of Vermont, M.A., 1990

(Literature);Wesleyan University, B.A., 1983

(with honors)


Activities:ACBA Women in the Law Division

(WLD Division chair, 2003-2004;Nominating Committee chair, 2005-present; ex-officio Executive Councilmember since 2006); ACBA HealthLaw Section (chair, 2013; vice chair,2012; secretary, 2011; treasurer, 2010;section member since 2005); AlleghenyCounty Bar Foundation fellow (Classof 2012); ACBF Board of Trusteesmember (2013-present); SojournerHouse member, Board of Trustees(residential treatment facility foraddicted women and their children),2007-2013; MOMS, board secretary(sober-living residential housing complex for recovering womenaddicts with children), 2009-2013.


I am running for WLD vice chairbecause I am dedicated to the cause ofadvancing women attorneys in theprofession. I have advocated forwomen attorneys for many years andled the initiative to grow the Women inthe Law Committee into the ACBA’sWomen in the Law Division. It’s beenvery exciting to be part of the growthof the WLD in the 10 years since I waslast WLD chair and to see the engagementand hard work of its members. Mygoal is to continue to foster the growthand success of women in the ACBA.

Women in the Law DivisionTreasurer

Mauri AvenSankus


Greenberg Traurig,LLP, 2006-present,Of Counsel;

Jaeckle Fleisch-mann & Mugel, LLP, 2003-2006, associate;

Sheldon & Mak, PC, 2002-2003,associate;

Brown Raysman Millstein Felder &Steiner, LLP, 2000-2001, associate;

Cislo & Thomas, LLP, 2000, associate;

Buchanan Ingersoll, PC, 1998-2000,associate.


Law, J.D., 1998;Hiram College, B.A., physics, 1995


Activities:Pittsburgh Intellectual Property

Law Association, member of theBoard of Managers and chair of theProgramming Committee; AlleghenyCounty Bar Association Women in theLaw Division treasurer.


I would like to help the WLD to create and sponsor programs to educatethe members of the bar and the judiciaryas to the character and impact of overtand subtle barriers to women andways to remove those barriers.

Grenen & Birsic, P.C., 2010-2012,associate;

Clark Hill Thorp Reed, 2012-present, associate (bankruptcy &financial restructuring).

Education:Bucknell University, Lewisburg,

PA, 2000, B.A.;DePaul University College of Law,

Chicago, 2008, J.D.


Activities:I have been a member of the ACBA

Bankruptcy and Commercial LawSection for the past three years. Thisyear, I am a student in the 2013-2014ACBA Bar Leadership Initiative class andI’ve been an active attendee at the Bench-Bar Conference for the past five years.


Conan O’Brien said, “Success is alot like a bright white tuxedo. You feelterrific when you get it, but thenyou’re desperately afraid of getting itdirty, of spoiling it.” If there’s anythingI’ve learned in practicing law, it’s thatyou’re going to fall down, you’re goingto make mistakes. That is part ofbecoming a good lawyer. It’s a rite ofpassage. I am seeking a seat on YLDCouncil to be a part of the bad, as wellas the good. To be a part of change. AsConan said, “The story is never over.”

Christopher S. Hallock


Law Offices of JohnA. Caputo, 2012-present, associate;

Robb LeonardMulvihill, 2010-2012, associate;

Beaver County Court of CommonPleas, law clerk to the HonorableDeborah A. Kunselman, 2010.

Education:Villanova University School of Law,

2009, J.D.;Ohio University, 2006, bachelor of

business administration.


Activities:Member of ACBA since 2010; member

of YLD since 2010; Bar LeadershipInitiative Class of 2013-2014; memberServices Committee member since2013; co-chair of 2014 VIP Auction.


As a member of the 2013-2014 BLIclass, I have gotten to experience thefulfillment that comes with beingactive in the bar association and, inparticular, the YLD. I am seeking aposition on the YLD Council in orderto have the opportunity and privilegeto continue to have an impact on thefuture of the YLD by helping toshape what programs and learningopportunities are offered.

Jessica Michael


Samuel J. Cordes& Associates, 2013-present, associate;

Goldman Schafer& Spear, P.C., 2013,

contract attorney;Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe,

LLP, via Special Counsel, 2012-2013,contract attorney.

Education:Point Park University, 1998, B.A.,

journalism & mass communications;


Page 12 / April 18, 2014

Women in the Law DivisionSecretary

Jill M. Weimer


Dickie McCamey& Chilcote: 2007-2010; LittlerMendelson, P.C.:2010-present

Education:University of Pittsburgh, University

of Pittsburgh School of Law


Activities:WLD Executive Council, WLD Public

Relations Committee Chair and Co-Chair of the Gender Bias Committee,Woodlands Foundation Board Member,University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association Director, University ofPittsburgh School of Law AlumniAssociation Board Member, GreaterPittsburgh Community Food BankCommittee Member, Holy FamilyInstitute Courage House LuncheonCommittee Member and American BarAssociation Host Committee Member.


I have enjoyed serving as WLDSecretary over the last year and wouldbe honored to continue in this role.WLD members have worked tirelesslyto expand the Division and I am lookingforward to all of the great things thatare in the works for the coming year.Specifically, I am excited to grow theWLD Golf League and serve as a committee member for the next WLDSummit. Thank you for consideringme for this position.

Women in the LawDivision Council(three-year term, eight seats available)

Cara Disheroon


Picadio SneathMiller & Norton, 2010-present, associate;

The Retail Con-sulting Group, 2006-

2008, associate director international;CB Richard Ellis, 1999-2006,

associate director;Tripp Umbach & Associates, 1996-

1998, project manager.

Education:George Mason School of Law,

J.D., 1995;Penn State University, B.A. in

history with honors, 1992


Activities:Women in the Law Division, vice

chair of Arts and the Law Committee,Civil Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections of DRI, PennsylvaniaBar Association, Pittsburgh IntellectualProperty Law Association.


I am running for a WLD Councilposition because I believe in its mission,and I have enjoyed the rewardingrelationships that I have developedover the past two years. I have servedon the Program Committee andrecently organized two roundtablediscussions on issues pertaining toworking in-house. I found the sessionsto be educational and a great networkingopportunity for women in the profession. I have also served on theLean In Committee, organizing andleading meetings designed to advance

women lawyers’ careers. I hope tocontinue these efforts as a member ofCouncil next year.

Melissa A. Kelley


Special CounselInc., 2011-2013,executive director;

AGA, LLC., 2008-2009, vice president,

global projects;GE Access Distribution (acquired

by Avnet Inc.), 2007, associate general counsel;

General Electric, 2002-2007, general counsel and counsel;

Buchanan Ingersoll, 1998-2002,senior associate;

Sunguard Data Systems, 1997, corporate counsel;

Cozen O’Connor, 1992-1997, associate;Blank Rome, 1991-1992, associate.

Education:Temple University School of Law,

J.D., 1991;Swarthmore College, B.A., English

Literature with economics and politicalscience concentrations, 1981.


Activities:ACBA WLD; ACBA Back to the Bar

Committee; ACBA LGBT Rights Committee; ACBA Committee onExempt Organizations; PittsburghAssociation for the Education ofYoung Children board member; TakeCharge board member; SwarthmoreCollege Pittsburgh Connection chair;Swarthmore College Alumni Council;Swarthmore College Alumna interviewer.


I am very eager to help create anddevelop programs that will furtheradvancement for women in the law. Aspart of the inaugural Back to the BarCommittee, I was thrilled to help figureout canvassing; creating a curriculum;securing speakers, sponsors and services– a solution that addressed outstandingneeds in the community. Ensuringopportunities, regardless of gender, isvery important to me. Respectfully, Iwould like to serve as an At-LargeExecutive Council Member of theWLD because I am a hard worker,effective networker, experiencedconsensus builder, and dedicated tothe WLD mission.

Erica L. Laughlin


Laughlin beganher career withS t r a s s b u r g e rMcKenna in 2004when she joined the

firm as an associate. She was promotedto director in 2012.

Education:Duquesne University, 2001, B.A. in

journalism and psychology, magnacum laude;



Activities:Laughlin is a member of the American

Bar Association, Pennsylvania BarAssociation, Westmoreland CountyBar Association and Allegheny CountyBar Association. She was a member ofthe ACBA’s 2013 Bar Leadership Initiative Class. She serves on Councilfor the ACBA Young Lawyers Divisionand its Education Committee, she isactive with the Women in the LawDivision, and is a member of theBench-Bar Planning Committee. Sheis also a member of the Westmoreland

Chamber of Commerce, the Pittsburghand Greensburg Chapters of theAmerican Inns of Court, and lectors ather local parish.


I am a proud proponent of womenin the law, and believe that the WLD’swork to encourage and foster diversityand equality within the profession ispoignant and powerful. As a Councilmember, I hope to continue the WLD’stradition of challenging and encouragingwomen to be engaged leaders in theirpractice and community. I look forwardto continued excellence in findinguseful and relevant programming toassist all members of the bar, and Ihope to encourage an environment ofwomen helping other women.

Sarah J. Miley


Clark Hill ThorpReed, 2012 to present, labor andemployment associate.


Law, J.D., 2012.


Activities:ACBA Women in the Law Division,

Young Lawyers Division, Labor &Employment Law Section.


Over the past two years, I havebeen an active member of the WLDand have witnessed its growth andimpact on the Pittsburgh community. Iam seeking a position on the WLDExecutive Council because I wouldlike the opportunity to take on a moreactive role in promoting the developmentand success of the WLD and itsmembers. I believe that I possess theteamwork and leadership skills necessaryto be an effective member of the WLDExecutive Council.

Quinntarra“Quinn” Morant


As a recent lawschool graduate, Ihave only workedfor PNC. I have been

in the wealth management position forsix months.

Education:Duquesne University, 2008, BSBA;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 2012, J.D.


Activities:Big Brothers Big Sisters. Through

this program, I have mentored ayoung lady for approximately nineyears. Although she is no longerdirectly linked to the program, wehave continued our dynamic relationship.As time progresses, I look forward toremaining a mentor and resource forher. Urban League Young Professionalof Pittsburgh. This group focuses oncareer development and the continuousadvancement of young professionals.This is done through education,engagement and volunteerism.Through this group, I have been ableto volunteer my time as a way to giveback to the community.


During my brief exposure with thebar association, I have searched for acommittee where I can add value andmake a difference. I have found that

place in the WLD. The WLD empowersits members to lead and excel, and Iwant to be instrumental in creatingthose opportunities. By volunteeringmy time, ideas and commitment, Iseek to enhance the already solidfoundation of the WLD. Lastly, it isimperative to have council membersthat are reflective of the larger group,and I can be a prominent part in makingthis commitment a reality.

Jean E. Novak


S t r a s s b u r g e rMcKenna Gutnick &Gefsky, 2002 to present; senior associate, 2002-2013;director, 2014-

present; adjunct professor (businessethics), Duquesne University Schoolof Leadership and Professional Development (2006), John F. DonahueGraduate School of Business (2008-present); Hodzic & Porach, attorney(part-time), 1995-1997; Gabriel’s, in-house counsel, 1994-1997; Steele &Hoffman, attorney, 1993-1994.

Education:West Virginia University, College of

Business and Economics, 1984,B.S.B.Ad;

Carnegie Mellon University HeinzCollege, 1986, M.S.;



Activities:Charter member, current president,

ACBA Toastmasters; member of ACBAWorkers’ Compensation Section; memberof PA Bar Association (Workers’ Compensation Section); member ofAmerican Bar Association (Labor &Employment Section); past chairACBA Arts & Law; board member,governance chair, Sojourner House,2010-present; board member, SojournerHouse MOMS, 2010-present; advisor,Sojourner House Human RelationsCommittee (2009-2010); pro bonoattorney, Voter Protection, 2008, 2012;Fundraising Committee chair, boardsecretary, Board of Directors,Unseam’d Shakespeare (Theatre)Company (2005-10); CMU AlumniAmbassador (1987-present); president(1999-2000), projects director (1997-1998), community assessment anddevelopment director (1996-1997)-Junior League of Pittsburgh.


It has been my pleasure in the lastfew years to participate in WLD programsdesigned to help women develop theirskills and as Sheryl Sandberg says,“take their place at the table.” I amseeking a position on Executive Councilbecause I am an enthusiastic supporterof such programs. I want to take amore active role in continuing theimportant work undertaken by theWLD, and I look forward to assistingthe WLD in its mission of promotingthe success and advancement ofwomen attorneys in Allegheny County.

Stephanie Reiss


Morgan Lewis &Bockius, LLP, 2005-present, seniorattorney/associate;

Jones Day, 2003-2005, associate;

Honorable D. Brooks Smith, U.S.Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit,law clerk, 2002-2003;

Honorable D. Brooks Smith, chiefjudge, U.S. District Court for the


April 18, 2014 / Page 13

Jessica Ziemski


Leech TishmanFuscaldo & Lampl,LLC; 2010-present;associate attorney.


2007, B.S. in crime, law and justice;University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, 2010, J.D.


Activities:Mentor for Reading is FUNdamental

Pittsburgh; volunteer with CysticFibrosis Foundation of Western Pennsylvania; member of the Womenin Law Division (chair of the CommunityPartnerships Subcommittee) and CivilLitigation Section of the ACBA; Pennsylvania Bar Association; and Pennsylvania State UniversityAlumni Association.


I have enjoyed being a member ofthe WLD and would gladly welcomethe opportunity to become a memberof WLD’s Council. I am committed tothe WLD’s mission to promote the success and advancement of womenattorneys in Allegheny County. I havewitnessed the excellent opportunitiesthe WLD provides to its members andthe ACBA, and I would like the opportunity to continue to promote thegrowth and reach of the WLD. Itwould be an honor to be selected as amember of WLD’s Council.

Homer S. Brown DivisionVice-Chair

Samantha Clancy


KidsVoice, LegalIntern (2009)

Reed Smith, LLP, Associate(2010-2012)

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak &Stewart, P.C. (2012- present)

Education:University of Richmond,

B.A. (2005)University of Pittsburgh School of

Law, J.D. (2009)


Activities:ACBA Homer S. Brown Division,

Council; ACBA Nominating Committee;Northshore Community Alliance, BoardMember; Education Law Center,Board Member.

Why are you seeking this particularACBA Office or Position?

I am seeking this position because I believe in the Homer S. Brown Division’s mission. I plan to work tofurther advance the HSB Division’sefforts to attract African-Americanlaw students and attorneys to the bar association.

Homer S. Brown DivisionSecretary

Barbara AtkinRamsey


Allegheny CountyBar Foundation:Juvenile Court Project. Staff

Attorney. 2005 to Present.

Education:Duquesne School of Law: 2001-

2005. Juris Doctorate.Mercyhurst College: 1987-1989;

1995. Master of Science: Criminal Justice Administration.

Mercyhurst College: 1983-1987.Bachelor of Arts: English and Communications.


ACBA activities:Allegheny County Bar Association.

Member since 2005.Homer S. Brown Division. Member

since 2011. Secretary: 2013-2014. (Co-Chair: Martin Luther King PrayerBreakfast and Program: 2014).

Juvenile Firesetters InterventionTeam of Allegheny County. BoardMember and Secretary: 2010-Present.

Council of Three Rivers AmericanIndian Center. Board Member since2008. Board Treasurer: 2009-2013.Board Secretary: 2013-Present.

Allegheny Center Alliance Church.Member since 2013.


I am seeking the nomination forSecretary of the Homer S. BrownDivision of the ACBA for a secondterm. I have been a member of theACBA since 2005. I have been anactive member of HSBD since 2011,serving as Division Secretary duringthe 2013-14 fiscal year. I am in regularattendance at monthly meetings andHSBD-sponsored events. I have enjoyedserving the Division as a Member,Secretary and Committee Co-Chairfor the Martin Luther King PrayerBreakfast and Program (2014). I wouldbe honored to have the opportunity tocontinue serving as HSBD Secretary.

Homer S. Brown DivisionTreasurer

Ron G. Jones


Dickie, McCamey,& Chilcote, P.C.,2 0 0 8 - P r e s e n t , Associate

Education:UCLA – B.A. in Sociology 1997-2002Howard University – JD/MBA

2004-2008


Activities:Committee Member – Allegheny

County Bar Foundation “Pro BonoRocks! Battle of the Bands”

Mentor – University of PittsburghSchool of Law BLSA Footprints Mentorship Program (2010-Present)

Medical Malpractice Defense Litigation Co-Presenter/Lecturer –University of Pittsburgh School ofNursing Certified Registered NurseAnesthetist Program (July 2013)


Being elected Treasurer of theACBA Homer S. Brown Association isa way to become active within mycommunity and the legal communityin general. Furthermore, it gives me anopportunity to somewhat utilize my MBA.

Homer S. BrownDivision Council

Raymond N.Sanchas


1980-2014 Solepractitioner, eitherfull or part-time.

1983-1986 Gatz,Cohen, Segal & Koerner, P.A. Associate attorney.

1989-1993 & 1999-2004 ACBF JuvenileCourt Project. Conflict counsel.

1993-1999 Allegheny County Courtof Common Pleas. Family DivisionHearing Officer.

2004-Present. ACBF JuvenileCourt Project. Staff attorney.

Education:Our Lady of Providence College.

1968-1970.Providence College. 1971.Duquesne University. 1971-1972. B.A.University of Pittsburgh School of

Law. 1977-1980. J.D.


Activities:Participated in Pro Bono prison

litigation for two prisoners. Currentmember of Homer S. Brown Division.Member of South Park Library Friends.


I am seeking to be on the Homer S.Brown Division council because I havelong admired their work promotingdiversity in the Bar Association andwish to join in such work. I have onechild who is biracial, another childwho will soon be married to a personof the same gender, and I am oftenperceived as Hispanic. Consequently,diversity is very important to me. I ama hard worker with a varied life andwork experience that I think can makeme an asset to the Division.

Akiesha Gilcrist


United StatesCourt of Appeals forthe Third Circuit –Judicial Law Clerk(2013-2014 Term)


Law – JD, May 2013University of Pittsburgh – BA,

May 2010


Activities:ACBA Activities: Member, Homer

S. Brown Division; Member, YoungLawyers Division


I am seeking a Council memberposition in the Homer S. Brown Division because I have a strong senseof civic duty and a desire to spearheadthe development of public service, networking, and educationalopportunities within the legal andlocal community. ■

Western District of Pennsylvania, lawclerk, 2001-2002.

Education:Georgetown University Law Center,

J.D., magna cum laude, 2001;College of William & Mary, M.A. in

anthropology, 1997;Brown University, B.A. in history/

archaeology, magna cum laude, 1993.


Activities:I was a member of the 2004 Bar

Leadership Initiative class. I subsequentlybecame a member on the YoungLawyers Division Council from 2005-2008. During that period, I served onthe Public Service Committee and ranvarious programs, such as the SteppingOut program, which educated studentson basic legal principles. I also servedon the ACBA Audit Committee from2006-2009 and have attended WLDevents. I am actively involved in anumber of pro bono activities, includingvolunteering for Neighborhood LegalServices Association, representingindigent clients in Protection fromAbuse and unemployment proceedings.


I am interested in serving as aCouncil member on the Women in theLaw Division to assist in addressingsome of the unique problems andissues women face as attorneys.Although I enjoyed my previous publicservice work with the ACBA YLD, Iwould like to play a larger role indeveloping and running programs thatfoster networking and other opportunities for women in the legalprofession. I believe that WLD programs can make a difference byencouraging long-term career planning,better awareness of opportunities andmentorship, and I want to be part ofthose efforts.

Lisa M. Wampler


Cohen, Seglias,Pallas, Greenhall &Furman, P.C., 2003-present, partner;

Buchanan Inger-soll, 2001-2003, associate.

Education:The Dickinson School of Law of the

Pennsylvania State University, J.D., 2001;The Pennsylvania State University,

B.A., 1998


Activities:Member of the Construction and

Commercial Litigation Sections ofACBA; member of the MasterBuilders Association of Western Pennsylvania; American SubcontractorsAssociation of Western Pennsylvania;and Associated Builders and Contractors;founder and chair of Cohen Seglias’Women’s Initiative.


I am a partner at Cohen Seglias andthe founder of the firm’s Women’s Initiative. Our initiative facilitatesconversations about professionaldevelopment and relationship building,covering topics such as personalbranding, work-life balance, leadershipand self-promotion. I am also a formerboard member of the National Associationof Women in Construction’s PittsburghChapter. I am looking for an outlet toshare my ideas and experiences withother female attorneys, and hope to usemy talent at conceiving, coordinating,promoting, and executing events as aWLD Council member.


Page 14 / April 18, 2014

ACBAElections

Online CLEDelivered over the Web at your convenience. We call this 24/7 CLE. When you need the information (or the credits), log on to our Online Campus and

Live Webcasts

Upcoming Continuing Legal EducationAll PBI CLE programs are sponsored by

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute & The Allegheny County Bar Association and are held at the PBI Professional Development Conference Center

Heinz 57 Center, 339 Sixth Ave, 7th Floor, unless noted otherwise below.

Live & Simulcast Seminars

w w w. p b i . o r g 8 0 0 - 9 3 2 - 4 6 37

Distance Education at pbi.org

Video Seminars

CLE at PNC Park

Special Event

Simulcasts from PLI

is famous.

Powers of Attorney

(David Lawence Convention Ctr.)

(David Lawence Convention Ctr.)

April 18, 2014 / Page 15

Page 16 / April 18, 2014

Continuing Legal Educationsponsored by the ACBA

CIVIL LITIGATION SECTIONCivil Litigation Section Spring CLE and Cocktail Reception

Several years ago, defense counsel won a jury verdict for its client in a state court action in Arizona. However, after the jury had rendered its verdict, the judge discovered that the defense expert had lied about his qualifications. The judge not only ordered a new trial but also sanctioned the defendant over $500,000. This one hour CLE

program featuring David V. Dilenschneider, Esq., from LexisNexis is a fast-paced and revealing presentation which addresses how to use online resources to investigate experts. Even if you are not the one who actually conducts the research, just knowing what resources are available may help you to be better prepared in vetting your own experts

and finding damaging information about the opposition’s.

Effective Use of Your Financial Expert – this one hour CLE program featuring Douglas S. King, CPA, ABV, CFF, CTP of Gleason & Associates, P.C. will address the useof financial experts in a variety of litigation matters and how to get the best out of their expertise throughout your case – from early damage assessment, financial document

requests, the expert report, deposition preparation, and trial preparation and testimony. This presentation will also provide insight into the areas in whichfinancial experts get challenged and excluded and why, so you can take the necessary steps to guard against an exclusion of your financial expert.

*Cocktail Reception co-sponsored by LexisNexis and Gleason & Associates, P.C. will immediately follow the program.

Credits: 2 hours of Substantive CLE credit • When: Tuesday, April 29, 2014; Registration: 3:00 p.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. • Where: Allegheny HYP Club, 619 William Penn Pl., Pittsburgh, PA 15219 •Cost: $60 for Civil Litigation Section members, $80 for ACBA members, $100 for Non-ACBA membersLast date to pre-register: Friday, April 25, 10:00 a.m.

ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY LAW SECTIONPipelines and Permitting: Introduction to Wetland and Stream Permitting in Pennsylvania

Experts from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, will provide an overview of wetlands permitting considerations, with a focus on linear utilities. This program will provide up-to-date and important information for environmental and energy attorneys, whether they are new to

permitting or looking to deepen their understanding of the permitting process.

Credits: 1 hour of Substantive CLE credit • When: Wednesday, May 7, 2014; Registration: 11:30 a.m.; 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. • Where: ACBA Conference Center Auditorium, 920 City-County Building •Cost: $30 for Environment & Energy Law Section members, $40 for ACBA members, $50 for Non-ACBA membersLast date to pre-register: Monday, May 5, 2014 10:00 a.m.

Registration information for all programs unless otherwise noted: Mail in registration form with payment to the ACBA CLE Department at 400 Koppers Building, 436 SeventhAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219. Credit card registration is also available at www.acba.org/lrxweb/clereg1.lrx.

Public Service Committee’s Pro Bono Fair

Participating Pro Bono Programs

Child Custody Guardian Project • Christian Legal Aid • Criminal Records Expungement Project • Custody Conciliation Pro Bono ProjectDivorce Law Project • Family Law Appellate Pro Bono Pilot Project • Federal Court Prisoners Civil Rights Project

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts • H.E.L.P. Project • Jewish Family & Children’s Service • LawLinksMcKees Rocks Clinic • Millvale Community Legal Clinic • Neighborhood Legal Services Association • North Hills Community Outreach

Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force • Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership • Pro Bono Center • Protection from Abuse ProjectSmall Business Legal Assistance Program • Uptown Legal Clinic • Veterans Legal Clinic • Wills Project

Read more about these programs and find more information on volunteer opportunities at the Pro Bono Center website atwww.pittsburghprobono.org!

PHOTOS BY ERIN RHODES

The Public Service Committee held its inaugural Pro Bono Fair onWednesday, March 19 at Olive or Twist downtown. Attorneys, paralegals,and law students interested in finding pro bono opportunities were inattendance. Representatives of Pro Bono Center member programs andorganizations were available to answer questions and promote their programs, recruiting new volunteers. Pictured are, from left: Liz ParkerGaetani, Pro Bono Coordinator at Allegheny County Bar Foundation;Barbara Griffin, Director of the Pro Bono Center; Keith Whitson, co-chairof the Public Service Committee; and Kate Norton, co-chair of the PublicService Committee.

Representatives from local universities at the Pro Bono Fair included,from left: Tracey McCants Lewis, Assistant Clinical Director atDuquesne University School of Law; Yvonne Haitsma, LawLinks at theBayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University;and Rochelle McCain, Director of Public Interest & Government Relations at University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

April 18, 2014 / Page 17

WLD Luncheon held March 12

PHOTOS BY MARK HIGGS

The Women in the Law Division hosted their annual luncheon on March 12 at the Omni William Penn Hotel. The event featured guest speaker DonnaBrazile, political strategist, political commentator, the first African-American presidential campaign manager, adjunct professor, and author. Shespoke on “Challenges in Washington; Women in Politics”.

Members of the ACBA and the WLD are pictured with Donna Brazile, from left: Nancy L. Heilman, ACBA President; Kelly Williams, WLD vice-chair;Brazile; Nicola Henry-Taylor, WLD chair; Jeanine DeBor, WLD immediate past chair; and Katherine Byrne, WLD council member.

Brazile regales the audience withher tales of politics.

Representatives of PNC Wealth Management, who helped to sponsor the event, along with their guests, are pictured at the luncheon, front, from left: Stephanie Schreiber, Dawn Hamill, Nora Peace, Arnold Greenwald,Kimly Vu, and Chaton Turner; back: Laura Ditka, Carol Murray, and Katherine Byrne.

View even more photos of the Women in the Law Div is ion Luncheon,p lus photos f rom other ACBA events , in our photo ga l lery a t

www.acba.org/acba/Members/photos.

Page 18 / April 18, 2014

In Memoriam

A tribute to Frederick Egler and Judge Joseph Weis Jr.by ACBA Staff

Frederick N. Egler

Frederick NortonEgler, a trial lawyerand proponent ofmany civic andCatholic causes,died Feb. 28 at theage of 91. He died inhis Squirrel Hill homesurrounded by hiswife and children.

Egler achieved a reputation as aformidable advocate among the lawyerswho came to the bar immediatelyafter World War II. During a careerthat spanned six decades, he earneduniversal respect among lawyers andjudges alike. His commitment to hisprofession was matched only by hisdevotion to his family and the Catholic Church, many of whose institutions benefited from his generosity and leadership.

He was born on Mount Washingtonon May 27, 1922. His father was a citypoliceman and Egler lived his entirelife in Pittsburgh. After graduatingfrom South Hills High School, hebecame the first person in his familyto attend college, graduating fromDuquesne University in 1943. He alsofound the time to become an Eagle Scoutand serve as a Boy Scout scoutmaster.

He completed Officer CandidateSchool and served in the Army until1945 as a lieutenant in an artillerybrigade. He was training others forthe invasion of Japan at Fort Sill,Oklahoma, when the war ended andhe returned to Pittsburgh.

He entered private practice in 1947after graduating from the Universityof Pittsburgh School of Law – anendeavor he financed through numerousodd jobs, including unloading railroadcars in the Strip District and workingas a mailer on the loading docks of thePittsburgh Sun-Telegraph.

In 1953, he married the formerRuth Donnelly. They raised 11 childrenduring their 60 years of marriage.

Egler quickly established himselfas a prominent trial lawyer in an erawhen far more cases were tried to verdictthan in today’s courts. While hebecame known primarily as a defenselawyer, counting many of Pittsburgh’slargest corporations and well-knownprofessionals among his clients, he alsowon verdicts on behalf of plaintiffs.

In 1956, he struck out on his ownand over the next 45 years, was anamed partner in his own law firm.The most recent iteration of that firm,Egler, Garrett & Egler, dissolved in2001. During the latter part of hiscareer, Egler also accepted significantpro bono cases, including representationof a jailed abortion protester and ayoung African-American man sweptup in the U.S. Attorney’s LAW Ganginvestigation in the 1990s.

Egler also taught for many years atDuquesne University’s night school,which was then located downtown onFourth Avenue. A large portion of theAllegheny County bar of that eralearned torts and common law pleadingfrom Egler. At one point, 11 sittingjudges on the Court of Common Pleaswere his former students.

Egler was one of the 57 foundingmembers of the Academy of TrialLawyers of Allegheny County. Heserved as its 10th president and wasvery active in its affairs.

He also held several positions inthe ACBA, including membership onthe Board of Governors in the 1960sand chair of the Federal Court Section.He was one of the attendees at thefirst Bench-Bar Conference. He was apermanent delegate to the Third

Circuit Judicial Conference, a fellowof the American College of Trial Lawyersand a member of the InternationalAcademy of Trial Lawyers.

His interests extended to civicmatters, as well. He served as chair ofthe Allegheny County SanitaryAuthority and president of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association.

Yet, he was most devoted to thesupport of the Catholic Church and itsinstitutions. With his wife Ruth, hewas instrumental in the establishmentand expansion of Oakland CatholicHigh School, a school for girls locatedin Oakland. He was an avid supporterof his parish churches and schools, St.Paul Cathedral and St. Philomena, aswell as Duquesne University.

One of his most treasured honorswas receipt of the St. Thomas MoreAward, presented annually to thelawyer who exemplifies the values ofthe martyred British chancellor. Healso became a knight of the EquestrianOrder of the Holy Sepulcher ofJerusalem, a prestigious Catholic society.

Perhaps the greatest demonstrationof Egler’s regard and support for education is the fact that all 11 of hischildren graduated from college, sixwent on to earn law degrees and onebecame a physician.

A devoted father, he was particularlyfond of spending time with his wife andchildren at his farm in Somerset County.

In addition to his wife and 11 children,Egler is survived by 11 grandchildren.Contributions can be made toDuquesne University in his honor.

Judge Joseph Weis Jr.

Judge Joseph F.Weis Jr., 91, a seniorjudge on the U.S.Court of Appeals forthe 3rd Circuit, diedon March 19. Hewas the belovedhusband of the latePeggy Horne Weis;

and devoted father of Tracey Weis ofLancaster, PA, Joseph F. III of FoxChapel, and Christine W. Grant ofBoston, MA.

Born on Pittsburgh’s North Side, hegraduated from Perry High School in1941 and attended Duquesne Universitybefore volunteering for the U.S. Army.Weis was severely wounded on a battlefield in France and spent the next four years in and out of various hospitals.

He received both the Purple Heartwith Oak Leaf Cluster and the BronzeStar for valor. Weis was later awardedthe Croix de Guerre, presented by theFrench Republic for acts of heroism in combat, and the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration.

He attended the University of Pitts-burgh Law School (1950), and joinedhis father to form Weis & Weis, wherehe practiced for 20 years before beingappointed a U.S. district judge in 1970.

Three years later, he was nominatedby the president to the U.S. Court ofAppeals for the 3rd Circuit. He continuedin that capacity until his death.

His Catholic faith was a fundamentalpart of his life and he was a lector atSt. Scholastica Parish for years and aknight of the Holy Order of Malta, aswell as a member of the Knights ofColumbus. He was also a longtimemember of the Pittsburgh Field Club.

He married Peggy Horne and theyraised three children. He and Peggyplayed tennis and golf together andtraveled the world with friends andfamily. He was preceded in death byPeggy, his wife of 53 years; and hisbrother, George Weis; and sisters,Margaret W. Szot and Ann Weis.

In addition to his three children, heis survived by his seven grandchildren;along with his sister, Mary Herald(Paul); and brothers, Thomas (Teresa)and Daniel (Mary Ann). The followingjudicial profile featuring Weis isreprinted with permission from theOctober/November 2012 issue of theFederal Lawyer. The judicial profilewas written by William M. Janssen.

In the closing scene of StevenSpielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, anow much older Private Ryan kneelsat the grave site of a comrade-in-armswho had, so many years earlier, givenhis life to protect the young soldier. Tothe silent gravestone, Private Ryanconfides solemnly that he has beenbearing his protector’s last, dyinginstructions to him close in mind eachday of his life: “Earn this.”

Joseph Weis was a young, 21-year-old soldier on Nov. 11, 1944, servingwith the Fourth Armored Division ofGeneral Patton’s Third Army nearNancy, France. Earlier that day, hewas slightly wounded by a shell froma German tank gun which killed asoldier standing just three feet away.

After brief treatment at a dug-outaid station, Joseph returned to the battlefield only to be struck a fewhours later by shrapnel from anenemy mortar shell. This time –severely injured – he lay helplessly onthe battlefield. Within minutes, anotheryoung soldier, Chester Wernecke,scurried to a jeep and, perilouslyendangering his own life in the act,motored out to where Joseph Weis lay,loaded him aboard the jeep, andbounded back to the medics’ aid station.Joseph would be hospitalized for thenext two and a half years as Armysurgeons worked to stabilize him.

But the heroism of Chester Wernecke,that day, had reclaimed a life – such acurious act of heroism. On a continentengorged by rivers of dying men andboys, the value of a single human lifemust often have seemed to have lostits meaning, its relevance. Amid all thishorror, what could one life really mean?

Why would any single life be worththe risk?

Judge Weis’ law clerks, to a person,can recount that battlefield scene foryou upon request. But, thinking backnow, most of us never seem to havebeen told the rest of the History Channelglamour details – how the Third Armyoutwitted its adversaries, the tacticalbrilliance of the march toward theGerman border, the strategic role thedrive through Nancy played in thereconquest of Europe. On reflection,that’s probably just as Judge Weisprefers it.

What his law clerks can repeatabout Nov. 11, 1944, is only whatJudge Weis ever emphasized – how ithighlighted the bravery and heroismof another soldier. That soldier’s risks.In the retelling, Judge Weis serves asthe backdrop or prop for the truestory. And with each retelling, the sublime poignancy of Spielberg’s finalmovie scene comes crisply into focus.If the rescue of a life is truly heroic(and it certainly was that day inFrance), then the expectations of thelife rescued must be equal to the valor.The privilege of “earning” that rescuehas, perhaps, been motivating JudgeWeis his entire life.

Joseph Weis retired due to hiswounds from the U.S. Army in 1949,with the rank of captain. He was decorated with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster,and the Croix de Guerre with Palm.

He returned home to Pittsburgh,Penn., where he resumed his collegestudies at Duquesne University. Hethen enrolled at the University ofPittsburgh School of Law, earning his

J.D. in 1950 and serving as an editorand prolific student author with theUniversity of Pittsburgh Law Review.He was admitted to the PennsylvaniaBar that year and practiced law aspartner in a small firm, until he joinedhis father in 1952 to form Weis & Weis;his three brothers later joined thefamily practice. He became a judge ofthe Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in 1968, was confirmedto the U.S. District Court for the WesternDistrict of Pennsylvania in 1970, andwas then appointed to the U.S. Courtof Appeals for the Third Circuit in1973. Judge Weis assumed seniorstatus in 1988 and has continued toserve in that capacity since.

Judge Weis married his wife Peggy(Margaret Horne) in December 1958and she became his loyal mixed-doubles partner in tennis and in lifeuntil her passing in 2012. Together,they held court lovingly over a family of three children and, later,seven grandchildren.

Along his impressive tenure as astate and federal jurist, Judge Weisundertook a staggering array ofadministrative responsibilities. Heserved as chair of the U.S. JudicialConference’s Standing Committee onRules of Practice and Procedure,chair of the U.S. Judicial Conference’sAdvisory Committee on the CivilRules, and chair of the U.S. JudicialConference’s Committee on Experimentsof Videotape Trial Proceedings withinthe Third Circuit.

He was also chair of the ABA’sAppellate Judge’s Conference andchair of its Committee on Technologyand the Courts, as well as chair of theABA Committee on Design of CourtRooms and Court Facilities. He additionally served as chair of anInternational Judicial Conference of aJoint American-Canadian AppellateJudge’s Conference in Toronto. Hewas co-chair, together with Lord Justice of Appeal Michael Kerr, of theJoint American-English AppellateJudge’s Conference in London. He hasbeen a member of the U.S. JudicialConference’s Administration of theBankruptcy System Committee, theU.S. Judicial Conference’s Subcommitteeon Judicial Improvements, the U.S.Judicial Conference’s Committee onInternational Judicial Relations, andvarious of its task forces that meetwith judges of the Court of HumanRights in Strasbourg, France, theFederal Judges’ Conference on Delayof Criminal Cases, and the Conferenceof State Trial Judges.

Judge Weis was a participant in the Canadian-American ExchangeProgram when the American Collegeof Trial Lawyers organized a series ofconferences in Toronto, Montréal,Ottawa, and Washington. Judge Weiswas a member of the judicial delegation from the United Statesheaded by Chief Justice Rehnquistthat met with the Canadian judges andChief Justice Brian Dickson of theSupreme Court of Canada.

While a sitting judge, Judge Weisalso wrote more than 20 legal articles,taught at the Federal Judicial Center,was a member of the adjunct facultyat the University of Pittsburgh Schoolof Law, and participated as a memberof the Advisory Committee for theUniversity of Virginia School of Law’s Master of Laws in JudicialAdministration. He promoted pilotprojects for the Federal Judicial Center, supervised pilot projects onword processing, electronic mail, and videotape systems for the Court of Appeals, and pioneeredexperiments with the use of video-conferencing technology forappellate court arguments.

Among his achievements was hisleadership of the Federal Courts StudyCommittee, which he chaired from1989-1990 at the personal request ofChief Justice William H. Rehnquist.The committee was tasked, by mandateof the U.S. Congress, to conduct a“complete study” of the federal andstate courts, to recommend revisionsto the laws of the United States that it“deems advisable,” to craft a “long-rangeplan for the judicial system,” and tocomplete its work by transmitting itscomprehensive report to the president,the chief justice, the Congress, theU.S. Judicial Conference, the Conferenceof Chief Justices, and the States JusticeInstitute – all in 15 months.

Heading a 15-member committee,Judge Weis orchestrated this sprawlingtask and its (timely) submission of onehundred recommendations for improvingthe delivery of justice in the federalcourts. Rep. Robert W. Kastenmeier, amember of the committee, gaugedJudge Weis’ contributions this way:“As its chairman, it was he whobrought the Committee together,organized its work and through hisoutstanding leadership inspired theCommittee to produce a monumentalreport that will influence federal judicialreform for many years to come.”

Throughout his life, Attorney Weis(and later Judge Weis) came to earn avery peculiar and oft-repeated reputation.Former Chief Judge of the ThirdCircuit Ruggero J. Aldisert tells achapter from that tale especially well:

Over twenty years ago when I was aCommon Pleas Court Judge in Pittsburgh,I attempted to settle a case in whichDennis Harrington represented theplaintiff and Joseph F. Weis, Jr., thedefendant. Dennis told me with profound regret that his client couldnot accept from the defendant the settlement offer that I had hammeredout in chambers after intense negotiations.The case went to trial before anotherjudge and the jury subsequentlyreturned a defense verdict. I laterasked Dennis, “What happened?” Heresponded, “Joe just out-niced me!”

It is the quintessential Joseph F. Weis,Jr. – compiling a nearly unfathomablelegacy of achievement and distinction,all the while “out-niceing” the otherguy. Not competitively, or in pursuit ofsome immodest laurel. But simply,honestly, genuinely, and with his char-acteristic impish grin and easy laugh.

In 1988, the University of PittsburghLaw Review dedicated an issue to himas he assumed senior status. Theenormity of the praise bestowed onJudge Weis there is testament to theprofound and abiding impact hishand-print has left on lives and thelaw. Chief Justice Rehnquist praisedJudge Weis for having “never let thesolemnity expected of a judge obscurethe twinkle in his eye.”

Third Circuit Chief Judge Aldisertwrote: “Some do it better than others,but few do it better than he. Yet nonedo it as nice as Joe.”

Fellow Third Circuit Judge, the lateCarol Los Mansmann: “Lawyers continually pay him the highest ofprofessional compliments – theirrecognition that he has never forgottenthat he was once a lawyer.”

U.S. Solicitor General KennethStarr: “His magic lies in the fact thathe is a far-seeking judicial reformerwho at the same time is marvelouslyself-effacing and gracious. He listenswith care and respect.”

The late Dean W. Edward Sell, University of Pittsburgh School ofLaw: “Never have I heard a lawyercriticize Joe as a judge, even when thedecision was not what the lawyermight have desired. ...We and the profession are much the better becausehe walks and works in our midst.”

University of Pittsburgh ChancellorMark A. Nordenberg: “What isremarkable about the man ... extendsbeyond the quantity and quality of his professional accomplishments. Itincludes the way in which heapproaches life and particularly the

way in which he deals with other people. ... To merely report that JudgeWeis is greatly admired is somethingof an understatement. He enjoys thehighest professional respect and thedeepest personal affection.”

David B. Fawcett: “How does onewho constantly decides contentiouslitigation that lawyers and citizenscannot resolve themselves continuouslyreceive admiring accolades?”

Close friend and fellow Circuit JudgeLeonard Garth: “[His] presence helpsus to take heart against forebodings.”

In the years that followed, the accolades have only grown. In 1993,Judge Weis was selected by his peersin the federal judiciary to receive the prestigious Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to JusticeAward. That same year, West PublishingCompany dedicated a volume of theFederal Reporter in his honor.

In 2004, the Town of Montargis,France celebrated him with a paradeon the 60th anniversary of its liberation, replete with flag-wavingFrench children and elderly residentspushing through the crowd to glimpseone of the Americans who had giventhem back the gift of liberty. Thatsame year, the President of Franceinducted him into the French Legionof Honor.

In 2010, the Pittsburgh federalcourthouse enshrined the “Joseph F. Weis, Jr. Law Library” to his legacy.

A judicial clerkship with JudgeWeis has always been a coveted privilege for newly-minted lawyersbecause of the very special lessons itpromises. In his tireless commitmentto mastering the nuances of everylegal dispute that rose before him,Judge Weis gave us our work ethic. Inthe cavernous depth of his generosityof time, talents, and labors (to almostanyone who sought his assistance),Judge Weis showed us that days may be short, but they always stretchto accommodate the needs of others.In his unwavering insistence onpreparing the first drafts of each opinion that bore his name, JudgeWeis taught us the non-delegablenature of responsibility.

In his insistence to complete hisassigned tasks early and precisely,Judge Weis imparted his respect forthe legal profession and our duty todignify all who participate in it. In hisfrequent indictment of blind obedienceto The Bluebook’s Uniform System ofCitation, Judge Weis helped us appreciatethe inanity – at times – of artificiallystrident structure.

In his warmth and sincerity towardhis family and friends, Judge Weisproved for us that balance – in allthings – nurtures the soul. In hisunfailing politeness, good humor, gentleness, and respect for everyone,Judge Weis whispered us the secret ofliving a good life.

Many former law clerks todaycherish special memories of their timeas “Weis Guys.” Sprinkled liberallyamidst our many professional lessonsare warmly remembered images ofPhiladelphia dinners during argumentweeks, tall tales of tennis matches won(or unfairly lost), the raucous laughterof “contestants” battling for the winningscore in the “JoePardy” game of Weistrivia, the misty eyes listening toremarks at his formal portrait presentation ceremony, the spiritedchoruses of “Edelweiss” led by JudgeWeis at the annual Circuit Library holiday parties.

The great legacy of Hon. Joseph F.Weis, Jr. will persist long into a hopefulfuture through the pens, the hearts,and the commitment to excellence ofso very many young lawyers heshaped and guided.

Which, then, fittingly reserves thefinal word for Chester Wernecke,Army Soldier Joe Weis’ rescuer allthose many years ago: “All this time,he never forgot me.”

Well earned, Your Honor. Well earned. ■

areas of litigation, labor and employment, transportation law, arbitrations, and mediations.

People on the MoveEckert Seamans

Cherin and Mellott,LLC, hasannounced thatJoshua C. Vaughnhas joined the firmas an associate inthe Labor andEmployment prac-tice. He focuses hispractice on employ-ment litigation andcounseling.

Change in StatusMerrill J. Druggs is hereby suspended

forthwith from the practice of law inthe United States District Court forthe Western District of Pennsylvania,pending final determination of thediscipline to be imposed.

News and NotesEckert Seamans

Cherin & Mellott,LLC, is pleased toannounce thatFrank C. Botta, apartner in thefirm’s Labor andEmployment prac-tice and co-chairof the Transporta-tion Group, hasbeen elected assecretary/treasurerof the Transporta-

tion Lawyers Association (TLA). Inaddition to his duties as secretary/treasurer, he will serve as a votingmember of the TLA Executive Committee. He will next serve as second vice-president, then first vicepresident, president elect, and president.TLA is an independent, internationalbar association whose members assistproviders and commercial users oflogistics and transportation services.Botta focuses his practice in the

Bar Briefs

Frank C.Botta

Joshua C.Vaughn

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ESTATE PLANNING

IF YOUR CLIENTS ARE CONSIDERING CHARITABLEGIVING as part of their estate planning The PittsburghPresbytery Foundation can provide a means to supportcharitable work helping those in need throughout SWPennsylvania. For more information contact the Foundationat www.pghpresbytery.org/pghpresbyterianfdn.htm orRev. Dr. Douglas Portz at 412-323-1400 Ext 318.

Publicize Your Section and Committee News!The ACBA Communications Department is eager to promote any special activity ornewsworthy event emanating from your Committee or Section of interest to ACBAmembers, the media, or the general public. Email us at [email protected] with the following information:

◆ Name and description of the event

◆ Date, time, and place of the event

◆ Name(s) of the sponsoring Section/Committee(s)

◆ Name(s) of speakers and titles of presentations

◆ How many people do you expect to attend?

◆ Name and phone number of a contact person

◆ Will there be an admission fee or ticket sales? If so, how much?

◆ Are reservations needed to attend the event?

◆ Is there any other information you would like to share with us?

Thank you for your cooperation! ■

April 18, 2014 / Page 19

Documents

Lawyers Journal - Vol. 16, No. 8 - April 18, 2014 · 9 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 22. The elections close at 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 5. Only “active” and “honorary” members