October 2015 Supreme Court Candidates Discuss Judicial Ethics Q by Amanda J
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Philadelphia ® The Monthly Newspaper of the Philadelphia Bar Association Vol. 44, No. 10 October 2015 Supreme Court Candidates Discuss Judicial Ethics Q By Amanda J. Dougherty ence Center in Philadelphia. Four of the seven candidates partici- The last time Pennsylvania had pated in the forum: Hon. Christine L. three positions available on its Supreme Donahue, Superior Court, Allegheny Court was when William Penn was gov- County; Hon. Kevin M. Dougherty, ernor. This momentous occasion comes Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia Photo by Thomas Rogers Thomas by Photo Moderator Carl A. Solano, partner, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP (left), in the wake of various scandalsimpacting County; Hon. Michael A. George, with four of the 2015 judicial candidates for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the court. It was thus no surprise that President Judge, Court of Common (from left) Hon. Christine L. Donahue, Superior Court, Allegheny County; Hon. judicial ethics was a dominating topic at Pleas, Adams County; and Hon. David Kevin M. Dougherty, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County; Hon. Michael A. the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Deci- George, President Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Adams County; and Hon. David N. Wecht, Superior Court, Allegheny N. Wecht, Superior Court, Allegheny County; at Decision 2015: Supreme Court sion 2015: Supreme Court Candidates County. Judge Donohue led opening Candidates Forum on Sept. 18. Forum on Sept. 18, at the PBI Confer- continued on page 14 Introducing the Philadelphia Bar As- ® sociation Visa Rewards Credit Card Philadelphia Bar Association Annual Gold Sponsor Philadelphia Bar Association members now have card, cardholders have the option to transfer their other credit access to everything Sb1 Federal card balances over without paying any additional Credit Union offers, including fees. their own point-earning Sb1 Federal Credit Union is a local, not-for- In This Issue Philadelphia Bar Association profit financial cooperative. Originally founded in Visa® Rewards credit card. The 1977, it has evolved into a full-service, member- 2 new Philadelphia Bar Association oriented financial institution servicing more Board Resolution Visa® Rewards credit card than one hundred companies across the country 4 Pro Bono Week comes packed with a long list of and within the Philadelphia community. 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Board Supports Commission’s School- Funding Formula Q By Thomas Rogers General Assembly to pass a 2015-2016 budget, followed Access to quality education is vital to students in by effecting an immediate increase in education funding Pennsylvania in order to prepare them for long-term eco- In 2014, the Pennsylvania state legislature estab- of at least $410 million and implementing the Commis- nomic well-being and give them the ability to provide for lished the Basic Education Funding Commission (Com- themselves and their families. “The Commonwealth’s lack mission) through Act 51 to review and make recommen- Pennsylvania currently ranks of a fair budget and fair funding formula has resulted in dations related to basic education funding in the state. In our schoolchildren suffering yearly with less and less” said recent years, nearly $1 billion has been stripped from basic as the state with the greatest Erin E. Lamb, chair elect of the Young Lawyers Division. state education funding, with the state’s public schools divide between its highest- “Supporting this movement places the Association at the bearing the brunt. The Commission was established in heart of the fight to force the Commonwealth to make response to funding disparities that have been aggravated and lowest-spending school the constitutional right to a ‘thorough and efficient’ public by these cuts in spending. districts. According to the education system for all children a reality in Pennsylvania.” Pennsylvania currently ranks as the state with the great- National Center for Education The Philadelphia Bar Association supports the Com- est divide between its highest- and lowest-spending school mission and its funding formula in order to afford all districts. According to the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Secretary of Pennsylvania’s students quality education in order for Statistics and the U.S. Secretary of Education, poorer dis- of Education, poorer districts in them to become proficient in the skills necessary to com- tricts in Pennsylvania, like Philadelphia, spend 33 percent pete successfully in the global economy. less on each student than their wealthier counterparts. The Pennsylvania, like Philadelphia, Commission has proposed a school-funding formula that spend 33 percent.less on each For More Information would more equitably distribute state aid to Pennsylvania’s student than their wealthier public school districts by considering things like current To view the full resolution, visit philadelphiabar.org. enrollment, poverty levels and ability to fund schools counterparts. through local taxes. The Board of Governors unanimously adopted a sion’s formula. The increase in funding would help to resolution on Sept. 21 supporting the work of the Com- restore past cuts and bring districts back to the 2010 fund- mission. The resolution urges Gov. Tom Wolf and the ing level as a base year. 2 Philadelphia Bar Reporter October 2015 philadelphiabar.org Frontline Editor-in-Chief Heather J. Austin, Esq. Closing Ranks Associate Editors By Albert S. Dandridge III Earlier in the year, I wrote a Regina Parker, Esq. column titled “Walking Point” Thomas L. Bryan, Esq. (a military term for taking the Julia Swain, Esq. lead), where I talked about a Mary-Kate Martin (née Breslin), Esq. Benjamin F. Johns, Esq. potential collaboration between Annie Kernicky, Esq. the Philadelphia Bar Associa- Lauren A. Strebel, Esq. tion’s Military Affairs Commit- Amanda Dougherty, Esq. tee and the Veterans Multi- Elisa C. Advani, Esq. Service Center (VMC) here in Maureen M. Farrell, Esq. Philadelphia. VMC provides Advisory Editor services, programs, opportunity Molly Peckman, Esq. and advancement to veterans of the U.S. Military and their Director of Communications families. VMC also serves more than 2,500 area veterans from and Marketing World War II to our current active duty, guard and reserve service Meredith Z. Avakian-Hardaway members, by providing meals, housing, transportation and other Executive Director services to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. I reported that Mark A. Tarasiewicz myself; my law partner, J. Denny Shupe, co-chair of the Military The Philadelphia Bar Reporter (ISSN 1098- Affairs Committee; Dianna Schwartz, executive director of the 5352) is published monthly and available by Military Assistance Project; Arlene Rivera Finkelstein, executive subscription for $45 per year by the Philadel- director of the Toll Public Interest Center at the University of phia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2911. Periodicals Pennsylvania Law School; and Colleen France, director of the JD/ postage paid at Philadelphia, PA POSTMASTER: MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, met Send address changes to Philadelphia Bar Re- with Tim Williams, executive director of VMC and his staff. I Project, expungement of non-conviction criminal records by the porter, c/o Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107- also reported that we discussed ways in which our attorneys, and Criminal Records Expungement Project, and landlord-tenant 2955. Telephone: (215) 238-6300. Association law and JD/MBA students from the University of Pennsylvania disputes by the Penn Housing Rights Project. Web site: philadelphiabar.org. Newspaper e- There will also be workshops given on GI Bill claims by the mail address: [email protected]. The edi- Law School, can help veterans. I asked you to stay tuned for more torial and other views expressed in the Phila- information. Wharton Veterans Club and child custody/support and domestic delphia Bar Reporter are not necessarily those We are now “closing ranks.” (When “walking point,” if the tar- violence issues by Philadelphia Legal Assistance’s Custody and of the Association, its officers or its members. Advertising rates and information are available get is spotted, those “walking point” will signal to the remainder Support Assistance Clinic. Additional workshops will take place from Don Chalphin at American Lawyer Media, of the patrol to “close ranks” in order to meet the objective). On on Nov. 14, 2015, and in February, March and April of 2016. 1617 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19103. Oct. 16, 2015, the Military Assistance Project and the University We are also exploring ways to get more of our attorneys involved. Telephone: (215) 557-2359 or e-mail dchal- [email protected]). of Pennsylvania Law School’s Service Members and Veterans Legal Continue to stay tuned. Assistance Project are teaming up to provide legal help to veterans I would again like to thank Denny; Patrick Murphy, co-chair of at the VMC here in Philadelphia and in Coatesville, Pa. The legal the Military Affairs Committee; Dianna; Arlene; and Colleen for services will be provided by the students and attorneys. During “walking point” on this project. the summer, VMC was working with Stephen Iacovo, first-year law student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Albert S. Dandridge III ([email protected]), partner and chief veteran, to set up some of the programs.