May 5 Event to Honor Brown
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PHILADELPHIA ® April 2004 The Monthly Newspaper of the Philadelphia Bar Association Vol. 33, No. 4 SaveSave thethe Date:Date: May 5 Nov.Nov. 55 && 6,6, 20042004 Event to Justice Scalia Dennis W. Archer Honor Archer to Brown Join Scalia by Daniel A. Cirucci The Association will commemorate the at April 29 50th anniversary of the historic U.S. Sup- reme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education during Law Week on Wednes- day, May 5 with a program sponsored Quarterly jointly by the Association and the Phila- by Jeff Lyons delphia School District. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated “separate but equal” American Bar Association President public schools were unconstitutional and Dennis W. Archer will join U.S. Supreme that schools must be integrated “with all Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia as deliberate speed.” The half-day commem- a speaker at the Association’s April 29 oration is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Quarterly Meeting and Luncheon. the auditorium of the school district Tickets for the event are now available headquarters at 21st Street and the Park- for general sale. At the luncheon, the in- way and will conclude with a noon lun- augural Justice Antonin Scalia Award for cheon. An invited audience of about 200 Professional Excellence will be presented. will be composed of approximately one- The event will be held in the Grand third students, one-third educators and Ballroom at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia one-third lawyers. at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut streets. Philadelphia School District CEO Paul continued on page 14 Vallas and School Reform Commission Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa will host the Philadelphia Bar Association Bench-Bar Chair James Nevels will participate and Conference in November. the program will be televised on the new In This Issue ... school district television channel. Assoc- Bench-Bar Returns to Atlantic City iation Chancellor Gabriel L.I. Bevilacqua 5 Bar Foundation and Nevels are expected to offer opening by Daniel A. Cirucci new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on remarks on behalf of the Association and Nov. 5 and 6, 2004. 11 Bike-a-Thon the school district followed by a historical Chancellor Gabriel L.I. Bevilac- Bevilacqua appointed former review of the case. That will lead into a 12 YLD Annual Meeting qua has announced that Atlantic Board of Governors Chair Jeffrey M. live presentation of excerpts of actual City will welcome Philadelphia Lindy as chair of the conference. The arguments from the case delivered by 16 Phils’ New Home lawyers and judges once again Chancellor said that a preliminary John S. Bradway Mock Trial Competition when the Association convenes its Bench-Bar planning committee has 18 Career Q & A champions from Masterman High School. 40th Bench-Bar Conference at the continued on page 4 continued on page 3 KNIPES-COHEN COURT REPORTING 215-928-9300 COURT REPORTING • VIDEOGRAPHY • VIDEOCONFERENCING 400 Market Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 800-544-9800 • 215-928-9300 • Fax: 215-627-0555 The Ultimate Driving Machine Think Spring! BMW of North America is proud to announce that Otto's BMW is the only BMW Center in the area to receive the prestigious BMW Quality Trophy. It's an important symbol that a BMW Center has successfully passed one of the most thorough certification processes in the industry. For everyone at Otto's BMW, it meant many hard months of working together for more efficiency and better internal communications. One of the results is a higher set of customer satisfaction standards, so that your experience within Otto's BMW is as smooth as your drive out. Come into Otto's BMW QMS Center today and take us for a spin. 1275 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA - 610-399-6800 - ottosmini.com PHILADELPHIA 2 APRIL 2004 / BAR REPORTER Enrich Yourself While Helping Young Learn by Gabriel L.I. Bevilacqua determination of individual values to I know this from experience because as meet individual needs and circum- a young person competition in foren- Shake hands with your audience. FRONTLINE stances? It was sort of a collectivist vs. sics is where I learned not only to mas- I thought of that old rule of oratory individualist debate with practical, ter the English language but also to as I listened to a bright new crop of philosophical, political and sociological think clearly and logically, to frame my orators at two recent events. “Shake implications. Called upon to judge the arguments effectively, to speak persua- hands with your audience” is really the speakers and arguments on both sides sively and to gain so much confidence first rule of communication when you of the question I found myself immen- in my own abilities. This is how I dev- are up on your feet speaking to a sely impressed with the arguments and eloped an interest in the law and dec- group of people. Before you can do the oratory that I had witnessed. ided to become a lawyer. It would not anything else, you’ve got to make a Two nights later at the National have happened without the fine coach- vital human link with your audience. Constitution Center I encountered a es and teachers who helped me along Often, that means you’ve got to very similar situation as I observed the the way and inspired me. Plus, there make yourself vulnerable via a self- one might be tempted to conclude that final round of the John S. Bradway was an added bonus: at the Liberty deprecating joke, revealing anecdote or public rhetoric is increasingly non-cool Mock Trial Competition sponsored by Bell High School Debate Tournament personal revelation. You’ve got to put or downright quaint. But one would be Temple LEAP and our Young Lawyers here in Philadelphia I met my future yourself out there. wrong. Division. Lawyer and radio personality spouse. But now I’m veering back to Maybe that’s why, when asked to I know some young people who Michael Smerconish generously agreed the personal. give remarks in front of a group, the think it’s very cool. And their passion to serve as judge for the mock trial and And as I’ve already noted, that’s the first reaction of most people seems to and enthusiasm is contagious. I’m sure he was as impressed as I was logical beginning of a speech rather be: How do I get out of it? It takes I wish you could have been with with the presentations of these extraor- than the ending. So let me simply end courage to get up there and gain and me as I watched high school students dinary young people. Their ability to by urging you to get involved with hold the attention of an audience for participate recently in the regional think on their own two feet and pre- programs that help young people to any length of time at all solely through semifinals of the National Forensic sent their views convincingly was learn, grow and find their way in the the power of well-delivered phrases, League competition at LaSalle High breathtaking. Once again I left with a world. You will be enriched. And your sentences and ideas. It ain’t easy. In School. These immensely bright and feeling of deep admiration not just for hope in the future will be renewed and fact, even many very successful lawyers talented students debated a classic the students but also for the young strengthened. (not trial lawyers, of course) are petri- value proposition: Is society better lawyers who coached them. All of the efforts dedicated to moti- Gabriel L.I. Bevilacqua, a partner at Saul Ewing LLP, is fied of public speaking. served by the notion of the greatest Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. His e- But maybe we shouldn’t worry too good for the greatest number or by vating young people to think, write mail address is [email protected]. much about that. Because nowadays supremacy of the individual and the and speak effectively is time well spent. PHILADELPHIA BROWN ately following. Lawyers who have a town hall-type meeting and discussion continued from page 1 story to tell about their own experi- that will engage the entire audience. ences with the Brown decision may be The Brown commemoration was ann- Editor-in-Chief asked to participate in the program. By ounced last December by Chancellor Molly Peckman, Esq. This will be followed by “I Remem- relaying their recollections and experi- Bevilacqua who said, “we hope to ber Brown,” the recollections of Associa- ences with Brown, they may help make make this case come alive and pass on Associate Editor tion members who remember the deci- the Brown decision come alive for its enduring lessons for future genera- Sunah Park, Esq. sion. young people. tions. The fight to win equality – to Contributing Editor The Association is looking for law- No matter how insignificant your eliminate racism – continues 50 years Richard Max Bockol, Esq. yers old enough to remember the experience may seem, we are interested after Brown.” Brown decision and whose lives have in hearing about it. Lawyers interested Marsha Levick of the Board of Advisory Editors been touched in one way or another in participating should e-mail their Governors is chair of the Brown com- Bruce H. Bikin, Esq. by Brown. Many lawyers who are old stories to [email protected] or call memoration committee, which includes Merih O. Erhan, Esq. Marc W. Reuben, Esq. enough to remember Brown were ele- Dan Cirucci at (215) 238-6340. representatives of the school district, mentary school students at the time of The “I Remember Brown” portion of the Young Lawyers Division and the Director of Publications and New Media the decision and in the years immedi- the program will then be followed by a Barristers’ Association.