December 2004 The Monthly Newspaper of the Philadelphia Bar Association Vol. 33, No. 12 Chirls to Outline Agenda for 2005 as He Becomes Bar’s 78th Chancellor by Daniel A. Cirucci Election Guide You might say that Andrew A. Chirls, the Philadelphia Bar Associa- Featured Inside! • Meet the candidates for Bar offices in the tion’s 78th Chancellor, is a person of Dec. 7 election. Page 6 two different worlds. • Order tickets for the Annual Meeting One part of him seems to seek order online at www.philadelphiabar.org and structure. Another actively em- braces the dynamics of change, growth and even upheaval. One part is com- fellow student Larry Frankel and gain- fortable in the world of those who ed a life-partner along with his law de- have “made it”: partners, leaders, insid- gree. Andy and Larry have been to- ers. But another reaches out to those gether ever since, celebrating their 25th who struggle for acceptance and a real anniversary just last year. seat at the table. After law school, Chirls returned to For some, these two traits might the Philadelphia area to serve as a law appear to be at odds with one another. clerk to Judge Stanley Brotman of the But in Chirls they achieve harmony. U.S. District Court for the District of Born in Newark, N.J., and educated New Jersey. In 1982 he joined Wolf, in public schools, Chirls came to Phila- Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP as delphia to attend the University of an associate in the litigation depart- Pennsylvania where he majored in ment. In 1989, Chirls became a partner architecture and environmental design. in WolfBlock’s business litigation prac- Long fascinated by the 1960 film “In- tice group. Mentored by the likes of herit the Wind,” Chirls saw his true noted business litigation partners Frank calling was not architecture and he Poul and Barry Schwartz, Chirls is turned to the law. In so doing, he still today accomplished as both a commer- set out to pursue a profession that cial and a torts trial lawyer. He has nonetheless combined structure and been class counsel in securities litiga- creativity, change and stability. At the tion and has had a leading role in per- University of California’s Boalt Hall sonal injury class actions. He has also School of Law at Berkeley, Chirls met continued on page 3 Andrew A. Chirls Four to Be Honored at Annual Meeting Dec. 7 In This Issue ... 6 Election Guide by Jeff Lyons Undercofler, former Chancellor Joseph 1980, he was sworn in as a judge of the H. Foster and posthumously to Judge Superior Court of Pennsylvania by 11 2005 Budget Former Pennsylvania Supreme Court William M. Marutani at the same event. then-Gov. Dick Thornburgh. In 1983, he Justice Frank J. Montemuro Jr. will re- Justice Montemuro is a senior judge was elected to a 10-year term to the 12 Bench-Bar Conference ceive the Association’s Wachovia Fidel- with the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Superior Court. He was appointed to the 15 Hamilton Ball ity Award at the Association’s Annual He was appointed to the Court of Pennsylvania Supreme Court by Gov. Meeting on Dec. 7. The Association will Common Pleas in 1964 and was elected Robert Casey in 1992. Justice 19 Arts & Media also present the Bar Medal to J. Clayton to a second 10-year term in 1975. In continued on page 5 KNIPES-COHEN COURT REPORTING 215-928-9300 ROBERT J. MARANO, Esq., MARKETING DIRECTOR COURT REPORTING • VIDEOGRAPHY • VIDEOCONFERENCING 400 Market Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 800-544-9800 • 215-928-9300 • Fax: 215-627-0555 PHILADELPHIA 2 DECEMBER 2004 / BAR REPORTER New Web Site Won’t Replace Personal Touch by Gabriel L.I. Bevilacqua You can’t shake someone’s hand on a Web site. You can’t have a real, It’s new. It’s vivid. It’s attractive and FRONTLINE helpful and easy to use. It’s the Phila- live face-to-face conversation with someone on a Web site. Yes, you can delphia Bar Association’s new Web site “meet” on the Web, but it’s just not the same as meeting in real life. and, after more than a year in planning and design, it’s coming in the spring of 2005. Sophisticated new Web sites are not are held at other sites throughout the conducted countless in-person meet- created overnight. It is a difficult and city. As Chancellor I’ve taken a special ings with local, regional, state and even time-consuming endeavor. Numerous interest this year in our meetings and national officials. Some of these ses- stakeholders have to be brought into events. I wanted them not only to be sions have been informal and more the process and every aspect of the site well attended but also to be a reflec- social in nature. Some have been more has to be thoroughly considered and real life. tion of the diversity of our Association. formal and business related. Some thought through. But if all of the right That’s one of the reasons why the I wanted participants to come away have been a combination of both. But elements are included from the begin- Philadelphia Bar Association still has a from Bar meetings or sessions feeling all have been important. Certainly, one ning the site usually gets off to a good Chancellor’s Reception every January connected to colleagues, to the profes- of the major issues that we have tack- start, proves to be useful and winds up and why I know that my very able sion and to the Association. led in this manner has been city tax having a reasonably long and effective successor Andy Chirls will have a great I think you can make a big differ- policy and the region’s economic vital- life. time greeting a huge throng of friends ence when you meet with people face- ity. I hope that those who are in a We’re making sure that once our and colleagues on Jan. 6. Imagine a to-face. position to develop and alter public new Web site is up and operating there virtual Chancellor’s Reception conduct- Dialogue is important but human policy now have a better understand- will be a lot of things you’ll be able to ed over the Internet. Efficient perhaps, contact is even more important. It ing of our views in this area. But just do just by logging onto philadelphi- but cold and heartless. Surely, it helps to increase understanding among as critical is the fact that they now abar.org. In many ways the new site wouldn’t work and isn’t something we individuals and groups. know who we are and why we feel the will be a virtual bar association. would want to try. And by the way, the So, I’ve made it a point to invite way we do. They have a better sense of But there are some things we will food and drink wouldn’t be nearly as people from outside our usual circle of us as real, live citizens, employers, pro- never be able to do on a Web site. You good. colleagues to our quarterly meetings continued on page 20 can’t shake someone’s hand on a Web This year we’ve made a special and other Bar events. They have site. You can’t have a real, live face-to- effort to bring as many people togeth- included our local and statewide polit- face conversation with someone on a er, live and in person, as often as we ical leaders and the leaders of the Web site. You can’t share the pride in a can. So, on any given day, our confer- many constituent groups that support parents’ eye in the success of a child ence rooms at Bar headquarters are the Bar Association. It’s important that nor the pain of an illness on a Web filled with members and meetings and we hear from many different sectors Editor-in-Chief site. Yes, you can “meet” on the Web, camaraderie. And countless Bar and points of view. In addition, this Molly Peckman, Esq. but it’s just not the same as meeting in Association and Bar-related meetings year your Bar Association leaders have Associate Editors Sunah Park, Esq. Lawrence S. Felzer, Esq. CHIRLS Pennsylvania arising from discrimina- thing” and make a practical, positive Heather J. Holloway, Esq. tion based on AIDS or HIV status. difference in the lives of others, but also Stacey Z. Jumper, Esq. continued from page 1 Asima Panigrahi, Esq. At the Philadelphia Bar Association, to help the city to grow and prosper. tried a wide array of commercial cases Chirls has served as chair of the Board In a shrinking world he sees a Phil- Contributing Editor including those involving acquisition of Governors in 2000 and on the Com- adelphia that is more international and Richard Max Bockol, Esq. of land for major public projects, mission on Judicial Selection and Ret- connected to every corner of the globe. employment issues and disputes over ention. He was elected Vice Chancellor A resident of Center City, Chirls has Advisory Editors Bruce H. Bikin, Esq. religious property. of the Association in 2002. He served in also served as general counsel and a Merih O. Erhan, Esq. Dating back to law school at Berk- that role in 2003 and is now complet- member of the board of the Prince Marc W. Reuben, Esq. eley, Chirls worked on gay rights cases ing his term as Chancellor-Elect.