PBA-Supported Child Custody Bill Passes House

House Bill 1639, sponsored by Rep. Kathy Manderino (D-Montgomery and Philadelphia), was passed by the House 191-0 on June 14. The bill, which the PBA vigorously supported, amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) and Title 42 (Judiciary) to comprehensively revise Pennsylvania's child custody laws. The legislation specifies that custody awards must be based on the best interest of the child. Best interest determinations must be based on consideration of all relevant factors, a number of which are specified, and weighted consideration must be given to factors that impact the child's safety. The court must state its reasons for the custody decision on the record. The bill also includes a framework for a court to use when making decisions in child relocation cases.

Additional information on the bills, as well as other legislation and state Capitol happenings of interest to the PBA, is available by e-mailing the PBA Legislative Department and by checking the PBA Legislative Boxscore.

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PRLawyer.com - Great Site for Marketing Strategies

Looking for tips on how to market yourself or your firm?

Head over to the "PR Lawyer"

www.prlawyer.com

Recent topics include...

- Updates on LinkedIn policies
- How to Monitor Your Online Reputation
- Tips on Firm Photos and Headshots


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Westmoreland County Rules Change

CIVIL RULES CHANGES

Per an Order of Court dated November 10, 2009, Westmoreland County Rules of Civil Procedure W1915.4-3(a) and W1915.15 were rescinded and new Rules

W1915.4-3(a) and W1915.15 were adopted, effective December 28, 2009.

ORPHANS¹ COURT RULES CHANGES

Per an Order of Court dated September 17, 2009, Westmoreland County Rules of Orphans¹ Court WO301 and WO302 were rescinded and new Rules WO301, WO302, WO303, WO304, and WO305 were adopted, effective November 2, 2009.

Westmoreland County Rules of Court are available on our Web site at

http://www.westbar.org/local_rules.

PBA President Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

The following article was copied from the January 4, 2009 PBA E-News:

PBA President Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee

On Dec. 29, by invitation, PBA President Clifford E. Haines testified before the House Judiciary Committee on bills and issues supported by the PBA that are now before the committee. Specifically, President Haines testified as to the bar's position in favor of the following measures:

• House Bill 1956, sponsored by Rep. Glen Grell (R-Cumberland), the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act, which updates the Uniform Arbitration Act promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission in 1955 and adopted in Pennsylvania;
  
  
• HB 967, sponsored by Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Philadelphia), which amends the Adoption Act to include several additional grounds for termination of parental rights, thereby helping to foster permanency for children and consistency with the Juvenile Act and the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act;
  
  
• Senate Bill 628, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), which prohibits the imposition of the death sentence in cases of mental retardation, defines mental retardation and specifies relevant procedures;
  
  
• Merit selection of appellate justices and judges in Pennsylvania, presently called for by HB 1619 and HB 1621, sponsored by Rep. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny), noting that the PBA requests, as the organization designated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as most broadly representative of the interest of lawyers in Pennsylvania, that it have identified representation on any commission that selects qualified individuals to be appellate justices and judges;
  
  
• HB 1079, sponsored by Rep. Ronald Waters (D-Philadelphia), which increases juror compensation from $9 daily for the first three days and $25 daily thereafter to $40 daily; and
  
  
• HB 1411, sponsored by Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York), which bans the use of live animals for targets at trap shoots or block shoots;
  

Haines also discussed the formation of a PBA commission to study the need for state constitutional revision.

Additional information on the bills, as well as other legislation and state Capitol happenings of interest to the PBA is available by e-mailing the PBA Legislative Department and by checking the PBA Legislative Boxscore.

Pictured at right is Haines with members of the House Judiciary Committee.

iPhone tricks, tips and apps for attorneys - Webinar

The following webinar offer was emailed to Michael V. Quatrini last night:

iPhone Tips, Tricks and Apps for Lawyers

Friday, January 8th at 1:00 EST

Register At - http://execsense.com/details.asp?id=433 or Call (415) 453-3003

In iPhone Tips, Tricks & Apps for Lawyers, ExecSense shares quick and easy ways to
truly capitalize on all that an iPhone has to offer for a lawyer. Take the 60 minutes to
view this webinar (on your computer, mobile phone, iPod or printed out) to update your
knowledge on how other lawyers are getting the most out of their iPhones, as many
features, settings and new applications are not used by lawyers that can significantly
improve it's value to you as a resource, as long as you know how to use them.
If you cannot call-in to attend the webinar and view the presentation at 1:00 EST Friday,
January 8th, ExecSense will email you the PowerPoint, audio and supplementary files by
the next day for viewing at your convenience (you simply need to register before the
webinar occurs). The webinar is led by Ahmer Khan, an expert on helping lawyers get
the most out of their iPhones, and focuses on:

A tour of your iPhone, specifically for lawyers, with suggestions, tips and tricks on
doing more with your email, phone, contacts, messages/sms and calendar

A list of 15 must-have applications for lawyers, how to easily install and use them,
and why it will immediately make you more productive and efficient while away
from the office.

Price: $250 (1 Person) or $500 (Access All Webinars for 1 Year & Free Pass for
Colleague to Attend This Webinar)

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ACBA Articles on Netbooks / Law Firm Websites

The December 18, 2009 edition of the Lawyer's Journal, a weekly publication of the Allegheny County Bar Association, had two interesting articles on legal technology:

- Netbooks Offer a Lightweight and Wireless Computer Option (page 5)

- Law Firm Website Basics: From Design to Content (page 6)

Read both articles here:

http://www.acba.org/ACBA/Publications/Lawyers-Journal.asp

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The North Face Sues The South Butt for Trademark Infringement

Article originally published on ABA Journal Online:

The North Face Apparel Co. has filed a trademark infringement suit against a teen who started a company called The South Butt to help pay for college.

The North Face’s tag line is “Never Stop Exploring'' while The South Butt sells products with the tag line “Never Stop Relaxing,” according to the Associated Press. The South Butt’s founder, Jimmy Winkelmann, has said the fleece jackets and other clothing sold by his company are intended to mock people who wear brand-name clothing sold by outfitters like The North Face, the Missourian reports.

Read the entire article:

http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/article/the_north_face_sues_the_south_butt_for_trademark_infringement

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