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Last spring, the ACBA went live with MemberCentral, a new Bar Association Management System. MemberCentral is a leader in the bar association industry and will improve your member experience by streamlining website navigation, simplifying event registration and improving your overall experience with the “My ACBA Hub.” With the system now live, it is time to take ownership of your ACBA membership account:

• Step 1 - Click here.
• Step 2 - Create your new Login/Password, and verify or update your contact/demographic information.
• Step 3 - Start exploring and enjoying our new Platform.

Email staff@acba.org for additional assistance.

Volunteers are needed for the ACBA “Wills for Heroes” event on Saturday, March 1 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the VFW Post 418, 1242 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks. Attorney drafters, witnesses and notaries are needed to prepare basic estate planning documents including wills, durable financial powers of attorney and healthcare powers of attorney for active and retired first responders and military veterans free of charge. Attorneys volunteering to draft documents must have malpractice insurance.

Training on the software used for drafting will be provided in advance of the event. Those interested in volunteer should contact Joanne Parise at jparise@williamscoulson.com, Paige Tamecki at ptamecki@edgarsnyder.com or Alyssa Zottola at azottola@palawfirm.com.

Members are invited to join the ACBF in packing dry food boxes to be distributed to those in need throughout March at Rainbow Kitchen on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 12 to 3 p.m. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the community while working alongside other dedicated volunteers. Sign up by emailing Mya Ras at the button below.

Some people are fortunate enough to know exactly what they want to do with their lives from the time they are young. However, not everyone has such a clear set of career objectives. The below article covers more. For more on ACBA Legal Employment Services, contact Jennifer Pulice at jpulice@acba.org.

The Kennedy T. Friend Scholarship Fund was established by the will of Kennedy T. Friend, a distinguished member of the ACBA who passed in London, England in 1929. Any child of an attorney who is a member of the bar association, and/or who has their principal practice in Allegheny County, is eligible for this scholarship if they chose to attend Yale University or the University of Paris, France.

The Pittsburgh Legal Journal – the official legal journal of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas containing trial lists, legal notices, sheriff sales and more – is published five days per week and is available only to subscribers. It is delivered via email as an easy-to-print, 8.5x11-inch pdf. For an informational video on the PLJ, click here.

The ACBA Criminal Litigation Section is collecting donations to purchase a commemorative bench from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation – to be placed in the Allegheny County Courthouse – in honor and recognition of the Hon. Alexander Bicket, who passed away on Dec. 2.

Checks should be made payable to “ACBA” and sent to the below address. Please note this donation is not tax-deductible.

Allegheny County Bar Association
Attn: Juli Marhefka
400 Koppers Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Email Juli Marhefka at the button below for more.

The Feb. 21 edition of Pittsburgh Legal Journal Opinions is available online. The Pittsburgh Legal Journal publishes timely, precedent-setting, full-text opinions from various divisions of the Court of Common Pleas. Opinions that appeared in past editions are available in a searchable database here; members must be logged in to the ACBA website to access this database.

The Allegheny County Bar Foundation is now accepting applications for loans and scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. Eligible students can apply for scholarships through the following funds:

• Environment and Energy Law Section Scholarship Fund
• F.C. Grote Fund
• James I. Smith, III Notre Dame Law School Scholarship Fund
• Hon. Carol Los Mansmann Fund
• ACBA Young Lawyers' Division Scholarship Fund
• Daniel B. Dixon Scholarship Fund

New this year: Loans available through the Louis Little Attorneys’ Memorial Fund have increased from $3,000 to $5,000.

To apply online and learn more about each scholarship, click the button below. For questions, please contact Stephanie Selya at 412-402-6674 or sselya@acba.org.