In today’s day and age, when a potential client calls, the expectation is they’ll get a live person or a return call almost instantly. If not, they’ll quickly move on to the next attorney. The ACBA partners at LawyerLine provide a third-party call center where highly trained receptionists field your calls and even perform intake; the goal is for clients/potential clients to feel like they’re talking to your receptionist, not a call center. ACBA members get a discount: enjoy LawyerLine’s gold platform for just $2.25 per minute, reduced from the regular price of $3 per minute.

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 Allegheny County Bar and has an active practice in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is eligible for this scholarship if they choose to attend Yale University or the successor schools of the University of Paris.

ACBA members can save 15 percent off the newest American Bar Association book releases at Shop ABA with the discount code, ACBARI.

The ABA’s Science & Technology Law Section just published Demystifying AI through Due Diligence and Data Management: A Governance Guide. This book is written for lawyers, consultants, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and everyone else looking to understand what questions to ask to identity and manage the risks associated with AI technologies and applications. The book draws from researching publications from leading academic institutions such as MIT and Stanford, as well as books written by legal scholars and mathematicians, non-profit organizations focused on information security and AI, and private-sector technology companies such as IBM, OpenAI, Meta, and Google, among others. Additional new releases include:

• The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work-Product Doctrine, Seventh Edition
• Defense of Justice: Transformational Tales from the Trenches
• A Legal Strategist's Guide to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Practice, Fifth Edition
• The Lawyer's Guide to Relocation: From File to Trial

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means the holiday season is officially here. ACBA members are invited to celebrate with their fellow members, as numerous Committees, Divisions and Sections are hosting holiday parties throughout the season.

Dec. 2 – Federal Court Section – 4 p.m. – Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U.S. Courthouse  (Follows a CLE)

Dec. 2 – Environment and Energy Law Section – 4:30 p.m. – Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney

Dec. 3 – Construction Law Section – 5 p.m. – Engineers’ Society of Western Pa. (Follows a CLE)

Dec. 4 – Sole and Small Firm Practitioners Section – 5 p.m. – Aspen

Dec. 5 – Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – 5 p.m. – Westin (Follows Bankruptcy Symposium)

Dec. 9 – Family Law Section – 5 p.m. – Aspen

Dec. 9 – Young Lawyers Division – 5 p.m. – PA Market

Dec. 10 – Criminal Litigation Section – 4:30 p.m. – Mitchell’s Pub

Dec. 10 – Probate and Trust Law Section – 5 p.m. – Embassy Suites (Follows a CLE)

Dec. 10 – Workers’ Compensation Section – 5 p.m. – Rivers Club (Follows a CLE)

Dec. 11 – Taxation Section – 5 p.m. – Engineers’ Society of Western Pa. (Follows a CLE)

Dec. 11 – Women in the Law Division – 5 p.m. – Roost

Dec. 17 – Civil Litigation Section – 5 p.m. – Embassy Suites

Dec. 18 – Homer S. Brown Division – 6 p.m. – Emerald City

Jan. 15 – Real Property/Corporate, Banking and Business Law Sections – 5 p.m. – Tequila Cowboy

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.

Every year, the ACBA Women in the Law Division presents the Carol Los Mansmann Helping Hand Award to an individual who embodies Judge Mansmann’s values and dedication to advancing and improving women lawyers’ roles in the legal profession. Now is the time to submit nominations for this year’s award.

Nominees for the award may be any member of the ACBA at any juncture of their career who not only excel in their legal career but also dedicate themselves to elevating others in the profession through their mentorship. Nominations of those who have contributed significantly to the WLD are highly encouraged. Submit your nominee’s name, along with examples of how they embody Judge Mansmann’s values and/or reasons they are deserving of the Helping Hand Award. Please be as descriptive as possible and feel free to supplement with additional information, such as articles, website links, etc. Submit nominations using this form to Amber Archer at ala@ssf-lawfirm.com by noon on Dec. 31.

The Nov. 28 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 ACBA Knowledge Center is the premier resource library for legal professionals. Explore this library of content and resources from the ACBA, as well as experts and providers across the legal industry. These resources include timely, actionable research from the ACBA as well as third-party resources that are designed to be helpful to your organization.

In addition to the hard copy edition that is sent to members through the mail, the Nov. 28 edition of the Lawyers Journal — the ACBA’s flagship publication featuring substantive legal articles and stories of interest to the legal community — is available digitally on the ACBA website and at the button below.

The ACBA Health and Wellness Committee is forming a walking team for the annual Pittsburgh Marathon – scheduled for Sunday, May 3 – and all members are encouraged to participate. Participants will walk the 13.1-mile half marathon course. ACBA members get a 50 percent discount off of regular registration prices; members who choose not to walk can participate in other ways, such as in cheering sections along the course.

To register, use the code ACBADSGPM26 at the below link. For more information, email Mary Ann Fiorilli at mfiorilli@acba.org.