With Election Day approaching, the ACBA Judicial Excellence Committee (PAC) is asking you to help keep qualified judges on the bench.

While many members of the community may not fully understand the importance of retention elections, attorneys typically do understand the vital importance of keeping qualified judges on the bench. That’s why ACBA members are being asked to “Get out the Vote” and encourage your contacts to VOTE YES in this election.

The ACBA has launched a web page – www.ACBA.org/VoteYes – containing resources for members to use in spreading the word. On this page are templates for social media posts, emails, text messages, hand cards and more.
 

In addition to the hard copy edition that is sent to members through the mail, the Oct. 17 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. This is a Practice Area Profile special edition: “Focus on Taxation Law.”

Pumpking is in the air.

All members are invited to celebrate fall with your fellow members on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the bar association’s next Members-Only Happy Hour. Enjoy food, beverages and networking on the North Shore at Southern Tier Brewery from 5-7 p.m.

This event is not restricted to only the members of a particular committee, division, or section, making it truly one of the only chances to network with members from across the ACBA. Admission is just $10 and includes appetizers and your first drink, courtesy of Fragasso Financial Advisors. No CLE. No Seminar. Just Happy Hour.

ACBA Members:

Election Day is approaching, and many mail-in ballots are already on their way to Allegheny County residents.

The ACBA Judicial Excellence Committee (PAC) – which runs the campaign for Allegheny County Judges seeking retention – needs your help!

Let’s be honest: Retention elections are confusing, and – understandably – many people in the community are not familiar with how retention elections work. But you – the attorneys of Allegheny County – not only understand retention elections, but also understand the vital importance of keeping qualified judges on the bench.

The Judicial Excellence Committee – on behalf of the six Court of Common Pleas Judges who ACBA members recommended for retention and opted into the campaign – is asking you to not only vote YES yourself, but please encourage your families, friends, neighbors and colleagues to vote YES for the following judges: 

• The Hon. Alan D. Hertzberg
   
• The Hon. Beth A. Lazzara
   
• The Hon. Jennifer Staley McCrady
   
• The Hon. Hugh F. McGough
   
• The Hon. Dan Regan
   
• The Hon. Dwayne D. Woodruff 

Below are resources you can use to help get the word out. Obviously put this information into your own words and use whichever method you are most comfortable using to communicate.

HAND CARD

Click here for a printable hand card you can distribute to relatives, friends and neighbors to use when voting.

TEXT MESSAGE

Send this text message to encourage others to vote:

Hello! When voting in the upcoming election, you will see a series of “yes-no” retention election items on the ballot, asking if various judges should be retained for another 10-year term. As an attorney, I can tell you that my fellow lawyers at the Allegheny County Bar Association enthusiastically recommend these judges for retention. Please vote YES. Check out JudicialVote2025.org for more.

SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Post this on Facebook, LinkedIn or any social media platform you use:

Election Day is coming up, and here in Pennsylvania, you will see a “yes-no” retention election referendum on the ballot, asking if various judges should be retained for another 10-year term. As most of you know, I am an attorney, and I can tell you that my fellow lawyers and I at the Allegheny County Bar Association enthusiastically recommend the judges up for retention here in Allegheny County to be retained. Please vote YES. Check out JudicialVote2025.org for more information!

EMAIL OR LETTER

Click here for the template for a longer letter or email that you can use to send to your contacts.

TALKING POINTS

For in-person or phone conversations, use these helpful talking points here to make sure you’re hitting the key points.

These resources and more are available for ACBA members at ACBA.org/VoteYes.

The Allegheny County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees met last week, and in in the below video, ACBF President Bryan Neft offers a recap. Specifically he covers approval of the annual ACBF audit,  IOLTA funding, changes to the investment policies for the Foundation’s Endowment Fund and Lawyers Fund, and Saturday’s Pro Bono Rocks event.

ACBA President Amy Coco recaps the Oct. 7 Board of Governors Meeting. She covers updates on the Gender Bias Subcommittee, the Labor and Employment Law Section By-laws, Division-level elections and the ACBA PAC. Additionally, she mentions the upcoming Pro Bono Rocks and Members-Only Happy Hour events.

The ACBA is exploring the idea of forming a “Legacy Lawyers Committee” and will hold a townhall meeting on the topic on Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 12-1 p.m. on Zoom. The Legacy Lawyers Committee would be a committee for veteran, experienced lawyers who bring significant value to the ACBA, the profession and the community. The townhall meeting will cover the importance of preserving institutional knowledge; how experienced lawyers are offering mentorship and guidance; professional engagement opportunities post-retirement; pro bono and community service opportunities; and more.

If you have not renewed your ACBA membership for the 2025-26 bar year, the deadline to do so is tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 10. The bar year officially started on July 1, and the ACBA has granted a grace period for members to renew, but now that window is closing. Don’t wait, or you’ll miss out on all that an ACBA membership has to offer, including access to Committees, Divisions, and Sections, discounts on CLEs, networking opportunities, the opportunity to attend the Bench-Bar Conference and more.

For a snapshot of the benefits of becoming an ACBA member, click below. 

With Election Day approaching, the ACBA Judicial Excellence Committee (PAC) is asking you to help keep qualified judges on the bench.

While many members of the community may not fully understand the importance of retention elections, attorneys typically do understand the vital importance of keeping qualified judges on the bench. That’s why ACBA members are being asked to “Get out the Vote” and encourage your contacts to VOTE YES in this election; a convenient hand card is available below.

During the annual ACBA Elections in the spring, members overwhelmingly recommended for retention two Pa. Supreme Court Justices from Allegheny County, one Commonwealth Court Judge from Allegheny County, and seven Court of Common Pleas Judges whose terms are expiring.  Further, six of the Court of Common Pleas Judges have opted into the Judicial Excellence Committee’s retention campaign:

• Hon. Alan D. Hertzberg
• Hon. Beth A. Lazzara
• Hon. Jennifer Staley McCrady
• Hon. Hugh F. McGough
• Hon. Dan D. Regan
• Hon. Dwayne D. Woodruff

For more information on retention elections, the full list of the ACBA’s Judicial Candidate Ratings and Retention Candidate Ratings, visit www.JudicialVote2025.org.

The ACBA is inviting members to a free paper-shredding event in the parking lot at the Burns White Center at 48 26^th St. in Pittsburgh’s Strip District today – Thursday, Oct. 9 – from 2 to 3:30 p.m.  Thanks to the ACBA partners at Steel City Shredding, members can bring up to five boxes of papers to be shredded, right in front of your eyes, by Steel City Shredding's mobile shredding truck. There’s no cost for members, thanks to Burns White and Shred America Iron City, the event sponsors.