The May 16 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.

ACBA members can attend the upcoming ABA CLE, “Learning From the Past to Protect the Future: Underscoring the Importance of the Rule of Law in the USA” on Tuesday, May 27 at 9:30 a.m. The program is part of a new ABA CLE Series – “The Rule of Law in America” – a new CLE series that explores the integrity of our legal system and the vital role of an independent judiciary and features expert discussions on safeguarding the rule of law, preserving public trust, and ensuring justice remains free from political influence. View programs in the series. Use the promo code ROLIA5FREE for free access. Note: The ABA CLE offer is free only to ACBA members who are also current members of the ABA. Click here for more.

The “Green Event” scholarship fundraiser – one of the most unique annual events on the ACBA calendar – will feature an evening of food, beverages and networking in the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden on Wednesday, May 21 beginning at 5 p.m. The goal of the event is to raise money for the ACBA Environment and Energy Law Section Scholarship Fund.

In addition to breathtaking views of the grounds, the event will feature comments from Keith Kaiser, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, who will cover the Garden’s mission, environmental history and sustainability efforts. The event also will feature the presentation of a scholarship check to this year’s recipient. Thank you to Title Sponsor Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. for sponsoring this event.

The ACBA Softball League is gearing up for another season. The regular season begins in late May and runs through August, with playoffs to follow. The league is open to all attorneys, law students, and full-time employees of law firms. Participants can enter a full team or join as an individual. There are no gender restrictions. Those interested in joining the league or learning more about it, contact commissioner Bradley Whitecap at bwhitecap@reedsmith.com.

If you’re considering a job change this year, the Pittsburgh Legal Community’s top resource for legal job postings is the ACBA Job Board. Firms, corporate legal departments and legal services departments post positions frequently, including those directly targeting the Pittsburgh Legal Community. For more information, contact Jennifer Pulice, the ACBA’s Director of Legal Employment Services, at jpulice@acba.org.

ACBA members who are also current ABA members can attend the upcoming ABA CLE, “Learning From the Past to Protect the Future: Underscoring the Importance of the Rule of Law in the USA” on Tuesday, May 27 at 9:30 a.m. The program is part of a new ABA CLE Series – “The Rule of Law in America” – a new CLE series that explores the integrity of our legal system and the vital role of an independent judiciary and features expert discussions on safeguarding the rule of law, preserving public trust and ensuring justice remains free from political influence. View programs in the series – use the promo code ROLIA5FREE for free access.

ACBA members and their families are invited to join the ACBA Community Service Committee for the group’s “Spring Cleaning” event this Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The ACBA is partnering with Allegheny CleanWays for a morning of collecting litter and beautification. The group will meet at Bloomfield Park, 408 Ella St, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Parking is available under the Bloomfield Bridge off of Ewing Street, and also along Ella Street. Volunteers should meet at the Deck Hockey Rink. Note that participation will involving walking and cleaning up litter. Gloves and grabbers will be provided, as well as hats, donuts and refreshments.

ACBA Members are encouraged to participate in the annual elections, which open at 12 a.m. this Monday, May 19, and close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4.

Eligible members can cast ballots to elect the association’s next President-Elect, Secretary, division leaders, and new members of both the Board of Governors and the Judiciary Committee. This year, the ACBA elections will run concurrently with the retention referendum that occurs every two years; ACBA members are asked to vote as to whether or not judges should be retained in their positions. Members in the active and honorary membership classes as of April 1, 2025, are eligible to vote.

As in recent years, voting will be conducted exclusively online. On May 19, eligible members will receive an email containing instructions and unique login credentials. To prevent delivery issues, members are advised to add noreply@directvote.net to their safe sender list or consult with their IT departments to do so. Members who do not receive the voting email by May 20 should reach out to Jennifer Pulice at jpulice@acba.org.

In addition to the hard copy edition that is sent to members through the mail, the May 16 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.

Members are invited to celebrate the end of the bar year with the latest in the “All Rise (A Glass)” happy hour series tonight – Thursday, May 15 – at 5 p.m. at JLL. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beverages and networking with your fellow members and personnel from the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Civil Division. Thank you to E.L.K. Independent Medical Expert Network and JLL for sponsoring this event.