All members are invited to join the Hispanic Attorneys Committee at the ACBA Cinco de Mayo Celebration on Tuesday, May 5 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at La Palapa Mexican restaurant on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The event will feature food, beverages and celebration of Hispanic culture.

Interested in having a web chat feature for your website? A limited number of ACBA members can get a free “chat bot” from the ACBA partners at the Fount team at JustAnswer LLC, who have spent more than 12 years building “Pearl,” an intelligent chat system that handles millions of legal conversations every year. For a limited time, ACBA members can receive Pearl completely free as part of Fount’s early-access program. It’s an effortless way to capture more leads, improve client experience, and show that your firm is embracing innovation in the legal space. For more, visit www.ACBA.org/pearl.

Empowerment is key when hiring and promoting employees. Teams with an empowerment framework and support structure make better choices. The below article covers more. For more on ACBA Legal Employment Services, contact Jennifer Pulice at jpulice@acba.org.

Need credits by the end of April? The ACBA is offering a Live Video Replay CLE sale event on Tuesday, April 28 in the Koppers Building. Save $10 per credit on any 12 previously recorded CLE programs – six substantive and six ethics – as the ACBA shows videos of Previously Recorded CLEs all day. Attend one program or several. Credits count as live credits, not distance learning.

By now, most members of the Pittsburgh Legal Community have heard that the Quatrini Law Group has purchased the former Lidia’s Restaurant building. Members will have the chance to check out the space at the next ACBA Members-Only Happy Hour on Tuesday, April 28 from 5-7 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door, which includes beverages and appetizers, thanks to the Quatrini Law Group, which is also the event sponsor. No CLE. No Seminar. Just Happy Hour.

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

Due to the congestion, road closures and parking issues anticipated with Pittsburgh hosting the NFL Draft, the ACBA and ACBF offices will be closed to members and the public on Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24. 

ACBA and ACBF employees will be working remotely those days; please contact them via email for any needs. Additional information on road closures can be found below.

The Allegheny County Bar Foundation is accepting Board of Trustee applications to fill three open seats. Interested applicants (including non-attorneys) are encouraged to apply. Trustees serve for a period of three years. This term will begin on July 1. The foundation board meets a minimum of six times per year on the first Wednesday of alternating months. Meetings begin at noon at ACBA Headquarters.

Trustees must be a Fellows GIVE member of the Bar Foundation or willing to become one upon appointment to the board and should have a proven track record of public service and/or participation with a nonprofit board or other charitable activities. Submit a completed application online using the link below by Thursday, April 30.

The 62nd Annual ACBA Bench-Bar Conference will be held June 18-20 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. This year’s conference doubles as a farewell celebration for ACBA Executive Director David Blaner, who retires on June 30. Additionally, the adults-only, members-only conference features three days of networking, fine dining, social activities, sporting events and more.

Note that the ACBA was just informed that the Highlands Sporting Clays course is closed until further notice, meaning there will be no sporting clays at Bench-Bar this year. Additional program details will be announced in the days ahead. Registration is now open. Be advised that Bench-Bar registration does not include lodging.

Your office space decisions extend beyond lease negotiations—they impact talent retention, operational efficiency and competitive positioning. This JLL analysis reveals how leading organizations are uncovering hidden portfolio value through strategic coordination rather than isolated site decisions. One recently merged company discovered $11+ million in savings by viewing their 600+ locations as an integrated portfolio instead of separate properties. For law firms navigating hybrid work models.