The Pennsylvania Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition – presented by the ACBA and the Pa. Bar Association – is underway. ACBA members are asked to support these high school students by volunteering to be a scoring juror or a presiding judge for the competition. There are 36 local high school teams participating, and at least 24 volunteers are needed on each night of the competition. Volunteers do not need to be a litigation attorney to support this program, and prior experience as a scoring juror is not needed. 

Volunteers should arrive at the City-County Building by 4:45 p.m. and should be prepared to judge two back-to-back trials, completed by approximately 9:00 p.m.  The remaining available nights of the first round of the competition are as follows:

• Tuesday, Feb. 3
• Thursday, Feb. 12

Additional dates will be scheduled for playoffs, semifinals and finals. Volunteers can sign-up at this link. For additional information, contact Julie Brennan at jbrennan@pionlaw.com. For more on upcoming mock trials, click below.

The ACBA’s Member-to-Member Referral Guide is a printed and online resource that lists ACBA attorneys by areas of practice. The guide is published on the ACBA’s website and is updated and emailed to all members as a PDF four times each year. In addition, the M2M Guide will be printed in an April edition of the Lawyers Journal in a special section sponsored by ACBA partner AmeriServ Wealth & Capital Management.

Note that listings will no longer appear in the printed ACBA Legal Directory, as that publication has been discontinued. However, the areas of practice selected by members will now also appear next to their names in the online ACBA membership directory.

Any ACBA member who wishes to be included in the 2026–2027 M2M Guide — including those currently listed — must order or renew their listings. Listings are $25 each. To place your order, complete the form using the button below. The ACBA must receive both the completed form and payment by March 1.

Law firms face real estate challenges as the corporate landscape transforms in 2026. While 72 percent of organizations prioritize cost reduction, forward-thinking firms are evolving beyond reactive space management to create strategic advantages through “elastic portfolios” that flex with changing needs, experience-centric workplaces that attract top talent, and AI-powered infrastructure that drives operational efficiency.

With office utilization averaging just 54 percent yet headcounts expected to rise, firms must balance cost optimization with talent retention. These trends require integrated strategies that transform real estate from a cost center into a competitive differentiator. Read the research to discover implementation strategies for each trend.

When is the last time you got a quote on your LPL insurance? The discount members can get on getting LPL through the ACBA Insurance Program – powered by USI – is often greater than the cost of ACBA membership. For more, visit www.ACBA.org/Insurance.

Need to dig through some digital files for a case? Members receive a five percent discount working with bit-x-bit, the ACBA’s endorsed provider for digital forensics services. The ACBA partners at bit-x-bit can also help you with eDiscovery, cybersecurity and incident response, ESI prevention and drive imaging, document review and more. For more information or to get stated, click below.

If your firm is considering hiring an attorney, paralegal or legal secretary in 2026, be sure to check out the ACBA Job Board at jobs.acba.org. The Pittsburgh Legal Community’s top resource for legal job postings, the ACBA Job Board gets more than 3,000 page views each month, the vast majority from Pittsburgh-area legal professionals looking for jobs. For more information, contact Jennifer Pulice, the ACBA’s Director of Legal Employment Services, at jpulice@acba.org.

Interested in getting involved in ACBA leadership? The ACBA Nominating Committee is seeking candidates to run for President-Elect and Treasurer, as well as members interested in running for spots on the Board of Governors and the Judiciary Committee. Terms begin July 1, 2026 and the deadline to submit a candidate application is Friday, Feb. 27. For more information on the process, requirements and more, click below.

All members are invited to join the ACBA Asian Attorneys Committee in celebrating the Lunar New Year, one of the most significant holiday festivals in China and throughout much of East Asia, on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Chinatown Inn in downtown Pittsburgh. The Lunar New Year celebrates the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar; 2026 is the “Year of the Fire Horse.”

The event will feature a 10-course meal, traditional Chinese dancers, and more. Thank you to Achieva Family Trust for sponsoring this event. Space is limited and the event typically sells out quickly, so those interested are encouraged to register ASAP.

ACBA Night with the Dukes is Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the UPMC Cooper Field House. ACBA members are invited to take advantage of discounted tickets as the Duquesne men’s basketball team takes on Atlantic 10 Conference rival LaSalle beginning at 7 p.m. The discount – available exclusive for ACBA members and their guests – is valid for tickets in the new arena’s baseline sections, along with section 111.

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.