Pittsburgh’s legal market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and growth, positioning itself as an increasingly attractive destination for both established and emerging law firms. The momentum has been particularly impressive since 2024, with the ACBA partners at JLL alone completing 16 law firm transactions, reflecting widespread leasing activity that underscores the market’s vitality. This surge includes notable new-to-market entries such as Saxton & Stump and Stevens & Lee, alongside significant expansions and relocations by established firms including Morgan Lewis, Gordon Rees, Meyer Unkovic & Scott, and Fox Rothschild. The below report covers more.

All members are invited to help make the holidays special for underprivileged children through the annual ACBA Young Lawyers Division Children’s Gift Drive and Holiday Party, which provides holiday gifts to hundreds of underprivileged children in area shelters and programs. Here’s how you can help:

• Sponsor a Child – Children will enter their wish lists on DreamList, then members can help by sponsoring a child. DreamList gift lists will be available through this Friday. This online website allows us to create angel tree tags so attorneys can shop for the gifts without preselecting items and feel more involved in the process. The total cost of gifts per child will range between $60 and $100. To sponsor a child or children, click here or email acbayldtoydrive@gmail.com.
• Stocking Stuffers – You can help stuff stockings for the children on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Koppers Building Conference Center. Sign up here. 
• Monetary Donations – The Children’s Gift Drive also accepts monetary donations to cover expenses such as dry cleaning for the Santa suits, cookie trays, juice boxes and other stocking stuffer items. To contribute, email acbayldtoydrive@gmail.com for more information.

Members can save up to 25 percent off Avis base rates when making a reservation with Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number A487000. Complete your reservation and receive instant online and email confirmation of your travel plans.

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 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.

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If you are considering making a career move, 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.

The ACBA Community Service Committee is organizing a “Lawyers and Ladles” event at the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Dec. 2 and Thursday, Dec. 4 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day, and ACBA members are encouraged to volunteer. Volunteers will work together in the fully equipped industrial kitchen at WC&S to prepare dinner for the residents, as well as clean up. Space is limited with only eight spots available for each event.

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.

The Nov. 14 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.