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.

The ACBA Labor and Employment Law Section is planning the Fourth Annual Labor and Employment Law Symposium to be held on Nov. 18, 2026. If you have ideas for programs to be covered at the Symposium or would like to volunteer to present on a panel, please email Holly Bedford at hbedford@acba.org by Friday, Feb. 13, with a summary of the proposed CLE, and indicate whether you are interested in being a program presenter.

All members are invited to join the ACBA Young Lawyers Division for a night of fun and games, all while supporting a good cause. The popular annual Attorneys Against Hunger fundraiser, “Strike Out Hunger” returns to one of Pittsburgh’s hot spots, Shorty's Pins x Pints on the North Shore, on Wednesday, March 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Enjoy an evening of duck pin bowling, shuffleboard, pinball, food, drinks and more. Proceeds benefit the Allegheny County Bar Foundation Attorneys Against Hunger program, which provides funds to 17 food pantries and hunger relief organizations in Allegheny County. For information on sponsorships, contact Alyssa Zottola at azottola@williamscoulson.com.

In addition to the hard copy edition that is sent to members through the mail, the Jan. 23 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.

All members are invited to join the Pathways to Leadership cohort on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. on the lower level of the Koppers Building. During this session, members will learn about the importance of – and value to – serving on boards of directors.

The Pathways to Leadership program is designed to enlighten ACBA members about the experiences and perspectives of judges and other leaders from the Pittsburgh Legal Community, shining light on the experiences and steps they’ve taken to achieve those leadership positions. Special attention will be paid to leaders from historically under-represented and/or marginalized groups. Through this exposure, attendees will gain new perspectives and tools to cultivate their own pathways to leadership.

Wellness is crucial, especially for those battling the stresses and challenges that come with the legal profession. To recognize the importance of mental health and well-being in the legal profession, the ACBA has created “Wellness Circles” for members, a vision of ACBA President and cancer survivor Amy Coco. ACBA members can self-select and opt into wellness circles, providing a confidential, supportive space to connect with colleagues, share experiences and focus on well-being.

Currently there are five Wellness Circles – Attorneys who Run, Parenting Children with Disabilities, Cancer Survivors, Family Support – Mental Health/Addiction, and Sandwich Generation. Members are welcome to suggest ideas for additional Wellness Circles. For more details, FAQs and other information, click below.

Aisha was mid-workday when her screen froze and a pop-up screamed that her computer was infected. It even listed a phone number for “Windows Technical Support.” Panicked, she called. The voice on the other end sounded calm, professional, and reassuring—right up until her credit card was charged hundreds of dollars and her computer was remotely hijacked.

Later that week, her credit card company alerted her to multiple unauthorized charges. Aisha was the victim of a tech support scam. Criminals use these scams to convince victims that something is wrong with their computer, phone, or online account—and that they need immediate help from “technical support.” They impersonate legitimate companies like Microsoft, Apple, or banks to trick users into giving money, sensitive information, or remote access.

To protect against these scams, the SANS Institute recommends:

• Stay calm and think. Legit companies do not display pop-up warnings with phone numbers or call out of the blue.
• Never call numbers from pop-ups . Close the pop-up; find contact info from a different, reliable source.
• Do not grant remote access to someone you don’t know
• Monitor and secure your accounts. If you suspect you engaged with a scammer, immediately change your passwords and monitor your financial accounts.

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.