the WRITS, Bucks Bar Association, Summer 2024

Bucks County’s Past Presidents

CONTACT INFO

President

R. Tyler Tomlinson

Vice President/President Elect

Jeremy D. Puglia

Secretary

Melanie J. Wender

Treasurer

Stephanie M. Shortall

Immediate Past President

Lawrence R. Scheetz, Jr.

Past Presidents’ Representative

Robert T. Repko

Board of Directors

Erin Kernan Aronson

Brendan M. Callahan

Jeffrey G. DiAmico

Kimberly Litzke

Christopher S. Mahoney

Tina Mazaheri

Joanne M. Murray

Thomas E. Panzer

Jennifer Pierce

Mindy J. Snyder

Megan Weiler

Elaine T. Yandrisevits

Writs Editor

Travis P. Nelson

Writs Photographer

Dylan Gilheany

Bar Association Office

Heather Cevasco, Executive Director 135 East State Street Doylestown, PA 18901 215.348.9413 • www.bucksbar.org

email submissions to BucksWritsEditor@gmail.com

PUBLISHER

Hoffmann Publishing Group, Inc. 2669 Shillington Road, #438 Sinking Spring,

Famous Fathers

Honoring the men in our lives. Candid stories as told...

A Path Well Traveled: Judge Clyde Waite

Raised by a single mother, one of nine siblings...

Law Clerk Profiles: Lauren Appolonia & Patrick Farris

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BCBF Hits a Home Run with Successful 20th Anniversary Gala

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The Bucks County Bar Foundation Partners with Roxy Therapy Dogs

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Leading Legal Aid of Southeastern PA’s work in Bucks County

Three Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) attorneys...

Doylestown Office

Langhorne Office

Quakertown Office

Bristol Office

Bensalem Office

President’s Message

Our Year So Far: Reflecting on the Bucks County Bar Association’s Successes

It is my great honor to write to you today with a sense of immense pride, reflecting on the many accomplishments of the Bucks County Bar Association (BCBA) so far this year. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so perhaps the gallery of photos will help reflect how truly dynamic our organization is, dedicated to serving its members and the legal community.

The

Gala:

A Night to Remember

The pinnacle of our year undoubtedly was the BCBF’s Gala in April. This landmark event, the largest in our 140-year history, drew nearly 300 attendees to the Buck Hotel. The evening served not only as a celebration of the outstanding contributions of several individuals within our community but also as a significant fundraising success. A heartfelt thank you to Jeff Liebmann and the Foundation Trustees for their tireless efforts in raising over $30,000, moving us to nearly the halfway point of the Foundation’s ultimate goal of $500,000.

Continuous Learning and Collaboration

The BCBA actively fosters professional development and collaboration. In January, we had strong representation at the PBA’s mid-year meeting in Aruba, connecting with colleagues from across the Commonwealth and gleaning valuable insights already being implemented in our own Bar Association. Similarly, February’s PBA event in Gettysburg offered a unique opportunity to delve into leadership skills with Jessica Pritchard and former Executive Director Greg Nardi, utilizing the historic battlefield as a backdrop for reflection and learning.

Investing in the Future

March saw the BCBA actively engage with future generations of lawyers. We visited Villanova and Drexel Law Schools, connecting with talented students from Bucks County. Their enthusiasm and desire to return to our community confirms the enduring appeal of Bucks County as a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Women’s Law Division: A Force for Progress

The Women Lawyers’ Division continues to be a driving force within the BCBA. Under Mindy Snyder’s exceptional leadership, the Division hosted the impactful Women’s Power Summit in March. The Summit featured a CLE given by the renowned Dahlia Lithwick — providing insightful and thought-provoking discourse on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gratitude to Our Sponsors

The BCBA sincerely appreciates all of our President Club Sponsors, and our Legacy Sponsor, PNC Private Bank. Boe Shiffler and his team have consistently demonstrated their commitment to the BCBA, generously hosting dinners for both the BCBA and BCBF Boards, the Women Lawyers’ Division, and the Young Lawyers’ Division at Conquering Cuisine.

Celebrating Achievements

In May, both Boards came together to recognize the outstanding performances of our Mock Trial champions. Congratulations to Bensalem High School and my alma mater, CB East, on their remarkable achievements! The BCBF also awarded 10 scholarships to worthy high school seniors.

A Historic Appointment

It was my great honor to appoint Carol Shelly as Bucks County Zone 9 Governor to the PBA. Carol is the first woman in Bucks County history to hold this prestigious position. We have no doubt that she will represent our legal community with distinction over the next three years.

A Heartfelt Thank You

I am deeply grateful to the BCBA’s Past Presidents for their unwavering support throughout this year. The Past Presidents’ Dinner in May provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with you, and I look forward to joining your esteemed club very soon.

Outstanding

Publications and Acknowledgements

A round of applause to Travis Nelson, the Writs Editor, and all contributors to the latest edition. The well-researched articles and captivating photos celebrating Bucks County’s Famous Fathers were truly exceptional. On that note, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads. I know our five teenagers make my wife and me proud — and keep us on our toes.

Tyler Tomlinson

Bucks County Bar Association President

me to fulfill my role as President. Most importantly, I express my deepest gratitude to my family for their understanding and patience as I navigated the demands of this position. I’m sorry for any games, track/swim meets or concerts that I missed during the year — we are all doing our best.

Finally, I sincerely thank the dedicated Board of Directors and the exceptional BCBA staff. Their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment are the bedrock of our success.

Looking Forward: Fall Festivities and Beyond

Mark your calendars! This fall, the BCBA will host a much-anticipated event at Camelback — a chance to reminisce about the good old days and celebrate the enduring spirit of the Bench Bar. Elaine Yandrisevits, our Bench Bar Chair, promises the best bench bar yet, and an unforgettable evening, where we will party like it’s 1999 (when I got married at Camelback)!

This fall, the BCBA will host a muchanticipated event at Camelback — a chance to reminisce about the good old days and celebrate the enduring spirit of the Bench Bar. Thanks for your interest in the WRITS

A Final Word of Appreciation

I am incredibly grateful to my partners and team at Stark & Stark for all of their support, which has allowed

TAKE YOUR MARKETING TO HEIGHTS!

As we approach summer, I wish you all a time of relaxation and rejuvenation with family and friends.

— Tyler Tomlinson, Esquire Bucks County Bar Association President

Tyler Tomlinson is a shareholder at Stark & Stark, PC and specializes in personal injury law. Tyler is the President of the Bucks County Bar Association.

Please send all comments, questions, submissions to: BucksWritsEditor@gmail.com.

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY AND ETHICS MATTERS

James C. Schwartzman, Esq.

• Judge, Court of Judicial Discipline

• Former Chairman, Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania

• Former Chairman, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

• Former Chairman, Continuing Legal Education Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

• Former Chairman, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers Trust Account Board

• Former Federal Prosecutor

• Selected by his peers as one of the top 100 Super Lawyers in PA and the top 100 Super Lawyers in Philadelphia

• Named by his peers as Best Lawyers in America 2022 and 2015 Philadelphia “Lawyer of the Year” Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law and Legal Malpractice Law

From the Editor…

Travis P. Nelson Editor, Bucks Writs

In this edition we as usual offer our customary review of the latest and greatest of the Bucks County Bar Association. From a review of the Bucks County Bar Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Gala, to profiles on our courthouse law clerks, to exciting new columns on Bucks County Legal Lore, authored by Chris Serpico, a humorous column by Sarah Steers, and “Attorney Briefs,” where we recount the recent achievements, promotions, transitions, and accolades of the incredible practitioners who make-up our Bar Association. We are also actively soliciting submissions of new and different articles. So if you are interested, please do not hesitate to submit an article, or join The Writs working group to help plan for the next edition. Additionally, we are looking for photographs of Bar Association members and their graduating children, spouses, or parents. We will feature those photos in the Fall 2024 edition of The Writs.

Aside from the usual content, and new recurring columns, in this edition we offer a special feature on Famous Fathers (and yes, we fully intend to run a separate column on Memorable Mothers – or some other equally appropriate title), as this edition is expected to coincide with Fathers’ Day. At this time of year, we are called upon to reflect on our own fathers, and in this edition we have several testimonies to fathers who have also served as Bucks County attorneys. However, even if your father was not an attorney, Bucks County or otherwise, this is a time when we can reflect on the varying roles, personalities, and lessons we can learn from fathers.

The broad spectrum of fatherhood is portrayed across the ages and across various media. On television, we

even if your father was not an attorney, Bucks County or otherwise, this is a time when we can reflect on the varying roles, personalities, and lessons we can learn from fathers.

encounter many different fathers. From Ward Cleaver (“Leave it to Beaver”), Howard Cunningham (“Happy Days”), James Evans, Sr. (“Good Times”), Mike Brady (“The Brady Bunch”), and Jack Pearson (“This Is Us”), to Archie Bunker (“All in the Family”), Al Bundy (“Married with Children”), Walter White (“Breaking Bad”), Tony Soprano (“The Sopranos”), and Homer Simpson (“The Simpsons”), fathers come in all personalities and varieties.

“As long as one and one is two / There could never be a father loved his daughter / More than I love you,”

—

Paul Simon

In music, we also see countless odes to the important role that fathers play in our lives. “Fathers be good to your daughters, daughters will love like you do,” John Mayer. “As long as one and one is two / There could never be a father loved his daughter / More than I love you,” Paul Simon. “There were times I thought he was being just a little bit hard on me, but now I understand he was making me become the man he knew that I could be,” Keith Urban. “Ooh, how I remember daddy / He was strong and had a built in tan / And though he only stood about five-feet-seven, my daddy was a heck of a man,” Gladys Knight & The Pips. “My father’s house shines hard and bright / It stands like a beacon calling me in the night / Calling and calling so cold and alone, shining ‘cross this dark highway,” Bruce Springsteen. “Chase your dreams but always know the road that will lead you home again / Go on, take on this old world but to me ... you’ll always be my little girl,” Tim McGraw. “The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old / But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul / My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man / I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band,” Dan Fogelberg.

And of course, nobody can listen to Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle,” a song that laments not making enough time for one’s children, Cat Stevens’ advice to his son to “Just sit down, take it slowly / You’re still young, that’s your fault,” in “Father and Son,” or Eric Clapton’s tribute to his late son in “Tears in Heaven,” without getting choaked-up.

Regardless of whether our fathers were attorneys, or police officers, or electricians, or bus drivers, or carpenters, we all have memories and lessons learned.

For me, my memories of my own father (who I am very lucky to still have around), involve listening to my dad’s Simon & Garfunkel albums, or watching 60 Minutes on Sunday nights, or the smell of the inside of a hardware store (we did a lot of trips to Home Depot for his business), or his pager going off during Mass on Sundays so he could race into the Southern California mountains to save a lost hiker or car-over-the side (he was also on an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Mountain Rescue Team). For my own first child (now 18), when he was a newborn and could not sleep, I used to carry him around the house singing “Beautiful Boy,” by John Lennon. I play it in the car for my 7-year-old now.

Regardless of whether our fathers were attorneys, or police officers, or electricians, or bus drivers, or carpenters, we all have memories and lessons learned. Sometimes those lessons are verbal, like how to fix things around the house, or how to cast a fishing line out into a lake, or how to tie a tie, or how to change a tire. Sometimes those lessons are by example, like the value hard work, the importance of saving for a rainy day, perseverance at your job or hobbies, or the unceasing faith and hope in your children. The challenge is to take those lessons, and integrate them into our own lives and the lives of our children.

I will leave you with advice attributed to radio and television writer Andy Rooney, who was best known for his “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” segments on CBS’s 60 Minutes program: “I’ve learned, that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.” In the increasingly competitive practice of law, where attorneys from Wall Street to State Street are working hard to zealously advocate for their clients, and differentiate themselves from among the pack, let us remember to take our children around the block this summer. Those are the walks of which memories are made. 

— Travis P. Nelson, Esquire

Travis Nelson is a partner with Holland & Knight LLP, where he practices financial services regulatory law, and is a resident of Doylestown, PA. Travis is Editor of The Writs

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A Year in Review

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Famous Fathers

HONORING THE MEN IN OUR LIVES. Candid stories as told by our members

MICHAEL L. SAILE, SR.

by Michael L. Saile, Jr.

In the grand tapestry of life, there are few bonds as profound as that of a father and son. For me, that bond was woven with threads of guidance, integrity, and the law. From coaching youth sports, to ski trips, to attending camping trips and pushing me to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout, to my foray into high school wrestling, my father was always present and supportive.

After I expressed interest in studying business at the University of Delaware, my father persuaded me to major in accounting, which was much more difficult than the other business majors at the time. I graduated with an accounting degree but knew that was not the career path for me. I then chose to follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue a career in law. I ended up attending what was then known as Widener School of Law, my father’s alma mater. My father was part of the second graduating law school class at Widener. One of the greatest experiences my father and I shared was when he took part in my law school graduation ceremony and presented me with my law school diploma.

As a young attorney, after working for a few years with another law firm, my father welcomed me to his firm. We created Saile & Saile and were partners for about 10 years. When an incredible opportunity was presented to me to start my current firm, Cordisco & Saile, we parted ways in business, and he wished me well. As I manage a much larger firm now, I look back at the lessons he has taught me: hard work, integrity, and business acumen. I have been blessed with 3 sons of my own and I hope that I can impart upon them the life lessons that my father has on me. And, perhaps, at least one of them will continue the Saile tradition and choose the honorable profession of law.

ALAN D. WILLIAMS, JR.

by Alan D. Williams,

III, and Keith J. Williams

We grew up to become attorneys like our father. They did not have “Go to Work With Your Parent” days back then, but we got tours of the office and the courthouse with Dad. Dad’s office was half way home on our walk to and from junior and senior high school.

At dinner time, you felt like you were on the stand being cross examined. Dad did not want any bullshit, just the facts! This is how we both got our calm and cool temperaments.

One time my legion baseball van got pulled over by the police. As the officer asked our names, when my name came up (Alan Williams, III) it was immediately recognized and I had no problems with the officers. Keith on the other had more encounters with the police with different levels of success. If you get a ticket, it was really nice to have built-in defense counsel who knew all the district judges.

Dad was able to control his schedule and was able to see me play baseball and run track, as well as Keith’s basketball, both in high school and college. He was also able to get kicked out of the gym on numerous occasions.

The admission ceremony was run by Chief Justice Nix who was a classmate of Dad’s.

Dad would then take us for our first leather briefcase to start our careers and a suit at Boyds. I worked at Dad’s office and Keith came later, after a stint at the Public Defender’s Office. Dad was also into politics. He served four terms as a state representative and ran for Congress twice. He also played a role in the infamous coup that lead to Isaac Garb becoming a judge and Ward Clark becoming the D.A. We grew up licking stamps and stuffing envelopes, many with the “We’re with Williams” slogan on them.

Our father, Alan D. Williams, Jr., was very proud to have his sons become attorneys practicing in Bucks County, but when he retired he turned being a lawyer completely off, which amazed

us. He enjoyed spending his time being a grandfather, spending time at Brown Bros. auctions and writing letters to the editor.

by Blake Jackman

My father, Brad M. Jackman, Esq., has been a practicing attorney in Bucks County for over forty-five years. For about thirty of those years, Brad served as the Solicitor for the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency, which was the defining role of his legal career. Brad took great pride in his role as Solicitor, which gave him the opportunity to “fight the good fight” for the Agency and on behalf of the children of Bucks County.

In law school, I had the opportunity to intern for my dad and to see firsthand what it was like to be an attorney in Bucks County. While I learned a few things about dependency law and family law, the true benefit of the internship was having my dad to introduce me into the Bucks County legal community. It struck me how many people my dad interacted with in and around the courthouse each day and how many of those people he considered friends. Those people treated me well, which made the courthouse a place I wanted to work at, so I pursued a career at the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office upon graduation.

After five years at the District Attorney’s Office, I wanted to go into private practice, so my dad gave me an opportunity to join the family business as an associate at Jackman Law. My dad got us a new office, a cool sign, and flashy business cards. Unfortunately, I was just starting out and not bringing in much business, so my dad carried me for two years. Those two years happened to be when I started dating and later married my wife, Chelsey D. Jackman, Esq., and they were amongst the best years of my life.

In 2015, I made the difficult decision to leave Jackman Law and accept a job practicing criminal law in my current position at the Law Office of Louis R. Busico. Despite the sacrifices that my dad made for me and despite his sadness that we would not be together every day, my dad supported my decision, because he knew that it was in the best interests of my career and my family.

Without question, I would not be where I am today in life or in my career without the support of my dad.

Brad is still practicing family law and handling orphans court matters, but he is spending more time at home with his wife, Christine Jackman (formerly Halligan), whom he met in the Bucks County legal community. Brad is also working part time as a babysitter to his two beloved granddaughters, Jordan and Corey Jackman. Brad spends the rest of his time posting recipes and complaining about Philadelphia sports on Facebook.

D. RODMAN EASTBURN

by Sarah and Mark Eastburn

“Is it hard to work with your dad?” We get that question a lot. We both work with our dad at Eastburn and Gray, and we’re happy to report (without hedge or hesitation) that it’s not hard to work with our dad – it’s actually awesome. Rod will read that, roll his eyes, and say something self-deprecating. He’ll probably say that he told us to say nice things about him. He didn’t. We enjoy working with him because he is objectively fair, extremely smart, a hard worker, cares genuinely about other people, and is always willing to step in and help (even if it’s not worth his time – he does it because he cares about the person asking for his help). On top of that, we enjoy working with him, and just generally having him as our dad, because he has never tried to force his opinions on any of his kids, he doesn’t act as though he knows better than we do, and he has always let us make our own decisions. He never even pushed his kids to practice law (though 3 of the 4 of us went that route, so he’s either disappointed or sneaky).

Our dad isn’t preachy, and he doesn’t condescend (unless it’s for a specific reason that, from his tone, should be obvious to us – e.g. “you don’t really need me to say this, do you?”). He’s not about “teaching life lessons” – he teaches by showing how it’s done. These lessons apply equally to the law and to life: “be fair to yourself and to others,” “be firm in your beliefs/ decisions/positions, but be nice when communicating them,” “never let a bully get to you, it’s a waste of time and energy – worry about yourself,” “work hard,” “taking time to be

BRAD M. JACKMAN

creative, strategic and thoughtful is not a waste of time…but don’t let it be debilitating,” “being kind gets you much farther than being an [expletive] (though there are limits).” We’ve both learned these lessons from our dad, but neither of us remembers him vocalizing most of them. Knowing him, he may think it egotistical to tell you to be a certain way (and knowing our siblings and us, it would be far less effective). He shows us how to be a good lawyer and a good person. He still works 7 days per week. He thoroughly considers every problem for every client and determines the most effective solution (even though that might mean fewer billable hours). He has an incredible and rare way of seeing the big picture and not getting wrapped up in details or steps that, while many would pursue by rote, don’t actually help you achieve the desired result. We see his kindness and empathy every day. Yet, he has no time for bullies and is unforgiving when standing up for his family, his colleagues, and the firm. He has a tremendous amount of respect for the people who came before him and who gave him the opportunities that he’s had, and he sees it as a personal obligation to maintain and build on this legacy.

Now let’s be clear, he isn’t a role model in all ways – we aren’t taking tips from him on driving or maintaining a clean tie – but we are certainly taking notes on the things that matter. Especially his kindness – that’s really something to emulate.

by Julie D. Goldstein

My father, Daniel “Don” Silver is the most generous and hardworking person that I know. He graduated from Central High School in 1970, Temple University in 1974 and Cumberland School of Law at Stamford University in Birmingham, Alabama in 1978. Before he became an attorney, my dad was always hustling and working to get himself through school. He was a vacuum salesman, a taxicab driver, a bus boy, and a paper boy to only name a few. Following graduation from law school, my parents moved back up to Bucks County and he began working for a firm in Center City. In 1991, he went out on his own as a sole practitioner and has been on his own ever since.

What has always struck me about my father is how giving he is to people and to his clients. He will go out of his way to help people who need help, whether that is assisting them in a case or just helping them with their lives. He worked very hard for his success but he knows that not everyone is able to do that and he never judges anyone for their circumstances in life. He is always willing to help me with a question of law or even just shuttling his grandchildren around town and taking us all to Sixers games. Go Sixers, better luck next year!

Now when he should be thinking about retirement, instead he takes the train into Center City every day or the subway from Broad & Olney and spends his days in dependency court and criminal court, helping people who would not have representation without him. His giving of himself to help others less fortunate than he is - continues to be an inspiration.

I am very fortunate to be a member of the Bar Association with my father. When I first became an attorney, I remember being embarrassed by how proud he was of me or embarrassed that my dad would be at Bar Association events. But now, I am super grateful that I get to spend this time with him. He was such a great sport as I dragged him to every event possible when I was BCBA president. But he never complained and loved being there to support me and was always super proud of me. He loves to tell me when he sees people and he gets to tell them that I am his daughter. I had the honor of having him move for my admission at the United States Supreme Court at the Bar Association admission ceremony. It was a special moment.

He has taught me what it means to be a hardworking attorney but to also give of yourself and care for your clients. I am eternally grateful that he is my father. Happy Father’s Day!

FRANCIS J. SULLIVAN by Caitlin M. Sullivan

Growing up the youngest of three girls, there was no lack of estrogen in our house. Heck, even our cat was a girl! As you can imagine, hair dryers blew out constantly, clothes were fought over, and there was always lots and lots of drama. But there was

DANIEL SILVER

one constant male presence that always provided a stabilizing force and reminded us girls that the sun would always come up tomorrow despite our latest perceived tragedy – our Dad, Frank Sullivan.

Having grown up the second of six boys, my Dad and his family immigrated from Manchester, England to the United States when he was a young boy. Traveling on the Queen Mary and arriving at Ellis Island, their journey took them to Brooklyn and the Bronx and eventually to Bucks County where they made their home, hoping for a better life.

My Dad became a naturalized citizen at age 15, a paperboy who turned his earnings over to his family, worked summers in the steel mill to put himself through college, and worked overnights in a hospital to pay for his law school tuition, mainly because it provided a meal and some study time. His life story is the classic American immigrant story – hardwork only makes you stronger, keep your nose to the grindstone and never get discouraged, and make sure your shoes are always shined. And once you succeed, share your blessings and wisdom to help others who are less fortunate. While it may sound hokey and old fashioned, especially in the world we are living in now, when I look at what my Dad has accomplished in his life, there is no better person to model my life after.

He is the pillar of strength, wisdom, and reliability, and never lacks for an old Irish euphemism that can be applied in any given situation. These very qualities which my Dad implements in his own practice with his clients, and which inspired me to go to Villanova Law School – my Dad’s alma mater. While my parents may say that I became an attorney so that I could wear a power suit (which I no longer do – thank you virtual hearings!) it is not unusual for me in my own practice to stop and think, “what would my Dad do in this situation.” And let’s be real here, since I was the last and youngest child to be born, I got the best of him for the longest time.

Thanks Dad, for all your hard work and all you sacrificed for us, and for being the best Dad and mentor a daughter could ask for.

JERRY PRITCHARD

by Jessica Pritchard Big Jer/Dad/Pop

Flashback to 1974. Big Jer becomes a “girl dad.” He thinks he is cool.

Flashback to 1984. Dad’s company car is a new Nissan Maxima and the whole neighborhood came to see it. It talked like Knight Rider! “The door is ajar.” Van Halen’s “Jump” plays through the radio. I think he is cool.

Flashback to 1994. Dad gets a second job as a bartender on the weekends to help pay for college. Each time he works, he sends a Shoebox greeting card with $20. We thought we were so cool.

Flashback to 1999. Dad cries when I graduate from law school. He thinks I am cool.

Flashback to 2002. Dad cries when he walks me down the aisle and dances at the reception. We are notably less cool.

Flashback to 2005. Dad becomes “Pop”. We wonder who the baby looks like. He pulls out my baby picture that he carried in his wallet for 31 years. No one is cool.

Flashback to 2024. Pop’s retirement job is as a tipstaff at the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. In the years he has been there, it has gone from his being introduced as “Jess’ dad” to my being referred to as “Jerry’s daughter.” He provides the courthouse scuttlebutt. He lets me know immediately when the courthouse is closed for a snow day. He loves when he has seen my friends and co-workers. Certain attorneys tease him like he is their dad. He knows the comings and goings of local reporters. He is fascinated by the jury trials and “No Bucks, Bucks.” He has made great friends and enjoyed his job in a way he never did before. We enjoy catching up on each other’s day. Pop’s position in the courthouse has brought us closer together as we share friends and colleagues. It’s been an unexpected and welcome experience at this point in our lives. Growing up you don’t really think about your father in any setting other than home. To watch his enjoyment of his job and the relationships he has made at the courthouse has been a wonderful experience. How lucky I am to be able to do so. I think he is really cool and its clear others do too.

Jessica Pritchard is the daughter of Jerry and Nancee Pritchard.

JIM SCHILDT

by Steven J. Schildt

I know full well that comparing an attorney to Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch character in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is a trite and overused cliché. However, if the reader will permit me this brief indiscretion, a scene from the movie actually happened to my father, Jim Schildt, and me. The time and place is 1982 at Holicong Middle School in Mrs. Kleeman’s 8th grade English class. We were going to watch a movie that day that I had never heard of (To Kill A Mockingbird), and I sensed a heightened level of seriousness because my guidance counselor Mr. Smerconish (the father of the TV and radio host) was sitting in on the class. He was a towering figure in the school and he had never sat in on one of my classes before. We all snapped to attention when he was around. Nevertheless, I thought the movie was going to be about bird watching or some such thing.

Anyway, the movie starts, and about five minutes in I watch a scene that immediately took me back to an experience with my father when I was younger. It was a scene repeated years earlier just about word for word. In the movie, Mr. Cunningham, sheepishly and with his head down, drops off a bag of hickory nuts by the porch of Atticus’ house. Atticus’ young daughter, Scout, sees him, greets him with an excited hello, and runs to get her father. Mr. Cunningham mumbles a hello to Atticus and hands him the bag of hickory nuts. Atticus gives him a hearty thank you, and Mr. Cunningham promptly leaves. The remaining dialogue went like this:

Scout: Atticus, why does Mr. Cunningham bring you hickory nuts?

Atticus: Well, I did some legal work for him and this is how he pays us.

Scout: Why doesn’t he pay you with money?

Atticus: He doesn’t have any.

Scout: Why?

Atticus: Well, Scout, the Cunninghams are farm folk, and the crash hit them the hardest. And Scout, the next time Mr. Cunningham drops off some hickory nuts, no need to call me. I don’t need to say hello to him when he drops things off.

This dialogue immediately jolted me back to the summer of probably 1975 when we lived on Hellberg Avenue in Chalfont. One day I noticed that, for probably the third year in a row, a driveway paver (I do not recall his name; I will call him Mr. Smith) was tending to our blacktop driveway with some type of edging tool. Like Scout in the movie, I exhaled an excited hello, and ran and got my Dad, assuming, just like Scout, that they would want to speak. Just like in the movie, my father greeted Mr. Smith with a friendly hello. Mr. Smith struggled to return the gesture, turned away, and continued with his blacktop edging tool. After

Mr. Smith left some hours later, I questioned my Dad, and it went like this:

Me: Dad, why do we get our driveway paved every year? We don’t need it, and other neighbors don’t do it every year.

Dad: Well, Weve [explained below], I did some legal work for Mr. Smith, and this is how he pays us. [At that age I had a stutter and speech impediment, and could not pronounce the “st” sound in my name Steve, such that it came out as Weve. To avoid making me feel self-conscious, my Dad adopted the same pronunciation.]

Me: Well why does he pay you this way if we don’t need a new driveway every year? This makes no sense.

Dad: Weve, he just doesn’t have the money. And you know what, the next time Mr. Smith comes by to tend to our driveway, you don’t need to come and get me. [Now with his voice rising, which was rare.] And don’t ever say to him that we don’t need a new driveway. I mean it. You got that? And his son is a grade below you at Chalfont Elementary. Don’t ever talk about our driveway at school, ever, you understand?

Just like Atticus Finch in the movie.

JOHN F. GRIM

by Colby S. Grim

My Father, John F. Grim, is one of the most important, respected and influential people in my life. He is a man of few words with an incredible work ethic. He has made, and continues to make, a huge impact on me and my legal career. As a child I do not believe that I truly understood and appreciated his quiet contemplation and pointed remarks of my (probably poor) choices and actions. However, I finally realized, after giving a friend some advice in college, that my father had given me the same advice a year earlier. It was quite an AHA moment! As an attorney, he had a remarkable ability to quickly identify, diffuse and resolve disputes. In my practice I attempt to emulate his

approach to find an amicable solution and resolution and avoid unnecessary litigation. I can only hope that I am as successful. One of my favorite stories involves both my father and his older brother (by 5 years), Larry Grim. As young attorneys they worked closely with banks and were involved in many meetings. At one such meeting, the group needed to split into different conference rooms to discuss a variety of issues. There was a discussion to determine who would accompany which attorney. The ranking bank member quickly interjected and said he required the older, wiser and more experienced attorney and quickly gestured to my father to follow him. Unfortunately, this person was not aware that being bald did not automatically make you the older, wiser and more experienced attorney. However, it truly made my father happy. As I get older and look in the mirror I am reminded every day how similar we are! I am proud and honored to be associated with my father who had such an enormous impact in our legal community.

by Elizabeth Fritsch

My father, John H. Wood, Jr. was born in Langhorne, Bucks County in 1915. A descendant of Quakers who settled in the area, he attended The George School, Swarthmore College and University of Pennsylvania Law School. In 1953, following jobs in D.C. and Philadelphia, Dad moved back to Langhorne, where he opened a solo law practice. The business grew into the law firm of Wood & Floge with the addition of partner Louis F. Floge Jr.

Dad loved practicing law as a small-town general practitioner in the 1950s. He got great satisfaction helping families with a variety of issues, whether it be the purchase of a home, an adoption, a divorce, a custody matter, a minor driving offense, or an estate. As Mr. Floge said of him: “As a general practitioner of law, he not only tried to solve the problems of his clients, but also took the time to lend a sympathetic ear.”

Dad was active in the BCBA, was president in 1967, and was on the committee which worked to establish the Bucks County Legal Aid Society in the early 1970s. Not surprisingly, he could

not have been more pleased when I was hired to be Executive Director of that same Legal Aid program some 25 years later in 1997.

My dad continued to serve clients into his early nineties. He brought his passion and love for the law home and three of his four children entered the law. And he was thrilled when two of his grandchildren did the same.

RAY MCHUGH by Matt McHugh

Father’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the influence our fathers have on our lives. My father, Judge Ray McHugh, had a profound impact in both my personal and professional life which has shaped who I am as both a father to my two daughters and as an attorney.

From a young age, he imparted upon me the values and ideals that are necessary to become a successful and respected attorney. I witnessed firsthand the hard work and diligence that went into running a successful law practice. When I was a freshman in high school, my father was elected as the County Controller, a position he would serve in until he was appointed to the bench. He was able to juggle the various obligations of running his own law practice and being the county controller while also being actively involved in my life growing up always impressed me and influenced me. He also taught me the importance of camaraderie within the legal profession and the importance of creating relationships with the lawyers that you practice with or against.

As I followed in my father’s footsteps and became an attorney practicing in Bucks County, I have had the benefit of his continued mentorship. Whether it was providing his opinion or advice on a particular legal issue, career decision or trying to find the right work-life balance, he has always been there to provide thoughtful insight and guidance. I am truly grateful for the influence and impact he has had on my life and career. Happy Father’s Day!

JOHN H. WOOD

JUDGE

LAWRENCE GRIM, JR.

by Gregory Grim

My father, J Lawrence Grim, Jr., is still a force of nature at ninety years old. He is passionate about art (the grandson of artist, Walter E. Baum), music, literature, language, gardening and history. Especially history. Fifty years ago, he was tasked with putting together a history of the Bench and Bar of Bucks County. Twenty years later and with a lot of help across the legal community, Volume I was produced and Volume II twenty years after that. He is currently helping to produce Volume III. Perhaps his favorite kind of history is family history as he has been an avid genealogist as long as I can remember. Back in the early 1970’s, before there were personal computers or the internet (or car seats or seatbelts for that matter) I remember rolling around in the back seat of his car with my sister as we were taken all over the countryside looking for the tombstones of our deceased relatives. Snooping around cemeteries as a toddler were some of my earliest memories. His grandchildren have now been able to scan and save over sixty years of compiled family history on a single thumb drive. I cherish these memories and I am so glad that all of his work has been preserved for future generations.

LAWRENCE R. SCHEETZ, SR.

by Anne Scheetz Damon and Lawrence R. Scheetz, Jr.

Our father was an extraordinary man, a phenomenal attorney and an amazing mentor. Adjectives often used to describe him by his friends and colleagues were: honest, trustworthy, intelligent, fair-minded, professional, distinguished, poised, confident and first class. He had a powerful, yet calming voice. He was a great listener. He took great pride in always being true to his word.

We first heard these words about my father when they were read into open court by Anne Scheetz Damon, during his Memorial Resolution at the Bucks County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in December of 2008. We then had the distinct honor of reciting these same words about our father during Larry Scheetz, Jr.’s BCBA President’s Address at the Bucks County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in December of 2022. He was

our rock, role model, leader and source of love and support throughout our childhoods and into our professional careers.

Our father grew up in the Somerton section of Philadelphia, where he was a 1961 graduate of Northeast High School and president of his class. He graduated from Penn State University in 1965 and proudly served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1967 to 1968 in the Republic of Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star for his wartime service. He was also awarded the “Distinguished Service Award” and “Officer of the Month Award” by the 63rd Signal Battalion.

While serving our country in Vietnam, our oldest sister, Mary, was born. When he returned home from war to his loving wife and baby girl, he decided to open up several ice cream shops in Philadelphia and New Jersey to support his family and pay his way through night school at Temple University School of Law. During that time, our sister, Colleen, was born and provided

him even more motivation to work hard and provide for his family and community. In 1977, he founded the Law Offices of Williams & Scheetz in Richboro, where he served the residents of Bucks County for over 30 years. He had a reputation as a brilliant attorney, a powerful but elegant orator, and master tactician. Our father was truly a scholar and never missed an opportunity to expand his knowledge base. In addition to his expertise as an attorney, he was a licensed real estate broker and Certified Financial Planner. He also believed in giving back to the community and was actively involved in many political, educational and charitable organizations. He served as President of the Northampton Township Business and Professional Association for many years and was on several educational and athletic boards.

Through all of these accomplishments and successes, our father always put being our “dad” first. He was an extraordinary man, but an even better father. He taught us so much about being a parent, friend and professional.

He showed us how to unconditionally love our children. He taught us to always put family first and that a family is a team that must always stick together. He taught us how to support a child without ever pressuring them or making decisions for them. He taught us to never miss a family dinner or a ball game, always take the family out for ice cream, and most importantly he taught us how to hug a child and assure them that everything was going to be alright.

He showed us how to be a loyal and caring friend. He taught us how to make everyone feel like they are your one and only best friend. He taught us to choose our friends wisely, never judge anyone, and if someone is a good person then he or she is our kind of person – and most importantly, he taught us that you must be a good friend to have good friends.

He showed us the importance of loving your career. He taught us that you will never work a day in your life, if you love the job you are doing. He taught us that as a lawyer there is no greater pleasure than serving those most in need of your assistance. He taught us to always do the right thing regardless of the consequences and to be a stand-up good person … and most importantly he taught us that your reputation has more value than any dollar amount.

We truly believe that we are the luckiest children in the world to have had Lawrence R. Scheetz, Sr. as our father, mentor and role model. It is an absolute privilege and honor to continue his legacy at the Law Offices of Williams & Scheetz. As powerful and true as all of those adjectives are … they still fail to truly measure the man he was to so many of us … thank you dad … Happy Father’s Day … until we see you again.

MICHAEL J. BROOKS

by Michael J. Brooks, Jr., Megan Weiler, and Joseph Brooks

In August 2021, an article was featured in the local “Bucks Happening” magazine about our dad, Michael J. Brooks. The article was titled: “The Lawyer Behind the Lens.” While some of you may know our dad as the photographer with the ability to capture stunning images of Doylestown from vantage points

never before seen, his clients know him as the business attorney with the ability to view a problem from a different “vantage point” and offer creative solutions that are not always apparent to the common eye.

What you may not know, though, is that his best talent is being a father and serving as a role model for his three children. After graduating from high school, our dad enlisted in the Air Force and served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Technician from 1983 until 1989. Towards the end of his service, he married our mom, Dawn Ann, in 1988 and had his first son, Michael Brooks Jr., in 1989. A year later, his daughter, Megan, was born. All while he was busy serving in the military, marrying the love of his life, and raising two small children, our dad also graduated college from Rutgers University in 1991.

As you can see, our dad could do it all—for him, the next step was law school. The four of us moved to Ohio while our dad attended Ohio Northern University College of Law. After finishing his first year, his third child, Joseph, was born. During the day, we traded off attending law school classes with our dad. At night, after coming home to help our mom put us to bed, our dad would leave for work.

In 1994, after dad graduated from Ohio Northern, we moved to Doylestown. Eventually our dad started his own firm and spent many days working from home and helping our mom raise the three of us. For us, having our dad work around us felt like we lived in a law firm sometimes. We knew to be quiet when he was on the phone, and we looked forward to court appearances where we got to sit in the gallery of the courtroom admiring our dad. Perhaps most memorable, though, was patiently sitting in the halls of the law library in the old courthouse waiting for our dad to finish his legal research so we could go to the vending machine for our well-earned snack.

Through all these years, we’ve been the ones admiring our dad through a lens. We all respect our dad’s hard work ethic and integrity—so much so, that all three of us wanted to be just like him. And that’s just what we did. In 2014, Michael, Jr. graduated from Ave Maria School of Law; in 2015, Meg graduated from Syracuse University College of Law; and in 2017 Joe graduated from Villanova University School of Law.

From our vantage point, our dad did it all. We can only hope someone sees us through the same lens someday.

RICHARD LYONS

by Daniel Lyons

In elementary school, students are typically asked the age-old question: what do you want to be when you grow up? A boy’s shortlist typically includes an astronaut, fireman, policeman, professional athlete, or some combination of the same (what that list certainly never includes is a lawyer). My list was short, as I always wanted to grow up to be like my dad. Besides the height – I think I am getting pretty close. Though born in New York, my dad, Rick, grew up in Doylestown, went to Villanova for college, and Catholic University for law school. Wouldn’t

you know it, I also grew up in Doylestown, went to Villanova for college, and Catholic University for law school. Rick practiced law in Bucks County, I practice law in Bucks County. Rick has white hair, and it’s only a matter of time for me. I could go on, but the point is I have always strived to be like him because of how admirable he is – which admiration extends far beyond professional successes. Along with my mom, Barbara, you would be hard-pressed to find two more caring, supportive, and generous people.

Rick has also always been patient with me – something I have tried to carry on with my two toddlers (as difficult as that may be at times). No better example than Rick entertaining my truly profound and thought-provoking questions while playing little-league baseball such as, “Why are there all these seagulls flying around, when we aren’t near the sea?”, or “How do we know there is enough air in the world for everyone?” I can only imagine what was going through his head at the time. As the years went by, the questions transitioned to life advice which Rick was always happy to provide. Somewhat ironically, the advice has started going the other way, as not only is Rick my dad, he is also a client. Instead of me calling him asking if he knows of a good electrician, Rick is now calling me to say, “I got another one for you!”, or asking, “What preliminary objections should we file?” It is a true full-circle dynamic and one I look forward to whenever the phone is ringing and his picture pops up.

I think I speak for (mostly) everyone that being close to Rick means you have an honest, funny, high-pitched-story-telling guy nearby who will always be willing to lend a hand to those who need one. For me, he is my dad, and a true role model who I have always tied to emulate. Happy Father’s Day, Dad! What time is happy hour?

WALLACE BATEMAN

by Julie Bateman

From an early age a familiar phrase would reverberate through the halls of my childhood home that I can still hear in my mind today: “you’re going to be a lawyer someday”; that voice was

none other than that of my father, Wallace “Skip” Bateman. The oft-repeated prediction would usually come at the end of a heated argument, whether it be about politics or extending my curfew. No matter the subject, I always sighed and rolled my eyes before stomping back to my bedroom. Much to my chagrin, I can say now that my father then, as almost always is the case, was right.

When I think about being a lawyer and what that means under the example that was set for me by my father, three main principles come to mind: work hard, do the right thing, and nothing is more important than your family. He did not just preach these words; I saw them practiced daily throughout my adolescence and into adulthood; he never missed a soccer game, a school play, or passed up reviewing a college application essay, even after a long day’s work.

A few years back, I had the privilege of practicing law in Bucks County. I enjoyed it but was eager to branch out on my own out of my dad’s shadow. When I began working in Philadelphia I realized I had underestimated his reach. Countless people there - as they did in Bucks County - would stop me in the halls of the courthouse to ask if I was Judge Bateman’s daughter. Each time, without fail, their face would light up as they’d relive a story involving my dad and ultimately always ending with a complimentary invective, to include, “your father is a great man, I will never forget how he helped me”; “he is a true gentleman, they do not make people like him anymore.” Some of my favorite anecdotes began with: “Your dad got me out of a lot of trouble once…” (mostly because these stories involved notoriously temperamental litigators, which I knew from experience). These words and stories were all clearly true and reflected by my father’s unanimous election to serve as President Judge of Bucks County in 2018. His career as both an attorney and judge, as well as his tenure as president judge all speak for itself, but pale in comparison to what I know was his most important role - being a father. What I used to take for granted and roll my eyes at, namely being the illustrious Judge Bateman’s daughter, I now consider to be the greatest honor of my life.

WAYNE N. CORDES

by Andrew J. Cordes

I have been working for or with my father, Wayne Cordes, in some capacity for almost 24 years. Wayne began his legal career as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army and probably my biggest takeaway is him telling of being stationed in Germany and traveling through Europe from 1968 to 1971. He was stationed at Kelley Barracks outside Stuttgart, Germany, which were built by the Germans around the time of the Second World War, but subsequently used by the American Army sometime after 1945. Wayne would travel mostly by train to try cases throughout Germany and he and my mother, Michaele, would explore Europe when he wasn’t working, seeing Germany (of course), France, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, England and Spain. Over time, Wayne has told his stories of his time as an officer in Germany: traveling into Berlin by train, whereby one troop train per day was allowed in and out of Berlin under NATO rules and being processed at Checkpoint Charlie (U.S. Officers were treated much differently than their civilian wives!); the riot started at Stuttgart’s Oktoberfest when a drunk German grabbed my mother and in retaliation, she threw her beer in the German’s face, the German threw his beer in my mother’s face, prompting another American Officer friend to punch the German in the kisser causing all hell to break loose (somehow, Wayne, my mother and the other American Officers crawled under the beer tables and got out of the beer tent while paddy wagons arrived to stop the mayhem); the anxiety when the Russians mobilized troops on the Czech border a few hundred miles away from Stuttgart; meeting only one German veteran who admitted to fighting on the Western front during World War II against the Americans (because all the others claimed to fight against the Russians on the Eastern front); how his German office manager’s (Frau Wetzel’s) grandfather was a German General during World War I, but Hitler had him murdered; ski lessons in GarmischPartenkirchen; along with many other stories.

Wayne returned from Germany and was honorably discharged in 1971, whereby he began working at the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and also began private practice at the current office location (27 South State Street, Newtown), but he always reminisced about his days as a JAG Officer, trying cases in Germany and seeing Europe in the late 1960s – early 1970s.

In 2022, we took Wayne back to Germany to experience Oktoberfest in Munich, the Passionspiele and Bavaria, but we also surprised him by returning to Kelley Barracks for the first time in over fifty years, where we were able to have a tour of Kelley. It’s my hope that his returning to Kelley is a memory he will always cherish, much like the times reflected in the stories he would tell from over fifty years ago.

JEFF KRAWITZ

by Spencer Krawitz

Hello all, my name is Spencer Krawitz, I recently graduated from Widener University Delaware Law School.

I wanted to take this time to thank a member of the Bucks County Bar Association, my father, Jeff Krawitz.

My dad has inspired me in so many ways through his dedication, and hard work ethic. Aside from being an outstanding attorney, a dedicated husband, and an amazing father of six, talk about big shoes to fill.

I know he is well respected by his colleagues, friends, and certainly his family. Further, my dad has inspired me to pursue my legal career.

In addition to providing so much love and support, my dad has also given me the love for sports. I grew up playing baseball and my dad made sure to never miss a game. Now, we enjoy time together out on the golf course, where he hits a golf ball good but throws a club even better.

After passing the bar later this summer I will begin my Bucks County Legal Career with a clerkship for the Honorable Stephen A. Corr in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas starting in August 2024, an opportunity I am extremely excited to begin.

WILLIAM L. GOLDMAN, JR. by Curt

E. Goldman

As a licensed attorney who dutifully disobeyed his father’s career advice to not go into law, I am honored to share a few reflections on his impact on my life and career. It’s not an overstatement in saying that any major decision in my life has and is made through the lens of my Dad: “What would Bull do?”

While he wasn’t always known as “the Bull” - a nickname assigned by his doctors over a decade ago after a legendary recovery from complications related to a ruptured appendix - the name perfectly describes a career of grit, determination and boundless spirit in fighting for his clients, his friends, and his family over a practice spanning more than five decades. And as I reflect now on his impact on me the most vivid symbol of his work ethic are simply the man’s hands. Since I can remember, those hands have always been imperfect but never failed and always did the work. Thick, polish meat hooks with the grip of an Olympic wrestler, twisted knuckles from his days playing lightweight football at Penn, permanent dirt stains from nights and weekends spent mulching, planting and tending to his gardens, scars from blisters

and callouses hauling stone, brick and wood finishing side projects when not at work, and the tens of thousands of hours spent peeling through briefs, memos and opinions trying to find an edge for his clients, those hands never rest. My Dad never watched, he always participated. He never took on cases he didn’t pour himself into. He never cut corners, he always finished the job. And it’s that legendary work ethic that was instilled in me and my siblings since

as long as I can remember and is now making its way through to his 15 grandkids from New Jersey to California. It defines who we are and it came from the Bull.

My Dad also taught us to always show up, not just when it was easy but especially when it was hard. Be early. Under-promise and overdeliver. Take pride in ownership. Do the right thing when no one’s looking. Be honest with your friends and honest with yourself. Dress for success and keep your car clean.

I’ve had the privilege of being born and raised in the same town and now live in the very same house I grew up in, trying my best to follow in those footsteps with my wife and three young boys of my own. It’s been the greatest challenge and honor of my life to try to live up to those ideals. Thanks for always leading by example, Dad. Always.

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF WILLIAM L. GOLDMAN, SR., 1919-2013

by William L. Goldman, Jr.

To best appreciate my father, background is in order.

Raised in West Philadelphia, William was a child of the Great Depression who worked as a waiter in his father’s saloon. He sold programs at Franklin Field and later went door-to-door, peddling vacuum cleaners, Bibles, U.S. Savings Bonds, and tombstones.

William studied business law at Temple University, and after earning a bachelor’s degree in 1942, he volunteered to join the Navy. He joined the Air Navy, serving our country in World War

II as a Navy pilot from 1943-1947. He was honorably discharged in November 1956 from the U.S. Naval Reserve with the rank of lieutenant commander. He piloted Navy airships because pilots were needed, although he had not even known the military had such aircraft. The goal was to protect shipping lanes from German U-boat attacks and to watch over American cargo boats making their way through enemy-infested waters.

He had wanted to go to sea but was turned down for the Deck Navy due to flat feet and a slight overbite. He questioned the finding, saying he would neither “stomp” nor “bite” the enemy to death, but his fate as a blimp pilot was sealed.

William was then sent to the University of North Carolina for pre-flight training. It was there that he learned about Lighterthan-Air (LTA). He and 12 other men signed up for airship duty, and moved on to Lakehurst, New Jersey for flight training. He earned his Navy wings in the spring of 1943 and was then sent to a naval air station in Glynco, Georgia, where he would fly out on his first anti-submarine patrol mission over the Atlantic.

In January 1944, William was transferred to Amapa, Brazil. He and his outfit were responsible for protecting American ships that were leaving Paraguay with large amounts of bauxite ore, which was mined in Paraguay, then shipped north to the United States to be refined and made into aluminum, a very valuable substance at the time, used for military vehicles and weapons. So valuable was aluminum that Germans were attempting to sabotage plants on American soil and attack the cargo-carrying ships that were traveling through the South Atlantic.

But, as my father told it, the Germans rarely attacked a convoy of U.S. boats while the airships were hovering above, watching over. My father was quoted as saying, “The Americans would look up to us and wave, feeling confident we would protect them. They never got attacked under my watch.”

Dad reported that each airship was equipped with two depth charges and two 50-caliber machine guns. In addition, the craft had Sonar gear, which could be dropped into the water to detect metal, i.e. submarines.

William completed his LTA duty in Brazil in November 1944, then came home to the U.S. for various Navy officer duties that kept him on the ground. For a few years after, he visited stations in Atlantic City, Willow Grove, New York, and Oklahoma. Most importantly, in Brooklyn, at Floyd Bennett Field, he met my mother, Jean Marie Beneski, a Navy nurse, with the rank of lieutenant junior grade. From a large Polish family, my mother was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Her brothers worked in the coal mines. My parents married on July 5, 1947, and made their home in Doylestown and would eventually have five children, William, Jr., Bob, Jan, Lee and Jeanne.

While still in the Naval Reserves, William enrolled at Temple Law School, and completed his degree in 1951. He started his own practice, William L. Goldman Law Offices. He specialized in

criminal defense, family law, and commercial litigation from his offices in both Doylestown and Levittown.

Over the next 60 years, Dad earned a reputation as an accomplished and hardworking attorney, who fought the good fight for his clients, and was respected by his peers. My father proudly served as President of the Bucks County Bar Association as well as a Member of the Board of Directors, Treasurer, and Vice President. Also, my father was instrumental in choosing the current location of the bar association. I believe my father was the 43rd member of the Bucks County Bar Association with his attorney ID being 1890. He would joke that only Abraham Lincoln had a bar number lower than his.

Dad’s personality was buoyant. He lit up a room with his personality and laugh. He had a twinkle in his eyes. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, always saying, “Family comes first.”

In summing up my father’s remarkable life, it is clear that his dedication to his family, his profession, and his country defined him. As a World War II veteran, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a respected attorney, he touched countless lives with his unwavering commitment and buoyant spirit. His legacy is not only the professional accolades and the thriving practice he built but also the enduring love and values he instilled in his family. His twinkling eyes and infectious laughter will be remembered by all who knew him, and his mantra of “family comes first” continues to guide us every day. 

And Now for Something Completely Different…

By Sarah A. Steers

Recently, my colleagues at The Writs asked me to take a stab at a folksy humor column in the vein of Erma Bombeck. For those of you who don’t know the name, Erma Bombeck was a masterful newspaper columnist who charmed international audiences with her descriptions of the mundanity of middleclass life until her untimely passing from kidney disease in the mid ‘90s. For those of you familiar with the author, welcome to being so old that the check-out staff at the supermarket gently ask us if we’re feeling OK or if we’re just tired.

I don’t quite know how I became the comedic voice for suburban Philadelphia lawyers, but here we are. And since my audience is mostly attorneys, I feel I must confess: sometimes, when I let my mind wander, I think about my “dream job.” It’s not this. Rather, I would like to name paint.

There exists an exclusive interior paint manufacturer called Farrow & Ball. Every wall in every townhome in every rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in America has been slapped with a couple of colors from Farrow & Ball’s exclusive collections. One of its most popular is - I kid you not - “Dead Salmon.” Imagine inviting your mother-in-law over to brunch after finally getting around to updating your dining room. You sit down to eat some sort of delicate quiche, and she remarks on the lovely, neutral shade of dusky pink coating the walls. You reply, “It’s ‘Dead Salmon.’”

No. Just no. (I mean, please don’t get me wrong. If I ever make “Farrow & Ball”-money, you can be sure I’m buying a couple of gallons. I may be judgmental, but I definitely have a bougie streak.)

We need a world in which women name paint colors the way men name bad IPAs at regional breweries. Show me a shocking purple. “Plum” doesn’t cut it anymore. How about “My High School Boyfriend’s Project Camaro?” Flash me a shade of gray. “Dove” is boring. Try “Tornado Alley.” A beautiful blue shouldn’t be relegated to “Azure.” Why not “Cliff Diving in Acapulco?”

The formality of the practice of law (not to mention severity) has the unfortunate side effect of dulling our senses. But we all still need a shot of effervescence to brighten up our days. Color, of all things, should be one of them. Wouldn’t it be a blast to gaze at a pink paint swatch, and instead of thinking “Dead Salmon,” your mind hits on “Last Drip of Strawberry Ice Cream on the Hottest Summer Day?” Paint deserves better! Farrow & Ball, Behr, Sherwin-Williams - seriously, call me!

Sarah A. Steers is an associate at Curtin & Heefner, LLP, in the Doylestown office, where she practices public sector law.

A Path Well Traveled: Judge Clyde Waite

Raised by a single mother, one of nine siblings, Judge Clyde Waite not only knows the story of poorer than dirt, he lived it. Growing up in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, he lived on the border between the black and white communities; Judge Waite never felt like he belonged to either. With no means, it was assumed that his career would take a vocational, rather than an intellectual tract.

As he had no material possessions growing up, they still mean little to him now. His was a childhood of ill-fitting hand me down clothing from a female classmate for whose family his mother worked as a “domestic.” As a young child, an anger grew within him, a grudge, due to the hardships he endured. Nonetheless, he created his own opportunities and was able to give back, sending money home from his first job to help feed his mother and younger siblings, and creating opportunities for Bucks County residents at his own personal financial risk.

Judge Waite came of age during the civil rights movement and played his part by going to the south to register black voters. He barely escaped with his life, after a run-in with the law.

By Tina Mazaheri

As a young child, an anger grew within him, a grudge, due to the hardships he endured. Nonetheless, he created his own opportunities and was able to give back, sending money home from his first job to help feed his mother and younger siblings.

Not initially accepted to attend Yale Law School, days after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the University had a change of heart. There were few black law students at Yale Law School, and the small group became known as The Dirty Dozen.

It was during his law school years that fortune brought Judge Waite to Doylestown and a lifelong mentorship by and friendship with Federal Judge Ed Ludwig. Coming to all-white Doylestown in the 1960s, Judge Waite never dreamed that one day he would serve as Bucks County’s first, and so far only, African-American judge.

Gradually, and finally, acceptance came by opening up his heart to help others and by receiving the support of what would become his community.

Judge Waite’s compelling stories have purposely not been retold here, so that you can hear them from the source. At Judge Jordan Yeager‘s suggestion, I had the pleasure of interviewing Judge Waite as part of the oral history program of the Doylestown Historical Society, which, as fate would have it, was founded by none other than Judge Ludwig. The full video may be viewed at: https://youtu.be/krEmV6X-34I?si= zUBaGDJO0yS61L1S.

On a recent Friday night, with a packed room of over 100 attendees, Judge Waite’s story was told. Following the screening of his video, Judge Waite wrote: “The outpouring of love was so inspiring. The event affirms my confidence that our world will survive the current assaults on goodness and mercy.” 

Tina Mazaheri, Mazaheri Law, LLC, is a Doylestown family law attorney in her 27th year of solo practice.

NEWS FROM THE PBA

By Carol Shelly

Hello, fellow Bar members. I just returned from a whirlwind three days in Hershey for the Pennsylvania Bar Association (“PBA”) Annual meeting that included many meetings, CLEs, speeches and lots of chocolate. On Friday, May 10, 2024, following the House of Delegates meeting, I began a three-year term as Zone 9 Governor for the PBA. I’m happy to report that Bucks County was well-represented at the meeting, with me, Hillary Moonay, Tyler Tomlinson, Nicole Durso, Maureen Carlton, Julie Goldstein and Bob Repko in attendance. More importantly, two of our members were honored.

Hillary Moonay, as Chair of the PBA Family Law Section, accepted the 2024 Award for Outstanding Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on behalf of the Diversity Task Force of the Family Law Section of the PBA. This prestigious award is presented to PBA entities for outstanding efforts, contributions, or service in furtherance of the PBA Strategic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan, promotion of diversity and inclusion in PBA membership, and a demonstrated commitment to and leadership in promoting full and equal participation in the profession.

Bob Repko received the President’s Award, awarded by outgoing PBA President Michael McDonald. The award was presented to Bob for outstanding service to the PBA in his role as Chair of the Membership Development Committee. Bob received the award for spearheading a resolution to allow paralegals to join the PBA as Affiliate Members, as well as for an initiative he launched last year that successfully saw the PBA further engage students in Pennsylvania law schools as they prepare to become new lawyers. This initiative both increased the visibility of the PBA and generated interest in joining the PBA among incoming members of the Bar.

In addition to receiving the awards, both Hillary and Bob presented resolutions to the House of Delegates.

Hillary presented two resolutions on behalf of the Family Law Section:

• A Recommendation regarding House Bill 2018 asked the House of Delegates to support the Bill, which would change the number of factors a Court must consider

when ruling on custody matters. Section 5328 of the Domestic Relations Code currently requires the court to consider 16 different factors before ruling on custody. House Bill 2018 would decrease that number to 12, and, in the process, create a simplified and streamlined list of factors by considering some of the factors that overlap and are redundant. This Resolution was unanimously approved by both the Board of Governors and the House of Delegates.

• A Recommendation regarding House Bill 350 asked the House of Delegates to support the Bill, which is the Uniform Parentage Act. Pennsylvania currently has no legislation which legally defines parentage. This Bill will provide the courts and attorneys with guidance and clarity on how to establish legal parentage, the legal relationships between parent and child, which is the source of legal rights and responsibility, including custody and child support. Hillary’s impassioned presentation to the House of Delegates on this important issue resulted in a unanimous vote to support the resolution presented by the Family Law Section.

Bob, on behalf of the Membership Development Committee, presented aforementioned Resolution to the House of Delegates requesting that the by-laws be amended to add paralegals as affiliate members of PBA. This was also passed unanimously by the House of Delegates. This amendment will result in an increase in membership and revenue to the PBA, as well as improve the education and effectiveness of paralegals in Pennsylvania law firms. It will also present an opportunity for lawyers and paralegals to continue the collaborative nature of that relationship.

I am honored to serve as Zone 9 governor, representing attorneys from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties on the PBA Board of Governors. I want to personally thank Tyler Tomlinson for the appointment and will work hard on behalf of the PBA and its membership. 

Carol A. Shelly is a partner at Shelly Law Offices, LLC, in Doylestown, PA, where she practices personal injury law.

LAW CLERK PROFILES

Lauren Appolonia & Patrick Farris

The Bucks County Bar Association is extremely proud of its members who serve as judicial law clerks. Many of these clerks are newly minted from law school, and display incredible promise to serve as future leaders of the Bar Association. As a recurring column, The Writs will feature profiles on a few members of the current clerkship class. In this edition, we are proud to present Lauren Appolonia, law clerk to Hon. Jeffrey G. Trauger, and Patrick Farris, law clerk to Hon. Charissa J. Liller, of the Court of Common Pleas.

Lauren Appolonia

The Writs: Tell us about yourself. I grew up in Bucks County where I lived with my parents, three brothers, and two dogs. I returned after attending The Pennsylvania State University for my undergraduate degree. After attending Penn State, I was fortunate enough to attend Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, which I graduated from in 2023. I sat for the Bar in July 2023, and afterwords began working for the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. In August I will be moving to Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

The Writs: If you are from Bucks County, what made you decide to live or work here?

I grew up in Bucks County but that is not the only reason I wanted to pursue a clerkship here. Yes, it is fantastic that Bucks County is located close to beaches and mountains, but for me, I wanted to be close to my family. I learned from my time in law school that Philadelphia is a great place for weekend trips, but personally I could not live or work there. Instead, being in Bucks County provided me with the opportunity to live near my family before we all move away from each other, as majority of my siblings and my parents are still in the area. It also has provided me the opportunity to get more involved in the community in which I grew up.

The Writs: What made you want to become an attorney? Who were your role models or inspirations and why?

What sparked my interest in the legal field, like many others, starts with an unfortunate situation. When I was in high school, I had a friend who was in an extremely unhealthy relationship. I took some college classes attempting to better understand why one stays in unhealthy relationships and learn more about the dynamics of unhealthy relationships. One of these classes was a domestic violence class with an instructor that I have looked up to since beginning that class. She was a part time instructor and part time prosecutor. In that class,

I learned a tremendous amount, and opted to take the other classes instructed by the same woman.

During that time, I also learned that I had health problems, which were not being taken seriously by my physicians. Fortunately, I had an advocate with me, my mom, who was there to navigate the health care system that seemed to be against me. When faced with a decision to apply to graduate school, either to work my way to become a therapist, or go to law school, these events created a clear path for me: assisting others in law school and become the advocate that I once needed. Since entering the legal field, I am fortunate to have had many role models to assist me. Another person I sought and still seek inspiration from is Amber McGee, at Philadelphia Legal Assistance. She was my supervisor for a semester during clinic, and from her I have learned how to utilize the skills I have to be that advocate and she demonstrated continuously how to be an effective advocate. Since arriving at the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, I have been exposed to a significant amount of role models and inspirations. I look forward to the other role models and inspirations that will guide me on the remainder of my career.

The Writs: Describe a day in the life of a law clerk in your judge’s chambers.

Outside of jury trials, the only consistency with Judge Trauger’s schedule is that today will look different from yesterday and different than tomorrow. Depending on the day, there may be an orphans’ court hearing or trial, a civil court hearing or trial, or, on occasion, injunctions to be handled. Judge Trauger has presided over a wide variety of cases in my short time as his clerk. Just this week, we have dealt with unjust enrichment, partitions, and petitions to remove executors, and the week is not finished.

When Judge Trauger is not presiding over a hearing or a trial, there are many smaller assignments, as his responsibilities and mine do not end when we leave the courtroom. When he is not in a trial or at a hearing, there is typically

lots of research and writing to be done before it reaches his desk. Being in civil and orphans’ court, what those matters are tends to vary greatly in subject. One thing for certain is that you almost never have the same day over and over again working for Judge Trauger.

The Writs: What was the most interesting case that you have worked on for your judge?

To pinpoint a case which is most interesting is a challenge. As I mentioned, Judge Trauger presides over a large variety of matters, which leads to many different and interesting issues being presented to him. However, many of the cases I have worked on, particularly the interesting ones, are pending decisions from the appellate court so I will refrain from adding any more detail.

The Writs: What type of law do you want to go into after your clerkship, and where do you see yourself in five years?

Many others in the legal profession look at me as though I have multiple heads when I state that I am interested in family law and orphans’ court. I come from a blended family, and I have seen the positive impact that great attorneys can have. From viewing others’ proceedings, I have also seen how much worse attorneys can make the family matter disputes. I would like to be on the side of the equation improving tough situations that families are going through.

The Writs: What is your favorite fictional character from the legal industry?

Alicia Florrick from “The Good Wife.” I have not seen the show in many years but I remember appreciating her character throughout the series.

The Writs: What has been your favorite place to travel to and why?

My favorite place to travel in the United States so far has been Arizona. One of my brothers went to school out there so I was fortunate enough to visit him during that time. Not only was Pheonix beautiful, but I also got an opportunity to see the Grand Canyon and Sedona while there.

The Writs: What advice would you give a law student to help prepare for a clerkship in Bucks County? I would say be prepared to learn a lot again, and fast. However, be open to seeking assistance and advice from others. Once here, I believe getting to know how the behind the scenes work is done is useful, not just procedurally but also practically speaking. You will be brand new when you start, and that means that things done here may be very different than what you are taught occurs in

law school. Learning how to adapt to those differences in expectations are critical. Prior to starting a clerkship, observing different proceedings in similar areas of law I believe would be useful. I also think attending CLEs and other similar bar association events can be beneficial to meet those in the community you will be interacting with on a regular basis.

The Writs: What do you do when not practicing law?

When I am not at work, I enjoy being outdoors. I enjoy reading outdoors, taking my dog for a walk, going hiking, fishing, and camping. At home, I enjoy baking and random arts and crafts even if I have absolutely no artistic ability.

The Writs: What is your favorite bar or pizza place in Bucks County?

Jules Pizza is definitely my favorite pizza place in Bucks County, but prior to finding out I have food allergies, Carluccis in Yardley was my childhood favorite.

Interview of Patrick Farris

The Writs: Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in the area, in nearby Montgomeryville, PA, with my younger brother, Michael. After graduating from Lansdale Catholic High School, I earned my bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State University and my J.D. from Villanova. During my time at Villanova, I actively engaged in practical experiences, including participating in the Reimel Moot Court Competition and contributing to the Villanova Health Law Clinic. These experiences not only enriched my academic journey but also instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility and dedication to the legal profession. After graduating law school, I returned home to Montgomeryville to be close to my job here in the Justice Center, where I am currently the Law Clerk for Judge Liller.

The Writs: If you are not from Bucks County, what made you decide to live or work here?

Being from just over County Line Road, I can’t claim to be a true Bucks County native. However, I grew up connected to Bucks County, spending a significant amount of my childhood summers at my grandparents’ house in Holland, swimming in their pool and hiking with my late grandfather in nearby Tyler Park and the Churchville Nature Center. So, Bucks County has always felt like home to me. During undergrad, looking to gain some legal experience before of applying to law schools, I interned at the Public Defender’s Office in Doylestown during the Summer of 2018. When law school was coming to a close, and I was looking for employment, I figured a good place to officially start my

legal career was back where I was first exposed to legal field – here at the Justice Center.

The Writs: What made you want to become an attorney? Who were your role models or inspirations and why?

Since about high school, I had a hunch that I wanted to become an attorney. I was particularly attracted to playing a role in shaping public life, keeping the wheels of our society turning, and having a positive impact in the process. A large part of why I went to law school and became an attorney was to help people with special needs and their families. My brother, Michael, is on the autism spectrum and has special needs. Growing up alongside Michael, I became acutely aware of the myriad legal challenges and complexities that individuals like him and their families face. Witnessing firsthand the legal hurdles that individuals with special needs encounter in accessing government benefits, securing essential care and housing, and planning for their future well-being deeply resonated with me, and also inspired me to become an attorney to help people like my brother and families like mine.

The Writs: Describe a day in the life of a law clerk in your judge’s chambers.

Judge Liller primarily handles criminal and family law cases, but also rules on civil motions. Because of this variety, every day holds something new. When not in court, I’m usually briefing the judge for an upcoming hearing or jury trial. This usually entails reviewing motions, researching potential legal issues, and writing memos for the judge on what we can expect at the upcoming hearings. I also assist the Judge in drafting opinions after appeals are filed. This process usually takes up the bulk of my time as it requires careful examination of hearing transcripts, compilation of factual timelines, extensive legal research, and the crafting of clear and concise opinion that addresses all aspects of the appellant’s complaints.

On days when I am in court, usually for a trial or a pre-trial hearing on a motion, I assist the judge with researching any legal issues that arise in court and discuss the reasoning of counsel’s arguments with the Judge ahead of her ruling. This makes for a great experience, as I get to see the terrific advocacy that plays out here in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.

The Writs: What was the most interesting case that you have worked on for your judge?

An interesting case came our way when I first started clerking. It involved a criminal defendant who was staying in a hotel room. The day after he checked in, the hotel

manager entered the room during routine housekeeping services to find no one there. Instead, she found a loaded handgun, and called the police. The police entered the hotel room, seized the gun, and found out that it had been reported stolen. Later that day, the defendant returned to the hotel, and was arrested on the spot. The defendant moved to suppress the search of the hotel room and seizure of the gun, arguing the police violated the Fourth Amendment by entering the hotel room without a valid search warrant. Ahead of the hearing on the motion, I was tasked with finding out whether the defendant had a “reasonable expectation of privacy” in his hotel room. Turns out, one does have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their hotel room, but only for the time they are still checked in or their rental has not lapsed. Therefore, the pivotal question became whether the defendant had already checked out or if his rental had lapsed at the time of the police search. As such, the testimony of the hotel room manager was imperative to the outcome of the motion. At the hearing, the manager testified that the defendant’s rental of the room had lapsed by the time the police entered the room, so the court denied his suppression motion. This case has stuck with me because it was one of the first pre-trial motions I did research on for Judge Liller, and it was one of the first times I got to research an interesting legal issue in the “real world,” not just in a law school hypothetical.

The Writs: What type of law do you want to go into after your clerkship, and where do you see yourself in five years?

I’d like to work in civil litigation after my term of clerking is over. In five years, I’d like to be working at a firm that allows me to handle a variety of different cases and tasks. I’d also like to be doing some pro bono work to help people with special needs and their families. In the near term, I have accepted a position to follow my clerkship as an associate at Palmer & Barr, in Philadelphia, PA.

The Writs: What is your favorite fictional character from the legal industry?

Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman from Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad. Please don’t tell the Ethics Committee of the State Bar.

The Writs: What has been your favorite place to travel to and why?

I’d have to say my favorite place I’ve visited is Ireland. In the Summer of 2016, I went with my mother, grandparents, and my aunt and uncle and his family to our ancestral homeland. We visited larger cities like Galway and Dublin, and smaller towns on the west coast like Westport and

Dingle. The highlight for me was seeing the villages that my mother’s and father’s families came from. In Kilmovee, County Mayo, where my mother’s side is from, we visited a pub that bore my mother’s side’s last name – Duffy’s Tavern. That same day, I traveled north to Easkey, County Sligo, where my paternal great-grandfather lived before he immigrated to the United States in 1912. There, I visited the gravestone he erected in memory of his parents and sister, who passed after he left. The trip remains the most impactful travel experience I’ve had, and I hope to return to Ireland soon.

The Writs: What advice would you give a law student to help prepare for a clerkship in Bucks County? Be prepared to manage your own schedule and prioritize your assignments. The judges have a variety of different duties, each of which varies in the amount of time they take to complete and has different deadlines. Make sure to keep your tasks organized so that nothing comes at you from left field around the time it is due.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. As law clerks, we have the privilege of working with some of the most experienced and knowledgeable attorneys in our community – our judges. Sometimes a simple question can

lead to great learning opportunity, or a possible professional connection with someone the judge knows. You will also have the chance to work with other young attorneys just out of law school, so share what you learn with each other so everyone can improve.

Ultimately, a clerkship is a two-way street between you and the judge, you provide your best work product and informed advice to the judge, and in return, the judge provides you with valuable insight on legal practice and procedure. Make the most of this experience and it will prove to be a great start to your career.

The Writs: What do you do when not practicing law?

In my free time, I love spending time with my family and friends, jamming out on guitar, and playing on my “beer league” ice hockey team on Monday nights.

The Writs: What is your favorite bar or pizza place in Bucks County?

My favorite bar would have to be the Dubliner on the Delaware in New Hope. I love a good Irish Pub (it’s in my DNA). The Crossroads Tavern up in Hilltown would be my runner up. The best pizza place in Bucks County is, hands down, Longhitano’s Pizza off Street Road in Southampton.

STEPHANIE M. SHORTALL

Preserving Our Past While Blazing a Trail Forward

By Grace M. Deon MANAGING PARTNER’S CORNER

Our

Firm is Well Established

The name Eastburn and Gray was originally coined in 1946 through a partnership between Arthur M. Eastburn, Sr. and Samuel S. Gray, Jr., however the law firm’s origin actually dates back to Arthur’s father, Hugh B. Eastburn, who was admitted to the Bucks County Bar on August 14, 1877. Today, Hugh’s great grandson, D. Rodman Eastburn and his great, great grandchildren, Sarah A. Eastburn and Mark D. Eastburn, practice with the firm, making it a 147 year old institution.

In January 2020, our firm’s management committee transitioned to a newly elected body to oversee the day-to-day operations of the firm. We assembled and kicked off the New Year with a management committee retreat, defining the firm’s “future look” and setting measurable goals. Then, within no time, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. Navigating the uncharted territories of the pandemic, the newly installed management committee executed a strong push for technology resourcefulness ensuring seamless, remote legal services, increased internal and external communications, and counseled clients through the myriad of issues with legal guidance that sometimes changed daily depending upon the industry or other implicated circumstances.

New Terrain

The shareholders of the firm elected me President and CEO of Eastburn and Gray in January 2020. I was extremely honored when Rod Eastburn asked me to consider taking on this role. I have called Eastburn and Gray “home” since my 1990 summer law clerkship, joining the firm full-time in 1992. Having the trust and support of your fellow shareholders is incredibly humbling. Prior to my current role, I served on the firm’s management committee for a decade. My role in transitioning between two different management teams was critical to the firm’s infrastructure and culture moving forward. The success of this evolution included the confidence of prior managing members

in our ability to lead, my tenure with the firm, and the unwavering dedication and collective talent of my fellow management committee members. I would be remiss if I failed to mention how fortunate we are to have a dynamic staff, without whom we could not exist.

In today’s business landscape, we are expected to receive, review and respond to information instantaneously. The pace of the practice of law is exponentially faster than decades before. We address these demands by implementing transformative internal processes and strategies that further our goal of improving client experiences and delivering exceptional legal services.

Despite these hurdles, we still take time to enjoy camaraderie amongst each other and think of Eastburn and Gray firm members and staff as family. We support each other professionally and celebrate personal milestones from newlyweds to newborns. As a firm, we promote community outreach through serving on non-profit boards, donating to a wide range of philanthropic causes and participating in industry specific trade organizations. Our attorneys and staff are active in the communities where they both live and work.

Leading as a Team

In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations, we spend considerable time planning for our firm’s future business development and growth. We remain open to change and take advantage of what educators call “teachable moments,” which translates into learning from past missteps. We have dedicated attorneys and staff who care about delivering high-quality services to achieve valuable results for our clients. Many of our clients have engaged our services for decades and routinely refer others, knowing we will handle their legal issues competently and compassionately.

Raising Leaders

Earlier this year, the composition of our management committee purposefully changed. Michael Peters joined us

in a strategic effort to bring the next generation of shareholders into the leadership fold. To manage a firm of our size, we have to involve the leaders of tomorrow, today. Our junior shareholders are serving on various internal firm committees and local bar association leadership roles, which will shape them for future firm governance.

Expansion

In 2022, we secured an office presence in the Lehigh Valley. Our shareholder, Joseph Piperato, was critical in helping the firm establish a footprint in Bethlehem, which includes ownership of a title company, Penn Star Land Transfer, LLC. In 2023, Henry VanBlunk, Julie Von Spreckelsen and Robert Watson were key in acquiring additional commercial space in our Blue Bell, Montgomery County office. Strategic growth is advantageous and the additional square footage allows us to attract additional talent. Kim Litzke continues to head our Summer Law Clerk program, which often results in associate attorney hires. Over the past few months, four new attorneys have joined the firm. Calculated decisions for expansion are critical.

Today, the firm has grown to an operation that includes 33 practicing attorneys, 24 support staff, more than 15 different areas of practice, three office locations in three

different counties, and a team of lawyers who routinely represent clients throughout the Commonwealth and New Jersey. Our practitioners appear before Federal and State courts, municipal boards, and a multitude of agencies. Our expansion efforts include making sound financial decisions, overseen in part by our Treasurer, John Schaeffer.

Planning for the Future

Over the last four years, we have seen our share of obstacles, including numerous factors affecting our industry – such as artificial intelligence, multigenerational learning, fostering equality and diversity and preventing cyber-attacks, to name a few. Strategic planning is at the forefront of our business goals and is essential to our firm’s future. It is also a key element in attracting new talent. When we reflect on the Eastburn and Gray alumni that paved the way, we strive to maintain a law firm that fosters collegiality and respect, positions us for the future, and hires talented attorneys and staff, all for the benefit of the clients we serve. 

Grace M. Deon is the managing partner of Eastburn & Gray, in Doylestown, PA, where she also practices employment law, and commercial litigation.

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BCBA Past Presidents Dinner: A Legacy of Service

By David J. Truelove

On May 22, 2024, twenty-five Bucks County Bar Association (“BCBA”) past presidents gathered for food and fellowship at La Stalla in Newtown, PA. As with previous Past Presidents Dinners, the evening was appropriately festive and informative, as the Bucks County Bar Foundation’s (“BCBF”) mission was a topic of discussion and emphasis.

This year the dinner co-hosts were past presidents David Truelove (2017) and Bob Repko (2019), who shared the duties as a result of scheduling adjustments resulting from the 2020 pandemic. Truelove and Repko both made opening remarks, highlighting the talent and diversity of the attendees – male, female, older, younger, solo/small firm, medium size firm and larger firm (by Bucks standards) – that every past president could be proud of his/her respective accomplishments. Among the attending past presidents were several of our Bucks Bench’s distinguished jurists: Common Pleas Judges Brian McGuffin, Jeffrey Finley, and Jeffrey Trauger, and Magisterial District Judge Gary Gambardella. President-elect Jeremy Puglia provided a heartfelt invocation prior to the dinner.

Past President Tim Duffy pulled double duty, appearing in his current role as the BCBF Treasurer, highlighting the importance of the BCBF mission in providing scholarships and promoting other worthwhile charitable endeavors. Clearly the past presidents have not rested on their proverbial laurels, as all have demonstrated their continuing commitment to the legal community and the community at large, as members of various non-profit and charitable organizations, youth coaches, college board trustees, and as board members in numerous public sector entity boards.

Current BCBA President (and Energizer Bunny doppelganger) Tyler Tomlinson spoke briefly about the current state of the Bar Association, noting the increasing membership, and the support and dedication of committee, section and division leaders, and of course the great work of the BCBA staff. The night’s high note was President Tomlinson’s arrangement for a group photo, outside the restaurant, with a rural Bucks County backdrop for effect.

All in all, the dinner provided a memorable and fun event, proving that, unlike Groucho Marx’s comment regarding an invitation to membership in a particular group, this gathering is one for which the attendees can be rightly proud. 

David Truelove is a partner with Hill Wallack LLP, in the Yardley, PA office. David is a trial lawyer, focusing on labor and employment law, and serves as Solicitor to many public entities.

BCBF Hits a Home Run with Successful 20th Anniversary Gala FOUNDATION CORNER

By Jeffrey A. Liebmann

On

Thursday evening, April 18, 2024,

THE TRUSTEES OF THE BUCKS COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION HOSTED THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AT AN EVENT AT THE BUCK HOTEL, NAMED “A CELEBRATION OF GIVING.”

The event committee, consisting of co-Chair Tiffany Thomas-Smith, Esquire, and committee members Sarah Ryan, Heather Hines, Esquire, Kathryn Dent, Esquire, Tyler Tomlinson, Esquire, Brendan Flynn, Esquire, Gina Kiley, Esquire, Nicole Durso, Esquire, Jill Duffy, Esquire, Judith Algeo, Esquire, Karen Ulmer, Esquire, Liz Fritsch, Esquire, and Juntae Rocker, began meeting regularly to plan the event in January 2023. The Gala on April 18th drew 290 guests and was the largest event in the 140 year history of the Bucks County Bar Association. Without the Committee, and of course, the staff of the Bucks County Bar Association/Foundation under the direction of our Executive Director, Heather Cevasco, this event would not have been possible and certainly not the enormous success it was.

The night was truly unforgettable, with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick presenting one of the Foundation Veterans Awards to Ryan Manion of the Travis Manion Foundation, Curtin & Heefner Managing Partner Frank S. Guarrieri presenting one of the Foundation Service Awards to Paul Muller of Team Toyota, and President Judge of Philadelphia Municipal Court the Honorable Patrick F. Dugan presenting one of the Foundation Veterans Awards to Janet Brennan, owner and founder of Shamrock Reins. Other award recipients receiving Foundation honors were Josh Fields of The Next Step Programs, The Peace Center, Honorable Patrick Murphy and Barbara Kaner, Esquire, of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Guests at the event included students from Villa Joseph Marie Academy and Holy Ghost Prep, 15 mentors from the Bucks County Veterans Treatment Program, the Veterans Treatment Program Social Worker hired through the efforts of the Foundation, the current President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Michael McDonald, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Matt Holiday, and, ten current Judges on the Bucks County Bench. It was a very special evening and

one that will not soon be forgotten. A special thank you to the trustees of the Bucks County Bar Foundation for their assistance and support, Liz Fritsch, Esquire, Greg Grim, Esquire, Tim Duffy, Esquire, Jessica Pritchard, Esquire, Larry Scheetz, Esquire, Judith Algeo, Esquire, Julie Goldstein, Esquire, Sean Gresh, Esquire, Heather Hines, Esquire, Sarah Ryan, Stephanie Schwartzberg, Esquire, Carol Shelly, Esquire, Boe Shiffler, Esquire, Frank Sullivan, Esquire, and Karen Ulmer, Esquire.

The Gala Committee selected the 7 honorees from dozens of nominees submitted to the Foundation and presented those awards at the Gala. However, the Gala Committee and the Foundation Board of Trustees wanted to recognize several others who’s accomplishments and dedication to the community are unparalleled. The following Honorable Mentions were also recognized at the Foundation’s Gala:

2024 BUCKS COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION AWARD HONORABLE MENTIONS

Chuck Hutt

HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION VETERANS AWARD

Col. Hutt’s dedication to Veterans is impressive. Chuck serves on the West Point Board of Admissions interviewing candidates from Bucks County seeking admission to the West Point Military Academy. Chuck volunteers his time at funerals for local veterans for the flag presentations.

Several years ago, Chuck talked several friends into having a golf outing to benefit local veterans. The first was to benefit a soldiers family last under his command. None of those he recruited had a military background, but Chuck’s leadership and passion infected the entire group. The Friends for Heroes Foundation was born. Over the years the Foundation has raised over $500,000 to benefit local veterans and their families.

The Friends for Heroes Foundation has helped build a home and fence in the yard for a local veteran in Southampton. That veteran,

Army CPL Kevin McCloskey, is a double amputee as a result injuries sustained in 2008 in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The Friends for Heroes has donated significant sums to Shamrock Reins, a charitable organization in Bucks County that provides equine assisted therapies for veterans, both active duty and reserve service members.

In 2023, Chuck, along with the Bucks County Bar Foundation, secured the financing to hire Bucks County’s first Veterans Treatment Program Social Worker. That Social Worker started with the Court’s first week of November 2023. That social worker will ultimately save lives of local Veterans.

The Friends for Heroes Foundation is a 2023 and 2024 President’s Club Sponsor of the Bucks County Bar Foundation and a 2023 winner of the William Eastburn Award from the Bucks County Bar Association

The mission statement of The Friends for Heroes Foundation provides: “It is our small way to humbly say ‘thank you’, and to remind as many of our veterans as we are able that they will not be forgotten….not ever.” Col. Hutt lives that mission every day.

Ellen & Michael Barkann

The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation

HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION SERVICE AWARD

The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation (www.thebarkannfoundation.org) provides financial aid to families who are in need, due to recent adversity or tragedy. Whether it be the sudden death or illness of a parent, the long term illness of a child, or the loss of a home or property due to fire, flood or disaster, The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation strives to help families bridge the gap until they can seek long term stability to lessen the financial burdens due to these, or other, life altering disasters.

Frank O’Donnell

HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION

VETERANS AWARD

Frank O’Donnell’s service starts with the US Army Reserve, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel specializing in civil affairs. Frank has been actively involved in various public boards and committees, including the Northampton Township Veteran’s Advisory Commission, Northampton Municipal Authority, and as a Northampton Township Supervisor. Frank is also an active member and leader within the Edgar H. Denson American Legion Post 79 in New Hope, PA, serving in leadership roles as post secretary, Vice Commander and Commander, and, currently as the President of the Post Home Association.

Frank is committed to those who have served our country through his financial support via the local American Legion Post of local veterans through Bucks County Veterans Affairs Department, Shamrock Reins and the Veterans Mentorship Program. Frank also supports the local community through initiatives such as veterans’ awareness programs, sponsoring high school students for Boys and Girls State American Legion Programs, and, advocating for local Boys and Girls Scout troops, encouraging their participation in honoring veterans’ graves on Memorial Day.

Frank has been committed to various local initiatives such as the Northampton Township Flag Recognition Program, Memorial and Veteran’s Day awareness programs, Flag Day flag retirement program, and advocacy for the Township’s Brick Recognition program for Township Veterans. Frank was also involved in the early days of the Guardians of the National Cemetery honoring fallen heroes.

Gabrielle Favoroso HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION SERVICE AWARD

The nominations received by the Foundation say more than we are capable of saying about Gabrielle’s spirit and passion.

From the letter nominating Gabrielle for the Bucks County Bar Foundation’s Service Award: “Gabrielle is a shining example of what it means to serve others without expectation of reward or recognition. Her generosity, kindness, and compassion are contagious and have inspired countless individuals in our community. Gabrielle’s efforts through Santa’s Helping Hands of Bucks County and her restaurant, Giovanni’s Delicious Pickles, have made a huge difference in the lives of those around her. From fundraising for local charities to providing meals for those in need, to helping locals in the community, Gabrielle’s selflessness knows no bounds. What is most remarkable about Gabrielle is that she does all of this without seeking anything in return. She doesn’t do it for recognition or praise. Her heart is big and pure, and her intentions are selfless. Gabrielle’s service is a reflection of her character and her commitment to making a positive impact.”

“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Gabrielle for a little over a year, and the impact she has had on my life is immeasurable. Her kindness, compassion, and generosity have been a constant source of inspiration to me, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of her selflessness. Gabrielle’s boundless generosity has left an indelible mark on countless lives. Through her tireless efforts, she has brought joy to hundreds and hundreds of children at Christmas, provided essential support to families affected by fires, and

contributed to initiatives like Bikes for Smiles. Her restaurant, Giovanni’s Delicious Pickles, has become a beacon of hope, with Gabrielle donating to numerous benefits without hesitation or expectation of return. What sets Gabrielle apart is her unwavering commitment to serving others without seeking recognition or reward. Her kindness stems from a genuine desire to make a difference. Gabrielle’s heart of gold inspires us all to be better versions of ourselves. In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, Gabrielle’s selflessness shines like a beacon of hope. Her unwavering dedication to serving others is a testament to the power of kindness and compassion.”

“Her selflessness, compassion, and kindness are a blessing to all who know her.”

Nancy Larkin Tayler, Esquire HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION SERVICE AWARD

Nancy Larkin Taylor, Esquire was appointed to the Children and Youth Advisory Board in 1986. While serving on the Board, she and fellow Board members realized that Bucks County’s foster children and kids in care miss out on many activities most families consider normal. Nancy realized with early intervention, exposure to positive relationships (coaches, tutors, organized activities) kids who would otherwise get into trouble could find healthy outlets and move into productive adulthood, regardless of their childhood trauma. Nancy is now the Executive Director of Bucks for Kids. Bucks For Kids, an all-volunteer nonprofit has been the only private source of funding for children and young adults in Foster Care and children and young adults being served by Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services. For almost 35 years, Children and Youth caseworkers have submitted hundreds of individual applications on behalf of these children requesting whatever service, assistance or items that child needs at that time in his or her life. Requests seek payment for summer camp, music lessons, sports costs, tutoring and other extracurricular activities. Items and services, so necessary for kids at risk, but unaffordable to the family and not provided by the County. Positive experiences boost self-esteem and help foster kids steer a path to a healthy and productive adult life.

Whatever money comes in, goes out to the kids. Board members are volunteers. There is no overhead, no office. The money raised by Bucks for Kids is for Bucks County’s Foster Children. Money for Bucks for Kids comes from grass root fundraisers like Breakfast with Santa, Bingo with Santa, Golf Outings, Sky Diving, Designer Bag Bingos, annual appeals, help from foundations Lenfest, the Bucks County Commissioners

and a host of other philanthropic organizations. Nancy’s hope is that Bucks for Kids will continue its work for years to come and continue to provide hope and opportunities for Bucks County foster children.

PJ O’Brien

HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION SERVICE AWARD

PJ O’Brien joined United Way of Bucks County (www.uwbucks. org) in late 2020 as a HELP Center Associate, but quickly moved up through increasingly responsible positions. Today, he serves as Impact Director for Health and Financial Stability. PJ consistently and tirelessly works on behalf of others and his contributions to Bucks County are significant. In addition to his day-to-day work, he regularly steps up to manage large, essential projects. In 2021, following flash 100-year floods in Lower Bucks, many low- and moderate-income residents were at imminent risk of losing their homes. They simply couldn’t afford the necessary remediation and emergency repairs. Predatory contractors and flippers were already starting to emerge. PJ volunteered to lead a program called Bucks United Flood Recovery (BUFR), a $2m+ program designed to keep people stably housed. In collaboration with County of Bucks Housing and Community Development, The Elevated Studios, Habitat for Humanity – and many local contractors and skilled tradespeople – he completed 260+ separate projects in 30+ homes. BUFR ensured safe, secure, and sanitary housing for 160+ neighbors.

Next, he took on a new and innovative project called Learn to Invest in your Future and Thrive, or LIFT United. LIFT United focuses on households that are asset limited, income constrained, employed (ALICE) – a full 27% of Bucks County’s population and a group that is incredibly underserved. Through LIFT, a collaboration with County of Bucks, Credit Counseling Center, and Penn Community Bank, ALICE families increase financial literacy, improve credit scores, and purchase used cars using downpayment matches and low-interest car loans secured by United Way. This program is a finalist for a prestigious Social Innovation Award and in January 2024 won 3rd place in the Community Impact: Innovative Partnerships for Innovative cross-sector partnerships solving complex social and environmental issues category

Now, PJ is project manager for United Way’s HELP Center Expansion Team. United Way’s current HELP Center already serves thousands of residents and provides more than $2m of brand-new essential items each year. The expansion will grow this critical program so more people can get help when they need it.

Perhaps most importantly, PJ treats every single person he works with – consumers, colleagues, donors, volunteers, partners – with empathy, dignity, and respect. When people are in crisis, he acts with urgency, when they are scared, he’s a calming presence, when they don’t know where to turn, he lights the way.

Tom Corrigan HONORABLE

MENTION FOUNDATION VETERANS AWARD

Tom Corrigan’s commitment to veterans and their families is unparalleled.

As the President of the CPT Connor J. Bednarzyk Memorial Fund, also known as The 5 Foundation, Tom has gone above and beyond in his efforts to honor the memory of Army Ranger Connor Bednarzyk who was killed on September 7, 2018 during a training mission near Ft. Benning, Georgia.

The 5 Foundation’s focus is to encourage and assist individuals who will serve, are serving, or have served our country by enlisting in the Armed Forces of the United States while also aiming to motivate and instill leadership qualities in those same individuals in the memory of Connor J. Bednarzyk. The purpose of the Foundation includes the implementation of programs, projects, and strategies to provide high school scholarships, grants to other nonprofit corporations aiding veterans with PTSD, and offer support to those participating in Ranger Training Phases. Tom has played a vital role in the day-to-day operations of the Foundation. Of Tom’s notable contributions includes actively seeking out veterans in need and spearheading the fundraising initiatives to provide both financial assistance and valuable services.

Tom has been instrumental in establishing a platform within The 5 Foundation to support higher education for military personnel transitioning to civilian life who need guidance and support to find their way in their new life. His efforts have not only impacted those leaving the military but have also extended to individuals aspiring to join the Armed Forces. Through scholarships and various support programs, Tom has played a pivotal role in facilitating access to education and much needed resources.

In addition to his Foundation work, Tom has been an active member of the Central Bucks Rotary Club, leveraging his involvement to identify and address the needs of local veterans. His commitment goes beyond financial assistance, as he actively engages in practical support such as organizing

collections for veterans facing housing challenges, helping veterans with a hands-on approach by repairing decks, cleaning up yards, organizing friends when a hurricane came through to cut down trees. Tom also participates in events to raise funds for preventing veteran suicide (Mission 22), and collaborating with other non-profits like Shamrock Reins that helps veterans suffering from PTSD and raising funds and awareness for the local YMCA veterans program.

If that were not enough, Tom dedicates time to honoring fallen graduates through high school memorial projects, participation in Wreaths Across America, and various community support initiatives.

Rodney Watt/Salute 2 Service HONORABLE MENTION FOUNDATION

VETERANS AWARD

Rodney Wyatt is a veteran who served his country with honor in the Marines from 1972-1974 and as an Army Guardsman from 1994-2002. Early on, Rodney recognized the challenges veterans faced when transitioning from military life to civilian life based on his own experiences. Rodney served as a Veteran’s Representative for the Commonwealth of PA from 2009-2016 advocating on behalf of veterans. In 2013, he founded Salute 2 Service (www.salute2service.org) with a clear mission: to bridge the gap between veterans and the resources they needed to reintegrate into civilian society successfully. His vision was rooted in a desire to ensure no veteran would be left behind once returning home.

Today, Salute 2 Service provides support, empowerment, and hope to those who have served. Salute 2 Service partners with Veterans Thrift, based in Bristol, in meeting the daily needs of veterans in Bucks County. Salute 2 Service and Rodney has created a seamless system that ensures veterans can access food, including essential items like frozen meats, every day of the week. This collaboration extends another vital lifeline to those who have served our nation with honor and helps bring our communities together.

Every Wednesday morning just off Sycamore Street (behind Chandler Hall) in Newtown, dozens of volunteers prepare food baskets filled with fresh produce, frozen meats, bread, milk, cereal, and snacks donated by organizations like Hatfield Meats, Sam’s Club, Giant Market, Caring for Friends, Warminster Food Bank, Newtown Bagel, and more.

See you at the 25th Anniversary Gala!! 

Jeffrey Liebmann is a partner at Curtin & Heefner, LLP, in the Yardley, PA office, where he practices family law. Jeff is the president of the Bucks County Bar Foundation.

events Foundation 20 Year Anniversary Gala

Foundation Scholarship and Mock Trial Winners Reception

THE BUCKS COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION (BCBF) PARTNERS WITH ROXY THERAPY DOGS

IN SUPPORT OF THE COURTHOUSE COMPANIONSHIP

By Thomas P. Donnelly

FOR MANY LAWYERS, AN APPEARANCE IN COURT IS AN EVERYDAY THING. FOR MANY OTHERS, AN APPEARANCE IN COURT BORDERS ON THE UNIMAGINABLE. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their control, many children are required to attend court proceedings relating to difficult family situations which directly impact their lives. Several years ago, the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County invited Roxy Therapy Dogs into the Courthouse in order to provide emotional support to children faced with testifying on difficult matters. The Bucks County Bar Foundation has joined in that effort and committed to provide financial support to the Courthouse Companionship Program.

Roxy Therapy Dogs is a volunteer operated 501(c)(3) organization which provides comfort and support to children throughout Bucks County. The organization has developed six programs ranging from reading support in elementary schools to easing stress and anxiety for high school students. Most apropos to the readers of the Writs, Roxy provides emotional support for kids testifying in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Whenever possible, Roxy Therapy Dog teams are present to greet these often at risk children, provide comfort to them as they wait to testify, and even occasionally join them in the witness box during testimony.

The courthouse program is well known to the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. Judge Mellon was critical to the inception in Bucks County (in fact, a Roxy “dog” is incorporated into his portrait). Judge Yeager continues to be a supporter and proponent, offering the following comments as to the effectiveness of the program: “Therapy dogs in court provide children support in a whole host of ways. They give love, companionship, and even just a distraction from the stressful scene the kids find themselves in. The pups also provide a sense of warmth to the adults present (including the judge and court staff!).”

PROGRAM

While the dogs and their handlers are the stars of the Courthouse Program, kids are given take-aways as well – the most significant and favorite of which is a stuffed animal “Roxy” dog. The stuffed Roxy dogs feature a smiling face, a soft texture, and a recognizable therapy dog outfit. Roxy distributes nearly 250 stuffed animal dogs every year at the courthouse. That means 250 kids have had to testify, and when they did, they were met by a live dog and given the take-away “Roxy” dog.

Consistent with its charitable mission which includes fostering protection under rule of law, the Bucks County Bar Foundation agreed to fund the acquisition of 500 stuffed “Roxy” dogs to cover the supply for the next two years. We at Roxy are grateful for the financial assistance and the commitment to the Courthouse Program. By working together, we can help kids manage these stressful and emotionally charged situations just a little bit better.

A brief informative video about Roxy Therapy Dogs’ courthouse program can be found at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=46r5p3EZS4g.

Thomas P. Donnelly is a member of the board of directors of Roxy Therapy Dogs

BUCKS COUNTY PRO BONO HONOR ROLL

JULY 1, 2023 - MARCH 31, 2024

THANK YOU for volunteering your valuable time to provide high quality legal representation to Bucks County residents. You provided pro bono representation in Protection from Abuse Court every Wednesday. You assisted clients with wills, divorce, custody, and bankruptcy. You volunteered your time for the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, went to landlordtenant court to prevent eviction, and helped veterans and first responders with Wills for Heroes. Thank you, too, to all those who provided financial assistance through donations and arbitration allowances. Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) could not assist as many individuals without this support. Your efforts help to ensure that there is justice for all.

Jacqueline Alexander

Judith A. Algeo

William A Allen II

Lidia Alperovich

Erin Aronson

Wendy Ashby

Robert Badman

Evan Barenbaum

Kimberly N. Barron

Clyde O. Bartel

Cynthia Bashore

M.J. Baum

David A. Baun

Mitchell Baylarian

William Benz

Helen L Berman

Charitable Fund

Thomas Blackburn

Linda Bobrin

Roela Boci

Ronald R. Bolig

Melissa V. Bond

Chloe Boudazin

Gerald L. Bowen, Jr.

H. Jeffrey Brahin

Christopher J. Brill

Matt Brittenburg

D. Keith Brown

Abigail Bukowski

Tracey Burkett

James M. Cain

Brendan Callahan

Sheila Callahan

Roger P. Cameron

Maureen B. Carlton

William Casey

Tracy L. Cassel-Brophy

Jahn Chesnov

James C. Clark

Michael P Clarke

Terry W. Clemons

Ernest Closser

Adam Cohen

Paul Cohen

Patricia Collins

Patricia Cooley

Jennifer Courtney

Christopher Coval

Jennifer Dickerson

Dawn DiDonato-Burke

Jennifer N. Donaldson

Thomas Donnelly

Shannon Dorman

William Dudeck

Timothy Duffy

Nicole Durso

Mark Eastburn

Caroline A. Edwards

Susan Levy Eisenberg

State Rep. Frank A. Farry

Nicole Feight

Jill M. Fein

Scott Feldman

Maria Ferris

Jacqueline Fishman

Adam D. Flager

Jeffrey Fornier

Elizabeth Wood Fritsch

Meridith A Galto

Lindsay Garrels

Richard P. Gennetti

Eric George

Martin Ghen

Noah M. Gladstone

Lynelle Gleason

Terry Goldberg

Theresa M. Golding

William L. Goldman, Jr.

Julie D. Goldstein

Gregory E. Grim

Mary Ann Grossman

Kyong Ha Growney

Robert Gundlach

Lori Elizabeth Halber

Kevin Hand

Judith Hayman

Britain Henry

Heather A. Hines

Daniel Hinger

Robin Holmes

Eric W. Hopkins

Richard Howard

Randall Hugo

Joanne Hull

Robert James

Morris Kaplan

Daniel Keane

Brian Keyes

Gina Kiley

Barbara Kirk

Michael Klimpl

Michael Kracht

Michael Ksiazek

Gavin Laboski

Denis W. Lanctot

Lauren Landamia

Michael Landis

Michael Lashner

Larry H. Lefkowitz

Michael Levin

Kathryn Liebhaber

Jeffrey Liebmann

Kimberly Litzke

Michael Luongo

Marc Lynde

Barbara Lyons

Richard Lyons

Thomas MacAniff

Scott MacNair

Dianne C. Magee

Christopher Mahoney

Amanda Malamud

Robert Mancini

Russell Manning

Joseph Marinaro

Tina Mazaheri

MaryBeth McCabe

Michael Meginniss

Diane Mellott

Barbara R. Merlie

Michael Milewski

Michael Mills

Greg Mitsch

Neil Mittelman

Peter Moak

Gabriel T. Montemuro

Hillary Moonay

William Moore

Doug Mormello, Jr.

Sandra W. Morris

Thomas L. Mueller

Daniel G. Murray

Joanne Murray

Travis Nelson

Brooke Newborn

Brian Newman

Lindsay Norton

Daniel Paci

Thomas Panzer

Georgios Patsalosavvis

Marisa Perini

Keith Peters

Naomi Plakins

Catherine Porter

Jocelyn Price

Jessica Pritchard

Thomas J. Profy, III

Hayley Purcell

Shauna Quigley

Joseph Ramagli

Harry Reese

Christina M. Reger

Lawrence Reinfeld

Jonathan J. Reiss

Robert Repko

Andrew S. Riso

Carla Risoldi

Bianca A. Roberto

Jose L. Roman

Deborah Romanski

Kate Roth

Max Rutkowski

Jonathan J. Russell

Jennifer Ryan

Russell P. Sacco

Jennifer Sagot

Karen G. Salib

Nicholas S. Salter

J. Todd Savarese

William Schaffer

James Schildt

Christopher Serpico

Michael J. Shavel

Paul Sheehan

Michael Shelton

Carol A. Shelly

David M. Silver

Adam Silverstein

Chris Little Simcox

Susan Smith

Ron Smolow

Mindy Snyder

Jeffrey Solar

Amir M. Stark

Sarah A. Steers

Joel Steinman

Christopher Steward

Mark Strauss

Francis J. Sullivan

Gregory Sturn

Andrew Swain

Adam Tanker

Yvette E. Taylor-Hachoose

Kathleen Thomas

Tiffany Thomas-Smith

Sharon Timm

Elizabeth Tomlinson

Tyler Tomlinson

Jeffrey Toner

Sam Totaro

Peter J. Tucci

Craig Turet

Jill E. Trayer

David Twer

Sonam Vachhani

Jessica VanderKam

Liberato Verderame

Michele & Bernard Vieille

Joseph Visco

William J. Wall

Thomas J. Walsh

Doug Wayne

Sara Webster

Jeremy A Wechsler

Maris Weiner

Melanie J. Wender

Edward Wild

Jeffrey Williams

Keith Williams

Shari Williams

Donald Williford

Josephine Wolf

David Woosley

Laura Zartman

Roxanne Zhilo

Caroline B. Zook

Note: Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the Bucks County Pro Bono Honor Roll from July 1, 2023-March 31, 2024. To provide feedback or report an error, please contact Megan Reinprecht at mreinprecht@lasp.org.

– Megan Reinprecht, LASP Community Engagement Unit Staff Attorney & Bucks County Pro Bono Coordinator

ATTORNEY BRIEFS

• Nicole Durso, of Stark & Stark, gave a presentation on May 8th for the Bucks County Bar Association & Foundation, where she discussed how the latest medicine treatments for back and neck injuries can help personal injury clients.

• Ryan Michaleski, of Stark & Stark, partnered with ISI Elite Training to hold a clothing drive to collect donations for the Laurel House, a non-profit organization that supports women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

• Carin A. O’Donnell, of Stark & Stark, was a featured guest on The Files Law Hour with Kaitlin Files on WWDB AM 860 on April 11th where she discussed women in law.

• Stephen M. Zaffuto has joined Antheil Maslow & MacMinn’s Business & Finance and Real Estate practice groups, where he advises businesses on all aspects of corporate and commercial transactions.

• Janel Clause has joined Antheil Maslow & MacMinn’s Business & Finance practice group, where she concentrates her practice primarily in business and corporate law.

• Patricia Collins and Tom Donnelly, of Antheil Maslow & MacMinn, joined the Honorable Robert J. Mellon and Jessica Frost, Judicial Administrative Assistant, for a panel discussion at the Litigation Section meeting of the Bucks County Bar Association on February 14th.

• Chelsey D. Jackman recently joined Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP, as an associate in the Langhorne, PA office, where she practices zoning, land development, school law and municipal law. Prior to Begley Carlin, she served as a Deputy District Attorney with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, as well as

a Deputy County Solicitor with the Bucks County Law Department.

• Bryce H. McGuigan was recently promoted to partner at Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP, in Langhorne, PA, where he concentrates his practice on civil litigation, and municipal and land use law.

• Christopher J. Serpico will be featured in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Musical “Assassins,” running from July 12th through July 27th, at the Town and County Players in Buckingham, PA. This will be Chris’ 11th production with Town and County Players.

• Travis P. Nelson, of Holland & Knight, was reappointed to the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Business Law Section. Travis serves as editor of The Writs.

• Zayd Takiedine has joined Eastburn and Gray’s litigation, real estate, land use and zoning practice groups. Zayd is resident in the firm’s Doylestown, PA office.

• Robert R. Watson, Jr., of Eastburn and Gray, was a speaker at the Bucks County Bar Association Business Law Institute on May 7, 2024.

• Marc D. Jonas and Zachary A. Sivertsen, of Eastburn and Gray, were speakers at the 2024 PSATS Conference on April 15, 2024.

• Jennifer W. Brown and Richard H. Maurer, joined Eastburn and Gray’s litigation and municipal law practice groups on February 1, 2024. Jennifer is resident in the Doylestown, PA office, and Richard is resident in the Bethlehem, PA office. 

If you are interested in contributing to this section, and highlighting attorneys within your firm, please email BucksWritsEditor@gmail.com

Solo & Small Practice Happy Hour

BUCKS COUNTY LEGAL LORE…

The Connie Harman Murder Case: Bucks County’s Trial of the Century

Almost a half-century ago, a salacious trial was held in Bucks County Criminal Court that attracted national attention and became renowned for being one of the first cases to establish “battered women’s syndrome” as a valid defense in a murder prosecution.

Connie Harman, a 45-year-old civic activist and former candidate for state representative, was acquitted of murdering her 30-year-old Haitian lover after his body was found wrapped in a shower curtain and deposited in the parking lot of a South Philadelphia housing project.

Harman was the estranged wife of a Bristol Township police officer. She had been living with her four teen-aged daughters in Langhorne when she began seeing Yves Bordes in December of 1977. Bordes was a New York City security guard, born in Haiti, who had gained American citizenship a few years earlier.

The two embarked on a volatile eight-month affair that ended violently on the night of August 28, 1978, when Mrs. Harmon shot Bordes three times in the back of his head while he lay sleeping in a room they had rented at the Mall Motel in Bensalem. After the killing, Harmon enlisted the aid of her 19-year-old daughter to move his blood-soaked body. Philadelphia police discovered it the following day.

The trial was punctuated by a series of unusual occurrences. The original prosecutor assigned to the case, Dale Reichley, came down with a severe case of laryngitis on the eve of trial that left him unable to try the case. It then fell to his assistant, 28-year-old Linda Caracappa, to take the reins for the Commonwealth.

Initially the Commonwealth sought the death penalty as Harmon had been charged with the capital offense of FirstDegree Homicide. However, after the indictment, the Death Penalty Statute in Pennsylvania was repealed. The defense team exhaled, knowing that at least their client no longer faced the possibility of a death sentence.

In April of 1979, a jury of 7 men and 5 women was empaneled to hear the case. They were sequestered at the Holiday Inn in Solebury throughout the three-week trial under the supervision of the presiding Presiding Judge, Hon. Paul R. Beckert.

Newspaper accounts at the time described Caracappa, Bucks County’s “First female deputy district attorney”, as “a pretty woman with thick dark hair that nearly reaches her waist. But in the courtroom, a woman who would look equally stunning in jeans or an evening gown pins her brown hair primly into two thick coils and wears trim, man-tailored suits and big, dark-rimmed glasses which gives her the look of a dressed-for-success executive.” (Denise Foley, Intelligencer, April 6, 1979). (Reporters were clearly writing in a different era at that time!).

The defense team was led by John McClure, a flamboyant trial lawyer and former assistant district attorney recently

Discussing jury selection in the murder trial of Northampton Township civic leader Constance Harman are (from left) Investigator Edward Cevasco of the Public Defender’s Office and Chief Public Defender John M. McClure, Mrs. Harman’s defense attorney. (Staff photo by Gian Luiso)

appointed to be Bucks County’s Chief Public Defender. He was known for wearing cowboy boots in court and he was said to have “personified machismo.” The Intelli gencer and Courier Times ran daily trial summaries in which they contrasted Caracappa’s “school matron” persona to McClure’s “Wyatt Earp” image. Assisting McClure were two “novice” assistant public defenders, James Lieber and Cynthia Weaver.

Weaver (now Judge Cynthia Rufe) recalls being tasked with developing a theory for “self-defense.” Aware of the “burning bed” cases that had recently been used to defend battered women charged with homicide in other jurisdictions, she was instrumental in getting noted psychi atrist Robert Sadoff involved in the case. He confirmed that Connie Harman believed that she and her children would die at the hands of Yves Bordes if she did not take matters into her own hands and kill him herself and testified accordingly.

real estate agent who confirmed that a recent client of his matched the description of the person Cevasco was looking for. The investigator immediately flew to Arizona where he was able to convince the woman to testify that she too had been physically and emotionally abused by the deceased before she left him.

Promising to protect her, Cevasco arranged for the woman and her young son to stay with him and his family during the trial. Heather Cevasco still recalls that as a four-year-old girl she thought it strange “to have to move out of my room and in with my sisters to allow complete strangers to move in and stay with us and to be told not to tell anyone about it.” At the time of course, she did not understand the magnitude of the case but as she grew older she came to understand its unique place in Bucks County legal lore.

The Commonwealth contended that Harmon killed her young boyfriend after discovering that he had planned to visit another woman on the evening of the murder. The prosecution theorized that jealousy was the primary motivation for her actions, along with greed from her mistaken belief that she might be the beneficiary of Bordes’ life insurance policy paid upon his death.

Mrs. Constance Harman walks to a Bucks County courtroom with investigator Edward Cevasco of the Public Defender’s Office. Mrs. Harman, a Northampton Township civic leader, is on trial for the August murder of her alleged lover, Yves Bordes. The trial, which began this week, is expected to continue several weeks.

Constance Harman, the Northampton civic activist charged with first-degree murder, and her attorney, John M. McClure of the Bucks County public Defender’s office, walk together this morning at the Bucks County courthouse prior to today’s trial.

(Staff photo by Gian Luiso)

The DA disputed the allegations of abuse raised by the defense by pointing out that despite the number of times Mrs. Harmon had claimed to have been abused, she had refused to press charges, and when she finally did have Bordes arrested, she withdrew the charges before the case was heard. (This had occurred one week before Bordes was killed.)

The defense countered that Mrs. Harmon was the victim of prolonged physical and mental torture from Bordes that included repeated beatings, a series of humiliating episodes in front of her friends and family, and several instances where she was kept handcuffed to a bed for hours while she was left alone. She testified that she had no alternative but to kill Bordes in order to save herself and her four daughters, who she claimed he had threatened to torture and kill if she ended their affair.

The murder weapon, a .38 caliber automatic handgun, was never recovered. Police believed the gun belonged to Bordes and that he had been issued the gun by the security firm he worked for. This was confirmed when Harmon testified that she had used the gun to shoot Bordes and later disposed of it by dropping it into a trash container at a nearby apartment.

The case captured the public’s attention for a number of reasons, including the fact that it involved an interracial love affair of a relatively well-known civic activist; defense allegations that police did little to prevent the slaying as they viewed the situation as a “domestic dispute”; and charges that the prosecution was tainted because an assistant district attorney allegedly advised Mrs. Harman to “hire a hit man” to assassinate Bordes when she called the DA’s office and complained that no one was coming to her aid. (After initially denying that he had made the statement, Ken Biehn, the District Attorney at the time, arranged to have the assistant DA take a polygraph which he failed. He later admitted at trial to having made the suggestion, but he said the suggestion had been made in jest).

After hearing the testimony of over 62 witnesses, the case went to the jury, and after almost 6 hours of deliberation, the jury found Harmon not guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and voluntary manslaughter. Connie Harmon was a free woman at last!

At least for a while. In a postscript that defies credulity, she was back in the news and back in Bucks County criminal court 15 years later in 1993 when she was charged with kidnapping her then-10 year old grandson and taking him

on an odyssey across the country for almost two years for the ostensible purpose of keeping him safe from his mother, who had been one of the daughters she had sought to protect in her earlier trial. She returned to the area only after a segment about her appeared on the popular tv show “Unsolved Mysteries.”

By the time of the 1993 kidnapping, she had changed her name to Tracy Davis, and not many people realized that she was the very same woman who had been featured so prominently two decades earlier. The case resolved with her pleading guilty to interfering with custody of a child, criminal trespassing, and concealing the whereabouts of a child. (Charges of kidnapping and burglary were dismissed). Her lawyer in the case was Mel Kardos, and the prosecuting attorney was Diane Gibbons. Judge Issac Garb sentenced her to a term of 11 ½ to 23 months in Bucks County Prison.

And for those of you who may ask “So Where Are They Now”, I append the following epilogue:

Linda Caracappa – served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District from 2000 until her retirement in 2020.

John McClure – was elected as Bucks County’s Clerk of Courts in 1999. After a tumultuous first term in office, he was not renominated by the County Republican Party for a second term. Thereafter he was a highly sought-after defense attorney until his death by suicide in 2005.

Cynthia (Weaver) Rufe – was elected as a Judge on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas in 1994 on which she served until 2002. In 2002 she was confirmed as a Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in which capacity she served until 2021. She now serves the court as a Senior Judge.

Diane Gibbons – Became Bucks County’s first female District Attorney in 2000, and was subsequently elected to be a judge on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas in 2007 until her retirement in 2022. She continues to serve on the Court as a Senior Judge.

Mel Kardos – continues to practice law, (including criminal defense), primarily in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, at his law office located in Newtown. 

Christopher J. Serpico is an attorney at The Law Offices of Christopher J. Serpico, in Doylestown, PA, where he practices primarily criminal defense and wills and estates.

Leading Legal Aid of Southeastern PA’s work in Bucks County: New Doylestown & Bristol Managing Attorneys + Pro Bono Director

Three Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) attorneys were recently named to leadership positions serving Bucks County. LASP is a public interest nonprofit law firm which provides free civil legal aid for low-income residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. LASP’s leadership team in Bucks County includes the following:

Doylestown Managing Attorney

Katrina “Kaytee” Ihrer was named LASP’s Doylestown Managing Attorney in March 2024. She joined LASP in November 2021 as Staff Attorney in the Doylestown Almshouse Office. Katrina earned her J.D. from Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University and Master’s in International Affairs at Penn State. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Texas State University. As a law student, Katrina interned at the Community Law Clinic in Carlisle; the Office of Chief Counsel for the House of Representatives Democratic Caucus; and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in Harrisburg. In a two-year judicial clerkship in Franklin County, she focused on family, protection from abuse and civil law matters. Katrina also interned in LASP’s Norristown Office in summer 2016.

Katrina practices dependency law, representing parents who are involved with the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency. She was honored with a LASP Rising Star Award in June 2023. Katrina serves on the Local Dependency Roundtable with county stakeholders in an effort to make systemic changes for LASP clients and the families of Bucks County. In her free time, she enjoys reading and volunteering with Delta Gamma Fraternity.

Bristol Managing Attorney

Rhonda Sherrod was named LASP’s Bristol Managing Attorney in April 2024. She joined LASP as Staff Attorney in January 2007 in the Bristol Office, handling cases involving public benefits and dependency. In 2011, she moved to the Doylestown Office, focusing on dependency and occasionally Protection from Abuse (PFA) cases. In 2016, Rhonda shifted her practice to elder law, representing people in Adult Protective Services hearings, guardianship hearings,

and drafting powers of attorney, advance directives and simple wills. She represents clients age 60+ in landlord-tenant matters, consumer credit card lawsuits, Social Security, and Unemployment Compensation and benefit issues, including SNAP and long-term care Medicaid. She provides educational outreach to senior centers and community organizations.

From 2003-06, Rhonda served as Assistant Public Defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. She holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School and a B.A. in English, magna cum laude, from Howard University. During law school, she interned at the Tulane Law School Juvenile Law Clinic in New Orleans, Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, and was a Law Clerk for Project Save. She interned at the Defender Association Capital Habeas Unit the year after earning her law degree.

She was a Volunteer Child Advocate for CASA New Orleans, a crisis line volunteer and shift supervisor for the Suicide Prevention Center of Los Angeles and a Paraprofessional Counselor for the Southern California Mental Health Center.

Pro Bono Director

Erika Becker is Pro Bono Director, effective March 2024. She also continues to serve as Staff Attorney and Compliance Specialist.

Erika joined LASP as Staff Attorney in August 2018 and focused on providing civil legal advice and representation to victims of crime in Bucks County. Prior to LASP, she served as an Associate in the White Collar Crime and Securities Litigation Group at Dechert LLP in New York City and Philadelphia. She earned a J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Tufts University. Before law school, Erika worked on the Corporate Communications team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Boston.

Contact information follows:

• Katrina “Kaytee” Ihrer, Doylestown Managing Attorney, can be reached at kihrer@lasp.org or 484-803-2113.

• Rhonda Sherrod, Bristol Managing Attorney, can be reached at rsherrod@lasp.org or 484-416-4286.

• Erika Becker, Pro Bono Director, can be reached at ebecker@lasp.org or 484-245-2183.

Stark & Stark’s Yardley office provides a full range of legal services for businesses and individuals in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties.