Bench-Bar

Over 250 members, presenters, and community sponsors attended the 2023 Bench-Bar Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Reading on April 19. The conference was comprised of 19 courses over four tracks—criminal, civil, family, and potpourri—giving everyone a unique and interesting course to attend, no matter their practice area. This year’s plenary course, “Improving Juror Diversity and Participation,” featured Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Juan Sánchez and the Honorable Jeffrey Schmehl, federal judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to highlight the importance of fulfilling and promoting jury duty so every individual is able to receive a fair trial by a jury of their peers. The highlight of the day was the mid-afternoon ice cream break from the Great American Creamery!

Members of the bench and the bar partnered with APOC to bring awareness to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). April is national autism awareness month.

Members listen intently as Judge Eleni Dimitriou Geishauser, District Attorney John Adams, Judge Patrick Barrett, and Chief Public Defender Glenn Welsh discuss developing issues of concern in the criminal court division during the Criminal Bench Roundtable.