The Causeway
The monthly newsletter for the Franklin County Bar Association
"The law is a causeway upon which, so long as he keeps to it, a citizen may walk safely" Robert Bolt, playwright
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The FCB Foundation will be hosting a gala on March 16, 2024 to mark our Bar's 125th anniversary!
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FCB Foundation Gold Tournament |
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Wills for Heroes Volunteers Needed |
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FCBA YLD will host two WFH events
September 4th & November 10th
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Wills for Heroes provides notarized legal documents – a Will, Living Will, and Health Care and Financial Powers of Attorney (or any combination thereof) to Pennsylvania First Responders and Military Veterans and their spouses/partners.
Where: FCBA Office 100 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg
When: 9/4/23 & 11/10/23 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Schedule:
9 – 11 a.m. Attorney preparers training (coffee and munchkins provided by Bybel Rutledge LLP)
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. One-hour appointments. (Pizza provided by FCBA YLD)
Volunteers are needed for our events. Experience in wills is not needed. Training will be provided at the beginning of the event and an Estate expert will be on hand. You will receive CLE credit for the training! Volunteers needed are attorney preparers, notary public, and witnesses. Please contact Amelia to volunteer director@franklinbar.org
NEW – Attorneys who provide 5 hours of pro bono services at the event will receive 1 CLE credit!
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YLD Sponsors Child Interview Kits for Judges Use |
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The FCBA Young Lawyers Division recently sponsored Child Interview Kits for use by the Franklin County Family Law Judges. The kits contain various sensory toys and coloring supplies, for children of all ages. Our Judges will utilize the kits to welcome the children being interviewed both in camera and for Guardian Ad Litem proceedings, in an attempt to comfort the children while engaging their senses. The Franklin County Family Law Committee (consisting of our family law Judges and local counsel) and our Board of Judges approved the use of these kits in Summer 2023.
The YLD extends special thanks to the Honorable Annie R. Gomez-Shockey and Attorney Deborah Dresser Neiderer for initiating the kits, and to Allison Freeman and Amelia Ambrose for procuring and stocking the kits.
These kits are a direct result of a CLE held last year entitled “Child Interviewing in Family Law: Minimizing Trauma and Maximizing Truthfulness.” Following the CLE, Attorney Deborah Dresser Neiderer put together a list of items that could be used in any room wherein a child interview would take place. These items were specifically chosen to help minimize trauma for children being interviewed by the court. For more information on childhood trauma and interview techniques to minimize trauma and maximize truthfulness, please visit the following:
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Judicial Retention Election Polling |
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In September we will be sending our members instructions to participant in the polling for the upcoming judicial retention election of Judge Zook. In order for the results to be made public, we must have more than 50% of our eligible members participate. |
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These CLEs are available in our Chambersburg office! |
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August 30th @ 9 am - 12:15 pm
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August 31st @ 9 am - 12:20 pm
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Law Library of Congress Upcoming Webinars |
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Orientation to Legal Research Webinar: Tracing Federal Regulations
August 10 at 1pm EDT.
This entry in the series provides an overview of U.S. federal regulations, including information about the notice and comment rulemaking process, the publication and citation of regulations, and the tracing of regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations, to the proposed rule in the Federal Register, to the regulation’s docket.
Congress.gov Webinar
August 24 at 2pm EDT.
This orientation is designed to give a basic overview of Congress.gov. While the focus of the session will be searching legislation and the congressional member information attached to the legislation, the new features of Congress.gov will also be highlighted.
Law on Elections and Political Parties in Turkey, A Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar
August 31 at 2pm EDT.
The Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar Series of classes is designed to shed light on some of the foreign and comparative law issues currently being researched by the foreign law and international law experts at the Law Library of Congress. This entry in the series will discuss the current laws regarding elections and political parties in Turkey.
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Press Releases, Memos and Important Notices |
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Court Calendaring and Wayfinding
The 39th Judicial District is now live with modern Court Scheduling for events, officials, and Courtrooms.
Through CountySuite/Teleosoft, Court Scheduling is online for public court matters, and includes Courthouse Wayfinder.
The Wayfinder feature provides a scrolling display of all scheduled events for public viewing in general areas of the Courthouse in the Franklin County Branch of the 39th Judicial District and is integrated with CPCMS (Common Pleas “Criminal” Case Management System).
Below is the link for public view online:
The link can be found on the Franklin County website at www.franklincountypa.gov under the Judicial Tab and then by clicking on the Court Calendar Tab. You may also find this link on our FCBA website, on the Judicial District page:
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The Disciplinary Board
of the Supreme Court of PA
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Read the latest news and statistics from the Supreme Court of PA.
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Guardianship Tracking System Online Workshops offered by AOPC - July, August, & September. |
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Please see below for a brochure regarding the next round of GTS Guardian Workshops for court-appointed guardians. This series offers sessions in July, August, and September.
Guardians who participated in any of the prior workshop/webinar sessions will not need to attend since the material being presented is essentially the same. This series is again being offered exclusively as ‘Online Workshops’. The online webinars have been very successful and convenient for the guardians since various dates and times are being offered to accommodate their schedules, and also travel is not required.
The guardians will need to register online so that the trainers can appropriately plan and staff the sessions based on the number expected to participate.
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Black & Davison and Keller, Keller, Beck & Ross Announcement |
Black and Davison, P.C. is delighted to announce its merger with Keller, Keller, Beck & Ross, LLC (“KKBR”), a longstanding local firm with experienced attorneys who share Black and Davison’s values and commitment to ethical, compassionate, and effective advocacy. As of July 1, 2023, Black and Davison, P.C. welcomed Tracy J. Ross, Esquire, as its newest shareholder, and John “Jeb” B. Keller, Esquire, as its newest “of counsel” member. |
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Do you have a updated FCBA member list? |
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The complete member list is updated quarterly and available to you and your staff two ways.
You may download and print a PDF from the members' section of our website (log in required). Or you may email Amelia at director@franklinbar.org to receive a PDF or excel document anytime.
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Coffee Corner
"Coffee Corner" is a periodic column in The Causeway by Bar members Annie Gómez Shockey, Brandon Copeland, Forest Myers, Brittany Henderson, and Erich Hawbaker.
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Meet Our Attorneys: The Michaels |
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In 2022, we welcomed two new attorneys to Franklin County Legal Services (FCLS). Michael McKeon joined us in September 2022, and Michael Wikoff started in October 2022. We are coming up on their first-year anniversary, and I thought it would be a good time to “introduce” them to the bar! |
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Michael McKeon grew up in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and enjoys visiting his family who are all still living in the area. He attended Arcadia University where he majored in Finance and Management. When asked what his favorite part of undergraduate was, he said his first week of orientation when he met some of his closest friends and got to live in a castle for a year. I immediately asked if the castle was haunted (because what is a castle without a ghost?!), and he unequivocally said yes. Michael didn’t believe in the supernatural until he lived in the castle at Arcadia. After undergrad, he went to Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. His favorite place to eat in Philadelphia is Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse off Walnut Street. |
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In his free time, Michael likes to work on cybersecurity issues and is currently doing a Google certificate on the subject. Michael also likes to hike and tries to get out to Caledonia State Park at least once a month. Eventually, he hopes to start playing tennis again, which was a sport he enjoyed in college. If you want to hear about Michael’s ghost encounters, feel free to ask him! |
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Michael Wikoff grew up in the Finger Lakes region of rural Upstate New York. When I asked him what is his favorite part of that region of the country, he described the natural beauty of the area. “The Finger Lakes are glacial lakes, so the streams and rivers that feed into them tend to be at the bottom of deep ravines and gorges. They're the kind of space where you can feel like you're deep in the wilderness even though realistically you're not more than 50 yards from a road or a cornfield.” Michael attended Wells College where he received a degree in English. His description of the Finger Lakes area as well as his favorite memory from undergraduate (having no other obligations but having to write poetry for his creative writing thesis) brings to mind Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. When I made that comment to him, he was fine with the reference as long as he “personally [was] not being accused of liking an American poet other than William Carlos Williams.” |
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After undergraduate, Michael attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. In his spare time, he runs tabletop RPG games, watches movies, and reads. Michael hopes to start hiking in the area as that was a pass time he previously enjoyed. I asked Michael what his favorite restaurant is in Pittsburgh, and he quickly responded with Sichuan Gourmet in Squirrel Hill. Reach out to Michael for other Pittsburgh or Upstate New York recommendations! |
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Franklin County Bar Association
100 Lincoln Way East, Suite E, Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-267-2032
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