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The Causeway
The Monthly Newsletter for the Franklin County Bar Association
September, 2017
"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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We hope you enjoy the new, streamlined, mobile-friendly format.
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A Note from our President
Dear Members of the Bar and Colleagues:
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer and you found some time to step away from your busy schedules to relax and refresh a bit. As fall is fast approaching, I'd like to take this opportunity to make you aware of two upcoming charitable endeavors that members of our bar association are participating in and request your support. Because I know many of you personally, it is without question that the members of our bar are generous in the many and diverse charities and organizations that you are asked to support. Please consider two more opportunities to financially support and cheerlead the efforts of our members who are doing good work in the community in the name of the bar association. Keep reading - I provide you with very easy instructions to donate!
1.
American Heart Association Heart Walk
. Our Young Lawyers are again walking in the Mason Dixon Heartwalk on September 24, 2017. Prior to this year's walk, our YLD has raised over $10,000.00! This year I have challenged our young lawyers with the goal of raising $5,000.00 and with a month to go, they are almost halfway there! This event is near and dear to my heart but is extra special this year because the YLD is walking in memory of Kelly High. Kelly was a paralegal in the Franklin County Public Defender's office and has participated in the YLD in the past - walking and raising money enthusiastically with our group. The young lawyers walk as "Team Kelly" this year and we just learned that the Heart Association would like to recognize Kelly in the opening ceremony. Please consider making a donation to our team or to one of the young lawyers who may need a little support in their fundraising efforts. CLICK THIS LINK to 1) Donate to the Team 2) Donate to a Member of the Team or 3) Join our team and fundraise with us! Or feel free to contact our Captain, Tony Cosentino, the Bar Association or any YLD member and they will be happy to receive a check or cash donation.
2.
Doctors vs. Lawyers Charity Football Game
. This fun event reignites a past tradition of the bar association and will occur on September 9th at 7 p.m. 15 members of our bar association will be on the field of the Chambersburg Area Senior High School and under the bright lights to claim victory over local doctors as they raise money to help qualifying students receive assistance in paying the activity fee assessed per child to participate in athletics at CASD. The hope is that this will become an annual event that moves throughout the county in support of as many school districts that desire to host the event. In addition to attending the event and cheering loudly for our team, please send your donations to
Dr. Bob Richards,
955 Spring Lane,
Chambersburg, PA 17201
and support the cause! We are not just going to win the game, we are going to top the doctors in our fundraising efforts! Please make all checks payable to CASHS SPORTS BOOSTER CLUB.
Please feel free to reach out to me personally if you have any questions. And thanks to our members for their enthusiastic involvement and participation in these two fine events.
Respectfully,
Mary Beth Shank
FCBA President
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Lawyers licensed outside Texas can provide help to Harvey victims, Texas high court order says
from www.abajournal.com
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an emergency order allowing out-of-state lawyers to practice in the state temporarily to provide pro bono assistance to Hurricane Harvey victims.
The
order allows out-of-state lawyers in good standing to practice in Texas for six months in two situations, the
Texas Bar Blog reports.
First, practice is allowed if the out-of-state lawyer is retained by a legal-aid or pro bono program or a bar association that provides services to victims of Hurricane Harvey. Lawyers who want to help should fill out a temporary registration form
here.
Second, lawyers licensed in other jurisdictions are allowed to practice in Texas if they are displaced from their home jurisdiction due to Hurricane Harvey and they practice in Texas remotely as if located in their home jurisdiction.
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15th Bench Bar Conference of the 39th Judicial District
Next week you will be receiving your invitation to join us for the 15th Bench Bar Conference.
New this year, you may register online and either pay via credit card or pay by sending in a check.
CLICK HERE to register online.
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Pro Bono Update
A big shout-out and thank you to the Franklin County Bar Association Members who have accepted pro bono cases! As of August 21, 2017, 74 pro bono matters had been accepted so far this year by private attorneys in matters involving property divorce, simple divorce, pro se divorce assistance, custody, protection from abuse, power of attorney/will, child support, estate/probate, and bankruptcy. Access to legal services in all of these matters made a huge difference in people's lives!
54 private attorney members of the Franklin County Bar Associaton have signed up to be contacted by MidPenn Legal Services, Law Offices of WIN, and Franklin County Legal Services regarding their availability to handle civil cases on a pro bono basis. If you have not yet signed up and are interested in indicating your willingness to provide pro bono services, please contact Franklin County Bar Association's Pro Bono Coordinator, Gloria Keener, at
gloria@fcls.net
or 717-262-2326. A free CLE video is awarded for each pro bono case accepted.
Thank you for your service! All attorneys who have been involved in Franklin County Bar Association's Pro Bono Program should look for an invitation coming soon for the upcoming Pro Bono Appreciation Luncheon.
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Ignition Interlock Lunch & Learn
The Franklin County Bar Association is Pleased to Announce
Act 33 / Senate Bill 553 Update Lunch & Learn
Friday, September 8, 2017
12 to 1 p.m.
Agriculture Extension Office
Rooms 5 & 6 in the basement
181 Franklin Farm Lane
Chambersburg, PA 17202
Program
Learn about the changes in the Ignition Interlock laws that are included in Act 33 and Senate Bill 553.
Facilitator
Kevin R. Zook is the DUI Unit Supervisor/Coordinator for Franklin County Probation.
CLE Credit and Registration
Pennsylvania attorneys will earn 1 substantive credit. Please fill out REGISTRATION FORM, include your check and mail it to FCBA, 100 Lincoln Way East, Suite E, Chambersburg, PA 17201. Or you may register and pay with your credit card by visiting our website. www.franklinbar.org/rsvp/
You may RSVP by contacting Amelia Ambrose via phone 717-267-2032 or via email director@franklinbar.org. Please register by Tuesday, September 5th.
The cost is $25 for FCBA members, $35 for non-members, and $10 for Law Clerks. This cost includes lunch and 1 CLE credit.
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Speak Easy Club to Benefit Alexander Hamilton Library
Enjoy the roaring twenties party to support Waynesboro's Library, on Spetmeber 9, 2017.
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Amazon Smile for FCB Foundation
Did you know you could make a donation to the FCB Foundation when you shop at Amazon?
CLICK HERE to select FCB Foundation as your charity.
You shop. Amazon gives.
- Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
- AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
- Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com
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Press Releases, Memos and Important Notices
August 17 -
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Support Master. A qualified candidate must possess a current license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have a minimum of three to five years of experience in the area of family law, and have good oral and written communication skills. As this position is quasi-judicial in nature, the individual selected will be subject to the requirements of the Code of Judicial Conduct and will be precluded from practicing family law within the 39th Judicial District. Letters of interest and accompanying resumes should be submitted to Mark Singer, Court Administrator, not later than Tuesday, September 5, 2017. Additional information, including a complete position description, may be obtained by contacting Teresa Anthony, Director of the Franklin County Domestic Relations Section.
Mark Singer
District Court Administrator
39th Judicial District
157 Lincoln Way East
Chambersburg, PA 17201
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Upcoming PBI CLEs at FCBA
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Member News
* FCBA welcome Geoffrey Weyl as our newest member. Mr. Weyl has joined Griffie and Associates, PC.
* Black & Davison has moved to B&D Law Group, 1110 Kennebec Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17201.
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Newsletter items deadline
The deadline to submit items for The Causeway is the 20th of each month
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"Since our last chat..."
"Since our last chat..." is a periodic column in The Causeway by Bar member Barb Townsend.
Some people use the saying "Like Father, Like Son" as a pejorative. In Franklin County, it has a positive connotation. There are the Sharpe and Keller dynasties with whom you've been earlier inundated and now we have the Cosentinos and the Bolingers. Yes, Bolingers.
Philip S. Cosentino, Esq., has had a positive impact on our profession and community since his arrival in Franklin County after graduation from Dickinson School of Law in 1979. Phil had successfully completed undergraduate work at LaSalle College, now LaSalle University, in Philadelphia three years before. Between his second year of law school and the third, Phil married Kathy.
After graduation from law school, Phil initially was planning to head to Northampton County (comprising Easton and Bethlehem), for a two year judicial clerkship with President Judge Palmer. However, in March of Phil's third year of law school, Judge Palmer died unexpectedly. The new president judge advised Phil that he would still have a clerk position for the new judge when appointed. Phil's wife, Kathy, had secured a English teaching position in Boiling Springs High School and a two year assignment to someone unknown did not interest him. Phil instead accepted an opening at Black and Davison. George Black, Esq., and Charles Davison, Esq., had located their firm at the corner of Lincoln Way East and Second Street, the former location of The Copper Kettle (now a parking lot!). The founders had also hired Jan Sulcove, Esq., Robert Schollaert, Esq., and Denis DiLoreto, Esq., in prior years and were active attorneys in the firm at that time. In 1982, Denis DiLoreto and Phil formed the firm of DiLoreto and Cosentino.
Phil has served on the Board of Directors of the Franklin County Bar Association for numerous years and is a past President of our Bar Association. In addition, Phil was one of the founders of Franklin County Legal Services in 2002, and has served as President of the Board of Directors since that time. Phil regularly volunteers for Legal Services and prosecutes Protection from Abuse petitions for Women in Need. In addition, Phil has served as president or vice president or advisor of the St. Vincent De Paul Society of Corpus Christi Church since 1988.
Phil and Kathy became the parents of Anthony J. Cosentino, Esq., in 1980. Growing up in Chambersburg, Tony went to Corpus Christi then to St. Maria Goretti High School in Hagerstown. Tony headed to Boston College, played a pickup game of basketball against former Heisman trophy winner Doug Flutie while at BC, and graduated in 2003. He then went to Temple Law School and received his JD in 2006. While at Temple Law, Tony interned at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Following law school, Tony decided against the Big Apple and instead chose to return home to practice law with his dad, Brad and Denis. Tony is a current board member of the FCBA, a past chair of the FCBA YLD, a member of the PBA House of Delegates and a certified specialist in workers compensation. He is also on the board of the Chambersburg Rotary Club and the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter. An avid runner, Tony finished the Philadelphia Marathon the past 2 years and is gearing up for another. He also enjoys hiking, skiing and playing for the FCBA basketball team. On October 16, 2010, Tony married Taia. She is the founder of Gaia Kosha Yogic Spa in Scotland, PA, and they live in Chambersburg with their rescue pets.
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| Phil was awarded the 2014 Wingert Award. Pictured: Melanie Cosentino Brunner, Phil Cosentino, Tommy Brunner, Kathy Cosentino, Tony Cosentino, Taia Altiero-Cosentino |
Phil and Kathy have two other children, both of whom live near the New Jersey shore - James, a pulmonology/critical care physician in Middletown and Melanie, presently a stay at home mom, in Holmdel. Melanie has two boys and James a girl and a boy. Phil's a grandfather!
I asked Tony to describe his father. Tony quickly enumerated that Phil is generous and selfless, hard working, a "gentleman farmer" who loves the outdoors, a self taught guitarist and an exceptional skier.
Bradley R. Bolinger, Esq., then intervened. Brad is the son of the former Prothonotary of Fulton County. He graduated from Shippensburg University in 1981 and headed directly to Dickinson School of Law (OK, Penn State in Carlisle). Brad picked up his JD in the spring of 1984. In a moment of rebellion, he left the area for Fort Myers, Florida. Eight months was enough and in February, 1985, he returned to Franklin County to become President Judge George Eppinger's law clerk. In January, 1986, Brad began employment as a part time assistant district attorney for Jack Nelson. Jack's wife, Tracy, set up a blind date for Brad with a friend of hers who was a social worker for Franklin County Mental Health. Brad and Johna married on October 16, 1987 which conveniently, is the same anniversary date as Taia & Tony. Their first son, Logan Bolinger, a third year student at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, was born in 1988. Their second son, Alex, born in 1991, graduated from Grinnell College and received his Master's degree in Education and teaching certificate from Wilson College.
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2017 YMCA Basketball league. pictured_ back row l-r:
Bradley Bolinger, Zach Rice, Rosby Carr, Stephen Coccorese, front row l-r, Alex Bolinger (Brad's son), Tony Cosentino, and Laban Betts (PA State Trooper)
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Brad explained to me (tongue in cheek), in the presence of Phil, Tony and Logan, that he only agreed to join the law firm started by Phil and Denis to salvage the practice. He stated it was his duty to save the firm from bankruptcy.
Phil had a somewhat different view as he noted the retiring President Judge, George Eppinger, would not agree to act 'of counsel' with the firm unless he and Denis employed Brad. In any event, the firm is DiLoreto, Cosentino and Bolinger. It's also very obvious that there's substantial camaraderie in the firm.
Logan has been interning at the law firm for a portio
n of this summer. Hopefu
lly, he'll return as he'd be an asset. He also did the stint at St. Maria Goretti, and headed after high school to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. From college, Logan headed to Chicago. He began teaching English in a high school on Chicago's West Side and used his spare time to earn a master's degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago. As noted earlier, Logan is now entering his third year of law school at Washington University School of Law. (Parenthetically note there is a University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, Washington, a completely separate entity).
Logan was also the head coach of the basketball team at the high school where he taught. It seems that Brad is a dedicated basketball player and has properly raised Logan to appreciate that sport. I asked Logan to describe his father. Logan immediately noted that Brad's hard working, almost to a fault, and a loyal friend and defender. Then Logan called his father a Funny Dude and a Terrible Singer. While not yet done with law school, it's easy to predict that Logan will be a wonderful addition to our profession.
Brad and Phil began talking about the books they're reading...I didn't ask, I promise. Both are history buffs. Brad particularly likes and recommends mystery writers James Lee Burke and Daniel Silva. Both have high ratings on Amazon. Brad has also been reading shorter classics while on plane trips - e.g.,The Pearl, Of Mice and Men and Tortilla Flat. Logan is on a Philip Roth kick. Brad also suggested a series by C.J. Box about a Wyoming game protector.
Keep the coffee pot warm. I may be stopping in soon.
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YLD Meeting - Friday, September 1
CLOSED, Labor Day - Monday, September 4
YLD Happy Hour - Thursday, September 7
Board of Directors Meeting - Friday, September 15
YLD Games Night - Tuesday, September 19
YLD Happy Hour - Thursday, October 5
YLD Meeting - Friday, October 6
15th Bench Bar Conference of the 39th Judicial District - Friday, October 13
YLD Games Night - Tuesday, October 17
YLD Meeting - Friday, November 3
CLOSED, Veterans Day - Friday, November 10
Board of Directors Meeting - Thursday, November 16
YLD Games Night - Tuesday, November 21
CLOSED, Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24
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Franklin County Bar Association
100 Lincoln Way East, Suite E, Chambersburg, PA 17201
director@franklinbar.org
717-267-2032
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