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A tradition of service for businesses and the community
"It has been said among jurists and practitioners prior to the division
of Philadelphia County in 1784 that Montgomery County furnished the State
and Nation with some of the most distinguished lawyers known to the country."*
Today, the Montgomery Bar Association continues this tradition as a non-profit
organization made up of over 2,100 Montgomery County attorneys.
The MBA serves as an invaluable legal
resource for businesees and the community, offering education, assistance, and participation in important
community events. Please take a moment to get to know us and discover
what we have to offer.
* Source: Chapter XXXVI: The Bench and Bar - Part
I: Bean's 1884 History of Montgomery Co., PA
Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan Walters
Lawyer Referral Service
Attorneys participating in the Lawyer Referral Service are required to
be private practice members of the Montgomery Bar Association in good
standing. They are registered with the Lawyer Referral Service on
a voluntary basis in the areas of law they practice and specialize in.
Referrals are systematically made on a rotating basis within predetermined
areas of practice. Geographic considerations are also taken into
account as we strive to make referrals that best serve the criteria of
our users.
How A Lawyer Can Help Click here to view PBA pamphlet»
MBA Speakers Bureau (a free service)
Members of our Speaker's Bureau serve our community by tailoring and delivering FREE presentations on virtually any legal topic for any size group. Each of our speakers has expertise in their chosen areas of law and in communicating their knowledge and experience in meaningful ways. Among other topics, our speakers have addressed such vital topics as adoption, bankruptcy, child and spousal support, elder law (wills, living wills, powers of attorney, grandparent's rights), dos and don'ts for setting up a small business, consumer rights and protection, creditors rights and employment issues.
For a Speakers Bureau Request Form, call 610-279-9660, ext. 232 or simply download a copy here by clicking on the link provided:
Please forward completed forms to Public Relations. You should expect to hear from a member of our staff the next business day.
For the County’s Youth…
The Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP)
This is a 501(c)(3) organization established to protect the rights to those least able to protect themselves - children. MCAP arranges for the appointment of volunteer attorneys who render free legal services to young victims of abuse and neglect. MCAP hopes to broaden its scope and give children the support and social services.
Read our newsletter MCAP HAPPENINGS
to find out about all the great things MCAP is doing!
Click here to download the latest issue!
Visit MCAP web site at: www.mcapkids.org
Mock Trial Competitions:
Members of our Young Lawyers Section help prepare area high school students for this exciting, educational opportunity that requires participants to present their cases before Montgomery County judges and attorneys who serve as jurors.
The Middle School Jury Project:
This project was developed to educate area youth on the evolution and importance of juries in our legal process. The Middle School Jury Project also provides an early primer to the High School Mock Trial Competitions, sponsored annually by the MBA’s Young Lawyer Section. For the Middle School Jury Project, lawyers affiliated with the Montgomery Bar Association are paired with area teachers to prepare and deliver a lesson on the jury process and the importance of jury service. That same lawyer acts as guide and mentor to the class when they make their trip to the Montgomery County Courthouse to view a live mock trial case – often presented by their respective area high school. Following their observation of the mock trial, students are engaged in the jury process by deliberating back in the classroom and reaching their own verdict. This process is guided by the teacher and a Curriculum Guide prepared annually by the Middle School Jury Project Committee.
The Middle School Jury Project Curriculum Guide, updated annually by the Middle School Jury Project Committee, is a free teaching aid published by the MBA to coincide with deliberations in the statewide High School Mock Trial Competitions.
Click to download the 2008 Curriculum Guide
(PDF 480KB)
- The Doctor-Lawyer Program: This Young Lawyer Section effort pairs attorneys and doctors for classroom presentations on the physical and legal consequences of drug and alcohol use.
- Court House Tours:
An opportunity for students to witness, firsthand, the workings of the legal system.
- Law Day Essay Contest: Each year, the Young Lawyers encourage high school students to express their thoughts about a legal topic in writing.
- Stepping Out Booklet: A Guide For Young Adults
This publication contains useful information on the legal implications and ramifications of buying a car, borrowing money, renting an apartment and more. This timely, "must read" publication for young adults is aimed at helping them make informed economic decisions and; understand their rights and limitations under the law.
Download it now:
Read more about the Young Lawyers Section»
Holiday Party for Foster Children
Our Young Lawyers coordinate this annual celebration with Youth Services. The Bar Association provides snacks, entertainment, gifts, and of course, Santa.
Holidays for Heroes Campaign
For consecutive years, officers and members of the Montgomery Bar Association have collected and presented gifts to the USO at Naval Air Station Willow Grove to help ensure a happy holiday for locally-based troops and their families.
MBA Past President Robert F. Morris helped launch the program in 2007 as he felt it was important for the legal community to support the troops as they put their lives on the line every day to ensure our wellbeing and to preserve our precious freedoms. In 2008, among other significant contributors, the Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section collected toys and cash donations of over $500 at their annual holiday party. Significant contributions were also made by Shop Rite of Warminster and One Village Coffee, a Franconia-based coffee company, that prepared a unique holiday coffee for the troops called “Heroes Blend.” In total, local attorneys were able to gather contributions and in-kind gifts for the USO and for distribution to the troops totaling over $20,000.
People's Law School: Courses on Law-Related Topics for the Public
This Young Lawyer Section Project held at the Montgomery County Community College includes courses for non-lawyers on wills and estates, consumer protection, bankruptcy, divorce and custody, auto law, real estate, finding a lawyer and negotiating fees and starting a small business.
Other related People's Law School Seminars:
Law School for Non-Profit Organization Leaders
Naturalization Ceremonies
The Bar Association’s American Citizenship and Law Day Committee teams up with area schools each year to welcome county residents who are new U.S. citizens. County judges and other members of the community attend these ceremonies to naturalize the new citizens, remind them of the privileges and duties associated with U.S. citizenship and celebrate their unique contributions to our community.
The MBA American Citizenship Committee sponsors the Naturalization Court Ceremony twice a year. For more information about the Naturalization Court Ceremony please contact Nancy Hagner at the Montgomery Bar Association by e-mail at nancyhagner@montgomerybar.org or by phone at 610-279-9660, ext. 208.
Community Outreach
In addition to helping attorneys and other community leaders understand one another and the ways in which their respective professions serve the community, the Community Outreach Committee (COC) determines the needs of the community and implements projects for meeting those needs.
The “Why Vote?” YouTube Video Contest, for example, was part of an initiative by the MBA Community Outreach Committee to encourage citizens to vote in the recent November election and to promote political activism and increase political involvement throughout the community.
Another such program was the release of a 45-minute television program and DVD titled The Process of a Sexual Predator. The program provides parents and educators with many of the tools needed to protect children from the very real threat of online
sexual predators in our community.
In total, over 600 copies of the free DVD video have already been distributed to area schools, libraries, parent groups
and others who’ve expressed interest throughout our community. The Bar Association has partnered with Comcast
who has made the program available for its digital subscribers via the “Local Scene” section of their increasingly
popular Video-on-Demand service.
In the program, past and present members of the Montgomery
County District Attorney’s Office, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Sexual Assault Task Force
provide chilling yet realistic perspectives from their experience in the trenches. Viewers witness a live chat room
demonstration and learn about other hotbeds for online predators. The program also uncovers key prosecution and
defense strategies, ramifications and common misconceptions about Megan's Law, how sexual predators get caught
and most importantly, how to protect their children from being victimized.
Groups may request a free copy of the video by dropping by the Montgomery Bar Building
at 100 West Airy Street in Norristown M-F between 9 AM and 4 PM or; by contacting the Montgomery Bar
Association: 610-279-9660, Ext. 213 or e-mail: jim@montgomerybar.org.
Professional Liaison Committees
These committees help bridge the gap between the legal profession and members of the public who work in medicine, real estate and as accountants and paralegals. They serve the general public by encouraging dialogue that helps improve the delivery of services by all groups involved.
