LLA Memeber attends 2025 YLD Summit at Camelback
By Giovanna M. Daniele.
This summer, I was honored to be given the opportunity to attend the Young Lawyers Division Summit at Camelback Resort in Tannersville. Over the course of three days, I learned a lot and networked with a large variety of other new attorneys in Pennsylvania.
Upon arrival on Wednesday, we were ushered into one of the learning rooms, where membership to the Pennsylvania Bar Association was fully explained. We were given the chance to ask about all of the sections and committees within the organization. Among others were: the Criminal Justice Section, International and Comparative Law Section, and the Solo and Small Firm Section. The committees were more specific networking groups, spanning anywhere from gaming law, to animal law, minority bar groups, and (my favorite) Plain English. Plain English is a group which works together to turn legalese into more palatable language for the masses.
After our entry seminar, we headed to a social hour to mingle. I saw a few familiar faces from law school, but was happy to engage with other attorneys from farther away. Many were involved in practice areas I have no knowledge of, so hearing their experiences was interesting. Following a delicious buffet dinner, the attendees migrated to a fireside social. Acoustic live music, which set the ambiance for s’mores and chatter. This seems to be the time when people let loose and bonded…making new friends and trading cards.
Thursday morning came early, escorted with a breakfast buffet and gallons of coffee. The first scheduled event was a business meeting to discuss the new happenings in the Young Lawyers Division. Second, we had the option of attending either “Understanding the Financial Aspects of Law” or “Protection From Abuse Cases” – I optioned for the latter. Attorneys Lance Greene and Schawnne Kilgus went into detail about how to best advocate for your client, whether plaintiff or defendant, in a PFA case. A lot of my unanswered questions about PFA’s were answered, and I now feel better equipped to handle these cases in the future. After lunch, I attended a seminar, which was led by a panel of attorneys experienced in Guardian Ad Litem work. This area is a foreign entity to me, so listening to the duties and hurdles GAL’s deal with was enlightening.
For a few hours in the afternoon we were given free time. Some participants ziplined down the mountain, while others hiked up it. I chose to take advantage of my water park pass. I floated around the lazy river, went down a few slides, and hopped over the waves in the wave pool. That evening, everyone was transported to the Summit House for a formal dinner and DJ party. Even with full stomachs, we danced the night away until close to midnight.
Friday ended the retreat with two big seminars. First, Ethical Challenges in Your Early Years, where many common questions were asked and answered by the panel. Lastly, one of the most inspiring to me, was the Appellate Practice Tips from Superior Court Judge Alice Beck Dubow, Superior Court President Judge Anne Lazarus, and Superior Court President Judge Emeritus Panella. They all delivered such a thorough description of what is looked for in an appeal, and the mistakes often made my new attorneys.
I am so grateful for the chance to experience this Summer Summit. I look forward to attending again in the future and maintaining the relationships I built there. I will undoubtedly implement the lessons I learned during these few days.
