"Probate Bar Breakfast" in Central PA

The Third Annual "Probate Bar Breakfast", sponsored by the Dauphin County (PA) Bar Association, and its "Estate Planning & Probate Section", will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M., at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center, located at 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, PA 17011.

Over a hundred attendees already are registered for this annual event. The intended audience includes:

• Lawyers involved in practice before the Dauphin County (PA) Register of Wills Office and the Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County, PA;
• Paralegals functioning in this practice; and
• Law students from Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg Campus) and Penn State - Dickinson School of Law (Carlisle Campus), who study this area of law.

The speakers at the session will include:

• Hon. Todd A. Hoover, Judge, Orphans’ Court Division, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas
• Sandy Snyder, Register of Wills of Dauphin County, PA
• Carolyn C. Thompson, Esq., Dauphin County Court Administrator
• Barbara A. Lundgren, Orphan’s Court Assistant Administrator
• Thomas P. Gacki, Esq., Solicitor for the Register of Wills
• Neil E. Hendershot, Esq., Moderator & Presenter

As in the past, this year's event is underwritten, as to facilities and a Continental Breakfast, by Sterling Financial Trust Company, and its affiliate, Pennsylvania State Bank.

This year, the agenda is planned as follows:

• Welcome & Introductions -- Neil Hendershot
• Update on the Register of Wills Office -- Sandy Snyder
• Statistics from the Orphans' Court Division; & Changes in Foreign Adoptions -- Barbara Lundgren
• Issues in the Orphans' Court Division -- Judge Todd Hoover
  
• Recent PA Supreme Court Orphans' Court Rules Committee Actions -- Carolyn Thompson
• New Forms for Use before the Register of Wills & the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division -- Tom Gacki
• Overview of the New Pennsylvania Uniform Trust Act (effective 11/06/06) -- Neil Hendershot

There is no fee for this program, but pre-registration is requested. For Pre-Registered attorneys, the program will provide one hour of substantive Continuing Legal Education credit.

Reservations can be made by fax (717-234-4582), by mail to DCBA, 213 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, or by email to: Bridgette@dcba-pa.org.

Update: 11/15/06:

This program was a success by any measure -- attendance (approx. 140), food (varied, fresh, & tasty), presentations (all speakers provided good information), fellowship (lawyers, bankers, paralegals, & law students were recognized & interacted), continuing legal education credit (1 hour), and cost (free!).

I concluded the presentations with a 25-minute tour-by-slide of the new Pennsylvania Uniform Trust Code, hitting only the key points, and urging greater study by the attendees.