New PA Judicial Center Open for Occupancy

The newly-constructed Pennsylvania Judicial Center, located in the Capitol complex in Harrisburg, finally is receiving its new occupants.

According to a news report entitled "Judicial Center in Harrisburg built to last a lifetime" by Jan Murphy, published in The Patriot-News on December 27, 2008, the PJC was expected to be completed by April, 2009, after nearly three years in construction.

Construction began in 2006 on the 425,000-square-foot complex. It connects a five-story building at the west end that houses courtrooms and judges' chambers, with a nine-story office structure on the east.

The 15 employees who work for the judicial conduct board are expected to be the first to move into the building in June. Others will take up occupancy over the subsequent three months, he said. The Commonwealth Court will hold its first sessions there in September.

The center is built to accommodate more than 500 employees. It will bring together staff that are spread over a dozen locations in and outside the Capitol complex.

I watched weekly over the past few years as the PJC grew from skeleton to shell to shelter to shrine. I noted its construction progress twice in prior blog postings. See: PA EE&F Law Blog postings "PA Judicial Center Under Construction" (10/31/08) and "New PA Judicial Center Under Construction" (05/09/07).

A month ago, I saw its interior lights lit during business hours, and, while walking by, I peeked inside. For two views of its interior, see pictures of its lobby and courtroom posted by a contractor, McClure Company. For views of its exterior, see the PJC web page of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services.

Since mid-June, the PJC has been receiving occupants in staged moves. Today, I received notice that "the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania will move to the Pennsylvania Judicial Center" effective August 3, 2009. "Filings should be directed to the Court's new address" after that date, at its new address, 601 Commonwealth Avenue.

The moving schedule for court offices, boards, and agencies was posted on the web in a list of Pennsylvania Judicial Center Occupants (PDF, 2 pages), which listed the occupant, main office telephone, relocation date/timeframe, and new mailing address:

Continuing Legal Education Board
717-231-3250
Thursday, June 11 - Friday, June 12
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 3400
PO Box 62495
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2495

Court of Judicial Discipline
717-772-3771
Tuesday, June 16
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 5500
PO Box 62595
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2595

Client Security
717-231-9510
Thursday, July 9
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 5400
PO Box 62585
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2585

Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
717-231-3300
Thursday, July 9 - Friday, July 10
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 1500
PO Box 61260
Harrisburg, PA 17106-1260

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
717-255-1600
Monday, July 20 - Friday, August 14
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0901

Board of Law Examiners
717-231-3350
Tuesday, September 15 - Wednesday, September 16
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 3600
PO Box 62535
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2535

Thrilled as I am, as a lawyer and local resident, about such a consolidation of court functions in a new, state-of-the-art building in the Capitol City, there is one aspect of sadness regarding the center's opening.

In October, 2003, when Governor Edward Rendell considered releasing funds for construction of the PJC, his action was urged by the vision of the new Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ralph J. Cappy, who had advocated, among others, for such a center. See: "Pennsylvania's newest Chief Justice to take on modernization of state courts" by Marylynne Pitz, published October 05, 2003, by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Consolidating the state courts' functions could happen if Gov. Ed Rendell releases the funds that would pay for the design and construction of a $123 million judicial center in Harrisburg. The money was set aside in the 2001-2002 budget. The state judicial center would have about 400,000 square feet and house about 400 employees. Vitteta, a Philadelphia-based architectural firm, was chosen for the project in January by the state Department of General Services.

The state judicial center would consolidate numerous court offices spread out over the state, allowing for the termination of office leases. * * *

Sadly, after retiring from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in January, 2008, Ralph J. Cappy died unexpectedly at his Green Tree home on May 1, 2009 at age 65. See: "Ralph J. Cappy, Former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice, dies at 65" (05/09), posted by Tributes.com; "Retired Supreme Court Justice Cappy dead at 65" (05/02/09) published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; and "Obituary: Ralph J. Cappy / Retired Pennsylvania chief justice" (05/03/09) published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

He died one month before the new state occupants began arriving in the PJC.

When I enter that building sometime in the future, I will look for his name to be listed, among others, on a plaque prominently displayed in its foyer, as a testament to their vision.

Blogging on the Bus

I'm riding on a bus as I write this blog entry, which illustrates, in just one trip, a few trends affecting elders (and all of us in America) -- changes in employment patterns, in technology, and in mass transit.

The bus I'm riding is a Setra, Model S-417 Luxury Coach, assembled in North Carolina by Daimler Buses North America. The operator is RDC Bus Lines, LLC, a small business headquartered in western Pennsylvania. The express luxury coach service is operated between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, PA, daily, via the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as the "Steel City Flyer."

The new service was announced in November, 2008, and was followed thereafter, by newspaper reports. See: "New Steel City Flyer service to Harrisburg begins this month" (11/07/08) by Kim Leonard, published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; "Can a luxury bus fill the gap on a dropped US Airways route?" (11/12/08) by Ben Mutzabaugh published by USA Today's Blog "Today in the Sky";"New bus service to Harrisburg expands" (01/06/09) by Tom Barnes published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and "Bus line adds Camp Hill stop" (04/09/09) by Erica Dolson published by the Harrisburg Patriot-News (on Penn-Live).

The Steel City Flyer offers service from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh for business and leisure travelers.

One of the goals of this new stop [in Camp Hill] is to make travel more convenient for business people whose firms have a strong presence in both central Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Railroad Development Corp. president Bob Pietrandrea said.

The Steel City Flyer has also adjusted its westbound schedule to add an earlier morning departure time.

The driver today is Jim Wade, 64, of Bergholz, Ohio, who has operated or driven buses for 24 years, and who is now officially "retired." He just talked by cell phone with his supervisor, George, who is in his mid-sixties. Jim was talking about people he knew in the business who were "still goin'" in their eighties and nineties.

This is my first point: This is a business largely operated by persons near or over 60 years of age; and it runs smoothly.

This modern bus rides smoothly too while I type on my Asus Eee "netbook" connected continuously (even through the Turnpike's tunnels!) through the on-board wireless router to Verizon's high-speed 3G Wi-Fi service.

Gone are the days when a bus ride promised jolts, noise, stuffy air, and spills, but little time for productive work. Instead, on this luxury coach, I'm researching sources, adding links, and writing text in comfort and without stress, despite the curves and construction on the PA Turnpike.

My experience with this transportation service parallels that of another user (Susan D., of Pittsburgh), who posted her experiences on the Yelp! consumer review web site, rating it four of four stars. See: "Steel City Flyer" Review (02/09/09).

This is my second point: The fact that I am writing this posting enroute while riding at 55 mph (according to Jim when I asked) or higher most times, shows how transportation and technology have combined to allow greater business and personal efficiency, while conserving natural resources.

Clearly mass transportation is a trend that should be supported. Most recently, our federal government appears to favor high-speed train service.

The article "Pennsylvania part of plan for high-speed trains across the nation" (04/17/09) by Jon Schmitz, published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reported that "President Barack Obama's announcement yesterday of an ambitious plan for high-speed passenger trains connecting American cities puts Pennsylvania into a national competition for billions of dollars in federal aid."

Ten corridors, including one from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and Philadelphia, were designated as eligible for some of the $13 billion authorized in the economic stimulus legislation or proposed by Mr. Obama for high-speed rail development. * * *

A statement by Gov. Ed Rendell and state Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler did not mention the maglev project. Instead it speculated about whether money could be obtained for studies of expanding rail service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg -- currently served by just one daily Amtrak trip. * * *

"Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes," Mr. Obama said.

"Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination." * * *

This is my third point: A Change is Gonna Come to long-haul, public transportation. New modes of conveyance will bring greater efficiency, convenience, comfort, and safety, which will empower all travelers, especially those who are older.

But that vision will be some time until full realization. A Steel City Flyer representative was quoted in the article:

"Realistically speaking, it's going to be years before you see anything resembling high-speed rail extended to Pittsburgh," said Mr. Posner, who recently started a luxury bus service to Harrisburg to fill the void in train and airline service to the state capital.

"As a railroad man, I look forward to the day when the Steel City Flyer [bus to Harrisburg] will have outlived its usefulness," he said. * * *

Reading this, I'm pleased that I took the Steel City Flyer today as the best way to travel between these two cities. However, I, too, look forward to the day in Pennsylvania when it "will have outlived its usefulness."

Now, please excuse me. I've got to jaw with our driver, Jim, a bit more before I "de-bus" in Pittsburgh's Center City.

Update: July, 2009:

As of July 16, 2009, the Steel City Flyer service terminated. See: Press Release, "Steel City Flyer to End Service on July 16, 2009" dated July 10, 2009, issued by Railroad Development Corporation (PDF, 1 page). For an intelligent blog commentary and responsive reader comments, see: So Long Steel City Flyer, posted July 10, 2009, on the East Busway Blog.

Update: October, 2009:

Amtrak expressed interest in expanding passenger train service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, dependent upon government subsidies. See: Article, "Amtrak recommends new train between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg" dated October 20, 2009, by Matthew Santoni, published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Amtrak is recommending that another train be added to the sparse service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, if state and federal legislators decide the additional ridership is worth the expense.

In a study mandated by the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Amtrak officials looked at passenger service in Pennsylvania and decided that the potential riders and revenue were sufficient to consider increasing the Pennsylvanian route between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg from one train per day in each direction to two, adding a midday departure from Pittsburgh and a late-night arrival that could connect to trains heading west to Chicago.

"The ridership was there, and it would have a minimal impact on operations," said Steve Kulm, Amtrak spokesman. "If this is going to move forward, state and federal legislators will have to make the next step." * * *

PA Judicial Center Under Construction

On the redesigned website of the Pennsylvania Unified Judiciary, one web page is dedicated to the Pennsylvania Judicial Center presently under construction at 601 Commonwealth Avenue, in Harrisburg, PA.

According to the PA Department of General Services, the Pennsylvania courts' new centralizing facility will open in Summer, 2009. I previously noted its construction when the steel was being installed. See: PA EE&F Law Blog posting "New PA Judicial Center Under Construction" (05/09/07).

The PA Unified Judiciary's website describes the facility as follows:

The Pennsylvania Judicial Center, located in Harrisburg's historical Capitol Complex, will serve as the administrative center for Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It will contain office space for more than 500 employees, three Commonwealth Court courtrooms and a conference and training center.

Occupants of the judicial center will include the Supreme Court Middle District prothonotary, the executive administrator of the Supreme Court, the Superior Court Middle District prothonotary, the Commonwealth Court, the AOPC and various Supreme Court boards and committees. The Judicial Conduct Board and the Court of Judicial Discipline will also have offices in the center.

Construction on the project began in 2006. The center is expected to open in mid-2009.

The center was designed by the Philadelphia architectural and engineering firm Vitetta.

According to the website of JBC Associates, Inc., which is involved in managing construction, the facility will have three major areas:

The new 423,600 SF state judicial center has three major areas planned including

• a 9 story tower which will house office and conference rooms for judges and their staff,
  
• a 5 story wing which will house three courtrooms, judges’ chambers and other administrative space and
  
• an additional information support area with underground parking.

The exterior façade will be wrapped in limestone and glass that will open onto 7th Street. * * *

The facility will become home to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, which anticipates the move, as noted in a description on its website:

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, often referred to by its acronym as AOPC, is the administrative arm of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. This office was established in 1969 to assist the court in operating the Pennsylvania court system.

The AOPC is headed by the Court Administrator of Pennsylvania. Its departments include Policy and Research, Judicial Services, Judicial Education, Judicial Programs, Judicial Automation, Judicial Security, Legal, Finance, Human Resources, and Communications and Legislative Affairs.

The AOPC has offices in Mechanicsburg and Philadelphia, but soon will be based in the new state Judicial Center on Capitol Hill in Harrisburg. [Emphasis added.]

For more photos of the PA Judicial Center during its construction progress, see:

• PA Department of General Services' webpage on the Judicial Center

• Chris Bucher's Photostream on Flickr, with photos taken 04/05/08
  

* * *
"We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us."

-- Winston Churchill

Update: 07/10/09:

The Pennsylvania Judicial Center is open for occupancy. See: PA EE&F Law Blog post "New PA Judicial Center Open for Occupancy" (07/10/09).

Wilkes' New Dean of Law School Planning Initiative

On May 7, 2008, Wilkes University issued a Press Release, entitled "Wilkes Takes Big Step to Creating New Law School -- Announces Dean of Law School Planning Initiative". The named dean is Loren ("Chip") D. Prescott, Jr., now of Harrisburg, PA.

Wilkes University announces that Loren D. Prescott Jr. has been appointed dean for the Wilkes University Law School Planning Initiative.

Prescott, who has served as vice dean and professor at Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pa., will lead efforts to develop plans for northeastern Pennsylvania’s first law school. Preliminary plans call for enrolling between 80 and 100 first-year students in fall 2010.

As dean, Prescott will also complete an in-depth market analysis of enrollment trends, of the parameters for the law school library, and develop a trailblazing curriculum that answers many of the critiques of legal education today. He is scheduled to submit the final plans for the law school for consideration by the Wilkes Board of Trustees at its April 2009 meeting.

“If feasible, the addition of a law school represents a great opportunity for the revitalization of Wilkes-Barre and the region. Wilkes’ mentoring culture is uniquely suited to training a new generation of attorneys skilled in the practice, not just the theory, of law,” said Tim Gilmour, president of Wilkes University.

“Chip Prescott brings both experience and vision to this initiative. We’re honored to have a leader of his caliber to lead the effort.” * * *

I learned about this appointment in an email message sent by Chip on May 7th. I was surprised, and pleased.

When I first learned about the proposal to create a new law school in the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton area, to join eight existing law schools in Pennsylvania, I was skeptical. See: PA EE&F Law Blog posting New Law School at Wilkes University? (03/06/07).

My concerns were not founded in the ability of Wilkes University to create an academically suitable law school, or the need in Northeastern Pennsylvania for graduate-level education, or the economic benefits that a law school might bring in that region, or even the capability of Wilkes to attract qualified, committed faculty and eager, tuition-paying law students into a new law school.

No, my concern was simple: Where would more law school graduates find jobs once educated?

My updates to that posting reinforced my concerns, to which I urged studied consideration:

The "job market" and the implied promise made to law students when they pay (or borrow) the tuition necessary to attend law school -- that further education will increase their employment opportunities -- should be one of the elements to be considered by those charged with examining a new law school at Wilkes University.

By February of this year, the concept for a new law school, as sketched by the Wilkes University Board of Trustees, was embodied in its search for a designing dean. See: PA EE&F Law Blog posting Proposed Wilkes Law School Seeks Dean (02/06/08).

I was pleasantly surprised by the pragmatic, innovative approach adopted for the proposed new law school, as evidenced by its reliance upon a detailed report, entitled "Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law" (2007), issued by the Carnegie Foundation.

I concluded by noting that, "[w]ithout question, the format for an effective institutional legal education is changing." I became hopeful that such a new law school could, indeed, meet not only the needs of a university, a region, and an economy in Pennsylvania, but also of students who would become prepared, by a legal education, to function productively while paid adequate compensation.

Now I learn that Chip Prescott will be the one to guide this new law school into being.

"Well, bust my buttons! Why didn't you say that in the first place? That's a horse of a different color! Come on in!"

My skepticism had paralleled that of the gatekeeper to the grand, Emerald City in the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz:

[Reaching the gate into the Emerald City, Dorothy and her friends ring the bell. A Gateman appears through a porthole.]

Gateman: Who rang that bell?!

All four: We did!

Gateman: Can't you read?!

Scarecrow: Read what?

Gateman: The notice!

All four: What notice?

Gateman: It's on the door, as plain as the nose on my face! It's a [Realizes there is no notice] Oh-- Oh... [Hangs a notice on the door, then disappears]

All Four: [Reading the notice] "Bell out of order. Please knock." [Dorothy knocks on the knocker, and the Gateman reemerges]

Gateman: Well, that's more like it! Now, state your business.

All four: We want to see the Wizard.

Gateman: [Nearly falls out of his porthole from shock] The Wizard?! But nobody can see the Great Oz! Nobody's ever seen the Great Oz! Even I've never seen him!

Dorothy: Well, then — how do you know there is one?

Gateman: Because he, uh... You're wasting my time!

Dorothy: Oh please, please sir. I've got to see the Wizard. The Good Witch of the North sent me.

Gateman: Prove it. * * *

Once Dorothy displays the Ruby Slippers, the Gatekeeper says, "Well, bust my buttons"; and she, with her companions, are ushered into the Emerald City, where they prepare to do their longer & harder work.

Chip Prescott is as special as Dorothy Gale in that movie, The Wizard of Oz.

He does not wear Ruby Slippers (thank goodness), but he radiates personal characteristics that gleam just as brightly. He is honest, intelligent, resourceful, devoted, reliable, sensitive, social, respectful, and funny. He is one of the finest people I've encountered. I am privileged to consider him my friend.

He understands the need for practical legal education, responsive to the changing needs of our citizens and also targeted at graduates' productive employment.

Just as Dorothy possessed the necessary desire and qualities to perform her mission with the support of her companions, which resulted in growth and goodness in the lives of those she touched in that movie's fantasy, Chip Prescott possesses the commitment and character to materialize a new law school with the support of Wilkes University and the host that will join the effort, which will benefit Pennsylvanians in reality.

I congratulate him on his acceptance of this new challenge; and I congratulate the folks at Wilkes University for selecting him.

Scarecrow: What have you learned, Dorothy?

Dorothy: Well, I—I think that it, that it wasn't enough just to want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em — and it's that — if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?

Glinda: That's all it is! * * *

...

Glinda: Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, 'There's no place like home'.

* * *

Update: 05/27/08:

On May 27, 2008, The Citizens Voice, in Northeastern PA, published an extensive, complimentary article about Chip Prescott, entitled "New dean of Wilkes law school initiative ready for the challenge", by Caleb Sheaffer:

This summer, Loren D. “Chip” Prescott Jr. has many things on his plate.

The first is cleaning his office of 18 years at Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg.

The second is starting as the appointed dean for the Wilkes University Law School Planning Initiative. He’s also becoming a grandfather and completing work on a doctorate in public administration.

Last, he is meeting with a consultant in Chicago to discuss the accreditation process for a law school that four years ago was only an idea.

It’s a law school that Prescott hopes will open its doors at Wilkes University by 2010, graduating its first class by 2013. It’s also a law school that Prescott sees as a bold move by Wilkes University, which will benefit Wilkes-Barre and Northeastern Pennsylvania upon its completion.

“The biggest challenge is this involves the creation of a new institution,” Prescott said. “In higher education, the opportunity to create an institution is unusual.”

Prescott, 52, of Harrisburg, starts the job as dean of the Wilkes University Law School Planning Initiative on June 2. He will be responsible for presenting a complete plan for the law school to the Wilkes University Board of Trustees by April 2009. * * *

Dying in the Civil War

In Central Pennsylvania, there was big national news recently: On April 14, 2008, the National Park Service opened a new Museum and Visitors' Center at the Gettysburg National Military Park, in Adams County, PA.

Gettysburg holds a special place in American history, not only as a turning point in the war, but as the site of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, in which he outlined his vision for the nation.

Completion of this $135 million project will enable the [Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum] Foundation and the National Park Service to make Gettysburg a classroom of democracy: a place that educates and inspires; a place that honors America by promoting a better understanding of the forces that shaped our national character. * * * [Link for quote]

This is national news, because the Battlefield at Gettysburg is a treasure of our American history:

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory in the summer of 1863 that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North.

Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy", it was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties.

It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address. * * *

Born, raised, & still resident in Central Pennsylvania 25 miles northwest of Gettysburg, I have long been acquainted with the Battle.

Now older, as a "trust & estate" lawyer, I contemplate more seriously those "51,000 casualties" -- soldiers who were killed, wounded, or lost in action -- during three hot days on acreage away from home that can be toured now -- from one end to the other, and through both armies' lines -- in one day by car.

In the aftermath of the battle, every farm field was a graveyard and every church, public building and even private homes were hospitals. Medical staff were strained to treat so many wounded scattered about the county. * * *

By January 1864, the last few remaining patients were gone and so were the surgeons, guards, nurses, tents and cookhouses. Only a temporary cemetery on the hillside remained as a testament to the courageous battle to save lives that took place at Camp Letterman. * * *

Prominent Gettysburg residents became concerned with the poor conditions of soldiers' graves scattered over the battlefield and at hospital sites, and pleaded with Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin for state support to purchase a portion of the battlefield to be set aside as a final resting place for the defenders of the Union cause.

Gettysburg lawyer David Wills was appointed the state agent to coordinate the establishment of the new "Soldiers' National Cemetery", which was designed by noted landscape architect William Saunders.

Removal of the Union dead to the cemetery began in the fall of 1863, but would not be completed until long after the cemetery grounds were dedicated on November 19, 1863. * * *

News reported locally during the Civil War was collected in searchable text made available online by the "Valley of the Shadow" historical project, created by the Virginia Center for Digital History, affiliated with the University of Virginia.

That Project digitalized and also cataloged the contents of three local Union newspapers published in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and three local Confederate newspapers published in Augusta County, Virginia, that reveal the views of "two communities in the Civil War".

As a T&E lawyer, I found myself searching that Project's records under such terms as "estate", "probate", "death", and "court". The resulting death notices and announcements confirmed that there was an administrative aftermath to many deaths where property was owned by a decedent.

Estates back then were administered under state law (without any concern for federal law) in a simplified, but public fashion that mirrors the basic approach retained today in Pennsylvania -- probate of a last will or application of intestate laws, notifications to creditors, collection of assets, administration by a personal representative, litigation if necessary, final accounting to the Orphans' Court, and distribution of net assets to those entitled.

While browsing the Project's content, I was drawn back to the Battle of Gettysburg. Reading some newspaper articles published in July, 1863, I could experience the North's terror from the insurgents' "invasion", and the South's fervor for a final victory to end the conflict.

According to Confederate Field Orders issued by General Robert E. Lee, reprinted in the Franklin Depository on July 15, 1863, high morality motivated the invading army:

Headquarters Army Northern Virginia, Chambersburg, Pa., June 27, 1863
General Orders No. 73

The Commanding General has observed with marked satisfaction the conduct of the troops on the march, and confidently anticipates results commensurate with the high spirit they have manifested.

No troops could have displayed greater fortitude, or better performed the arduous marches of the past ten days. Their conduct in other respects has, with few exceptions, been in keeping with their character as soldiers, and entitles them to approbation and praise. * * *

It must be remembered that we make war only upon armed [illegible] and that we cannot take vengeance for the wrongs our people have suffered without lowering ourselves in the eyes of all whose abhorrence has been excited by the atrocities of our enemies, and offending against Him to whom vengeance belongeth, without whose favor and support our efforts must all prove in vain.* * *

The Battle of Gettysburg culminated on the third day in Pickett's Charge, the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy", where "[s]o much carnage [occurred] in such a small place -- it is difficult for us today to realize the horror those young men faced * * *."

A report in the Stanton Spectator on July 28, 1863, focused on the commitment and courage of the Confederate soldiers, but could not deny the carnage inflicted by the opposing Union army.

An eye witness testifies that they formed into line of battle as coolly and deliberately as if forming for dress parade.

Headed by their gallant officers, the column being led by General Pickett himself, they moved forward to the carnage across a plain, some 500 yards in width, subjected to the action of guns smoking like a hurricane of death all over the field.

The noble and gallant Pickett, commanding then pressed up to the ugly ramparts of the enemy. It is believed that a more gallant and heroic charge was never made on this continent.

Pickett's division has been in the hardest fighting of this bloody war. The division have borne themselves well and nobly, always and everywhere. But the crowning glory of those patriot heroes was achieved in the assault upon the ironclad crest of Gettysburg.

The list of casualties tells, in terms of truer eloquence, the bravery and patriotism of that blood-stained and self-honored division, than can any figures of rhetoric or poetry. Every Brigadier fell, and a long catalogue of Colonels and other officers.

The division went in from five to six thousand strong. Three days after the battle but fifteen hundred reported for duty. * * *

The Franklin Repository, on July 29, 1863, reflected on the sacrifices displayed on the battlefield:

On Tuesday evening after the fight, we found ourselves among the crowd of visitors to the battle field of Gettysburg.

There were many whose sad faces and anxious inquiries proclaimed their errand. Others, again, were busily attending to the necessities of the wounded; but perhaps in every breast there was felt something of that strange feeling which instinctively draws us to a battle field.

It is not a morbid curiosity as some would claim. It is with a feeling more akin to reverence that we draw nigh to the broad and bloody altar, on which thousands of our fellow beings have so freely laid down their lives for our redemption.

Such spots are shrines to which true patriots will ever make their pilgrimages; and we may rest assured that the nation is nigh destruction when it can forget or walk thoughtlessly over its battle grounds. * * *

A newly-released book provides an analysis how the people of that era were willing to die or to support causes that resulted in such massive casualties.

Professor Rea Andrew Redd, of the Eberly Library, Waynesburg College, in Waynesburg, PA, just posted on his blog, the Civil War Librarian, a notice about a new book, Awaiting the Heavenly Country, by Mark S. Schantz (2008, Cornell University Press, 256 pages).

The book analyzes attitudes towards death in America in the mid-nineteenth century. See: Just Released---From The Hearth, Through The Battlefield, To The Grave (05/06/08):

How much loss can a nation bear?

An America in which 620,000 men die at each other's hands in a war at home is almost inconceivable to us now, yet in 1861 American mothers proudly watched their sons, husbands, and fathers go off to war, knowing they would likely be killed.

Today, the death of a soldier in Iraq can become headline news; during the Civil War, sometimes families did not learn of their loved ones' deaths until long after the fact. Did antebellum Americans hold their lives so lightly, or was death so familiar to them that it did not bear avoiding?

In Awaiting the Heavenly Country, Mark S. Schantz argues that American attitudes and ideas about death helped facilitate the war's tremendous carnage. Asserting that nineteenth-century attitudes toward death were firmly in place before the war began rather than arising from a sense of resignation after the losses became apparent, Schantz has written a fascinating and chilling narrative of how a society understood death and reckoned the magnitude of destruction it was willing to tolerate. * * *

He quotes this passage from Mr. Schantz' book:

Americans came to fight the Civil War in the midst of a wider cultural world that sent them messages about death that made it easier to kill and to be killed.

They understood that death awaited all who were born and prized the ability to face death with a spirit of calm resignation.

They believed that a heavenly eternity of transcendent beauty awaited them beyond the grave. They knew that their heroic achievements would be cherished forever by posterity.

They grasped that death itself might be seen as artistically fascinating and even beautiful.

See also: "In the Mourning Store", a review of that book by Adam Gopnik, published in The New Yorker Magazine on April 17, 2008.

Today, the quiet, well-marked, Gettysburg National Military Park embodies everything that is "fascinating and even beautiful" about death in combat for a cause. The new Museum and Visitors' Center, with its architecture, collections, & illustrations, should aid our contemplation about the past tumult there.

"PA Legal Research Websites" Shines

Since 1999, Dittakavi N. Rao, Associate Director of the Duquesne University Law Library, Pittsburgh, PA, headed the construction & expansion of a website that catalogs useful online legal resource links specific to Pennsylvania, known as "Pennsylvania Legal Research Websites". It has become the definitive listing of legal links in the Commonwealth.

That website's creation, circa 1999, reminds us of another unusual resource -- a law library in Pittsburgh jointly-operated by a university and a county since 1999.

According to a posted article, entitled "A Law School - County Law Library Partnership", by Frank Y. Liu & Joel Fishman (2005), "[t]his partnership between a private academic law library and a public county law library is the only operation of its kind in the nation."

In November, 1999, Duquesne University Center for Legal Information (DCLI) and the Allegheny County government located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, entered into a contract for the DCLI to manage the operations of the Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL).

The partnership has proven to be a success * * *. [The contract was renewed on November 4, 2003, for another five years, from June 2004 to May 2008.]

This article is intended to share with the law library community the background, the operations, and the benefits to both libraries and the legal community of the greater Pittsburgh area from this unique partnership. * * *

Pennsylvania Legal Research Websites (PLRW) is linked on the combined website of the Duquesne Center for Legal Information and the Allegheny County Law Library under "Essential Legal Links", as "Rao's PA Legal Research".

It is listed just above another sponsored website, the Pennsylvania Constitution Web Page of the Duquesne University School of Law. This companion constitution site, maintained by Professor Bruce Ledewitz and Dr. Joel Fishman, is described in the article as "the most extensive state constitutional law web site in the country."

That phrase -- "the most extensive" -- also describes perfectly PLRW. It is a comprehensive Pennsylvania legal research center for law students, lawyers, other professionals, and the general public who access the Internet to learn about the law. Its links are varied and voluminous. You really have to view it to appreciate the depth & breadth of its links relating to all aspects of the Commonwealth's laws and legal system.

That site is described, but also limited, in its usage notice:

This site is an attempt to bring together, for easy access, the various Pennsylvania legal Web sites that are already available on the Internet under different subject headings.

This site is not intended to provide legal advice.

Users have to make their own judgment regarding accuracy, completeness, and currency of information found in those sites for which links are provided.

A few months ago, I had suggested to Mr. Rao the possibility of another category of links that could be added to the PLRW site; and he responded positively.

Now included, at the very bottom of the PLRW site, is a listing of Pennsylvania Blawgs. Twelve such PA-specific blogs are listed, including this one -- the PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog -- and also PA HealthCare DecisionMaking.

You'd think, though, with a category beginning with a "B", that blogs would rate higher than the bottom of the website. Yet I feel certain that such placement was not intentional, and resulted, instead, from some uncontrollable, unavoidable, horrible technological glitch.

"Seniors Helping Seniors" in Reading & Beyond

I recently exchanged email messages with Alan Shirk, who does promotional work for the very worthy organization Seniors Helping Seniors, based in Reading (Berks County), PA.

He sent me a press release, dated February 7, 2008, entitled "Non-Profit Seniors Helping Seniors® Delivers More Than 16,500 Hours of Service in Reading and Berks County in 2007" (PDF) that describes the work of this organization among senior citizens:

Seniors Helping Seniors®, the non-profit organization that matches seniors who offer services (providers) with seniors who need them (receivers), provided more than 16,500 hours of service in Greater Reading and Berks County during 2007, about a 20 percent increase over 2006.

Seniors Helping Seniors, established as a non-profit organization in Berks County in 1998, provided nearly 13,000 hours of service in 2006 and 11,000 hours in 2005, according to SHS founder Kiran Yocom.

The success of Seniors Helping Seniors, which has helped hundreds of seniors in Berks County, led to the establishment of a national for profit Seniors Helping Seniors companionship/caregiving organization that has grown to include almost 30 franchise partners in 10 states.

"The need for our services for seniors and their caregivers continues to grow rapidly," said Yocom. "Not only is the seniors population increasing, but also more and more seniors are determined to remain independent and in their own homes. It's a much better alternative to being in a long-term care facility and helps reduce healthcare costs."

Seniors Helping Seniors, offers non-medical services such as companionship, homemaker help, personal care, overnight care, transportation, yard work and home repairs. * * *

She added that the group's vision is to be the first place seniors in need of non-medical services to remain living in their homes call for assistance and to be the first place seniors seeking to supplement their incomes call for opportunities.

More Press Releases and "Great Stories" are available on the Seniors Helping Seniors website.

This organization expects its activities to increase as its target population of elderly folks continues to age and expand:

Seniors Helping Seniors will grow steadily within the next couple of years.

With the significant increase in the 60+ population projected to 18-25% of the population by 2010, the organization will be able to provide many more hours of service to those in need and recruit many more people who gain joy and additional income from delivering these services. * * *

If you are interested in participating with this organization, investigating its services, or even starting a similar center elsewhere, visit the Seniors Helping Seniors website or make personal contact (Ofc: 610-927-2778).

"The mission of Seniors Helping Seniors is to provide seniors with the ability to choose an independent lifestyle in their own homes, for as long as possible, with the dignity and respect they deserve by finding caring seniors to help each other."

-- Kiran Yocom, Founder & Executive Director
Seniors Helping Seniors

S.A.G.E. Serves Bucks County, PA

In the February 2-8, 2008 electronic newsletter from Coming of Age, there is an short entry entitled "The SAGE Way to Make a Difference".

Senior Adults for Greater Education (S.A.G.E.), a Coming of Age partner, has provided a vehicle for 50+ers to devote their time and talents and meet new people, while helping children be successful at school. S.A.G.E. has more than 150 people 50+ working in three school districts in Bucks County.

Recognized with a national award by the Points of Light Foundation, S.A.G.E. offers many options to connect with students and help them see the light. * * *

S.A.G.E. is described on its website by its basic mission statement:

Senior Adults for Greater Education, a non-profit 501 3 (c) organization, recognizes the wisdom of older adults and integrates their contributions into the school community in a variety of intergenerational activities for the mutual benefit of youth, seniors and the community.

This mission is further described in the context of connecting generations:

S.A.G.E. believes that through intergenerational programs all involved will learn from and about one another, dispelling existing stereotypes.

S.A.G.E. offers a variety of commitment levels: For those who can volunteer weekly the opportunities are plentiful and diverse. Such activities include, but are not limited to: helping a child read, reading to a child, reviewing math facts, editing writing assignments, assisting students who are below grade level to achieve proficiency on State mandated tests, helping English as Second Language students.

S.A.G.E. also offers episodic volunteering events for those who do not yet want, or cannot offer, a weekly commitment. Some examples of these types of events are: working at a booth at the school fair, chaperoning a trip, being a guest lecturer on a specific topic of interest, being interviewed by students, helping with community service projects. * * *

Coming of Age had noted the S.A.G.E. program in a 2005 article entitled "In Bucks County, Things are Getting Very... Intergenerational!"

Such senior service organizations are springing up all over Pennsylvania. On Friday, I'll mention another -- Seniors Helping Seniors, located in Berks County, PA.

Proposed Wilkes Law School Seeks Dean

On February 3, 2008, an article entitled "Recruitment for Dean of Law School initiative intensifies" was posted by The Beacon, sponsored by Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA), which provided an update about that University's proposed new law school.

The article noted that "a definite decision has not been made to start a law school, but choosing a dean to lead the decision-making process brings the university one step closer to doing so."

I previously noted the proposal for a new law school in Wilkes-Barre, PA, in my PA EE&F Law Blog posting "New Law School at Wilkes University?" (03/06/07), updated thereafter.

The recent article reported at length about the current dean-selection process, and about the law school being envisioned. I include a few excerpts here:

In approximately two weeks, Wilkes University plans to begin scheduling campus visits for finalists of the Dean of Law School Initiative Search, according to Dr. Reynold C. Verret, Provost. * * *

According to the prospectus for the Dean of Wilkes Law School Initiative, "[l]ate last spring [2007], after preliminary studies and consultations, the faculty and the trustees endorsed a recommendation from the Provost to move the law school initiative into a final phase." The "final phase" essentially consists of three parts: a detailed academic plan, a financial plan and a dean to aid in the creation and presentation of both plans. * * *

The prospectus also stresses the importance of being able to communicate, plan, budget and manage effectively and willingly embrace diversity. * * *

Responsibilities of the dean would include creating a "compelling, marketable vision for legal education," developing a five-year financial and academic plan for the law school, assisting in the final decisions about the school and inevitably becoming and acting as the founding dean of the school if and when it is approved and launched.

"We are on track in our plan for a law school that will distinguish Wilkes and address issues for legal education outlined in a recent report by the Carnegie Foundation (Education Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law, 2007)," said Verret. Paying close attention to the Carnegie report, which addresses the criticisms of legal education, the prospectus states that Wilkes has the ability and opportunity to rise above any "inattentions," such as practitioner concerns or ethics and civility within the profession.

"Wilkes has a concept of not creating what is being called a 'me too' law school, but one that has a distinctive curriculum. We'll be perceived in the marketplace as innovative, so one of things that we're looking for is someone willing to think outside of the box and willing to create the current model of law school education and has ideas of how to do it better," said Browne. * * *

With the nearest Pennsylvania law schools in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, it's possible that 75-100 graduate students will enter the program in the first year. * * *

If all goes according to plan, the dean of the law school will be chosen by this summer. The dean's plan should be approved by spring of 2009 and the first class of law students at Wilkes University may begin their first semester in the fall of 2010. * * *

A very detailed description of the proposed law school at Wilkes University, and the expectations of its Dean, are set forth in a document posted by Academic Search, Inc., entitled "Wilkes Law School Initiative -- A Prospectus for the Search" (PDF, 10 pages), dated October 2, 2007.

The "recent report", referenced both in the article and also in the Prospectus, regarding changes in legal education to be more effective, was entitled "Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law" (2007), issued by the Carnegie Foundation:

The Foundation's two-year study of legal education involved a comprehensive look at teaching and learning in American and Canadian law schools today.

Intensive field work was conducted at a cross-section of 16 law schools during the 1999-2000 academic year.

The study provides an opportunity to rethink "thinking like a lawyer" — the paramount educational construct currently employed, which affords students powerful intellectual tools while also shaping education and professional practice in subsequent years in significant, yet often unrecognized, ways. * * *

That report's table of contents is available from the publisher's Web site. See also the report's Summary of the Findings and Recommendations (PDF).

The report was the subject of commentary in articles and blog postings last year. See:

• "Ahead of Our Time", by Dean Emily A. Spieler, of Northeastern University Law School (Summer, 2007).

• "A Plea for Real-World Training in Law Schools" (Word format, 4 pages), posted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and made available by the Legal Marketing Blog.
  

• "All Rise. Welcome to Law School" (PDF format, 4 pages), by Katherine Mangan, originally posted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and made available by Touro Law Center.

• "Educating Lawyers", by Hillary A. Sale, posted by SSRN.

Without question, the format for an effective institutional legal education is changing.

Update: 05/20/08:

On May 7, 2008, Wilkes University issued a Press Release, entitled "Wilkes Takes Big Step to Creating New Law School -- Announces Dean of Law School Planning Initiative". The named dean is Loren ("Chip") D. Prescott, Jr., now of Harrisburg, PA.

Chip is a good friend of mine. His appointment reassures me about the future of the proposed new law school. See: PA EE&F Law Blog posting "Wilkes' New Dean of Law School Planning Initiative " (05/20/08).

Percentage of PA's Millionaires Rising ... Slowly

On January 9, 2008, annual survey results about American millionaires were announced by Phoenix Marketing International, in its Press Release entitled "New Jersey Has Highest Percentage of Millionaire Residents".

The Phoenix Affluent Marketing Service, a Phoenix Marketing International practice, announced today that New Jersey has become the state with the largest percent of millionaires to total households. Ranked second past two years, New Jersey vaulted past Hawaii, which fell to fourth in the 2007 rankings. Phoenix’s annual market sizing analysis and aggregate wealth rankings shows that New Jersey’s ratio of millionaires to total households rose to 7.12%, up from 6.5% in 2006.

Maryland is now in second place at 7.08%, up from 6.2% in 2006. Connecticut is third, with a ratio of 7.0%, up from 6.2% a year ago. Hawaii’s ratio of 6.7% was unchanged from a year ago.

Phoenix defines a millionaire household as one with $1 million or more in investable or liquid assets.

“Traditional East Coast concentrations of wealth have continued to outperform most of the rest of the country,” says David Thompson, Managing Director of the Phoenix Affluent Practice.

“This is a function of three factors: high levels of education; access to top paying jobs in finance and technology; and a stock market that has advanced over the past four years,” notes Thompson.

Rounding out the top ten for 2007: Massachusetts remains in fifth place; Virginia rose to sixth from seventh past Delaware, which fell one spot; Alaska leaped to eighth from fourteenth a year ago; ninth-place New Hampshire, was up from eleventh in 2006; and California came in tenth, down two spots from 2006.

The Press Release notes that complete states’ rankings for 2005 through 2007 are available online (in an Excel spreadsheet) by visiting the Phoenix site. * * *

According to these surveys, the percentage of Pennsylvanians who qualify as "millionaires" is slowly increasing, but, when compared with the other states, it remained consistently steady for all three years at No. 23.

Pennsylvania	Total Households	$1MM+	Ratio Millionaire to Total HH
2005	4,870,667	201,983	4.15%
2006	4,903,270	228,270	4.66%
2007	4,916,948	252,326	5.13%

The national average is increasing, too:

2005 4.30%
2006 4.80%
2007 5.25%

So, Pennsylvania remains under the national average. But are the real number of "millionaires" -- representative of high wealth -- effectively increasing, or is the bar constantly being lowered by inflation instead? See: PA EE&F Law Blog posting "Inflation, Indexing, and Millionaires" (08/31/07).

As indicated in the comparison of the ten largest states in population (see graphic above), Pennsylvania (the sixth largest state) is just above Texas and Ohio, but below the rest.

The survey does not reveal, but we might be able to determine from other statistical data, where in Pennsylvania more of those millionaires reside.

According to data posted on Wikipedia, Pennsylvania has only three of the 100 wealthiest counties in the entire country, measured by per capita income. Those counties are:

• Chester County (#34)
  
• Montgomery County (#44)
• Bucks County (#84)

Within all counties in the Commonwealth, wealth resides more in the sprawling, expanded suburbs than in the urban areas or in its inner-ring suburbs, according to a study by IssuesPA (an initiative of the Pennsylvania Economy League), entitled "Changing Patterns of Wealth in Pennsylvania's Communities" (April, 2004).

For more detail about wealth in Pennsylvania, measured not by assets (millionaires), but by income (earners), see the listing provided by Wikipedia of all incorporated areas and census-designated places in Pennsylvania ranked from highest capita income to lowest per capita income.

One place really stands out, at the head of that list: Green Hills, Washington County, PA, which only has eighteen residents and seven households.

To them I would say, please don't move to New Jersey, or Maryland, or Delaware.

Update: 04/03/08:

Yahoo Finance posted an article published on March 20, 2008, in Barrons, entitled "Are You Rich?", by Tom Sullivan, who asked: "How much of a nest egg do you need to join the true elite?"

Yes, it takes more than $10 million to be seen as rich these days. It takes more like $25 million.

Not only is that the minimum for the red-carpet treatment at a growing number of banks, it is also, in the view of many experts, the sum needed for a truly cushy retirement, one free of financial worry. * * *