In-Person Event
CC

Legislative Summit 2025 – Harrisburg


  • City:Pennsylvania Judicial Center, 601 Commonwealth Ave., First Floor Amphitheater, Harrisburg, PA, 17106
  • Start Date:2025-11-06 09:00:00
  • End Date:2025-11-06 17:00:00
  • Length:
  • Level:Various
  • Topics:Government

$399.00

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Credit States Status Credits Earn credit until

This program is eligible for 7 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 8.4 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.

Overview

Join us live at the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg for a day on government law.

Can't make it to Harrisburg? Join virtually from anywhere!

This day-long hybrid program will provide updates on recent legislation and important topics in the Legislative arena. This is the perfect course for drafters, legislators, lobbyists, and anyone interested in government law.

If attending in person, please take note of parking options:

  • There is metered parking along Commonwealth Avenue and side streets
  • There is public parking available at the Harrisburg Authority Parking Garage on 7th Street and Forster Street

Discount Available:

Non-attorney government staff are invited to attend at a 50% discount. Please contact our Customer Experience team at 1-800-932-4637 to register at the special price.

Tour of the History Center

Arrive early to enjoy a complimentary tour of the History Center inside the Pennsylvania Judicial Center beginning at 8:30 am.

Zeiter Award

Tune in at 12:10 pm as the PBA Statutory Law Committee presents this year's Zeiter Award to David A. Greene - for his exceptional contributions to statutory law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Agenda

8:30 - 8:45
Optional: Complimentary Tour of the History Center

8:55 - 9:00
Welcome & Introductory Remarks
Vince DeLiberato (Moderator)

9:00 - 9:30
Uniform Law Commission Update
Lisa Jacobs, Esq., Michael Schwoyer, Esq., Duane Searle, Esq., Nora Winkelman, Esq.
Members of the Pennsylvania delegation to the Uniform Law Commission will highlight completed and pending legislative action in Pennsylvania on Uniform Acts and will list future projects.

9:30 - 9:35
Break

9:35 - 11:05
Case Law Update
Stephen Edwards, Esq., Anthony Holtzman, Esq.
The presenters will discuss a number of important, recently-issued Pennsylvania state court decisions that involve issues of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory construction. In doing so, they will focus on the key principles that emerged from the decisions, the applicability of those principles in differing contexts, and how, in light of the decisions, the legal landscape might evolve in the future.

11:05 - 11:10
Break

11:10 - 12:10
Pitfalls of Legislative Drafting
Peter Klein, Esq.
A practical introduction to drafting legislation, from the policy idea to the filed bill. We will discuss drafting conventions, common mistakes and the most effective ways to achieve your policy goals.

12:10 - 12:50
Presentation of Zeiter Award
Lunch

12:50 - 2:50
Ethics
Crystal Clark, Esq., Ret. Judge J. Andrew Crompton, Vince DeLiberato, Esq., Eric Fillman, Esq., Mary Fox, Esq., Michael Schwoyer, Esq., Shannon Sollenberger, Esq.
Expanding Use of A.I. (45 mins)
AI has taken off, causing concern within the legal field.  Analysis will include the expanding use of AI tools by both legal practitioners and pro se litigants in the United States and abroad, with emphasis placed on circumstances which have led attorneys to be sanctioned in the U.S.
Public Official and Employee Ethics Act (30 mins)
Focus on conflicts of interest, when you need to report/gifts on your Statement of Financial Interests, etc.
Hypotheticals (45 mins)
Following these two presentations, hypothetical questions will be presented to the audience raising issues on categorization of the practice of law versus the practice of lobbying, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. The goal of the session is two-fold: to introduce the more recent ethical implications of using AI in the practice of law, and to continue to raise awareness of the potential ethical issues for attorneys who engage in legislative law and lobbying by stimulating live legal analysis of these issues.

2:50 - 2:55
Break

2:55 - 3:55
Legislative Immunity
James Mann, Esq., Karl Myers, Esq., Jason Staloski, Esq
The General Assembly, House, Senate, legislators, and staff are protected by legislative immunity under the Speech or Debate Clause of the Pennsylvania Constitution. In this segment, the panel will explore situations where these parties have been sued or served with subpoenas and discovery requests related to the sphere of legislative activity. Attendees will learn how these parties respond and how the courts address legislative immunity claims.

3:55 - 4:00
Break

4:00 - 5:00
Nationwide Injunctions
Vince DeLiberato, Esq., Shannon Sollenberger, Esq., Dennis Whitaker, Esq.
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court decided, with a 6-3 majority, that federal courts do not have statutory authority to issue universal or “nationwide” injunctions under the Judiciary Act of 1789 to universally enjoin the enforcement of executive branch policies as applied to nonparties. Panelists will discuss the Court’s opinions in Trump v. CASA, Inc., the implications for preliminary and permanent injunctions in litigation against the government, and questions the Court left unresolved.

Faculty

Mary W. Fox, Esq.

Mary Fox has served as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission since April 2022. Previously, Ms. Fox served as Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services and the Office of Inspector General, Assistant District Attorney in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Counsel with the law firm of Meyer, Wagner, Brown & Kraus in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. In 2019, Ms. Fox received the Certificate of Excellence from the Office of General Counsel for demonstrating the highest levels of professional excellence and personal commitment in the performance of services to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She was also named a 2023 Woman of Influence by the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. Ms. Fox earned her law degree from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania since 2004.

Vincent C. DeLiberato, Jr., Esq.

Before retiring as Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, Mr. DeLiberato supervised the preparation of legislative, historical, and ceremonial materials for the General Assembly and the publication of administrative regulations for Commonwealth agencies. He spent most of his career preparing proposed legislation, classifying enacted law, rendering legal advice to executive and legislative officers and employees, annotating court decisions on constitutional law and statutory construction, and responding to public inquiries on statutory and regulatory materials. In private practice, he did legal research, brief writing, and document drafting for attorneys in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Currently, Mr. DeLiberato teaches Legislation, Legislative Drafting, and State Constitutional Law at Widener University Commonwealth Law School; works with Widener=s Law and Government Institute; and is a Life Member of the Uniform Law Commission, serving on its Standing Committee on Style and serving on various study and drafting committees. He has authored a digest on statutory construction and co-authored articles on Pennsylvania Supreme Court history, constitutional issues affecting legislative procedure, and simplification techniques for the Uniform Commercial Code. Mr. DeLiberato received a J.D. from Villanova University in 1975, an M.A. from Villanova University in 1976, and a B.A. from Saint Joseph=s University in 1971.

Anthony R. Holtzman, Esq.

Anthony R. Holtzman serves as the Managing Attorney at the Fairness Center, where he oversees and participates in the organization’s litigation activities in federal and state courts, as well as administrative tribunals. Before he joined the Fairness Center, Anthony was a partner at a large international law firm. There, he regularly represented private and public sector clients, including legislative bodies and legislators, on issues of federal and Pennsylvania constitutional law. Anthony has significant experience and expertise when it comes to construing and developing arguments under constitutions, statutes, and regulations. He has argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, and various Pennsylvania and federal trial courts and administrative tribunals – including en banc arguments before the Third Circuit, Commonwealth Court, and Environmental Hearing Board. Anthony received his Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, where he graduated summa cum laude, received the John Maher Scholarship along with the Thomas A. Beckley Prize for Legal Writing and various Board of Governors’ awards, and was a member of the Woolsack Honor Society and Penn State Law Review. Before attending law school, Anthony received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Messiah University, where he graduated summa cum laude and achieved honors in Politics.

Eric S. Fillman, Esq.

Eric S. Fillman, Esq. is a graduate LaSalle University (B.A. Political Science, 1984) and Widener Law Commonwealth (J.D., 1993). Now retired, he completed 36 years of public service with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1984-2020), including 1.3 years with the PA Department of Transportation, 2 years with the Office of the Governor as Deputy General Counsel, 29 years with the Pennsylvania General Assembly including 7 years as Counsel to the Bipartisan House Ethics Committee, and 3.7 years with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General as that Agency’s first Chief Integrity Officer. Flunking retirement, Fillman continues to serve as a volunteer Instructor with the Office of Attorney General teaching New Agent Ethics programs twice a year. He also teaches programs twice each year in both Ethics and in Bias & Procedural Justice for the Commonwealth Investigators’ Training Program (CITP).

Michael S. Schwoyer, Esq.

Mr. Schwoyer serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislation and Policy and Special Counsel to PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton.  He drafts legislation for, and provides advice and counsel to, the Speaker, and Members and staff of the House Democratic Caucus.  Before holding his current position, Mr. Schwoyer held similar positions with Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, Speaker Keith McCall, and Speaker Dennis O’Brien, and served as Chief Enforcement Counsel to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Chief Counsel and Executive Director of the House Judiciary Committee and Chief Deputy District Attorney of Cumberland County.  Mr. Schwoyer also served as Chairman of the Cumberland County Victims of Crime Act Policy Board and in 2004 was honored for his efforts in support of crime victim services as the recipient of the Governor’s Victims Service Allied Professional Pathfinder’s Award and the Cumberland County Victim Advocacy Award.  Mr. Schwoyer is a Pennsylvania Uniform Law Commission Member where he currently serves on the ULC’s Criminal Justice Reform Monitoring Committee.  He received his B.A. in Political Science from The Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. from Penn State The Dickinson School of Law.

Karl S. Myers, Esq.

Mr. Myers is Co-Chair of the Appellate Practice Group at Stevens & Lee. He has two decades of experience arguing and briefing a wide variety of precedent-setting and high stakes appeals before the appellate courts of Pennsylvania and other jurisdictions. Mr. Myers maintains a particular focus on cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme, Commonwealth, and Superior Courts, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His arguments often appear on the Pennsylvania Cable Network and in various legal publications, which seek him out as an appellate commentator. Mr. Myers often serves as a panelist and moderator for appellate practice presentations and continuing legal education seminars. He has served as Co-Chair of the Appellate Advocacy Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is a Past Chair of the Administrative Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Historical Society. Mr. Myers serves on the Board of Governors of the Third Circuit Bar Association and on the Board of Directors and as Pennsylvania State Chair for the Council of Appellate Lawyers of the American Bar Association’s Appellate Judges Conference. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Russell M. Nigro of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania after receiving his law degree, cum laude, from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. During law school, Mr. Myers served as a clerk for the Honorable John T.J. Kelly Jr. of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Yvette Kane of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and was selected for the Appellate Moot Court Board, Dickinson Law Review, and Woolsack Honor Society.

Hon. J. Andrew Crompton (Ret.)

Drew Crompton, former Commonwealth Court judge, is a member of McNees’ Public Finance & Government Services Practice Group who leverages nearly 30 years of experience in all three branches of Pennsylvania government to assist clients across multiple areas of law and government relations.  Crompton joined McNees after serving on the Commonwealth Court, where he heard administrative and civil public law cases and wrote more than 150 published and unpublished opinions that are straightforward, thoughtful and objective. He was confirmed to the position by a strong bipartisan Senate vote.  Previously, Crompton spent 26 years serving the Pennsylvania Senate. Named one of the 10 Titans in Pennsylvania by City and State Magazine, he began in the Senate Republicans’ policy office in his early 20s, quickly became former Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer’s chief counsel and departed as general counsel to the Senate Majority Caucus and chief-of-staff to former President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati in 2019. Crompton managed dozens of high profile and extensive civil and criminal litigation cases in front of the Commonwealth and Supreme Courts — including redistricting cases, the NCAA matter, budget disputes and separation of power cases, to name a few — and drafted hundreds of state statutes affecting local and state tax laws, state agencies, education, health care, transportation and business development.  He also served as chief-of-staff and counsel to Scarnati when he assumed the role of Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor in 2008.  Over the course of his career, Crompton delivered speeches at hundreds of public and private forums and spoke to a large variety of media outlets on behalf of the Pennsylvania Senate – he has been quoted in over 500 news reports over the past decade. Crompton has also established extensive contacts with individuals and organizations across the Commonwealth during his career.  When he is not practicing law, the Montgomery County native coaches the Cumberland Valley Youth Basketball Association’s girls’ team and plays on the West Shore Country Club mens’ tennis team.

Dennis Whitaker, Esq.

Mr. Whitaker combines expertise in administrative and regulatory law with extensive litigation, trial and appellate experience, and he recently was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as pro bono counsel to represent an indigent litigant before the Court. Currently, he is Of Counsel in the Appeals and Regulatory Law Practice at HMS Legal LLP (HMS) in Harrisburg and is part of HMS’ Cannabis Law PA medical marijuana practice and its renewable energy practice, HMS Renewable Energy. He also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. At HMS, Mr. Whitaker represents clients in a broad cross-section of matters addressing issues as varied as the constitutionality of legislation and regulations, public water suppliers and the interplay between the Pa. PUC and Pa. DEP jurisdiction, water allocations by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, defamation, insurance licensing and 5th Amendment takings. Mr. Whitaker is the only person to have been appointed as chief counsel to both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and he also served on the Environmental Hearing Board Rules Committee. During his nearly 28 years of Commonwealth service, he litigated and argued complex cases at trial and on appeal before administrative tribunals and state and federal courts, prosecuted selected criminal matters as a Special Deputy Attorney General, developed expertise in Pa’s Right to Know Law, Section 1983 actions, the 11th Amendment and regulatory takings, and authored amicus briefs before the Third Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, the Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth Courts and the courts of common pleas. Mr. Whitaker is the 2025 recipient of PBA’s Bowman Award, given to a lawyer making a significant impact on the practice of administrative law and demonstrating leadership in mentoring administrative law practitioners, and has been appointed to PBA’s Amicus Curiae Brief Committee. He is a past President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and a past chair of Administrative Law Section, was a member of the Environment and Energy Law Section Council, and frequently serves as a planner and faculty member in CLE programs. Mr. Whitaker published an article in the July 2025 PA Bar Quarterly which discusses the development of administrative agency appeals practice in Pennsylvania and highlights current issues in addressing deference to agency statutory and regulatory interpretations. His article in the Ohio Northern University Law Review, Interdisciplinary Aspects of Seminole Tribe v. Florida: Environmental Law, 23 Ohio N.Univ.L. Rev. 1441, Vol. XXIII, No. 4, 1997, discusses 11th Amendment and immunity and state sovereign immunity in the context of environmental law after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Seminole Tribe decision. Mr. Whitaker discussed the practical and the tactical uses of amicus briefs in Courts should have more friends in Pennsylvania published in the Central Penn Business Journal (Mar. 15, 2019) and in Lehigh Valley Business (Mar. 25, 2019). He has prepared CLE materials and presented on subjects including Administrative Warrants under the 4th Amendment and the PA Constitution; Hearsay and the Legal Residuum Rule; Administrative Finality; Commonwealth Court Original Jurisdiction Practice; Practice Before Administrative Tribunals; Mining Law; Attorney’s Fees in Litigation with Government Agencies; Right to Know Law; Navigability and Commonwealth Submerged Lands; Preemption of Local Ordinances by State Statutes; Development of Agency Appeals Process, Scope and Standard of Review/Deference on Appeal, Deference at the State and Federal Levels after Loper Bright, and Nationwide Injunctions After Trump v. CASA. Mr. Whitaker clerked for Commonwealth Court Judges Joseph T. Doyle, Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter and Renee Cohn Jubelirer. He received his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law and his B.S. in Man-Environment Relations (regional planning option) from the Pennsylvania State University, and he holds a certificate in Regulatory Analysis and Decision-Making from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Shannon A. Sollenberger, Esq.

Shannon has served as Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus since 2025, Deputy Chief Counsel from 2023-2025, and Counsel for the Caucus from 2013-2022. Prior to joining the central legal office, she was Legislative Counsel for Senator Anthony H. Williams from 2010 to 2013. As Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Statutory Law Committee and a Barrister member of the James S. Bowman American Inn of Court, Shannon organizes legal education courses each year and often speaks on issues related to constitutional, administrative and statutory construction law in addition to various legislative issues before the General Assembly. Shannon earned her J.D. from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2010 with an Administrative Law/Constitutional Law Certificate. She graduated cum laude from the University of Delaware in 2007, with an Honors B.A. in Psychology and minors in both Women’s Studies and Spanish. She is a member of the Bar of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and admitted in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania.

Nora Winkelman, Esq.

Ms. Winkelman is recently retired from State Government. From February of 2009 to May of 2020, she was Chief Counsel to the Democratic Caucus of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As Chief Counsel, Ms. Winkelman was responsible for general legal advice to the leadership, other members and staff of the House Democratic Caucus regarding contracts, legislation, litigation, ethics and personnel issues, among other things. Prior to her role as Chief Counsel, Ms. Winkelman was an Executive Deputy General Counsel with the Governor’s Office of General Counsel and served as Governor Edward G. Rendell’s legislative counsel. She was responsible for advising the Governor, the Governor’s General Counsel and the Governor’s Senior Staff on all matters relating to legislation. Before entering State government service in 2003, Ms. Winkelman was engaged in the practice of law in the real estate and lending areas and general corporate law with extensive experience in multi-million dollar banking and real estate transactions. Representations included banks and financial institutions, real estate developers and buyers and sellers of commercial and residential properties, closely held corporations, partnerships and other businesses in general business matters. Before stepping down in May of 2022, Ms. Winkelman was the House Democratic Leader’s appointee to the Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness and served as the Commission’s Co-Chair from 2014 to 2020. Ms. Winkelman is a gubernatorial appointee to the Uniform Law Commission and has served as a Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 2003.She has served on a number of ULC study, drafting and standing committees since then and served as Secretary of the Executive Committee from July of 2017 to July of 2019. Ms. Winkelman is a 1986 graduate of the Villanova University School of Law and a 1983 graduate of LaSalle College.

Crystal H. Clark, Esq.

Crystal Clark is General Counsel for the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus, having been appointed to that post in February 2020. In her capacity as General Counsel, Crystal handles the legal aspects of personnel matters, contracting, government ethics and transparency, and all manner of general legal business of the Caucus, its members and staff. Crystal also oversees all litigation in which the Caucus or its members are involved in their official capacities, and assists with similar litigation for the Senate and the General Assembly. Crystal also serves as Adjunct Faculty for the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the Senate, Prior to joining the Senate, Crystal focused her legal work in the areas of public sector and employment law during prior employment and affiliation with McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, the County of Lancaster, and Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP. Crystal is a graduate of the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Michigan.

Stephanie F. Latimore, Esq.

Stephanie Latimore is the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, where she supervises the preparation of legislative, historical, and ceremonial materials for the General Assembly and the publication of administrative regulations for Commonwealth agencies and leads a staff of more than 70 employees in an executive management role. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland School of Law. Ms. Latimore is an active member and Woman Governor member of the Board of Governors of the PBA and has served in many key leadership roles, including current Chair of Wellness and Well-being Committee, past Co-chair of Women in the Profession, for which she was awarded the PBA President’s Award for Excellent Programming; past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute; former Minority Governor-at-Large on the PBA Board of Governors; past chair of the PBA Minority Bar Committee; and past chair of the Editorial Board. She served as co-chair of PBA Bar Leadership Institute and has served on the Judicial Evaluation Commission for over a decade. Ms. Latimore is the current chair of the Quality of Life Committee of the Dauphin County Bar Association. She has taught at the Penn State University Middletown Campus as an adjunct professor for the Paralegal Program. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

James G. Mann, Esq.

Jim serves as Senior Deputy Chief Counsel to the Republican Caucus in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. His duties routinely include providing legal counsel to leadership, members and staff; developing legislation and policies; and, representing the Caucus’ interests in proceedings at the state and federal level. Jim is the Republican Leader’s appointee to the Pennsylvania Delegation of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Jim earned his B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University (1995) and his J.D. from Widener University School of Law (2000). He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; the United States Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; and, the U.S. District Courts for Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania.

Peter W. Klein, Esq.

Peter Klein is an associate counsel with the Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan legislative agency responsible for drafting legislation, publishing administrative documents through the Office of Code and Bulletin and providing legal advice to members and staff of the General Assembly and Executive departments. In addition to his legislative, regulatory and litigation work, he is also counsel to Pennsylvania’s Joint Committee on Documents. Originally from South Carolina, Peter attended the College of Charleston and earned his law degree from the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law in State College, Pa.

Jason Staloski

Jason is the Policy Counsel to the Office of the House Majority Policy Committee. In that role, he provides counsel to the Policy Committee Chairman, the House Democratic Caucus leadership, and Caucus staff. Before joining the House of Representatives, Jason served as a Captain in the United States Army, Judge Advocate General Corps. Jason earned his B.A. from West Virginia University (2010) and his J.D. from Widener University School of Law (2014). He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of Texas, the Supreme Court of New Mexico, and the U.S. District Courts Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Western District of Texas.

Michael Pavlick, Esq.

Mr. Pavlick is an Assistant Director with the Legislative Reference Bureau where he prepares legislation, conducts statutory editing, performs legal research, and provides training to members and staff of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. He received his J.D. from Widener University School of Law and his B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University. He is admitted to the bars of the United States Supreme Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He is a former Chair of the Statutory Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is a regular panelist/planner on the legislative and regulatory processes and drafting continuing legal education seminars.

Andrew Butash, Esq.

Andrew Butash is an associate counsel with the Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan legislative agency responsible for drafting legislation, publishing administrative documents through the Office of Code and Bulletin, and providing legal advice to members and staff of the General Assembly and Executive departments. In addition to his legislative, regulatory, and litigation work, he also provides counsel on a range of statutory and administrative matters. He serves as Vice Chair of the Statutory Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Andrew graduated from The University of Scranton with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. He earned a Master of Public Administration, graduating Pi Alpha Alpha, from Villanova University with a certificate in city management. He also holds a J.D. from Widener University Commonwealth Law School, where he earned certificates in legislation and in administrative and constitutional law from the Law and Government Institute.

Stephen B. Edwards, Esq.

Stephen B. Edwards is an associate at Black & Gerngross, P.C., where his practice focuses on insurance receivership matters. Before that, he worked in a number of roles centered around civil rights litigation, appellate advocacy, and administrative law. He is a past contributor to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly, The Pennsylvania Lawyer, and other publications. He lives in Philadelphia.

Duane Searle, Esq.

Mr. Searle is Senior Counsel with the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau and, since joining the Bureau in 1997, has drafted legislation on all subjects with special interest in the Commonwealth’s budget and fiscal matters. Mr. Searle began his state service with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department in 1991, where he was Deputy General Counsel. At Treasury, Mr. Searle served as the State Treasurer’s designee on the Board of Finance and Revenue and the boards of trustees of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System, the State Employees’ Retirement System, the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Prior to his state service, Mr. Searle was an associate attorney with Johnson, Duffie, Stewart and Weidner, in Cumberland County, where he engaged in the general practice of law. He received a B.A. from Gettysburg College in 1985 and J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1988. Mr. Searle has been a commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws since 2016.

Lisa R. Jacobs, Esq.

Ms. Jacobs is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Stradley Ronon Stevens Young LLP. She represents clients in domestic and international transactional matters including complex corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, institutional and private equity financing, private placements and structuring and governance issues with a particular emphasis on the food and beverage and healthcare industries. Ms. Jacobs is a Commissioner of the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), currently serving as it’s President, as well as on several drafting committees, including the Amendments to Uniform Unincorporated Organizations Acts (Chair of the drafting committee currently updating those Acts), the Limited Liability Company Protected Series Act, the Employee and Student Online Privacy Protection Act, and the Canadian Money Judgments Registration Act (Chair). She is a member, and current Chair, of the ULC-ABA Joint Editorial Board for Uniform Unincorporated Organization Acts. She also chaired the ULC’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Ms. Jacobs has been a member of the American Law Institute since 2009 and is active in both the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association, currently serving as Chair of the ABA’s Uniform Law Committee. She also is Chair of Pennsylvania’s Title 15 Drafting Committee, which recently facilitated Pennsylvania’s adoption of Act 122 (a robust update to the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law), which was signed into law on November 3, 2022. Ms. Jacobs is also a member and current Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporations Bureau (by appointment of the Secretary of the Commonwealth). In 2019, she was also elected to membership in the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers and, in 2020, as a founding member of the American College of LLC and Partnership Attorneys. She also was a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Task Force on the Uniform Unincorporated Association Acts and the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, working to adopt the ULC Acts for enactment in Pennsylvania. Those Acts became effective in 2017 and 1993, respectively. Her civic involvement includes her service as a member of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA (serving as Vice Chair), the seventh largest YMCA operator in the country. She is committed to pro bono work, representing The Museum of Contemporary Art – Chicago, the Museum of the American Revolution (Philadelphia), and Liberty Fire Engine Company No. 1 of Spring City, Pennsylvania. Ms. Jacobs has written a number of articles and is a frequent lecturer on business organizations, corporate finance, transaction structuring and related business issues. She currently is a Lecturer in the Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she teaches a course on International Business Negotiations. Ms. Jacobs received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, cum laude, from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and graduated with honors from the Villanova University School of Law, where she was a member of the editorial board of the Villanova Law Review.


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