Philly Justice Ball: A Powerful Call to Action

By Niki T. Ingram, President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

As president of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, I am incredibly proud to reflect on the extraordinary success of our inaugural Philly Justice Ball. The event, held on November 9th, was a celebration of the Foundation’s 60th anniversary and a testament to the strength and resilience of our legal and civil aid communities. It was where we celebrated all that we stand for: justice, service, and collaboration.

Over 300 folks came together to support the Foundation and honor the contribution of those who have dedicated their careers to advancing access to justice. We celebrated four remarkable awardees whose work has a lasting impact on Philadelphia and beyond. Marc Bookman, a tireless advocate for justice and leader of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, received the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award. To witness the legendary Stephen Bright present this award was a powerful reminder to us all of the importance of advocacy and a reminder of the legacy of advocacy that we strive to continue.

Troutman Pepper was recognized with the Pro Bono Award for their groundbreaking work with the Pepper Center for Public Service. The late Professor Frank McClellan was posthumously honored with the Trailblazer for Justice Award which acknowledged his pioneering contributions to healthcare law and a recognition of the many people he taught and mentored throughout his career. This was only the fourth time that this award has been given. We also celebrated longtime Bar Foundation Trustee and former president Leslie John, for all the work she has done on behalf of the Foundation, as we recognized her as a Philly Justice Champion.

We were guided through the evening by WHYY’s Cherri Gregg and fundraising extraordinaire Jeff Hammond. In a stirring speech, Mayor Cherelle Parker reminded us how important lawyers are and challenged us to continue to do the hard work necessary to make our city and the nation a better place. District Attorney Larry Krasner spoke of the importance of supporting nonprofits working on the frontlines of justice.

The arts were well represented as the evening featured a powerful spoken word performance by Mary Mance, one of our own at the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, whose heartfelt poem A Love Letter to Philadelphia moved us all. We were also treated to the creative brilliance of artist Alloys Mcilwaine, whose live painting captured the essence of the event’s theme and was auctioned to benefit our mission. Fashion artist Denise Fike enchanted the group with her quick action drawings.

The Philly Justice Ball was more than just a celebration- it was a powerful call to action- a reminder of the work still to be done, and a reaffirmation of the collective strength of our community. It was a night that inspired and united us. With a renewed sense of purpose, we look forward to the next 60 years. I am deeply grateful for all those who joined us and made this event such a resounding success. Together, we are making meaningful progress toward a more just and equitable Philadelphia, and we will continue this collective march to justice.

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season and a joyous New Year. I leave you with the quote from Martin Luther King Jr that inspired the Philly Justice Ball theme:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”- Martin Luther King Jr., from a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963.

P.S. I just finished Cod by Mark Kurlansky. This is a fascinating story about cod fishing and how the search for fish-shaped exploration and trade for centuries. The author also writes about the impact of overfishing and throws in some recipes for good measure.