2025 Board Observer Program Applications Now Open!
By Niki T. Ingram, President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
Many of us in the legal community know firsthand the value of learning from experience rather than textbooks. Between obtaining new skills, gaining mentors, and discovering new interests, putting yourself into new experiences can be the most helpful tool, especially for a young lawyer. When starting a law career, finding your niche can be difficult. Often, it takes a pivotal experience for a young lawyer to find it. The Board Observer Program, one of the most prominent programs the Philadelphia Bar Foundation offers, sets out to help young lawyers find their way in the legal field while building skills taught by the best.
The Board Observer Program (BOP) provides young lawyers with a unique opportunity to learn about and make connections in the world of nonprofits. They also gain leadership skills and strengthen their professional networks in ways that help them succeed in their future careers. Participating nonprofits benefit from these young lawyers' energy and new ideas, strengthening the broader nonprofit community. 2024 participating organizations include Education Law Center, Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Pennsylvania Innocence Project, and many more.
Since its start in 2012, the program has placed more than 400 young lawyers as observers on nonprofit boards to inspire them to serve as long-term board members and/or be inspired to find other ways to connect to and give back to their community. Cultivating interest in nonprofits and civil legal aid in young lawyers is fundamental for the future of access to justice in Philadelphia.
I’m excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Board Observer Program! This is a wonderful opportunity for all young lawyers. Seeing the ins and outs of nonprofits is an excellent jumping-off point for those interested in giving back to their community. In fact, past BOP participants have gone on to serve not only as members of the board with which they were connected but have also become board presidents of those organizations. I urge you to share the application with your networks, especially with those in the early stages of their law career.
Finally, as you may know, the Foundation will celebrate its 60th anniversary and honor some of the community’s most influential leaders at the Philly Justice Ball on November 9th. Please join us if you haven’t already made plans to do so! Sponsorships, tribute book ads, and individual tickets are for sale on our website.
P.S. It is political season, and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book An Unfinished Love Story is a very compelling read. Kearns Goodwin worked for President Lyndon Johnson, and her late husband, Dick Goodwin, served both Presidents John Kennedy and Johnson. This book is an inside look at both presidencies from the perspective of two people who experienced a great deal of history.