HARRISBURG (Feb. 22, 2018) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Conference of County Bar Leaders (CCBL) has honored William L. Baldwin, executive director of the Delaware County Bar Association (DCBA), with its 22nd annual Arthur J. Birdsall Award. The award was presented during the 53rd Annual Seminar of the Conference of County Bar Leaders, Feb. 21 – 23, in State College.
The award is given to a county bar executive who demonstrates professional excellence, who is committed to the success of his or her bar association and who significantly enhances the stature of his or her bar association. It is named in honor of Arthur J. Birdsall, the PBA's county bar services director who retired after nearly 40 years of support to local bar associations.
Since joining the DCBA in 2011, the association has grown and flourished under Baldwin’s leadership, resulting in greater bar member participation in its events, programs and services. Here are some highlights of his accomplishments:
- Continues to set the standard for member benefits, offering free or low cost CLE programs
- Improved the accounting and financial management of the DCBA to insure compliance with nonprofit reporting obligations
- Redesigned the association’s website
- Revitalized the bar foundation
- Spearheaded the strategic planning process, including a rewriting of both the association and foundation bylaws
- Received grants for pro bono coordinators and established a system benefitting Legal Aid of Southeastern Pa. with lawyer referrals and acceptance of pro bono matters
- Increased association visibility in the community and strengthened its bench-bar relationship
- An early adopter of the mentoring program, fostered an environment of inclusion and participation especially focused on young attorneys and newer members of the bar
Baldwin currently serves on the CCBL executive committee as a representative of the Pennsylvania Association of Bar Executives (PABE). He has been an active CCBL member since joining it in 2011, sharing his expertise on numerous panels. Baldwin also encourages CCBL participation from the DCBA’s executive board, young lawyers and past presidents, as well as encourages active participation on the local and state levels.
As a bar executive, he is very involved in PABE and PBA activities and has taken the lead regarding many issues related to the Conference of County Legal Journals.
Prior to joining the DCBA, Baldwin was the deputy director and legal services manager of Laurel House, a domestic violence program in Montgomery County. He also worked as the legal services director of domestic violence programs in Bucks and Delaware counties.
Baldwin received a B.A. from LaSalle University in 1987 and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1990.
The Conference of County Bar Leaders, whose membership includes leaders from county bar associations throughout the state and from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, organizes a yearly educational conference focusing on the exchange of innovative bar association projects and ideas and on the development of mutually-beneficial relationships among bar leaders that improve the legal profession.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.