For the Defense - Vol. 6 Issue 3 - 4

OPENING
STATEMENT
Peter E. Kratsa, PACDL President
I
will let you in on a secret: the deadline for these
messages is about two months prior to publication.
I write this as I am about to embark on my yearly
retreat to Cape Cod, where I unplug and try to think
about anything other than work for a week, usually
with mixed success. The always insightful Phil Gelso
once described his vacations to me as the first couple
days still being wrapped up in past work, the end fixated
on work to come and, if he's lucky, a day or two in the
middle of blissful disconnect. So true.
I am hopeful that all of you managed to break away
from work for a week or two over the summer and are
now recharged for the fall. If you have not done that
yet, you should!
Disconnecting also got me thinking about how
technology (i.e., cell phones and computers) have blurred
the line between our profession and our home life. The
pandemic and working from home likely exacerbated
the transgression of work into life for everyone. I do
truly believe that what we have all experienced in our
recent past will positively affect in certain ways how we
practice criminal defense in the future. I, for one, am
now far more efficient and effective working remotely.
However, I also believe that a demarcation between
work and home is something of which we should all be
mindful.
I've written in the past about perspective, and I am
confident that each of our perspectives have been
influenced by what we've recently experienced. It is up
to us to draw from that experience, appreciate that we
practice in the most important, the most interesting
(and the coolest) area of the law, and become better
lawyers because of it.
4 For The Defense l Vol. 6, Issue 3
As I write this, I'm also optimistic, as we remain
scheduled for in person conferences, and we can
reinitiate the invaluable camaraderie and support that
these get-togethers bring. Our White Collar Seminar is
slated for November 11 and 12 at the Ritz-Carlton in
Philadelphia. If you have not attended one of these
in the past, please consider it. Even if your practice is
primarily in state court, the seminars and presenters are
always thought provoking and the material translates
to all our practices. We are additionally scheduled for
our annual Capital Case Seminar on December 10 the
Crowne Plaza in King of Prussia. PACDL (specifically
Jules Epstein and Marc Bookman) consistently
assembles thought leaders in this area. The seminar is
a must for those practicing in this highest of stakes
area of the law.
Finally, I also encourage you to offer your talent
to PACDL, whether as an author contributing to this
publication, as a presenter at a CLE, or as a committee
member. We are always receptive to new voices.
The value of PACDL comes collectively from you, our
members.
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For the Defense - Vol. 6 Issue 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Vol. 6 Issue 3
