Lawyers for the Arts in Philly

Volunteer Lawyers, Business Council Combine For Culture
By: Sally Friedman, For The Bulletin
03/20/2008

Philadelphia - There was a wedding of sorts last week in the elegant upstairs galleries of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts' Historic Landmark Building.

The event marked the happy union of two of Philadelphia's cultural institutions, and the "wedding gifts" will be distributed not just to the region's artists and arts organizations, but to its populace as well.

And therein lies a tale.

Back in 1978, Michael Coleman, then a lawyer who would become a partner at Philadelphia's Pepper Hamilton, became a unique matchmaker. Committed to helping individuals and organizations working - and sometimes struggling - in the arts, Mr. Coleman appealed to his fellow lawyers to volunteer their services and expertise at no cost to the arts community. It turned out to be a match made in heaven.

Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts was an instant success.

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