Philadelphia's Lawyers Have New Leader
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new leader has taken the reins of an organization that represents lawyers in Philadelphia.
Deborah Gross was installed Wednesday as the 90th chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association during the group's annual luncheon at the Hyatt at The Bellevue.
She told some 400 attending the event that her goals include more support for the legal services community and pressing the group's 12,000 members to give more pro bono or free legal services.
Gross also acknowledged the organization may end up weighing in on the growing sanctuary city debate and the incoming Trump administration's threat to cut federal funding to cities who refuse to surrender that status.
"By cutting funding, it would devastate the city of Philadelphia and the legal service organizations, because a number of them actually get federal funding and there's talk of cutting that out," Gross said.
She says because Philadelphia has a large population living at or below the poverty line, such cuts would be catastrophic.