From Pints to Putts, the chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section Charts his own Course
6.24.2024
Jacob Petterchak, the new chair of NYSBA’s Young Lawyers Section, started attending state bar events shortly after law school out of a sense of obligation but quickly realized how valuable the programs were. And he enjoyed them too.
“I volunteered for the section last year and was then nominated to take on the position as chair,” he said. “I would like to hold some new events in person to bring out young lawyers and introduce them to the legal community a little more.”
Petterchak’s term started off with a hugely successful event: Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts surprised more than two dozen young New York attorneys with an impromptu visit to their admissions ceremony to the high court. Roberts spoke about his Buffalo roots and described the history of the Supreme Court building, its artwork and architecture.
“It was great to see all sorts of young lawyers come out and participate,” Petterchak said. “We got to meet and mingle with people in many different areas of practice.”
Looking forward, the litigation associate at Paul, Weiss understands the challenge of being inclusive in such a large and diverse state. To that end, he plans to hold more of the popular pub nights and expand them to additional cities. This fall, look for golf workshops sponsored by the section. Petterchak says the game is a soft skill that can really help young lawyers.
“The events will be a time to learn the game and the rules so you feel comfortable playing with friends and colleagues alike,” he said. “We have so much going on from professional development to fun stuff and networking. It’s an enormous value you really don’t want to miss out.”
