The Philadelphia Bar Association, founded in 1802, is the oldest association of lawyers in the United States. It is a keystone in the ongoing developments of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania legal systems. Attorneys, judges, and politicians alike look to the Philadelphia Bar Association for guidance on controversial legal issues; and for an organized meeting ground for professional support and information sharing. Non-lawyers of the Philadelphia community count on, and look to, the Philadelphia Bar Association for general information on how to address their legal issues and where they can go to find additional information and help. With more than 200 years of dedicated service to stand on, the Philadelphia Bar Association is firmly rooted in the Philadelphia community as a steady and reliable bellwether.