It was shortly after World War II that Attorney Ralph Croskey led a movement of prominent Philadelphia defense lawyers to form an organization as a social club for those practicing in tort and insurance law.

Minutes of those organizational days and the days that followed are lost in history, but recollections from members of today's defense bar have Mr. Croskey as first president and the guiding force of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (PADC) for some 20 years.

Since then, the PADC has been guided by a succession of some of the city's most esteemed lawyers and in 1991 it was recognized as "the most outstanding local bar group in the United States," by the 18,000-member Defense Research Institute in Chicago, with which it is affiliated. It again received this award in 2020. 

Through the last half century PADC has grown in size, in purpose, in community involvement, in legislative and judicial reform, in court improvements, and in attending to the professional and social needs of its membership, And today, qualified lawyers may join if they have their principal offices not only in Philadelphia but also in Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties.

PADC offers "the best deal in town" with its membership benefits that include nine monthly luncheons with prominent speakers, accredited programs in continuing legal education, in social activities that include an annual holiday party, an annual membership meeting with golf, and a listserve for members to communicate with each other.

The Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel is recognized as a major advocate and participant in pro bono programs, in professional development, and in assisting in efforts to improve the court system.

PADC proudly celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2017. PADC is believed to be the longest continuously operating local defense organization in the United States. Happy Birthday PADC!