Lawyer

The family of Danny Rumph, the college basketball player who collapsed and died after a pickup game Sunday night on a Philadelphia playground, has retained a lawyer to investigate his death. "We intend to gather all of the facts and make a determination as to whether there were parties who must be held accountable for Danny's death," Thomas R. Kline, a prominent Center City personal-injury lawyer, said last night. The fire department responded as quickly as it was able, according to Executive Chief Daniel Williams, the department spokesman.

A Philadelphia lawyer who specialized in civil litigation was told yesterday that he could no longer practice law after he pleaded guilty to defrauding a South Jersey client of $57,000. Kenneth Gross, 40, of Thornton, Delaware County, admitted before U.S. District Judge Mary Little Parell in Trenton yesterday that he fraudulently obtained the money and transported it across state lines. Federal prosecutors said Gross settled a case without his client's permission and then forged the check and took the money for his own use. His license will be formally revoked Aug. 7. In addition to losing his license to practice law, Gross faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

While sitting for several years on a state Supreme Court board that disciplines lawyers, attorney Jerome J. Verlin was helping some clients rip off an insurance company, a prosecutor said yesterday. "His conduct was deplorable," Assistant DA Steven Hyman told Common Pleas Judge Gene D. Cohen. Cohen agreed, and sentenced the prominent civil lawyer to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison, fined him $90,000, and ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Aetna Insurance Co. The judge allowed Verlin to remain free on bail pending appeal.

When she grows up, Jowelle, 12, would like to be a lawyer. For the present, she keeps busy with a variety of activities, including playing the trombone, soccer and softball. This summer she attended camp and had a great time. Polite, friendly and open, Jowelle has many friends and enjoys spending time with them. Just entering the sixth grade, Jowelle is excited about being in middle school. This is the first time she has had a locker, and the first time she'll be changing rooms each period.

A lawyer for seven current and former NFL players said he expects to settle his suit against the NFL and the players' union for recommending unfit financial advisers who caused $20 million in losses. "I would be shocked if the NFL wants this case to play out in front of a jury," attorney Jim Evangelista said yesterday during a news conference in Atlanta. "You don't want to put guys like this in front of a jury, because they are going to cream the [league]. " The NFL and the NFL Players Association approved the services of Kirk Wright and Nelson Keith Bond, heads of the bankrupt hedge fund International Management Associates LLC, without doing background checks, the players claimed in a June 23 lawsuit in Atlanta federal court.

ONE REASON Judge Samuel Alito should not be confirmed to the Supreme Court is that his decisions are heavily tilted against workers in disputes with their employers. I have studied his opinions on that subject because I am a lawyer who handles employment cases. In close cases, Judge Alito almost always decides against the claims of individual citizens. He favors the government, large corporations and other powerful interests. Judge Alito has ruled against the individual in 84 percent of his dissents.

A beautiful 10-year-old, Shantia has big brown, expressive eyes and an engaging smile. Pleasant and well-behaved, she enjoys having fun. She delights in a variety of activities from sports to video games. Like other little girls her age, she also enjoys playing with dolls. Despite her youth, Shantia has already set a career goal - to be a lawyer. She gets along well with her peers, although she can be a little passive until she feels comfortable. Shantia likes school and is enrolled in an age-appropriate regular classroom.

West Chester criminal-defense lawyer Samuel C. Stretton announced last week that he would run as a Democrat for the congressional seat held by Republican Richard T. Schulze. Stretton, 41, said that he was making the run in the heavily Republican Fifth Congressional District because Chester County Democratic chairman John Lord had asked him to. Stretton said he also was running to deny the party's nomination to fringe candidates. The perennially weak Chester County Democratic Party was embarrassed in 1988 when the congressional nomination was captured by Donald A. Hadley, a follower of political extremist Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr. Stretton, who ran unsuccessfully for the county district attorney's job in 1987, said he expected to run a vigorous campaign.

A federal judge yesterday said Philadelphia attorney Edward J. Daly could not represent a defendant in the Roofers' bribery cases because Daly's brother is also a defendant and Daly's wife may be a witness. "There's just too much of a potential for him (Daly) to shade your case for the benefit of his brother, his wife and others in the Roofers Union," U.S. District Judge Joseph L. McGlynn told Daly's client, Bernard Dillon. Dillon, a former high-ranking regional official of the U.S. Labor Department, is awaiting trial for allegedly taking bribes from Roofers Union boss Steve Traitz.

The lawyer took a beating. But not in court. Attorney Lawrence Atkins got his on the steps of the 40th and Market streets Market-Frankford El station last Aug 4. Atkins, 37, began walking down the steps at about 5:10 p.m. when he "felt a blunt object to the side of my face," he told told Common Pleas Judge Willis W. Berry Jr. He then felt someone from behind push him down the stairs. Assistant District Attorney David Conroy said Atkins was hit with a brick by ex-con Dwayne Smith, 34, of 30th Street near Market, in an apparent robbery attempt.