Forest has been active in bar functions locally, statewide and nationally.
He was honored to serve in 2013 and 2014 as the 119th President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, only the second Franklin County resident to have been so honored. Previously he had served on the governing body of the PBA as its Unit County Governor, representing fifty counties across Pennsylvania in making policy for lawyers in the Commonwealth. He has served on the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee of the PBA working to protect the rights of consumers from individuals who proffer legal services without the benefit of a legal education. He serves on the Board of the Franklin County Bar Association, and is a past president of the association. He also served in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.
Forest was selected by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to serve on its Interest On Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Board which oversees the interest earned on funds deposited to lawyer’s trust or escrow accounts. This board distributes over $13 million annually to legal service providers across Pennsylvania to enable them to provide legal services to our citizens who are not able to afford a lawyer.
Forest was recently honored to be appointed to the Board of the Pennsylvania Bar Insurance Trust Fund. This board manages the insurance programs for lawyers across the Commonwealth and provides grants to local and state bar associations for legal education programs such as the Mock Trial Competition and sign the Constitution promoting a better understanding or our government and how it works.