By the time this edition of The Advocate arrives in your offices, the holiday season will be in full swing. The Thanksgiving turkey will have been eaten, the football games watched, and the shopping has begun. December brings with it several events that should be of interest to our members. First, the Baltimore County Bar Association’s Annual Holiday Party will be held on December 4, 2007 at Christopher Daniel. This is always a fun event and this year’s menu planned by Doris Barnes is no exception. Following closely, the Young Lawyer’s Committee has planned another Library Party on December 6, 2007. This event has shown extraordinary growth over the years, due in large part to the hard work of the Committee. All persons who attend the party must bring either two children’s books or $10.00. An appearance by Judge Santa is also anticipated.

In the not too distant future, the Annual Black Tie Banquet will be held on Monday, January 28, 2008. The keynote speaker will be Governor Martin O’Malley. Also, because of the positive response to last year’s PowerPoint slide presentation, another assortment of photos and videos will be offered for your viewing pleasure.

In the Spring, the Bar Association’s annual Law Day celebration will be on May 1, 2008. The speaker for the Law Day Breakfast will be Gregory Kane, columnist for The Baltimore Sun. The noon day keynote speaker will be the Honorable Paul Grimm, United States Magistrate Judge. This year’s ceremony will be returning to the Courthouse portico with food being served on the plaza.

On behalf of myself and the Executive Council, I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and look forward to providing the members with a full and productive new year of events.