Last July, in my first message, I noted that the theme for my year as President was “honoring the past while looking to the future.” It was my goal to build on the strong foundation of our organization, emphasizing the many established traditions while at the same time looking for ways to lead the Baltimore County Bar Association into the future. The strength of this Bar Association is our extraordinary membership and the willingness of its individual members to strive in new ways to make the organization a better place for everyone.

It has been an honor and privilege to have served as your President. I have had the opportunity to meet such remarkable persons as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and ABA President, William Neukom. I also have learned that through our many programs the BCBA touches the lives of others in our community outside of the legal profession. Whether through our charitable contributions to the Family Crisis Center, the children’s books purchased from the proceeds of the Library Holiday Party, or the Mock Trial competition, our members generously devote countless hours to helping others. I also am proud that members such as Past President and current Circuit Court Judge, John Hennegan, have made National Adoption Day a model program that is now celebrated in many of Maryland’s jurisdictions. It only takes one look at the smiling faces of the children on that November Saturday to see the goodwill that programs such as this create.

I leave the Presidency with a sense of optimism, founded on many aspects of my year-long experience as well as the recognition that under the leadership of Dana Williams and the other members of the Executive Council, the BCBA will continue to succeed. I recently learned that over the past year, there have been more than 63 CLE programs and 75 meetings. Committee membership and participation are at all-time highs. Through the efforts of Doris Barnes, our Executive Director, the BCBA is embracing technology in ways we could never imagine just 5 years ago. The Advocate is now available online. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear from  members, whether current or retired, who remark about how they look forward to receiving their monthly edition. This is especially true of those members who have moved to warmer environs such as South Carolina and Florida. For them, The Advocate serves to keep them informed as to the activities of their friends and former colleagues. Also, through a partnership with one of our sponsors, Gore Brothers, many of our programs are now podcasted with members being able to listen at a time and place more convenient. This fall, a Technology Fair is planned for our members, so that they may familiarize themselves with the many technological advances that may assist them in their practices.

My optimism is also based on my experience with the young lawyers. David Luby, the Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee, has done a great job of getting his committee to enhance the traditional events that have been so important to this Association. We all need to embrace the young attorneys and assure them that the Baltimore County Bar Association will not only welcome them but will support them in their efforts to move forward. This challenge will not be easy, but it is definitely necessary. We have already learned that there is a line of demarcation between those members who still want the paper version of publications from the Association and those who want only online versions. The leadership will have to engage in thoughtful long-range planning to assure that all members are accommodated.

I have two observations before I close. First, the number of attorneys practicing law is staggering. I always thought that the competition I experienced in the Junior Olympics was the fiercest I could ever imagine. However, the quest for clients and tactics used in their representation of these clients is distressing. While we all talk of civility and professionalism, I continue to see examples where the talk is not translating into practice. I hope for better behavior in the future. Second, judges should remember that the practice of law and the competition for clients has changed dramatically in recent years. Gone are the days when an attorney could pick and choose who they would represent and when they would schedule trials for these clients. Scheduling has become a full contact adventure. Attorneys find themselves having to be in two and sometimes three places at once, with each judge believing that their court is the only one that counts. To have a postponement request denied because of some arbitrary administrative policy is to fail to recognize the nature of the practice of law. It is my hope that the judiciary will embrace the realities of the 21st century practice of law and display a greater sense of tolerance. 

In closing, I simply say thank you for the opportunity to have served as your President. The support from the membership has been overwhelming. The challenges for the future are many. Our membership has expanded to near 1,500, yet the physical space in which Doris and Carole occupy has not changed in over 25 years. Committees can no longer meet around the conference table in the Bar Office. Hopefully we will be able to maintain our presence within the courthouse and find additional space to enable the BCBA to meet its growing needs. I am confident that the leadership will meet this challenge while continuing to exhibit the fiscal restraint that has been a hallmark of our Association. Thank you.