Baltimore County Bar Association : About the BCBA : News Releases

The Latest News from the BCBA President Alan R. L. Bussard

For the next year, it will be my honor to serve as President of the Baltimore County Bar Association. Being a country boy from Frederick, who arrived in Baltimore County knowing few people, it is truly a humbling experience. To have been accepted into the legal community of Baltimore County means more than words can properly express. I have made friendships that have endured over 25 years and I’m sure will last a lifetime.

As I begin my term, I want to first express my sincere appreciation to all of my predecessors, and particularly Debra Schubert, for her fine service to the Association. It has been a very good year, and I know it was difficult because of the death of her father. I also want to thank the members of the Executive Council, past, present, and future, for the hard work and support they have shown to Debra.

In 1982, with the encouragement of Judges John P. Rellas and James Sfekas, friends of my in-laws, I moved to Timonium, after attending law school in Virginia. I vividly recall expressing to Judge Rellas my fear that I wouldn’t know anyone and that no clients would hire me as an attorney. His response was one that I’m sure many fledgling attorneys heard over the years - “Don’t worry. Go see Barbara in the Bar Office and everything will be alright.” Of course, he was speaking of Barbara Fiorino, the public face of our association and a major source of support for an entire generation of lawyers in Baltimore County. So, with much uncertainty, and not a small amount of trepidation, I ventured into the Bar Office on a cool November morning and was met by the warm, welcoming smile that Barbara gave to all who came into the office.

As I came to learn over the years, Barbara knew everything there was to know about the Baltimore County legal community. What she didn’t know simply was not worth knowing. While I was sitting in the office that first day, she must have introduced me to at least one half dozen people, including lawyers I soon realized were either past or future presidents of our Association or future judges in our courts. Sure she knew some attorneys who had office space available. She always knew such things because, as I came to realize, Barbara was the repository for all things legal and non-legal in Baltimore County. Attorneys just felt comfortable confiding in her about their legal war stories, as well as intimate parts of their personal lives. I came to believe that Baltimore County lawyers often told Barbara things that they would never have considered telling anyone else, and never once did she ever betray their confidences.

I mentioned Barbara Fiorino and the outstanding service she provided to our Association because the standards she set are being carried on today by Doris Barnes. In many ways Doris is preparing the Baltimore County Bar Association for our adventure into the future. In the relatively short time she has been with us, Doris has taken on many of the good roles that Barbara played in our lives. She also has the vision to keep us moving forward. Doris, along with Carole Otte, provide a very warm, professional, haven within the courthouse and we are very fortunate to have both of them with us.

The theme for my year as President is “Honoring the past while looking to the future.” Several weeks ago, Terri Beck suggested that we should be recognizing those members who started the traditions that have become an integral part of the Bar Association’s success. To that end, I will be proposing to the Executive Council and the Committee Chairs that we develop a way to honor those members who have largely gone unrecognized for past contributions. Also, in keeping the past in perspective, Harris “Bud” George, Chair of the Historical Committee, will be providing periodic columns in the Advocate with anecdotes of past events of interest.

In order to make the Bar Association meaningful and accessible for our members, I believe we need to make our resources available in new and varied ways. We are no longer a small time operation. I say all of this because when I started in 1982, there were approximately 450 members of the Baltimore County Bar Association. As of June 1, 2007, there are almost 1,500. In the hope of keeping pace with technological developments, and fulfilling my goal of finding ways for the Bar Association to assist its members to be better prepared for the future, I have asked Judge Daniels, Chair of the Technology Committee, to explore ways of getting information to more of our members. Doris Barnes, our outstanding Executive Director, has already begun the process by making The Advocate available in electronic format, which can be accessed through the Association website. She also has set up a process for payment of association events by credit card. One such innovation that has been used successfully by the Maryland State Bar Association is PodCasting. That is, digitally recording CLE programs and making them available through the internet, to be viewed on your personal computer, at a time and place of convenience. While not a perfect substitute for attending a live presentation, these recordings do permit the busy practitioner to still obtain the benefit of fine CLE programs.
The Bar Association will continue our long tradition of supporting programs and initiatives outside the legal profession. I have decided that the Family Crisis Center will again be the designated charity for the Baltimore County Bar. Debra Schubert selected the Family Crisis Center after personally meeting with the program’s personnel and touring the facility. I can attest to the appreciation Lisa Muscara, Assistant Program Director, expressed to me, after our recent contribution to the program. I sensed that the funds being donated to the program were not just being placed in a large pool of money, but rather were being used to directly aid families in need. It was this personal touch that convinced me that the Family Crisis Center deserved to be our designated charity for another year.

I also encourage our members to support current efforts to make the Baltimore County Police Memorial more accessible to those who wish to honor fallen officers. The plan calls for constructing a pathway and benches without actually moving the present structure. The current memorial was established through the hard work and dedication of Past President G. Warren Mix and is located in the plaza outside the County Courts Building. The current initiative also has the support of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger.

In closing, I encourage all members to contact me with any concerns they may have about the Association. I look forward to a great year and meeting each of you at one of our many events.