PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
| INSIGHTS & UPDATES
Committed to a Successful Virtual Year
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the legal profession and our daily lives. Throughout the COVID pandemic, the MSBA has and will continue to be here for you. We continue to provide top-rated CLE programs, platforms for our sections, our committees, our task forces to meet virtually, and to make recommendations to create the changes that are needed in our legal system. We have been, and will continue to be, the voice of Maryland lawyers with the legislature, the judiciary, and the governor's office. We have asked your questions regarding the administrative and the executive orders issued by Governor Hogan and Chief Judge Barbera for clarification and in some cases modified based on input from you. We are also focused and committed to deliver more relevant content and resources to our profession. Whether you join one of our many Legal Summit Series webinars live, attend the first annual 100% virtual Legal Excellence Week in November, or watch one of our many On-Demand courses, you’ll receive quality, timely CLE and webinars on emerging issues. Plus, delivering on our commitment to support our members, virtual CLE is free with your membership through December 31, 2020.1 We’re also delivering articles and updates relevant to you through our eWeekly Newsletter and Weekly Roundup email. Visit MSBA.ORG as even more content and resources are announced. In addition to our focus on content, during my term, we are focused on greater diversity and inclusion as well as access to justice. More so now, these overlap each other in many ways. We need to engage in the dialogue, listen, learn, and lead the way for change and reforms in our legal system. If not us, then who? We as lawyers, stewards of the law and protectors of our rights, need to stand up and speak out against injustice and exclusion. We should continue to celebrate the strides we have made, but we need to speak out now about the wrongs within our legal system so that we can be part of the solution. As part of that solution, I am honored to serve as the MSBA representative to Attorney General Frosh's COVID-19 Access to Justice Task Force as we look at ways to protect all Marylanders as we reopen our courts.
"We need to engage in the dialogue, listen, learn, and lead the way for change and reforms in our legal system. If not us, then who?"
Finally, I want to continue the trends and programs set in place by my predecessors, and ensure the MSBA truly represents all lawyers in Maryland. Although we cannot be together in person right now, I want the MSBA to be accessible to everyone. In that vein, we will be introducing monthly “Coffee Chats” where members can connect directly with me and MSBA staff to discuss a relevant topic and learn about available resources and programs through the MSBA. I thank all of our chairs and members of our sections, committees and task forces, along with our Board of Governors for all of their commitment to making this virtual year a success. I am truly honored to serve as your MSBA President, and I invite you to connect with me via email at President@msba.org.
Hon. Mark F. Scurti, President 1 Virtual (livestream or OnDemand) courses of 90 minutes or less
MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL | ISSUE 2 2020
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