Opening Statement

Live from the Bar... we hope

Thank you to the members of the Berks County Bar Association for allowing me the honor to serve you as its 89th President. I’m humbled by the assignment.

After two years of having every single thing we did revolve around COVID, it’s safe to assume that we’re all looking forward to putting that chapter behind us. Let’s hope that 2022 is the year we can.

Since the COVID lockdowns, so much has changed about our practices, but the move to virtual meetings and remote offices has been surprisingly smooth, notwithstanding necessary adjustments on the part of everybody. Those adjustments, although daunting and difficult to implement, have saved us untold amounts of time, fuel and traffic. It also leveled some of the playing field for attorneys for whom a trip to the courthouse meant an hour drive each way. It’s also forced us to communicate in writing when it might have been easier to just walk down the hall and interrupt a colleague. And if you could make it through the transition, I’m optimistic that the changes could make opportunities to run our offices more efficiently.

But lockdowns also inhibited our ability to meet with one another in person. Being with colleagues in a relaxed setting that isn’t adversarial is important to building relationships that can withstand the challenges presented by the practice of law and enhance an attorney’s ability to see past the client’s emotion and find a way to secure the relief they need. Collegiality is part of our purpose as an organization, and it is vital to our practices.

So this year, we’re hoping to see more in-person events at your Bar Association. Planning is well underway for another full day of CLE seminars and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues at the Bench-Bar Conference on Wednesday, April 20 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Reading. After commemorating Law Day online in 2021, we look forward to celebrating together at the DoubleTree on Thursday, May 5. This year’s theme is “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.” Please encourage any students in grades 5-8 to submit entries in our Multimedia Competition. Students may submit an essay, poem, short video, artwork or other forms of expression exploring the question: “If you could add one amendment to the Constitution to make the current state of the union ‘more perfect,’ what would it be?” And in what will be the ceremonial end of my year as President, members will gather on Wednesday, October 26 for the Bar Association’s Annual Meeting at the Berkshire Country Club. During the coming weeks, our vibrant Committees and Sections will hold meetings and events. Be sure to check out our recently updated website for a full list of meeting dates and social events.

For all of the difficulties our practices have faced during the pandemic, we’ve survived thus far. Let’s begin to turn our attention to the year ahead and the possibilities it brings. And I’ll see you—really see you—at our next live event!

Mr. Smith is the 89th President of the Berks County Bar Association and Founding Member of the Smith Bukowski firm in Wyomissing.

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