| Bar Bulletin |
June,
2003 |
| MSBA News |
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MSBA’s Membership
Committee Supports law students by sponsoring refreshments during Final
Exams
(MSBA staff members Janice Jones-Branch,
Judy Larrimore, Toni Martsoukos contributed to this article.)
In May 2003, the
MSBA’s Membership Committee
sponsored coffee and pastries for law students taking final exams at the University of
Baltimore’s School of Law and co-sponsored the same activity at the
University of Maryland School of Law.
The Membership
Committee is examining opportunities to expand the MSBA student membership
base by sponsoring pilot programs and activities on law school campuses.
The Membership Committee consists of five subcommittees: Technology and
Benefits, Communications, Member Participation, Internal and External
Recruitment. These campus activities are aligned with the focus areas of
the External Recruitment sub-committee.
 Membership
Committee Co-Chairs Roger Perkins and the Honorable Angela Eaves, District
Court Judge of
Harford County,
are committed to promoting the ideals of the Maryland State Bar
Association. “The committee understands the value of associate members and
it is important that we do what we can, hopefully, to decrease their
stress levels during exam time, as well as encourage their meaningful
involvement in the bar association,” says Eaves. “Young lawyers-to-be have
always played an important role in making this organization a success and
will continue to do so.”
“We want law
students to be aware of the MSBA because new members are the lifeblood of
any organization,” adds William Roessler, Deputy State’s Attorney of Anne
Arundel County and External Recruitment Sub-Committee Chair. “We want to
publicize the availability of our associate membership program, and also
the advantages of participating in the MSBA’s Young Lawyers Section. If
students or new lawyers join the MSBA and realize its value early in their
careers, they can contribute and benefit throughout their professional
lives.”
 The
final exams for second and third year law schools students were held at
the University of Baltimore’s School of Law’s John and Frances Angelo’s
Law Center on May 7. With support and assistance from the law school’s
Director of Student Support Leslie Metzker and the law school’s faculty,
MSBA staff members were able to set up coffee and pastries for 350
students scheduled to take tests that morning and evening. The MSBA’s
Associate Member category offers exclusive services, such as Electronic
Briefs On-Line, for law students, paralegals and law office
administrators. Along with providing information about MSBA’s Law Office
Management Administration, Lawyer Assistance Program, Communications
Department, MSBA’s Annual Meeting and the Young Lawyers Section’s Career
Center, MSBA staff members were on-hand to answer questions. Second and
third year students inquired about business planning and law office
management as it related to starting their own firms.
Carol Waldhauser,
Assistant Director of MSBA’s LAP (Lawyer’s Assistance Program), was
available at the University
of Baltimore’s
Law School to share stress management techniques with evening students and
to listen to their concerns about balancing careers and family life while
pursuing their law degrees.
“My recollection
from law school is that law students love food, they love free food the
most, and they love free food most of all during exams,” said Membership
Committee member Agnes Powell. “This is a true service to the students and
a wonderful opportunity for MSBA to have an effective presence during
their early legal careers. I think this is a “keeper” in terms of
increasing MSBA membership and providing even more services to our
members.”
Final exams were
held for law students at the University of Maryland’s Nathan Patz Law
Center May 5 through May 16. The University of Maryland’s School of Law
Alumni Association and MSBA Student Liaison Areille Harry-Bess assisted
the Membership Committee with arranging the co-sponsorship refreshments
for final exams.
By partnering with
the University
of Maryland’s School of Law Alumni Association, the MSBA’s Membership
Committee was able to expand its efforts to create awareness of the MSBA
and provide support for students. Though students were focused on the
tasks at hand, they were able to sign up to receive information about
future MSBA events and activities.
“We hope to branch
out with similar activities next year that will include law schools in
Washington, DC,” said Co-Chair Roger Perkins.
Developing
communication channels with the young hopefuls and fostering a sense of
civility, pride and camaraderie in the profession will only strengthen the
bar for years to come.
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