October, 2003

     On October 23, over 200 bar leaders from all corners of Maryland will travel to Solomons Island to attend MSBA’s annual Bar Presidents’ Conference. Every year, presidents and presidents-elect from local and specialty bar associations, along with MSBA’s leadership, gather to discuss key issues affecting today’s legal profession. The 2003 Conference will focus on legislation and local/specialty bar association involvement in the legislative process. To complement this effort, MSBA will unveil a special Bar Bulletin Lawyer-Legislator Supplement honoring Maryland attorneys serving in Maryland’s General Assembly.

     At this Conference, MSBA President Harry S. Johnson will encourage all local and specialty bar leaders to actively participate in the legislative process at the local level and work closely with MSBA at the state level. “There is a saying that ‘all politics are local,’” declares Johnson. “I am convinced that MSBA’s legislative program will be aided by enlisting the support of our members in the various county and specialty bars.”

     Johnson hopes to establish an open dialogue with these bar associations so that MSBA is kept abreast of these leaders’ views on key legislative issues and MSBA, in turn, can communicate its legislative positions to local and specialty bar leaders. Collectively, Johnson believes bar leaders can be an effective voice in Annapolis and make a difference in our legislative process. “After all, if these bar leaders support our agenda,” he adds, “they will be speaking to legislators who are in their own communities.”

    “MSBA spends a considerable amount of time during the year on its legislative program,” explains Johnson. “Our Committee on Laws tirelessly reviews pending legislation and makes recommendations to our Board of Governors. It is important that we communicate to our members how we adopt our legislative agenda. The participants in this Conference represent all of Maryland’s local and specialty bars, so we want to use this forum to create a better understanding of our legislative process and convey it to all MSBA members.”
    
     To further enhance this effort, Johnson will convene a second Bar Presidents’ Conference in March, during the 2004 Maryland General Assembly session. “I am scheduling this conference so that we can report on how things are going, highlight any issues that should be of concern to these bar leaders and seek their support for issues where we can identify the need for local contact and communication with legislators,” reports Johnson.
    
     At the October Conference, a special plenary session will be devoted to the Bar’s legislative agenda. This program, entitled “How to be Effective in Annapolis: Local and Specialty Bars Participating in the Legislative Process”, will feature a lively and informative discussion on demystifying and monitoring the legislative process, knowing when to advocate and running for public office. Prominent Maryland lawyer legislators will be featured on the panel.

     Bar leaders will also examine key legislative issues that may affect law practitioners in the upcoming session. According to Albert “Buz” Winchester, MSBA’s Director of Legislative Relations, “judicial independence, mandatory sentencing, jury trials, civil justice and tort reform” will all be explored during the legislative program at the Conference.

     Conference attendees will also be treated to a special preview of MSBA’s first Lawyer-Legislator Supplement, saluting attorneys who have successfully run for seats in the Maryland General Assembly. This Supplement, published in this issue of the Bar Bulletin (see page 9), “celebrates those who serve Maryland citizens as both members of the Bar and members of the General Assembly,” in the words of MSBA’s President.
  
    “We want to better connect with those elected officials who are lawyers,” Johnson continues. “I am convinced that the type of legislation we now see is a direct consequence of the decreased number of lawyers in legislative bodies. Lawyers make a significant difference in the process of lawmaking. In this regard, we want to highlight those legislators who are lawyers so that our members know who they are. As a bar association, we want to serve as a resource for them.”
MSBA’s President hopes to encourage more lawyers to seek public office and serve in Maryland’s General Assembly. “Lawyers are in a unique position to both interpret the law and to see the consequences of laws, both intended and unintended,” says Johnson. “More lawyer-legislators will lend more insight to the entire body as it shapes the future of this state.”
    
     Highlights of the October Conference include Friday’s luncheon which will feature Kim Keenan, President-Elect of the National Bar Association, and MSBA’s Best Project Awards. On Saturday, the Honorable Lynne Battaglia will offer an update on the progress of the Court of Appeals’ Professionalism Task Force and its series of town hall meetings. In addition, Ward Coe, head of the Court’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono, will provide an overview on the new pro bono rules and pro bono reporting forms.

     Throughout the three-day gathering, bar leaders will share ideas, exchange information and discuss contemporary issues of paramount concern to local and specialty bars and Maryland lawyers. Attendees will also participate in “nuts and bolts” bar leadership programs, including media relations, technology and tips from former local bar presidents.

      Johnson hopes bar leaders take away “a clear understanding of MSBA’s legislative process and a feel for what legislators want in the way of information in order to support particular legislation.” He wants to reassure them that “MSBA seeks and desires their input and support for the Association’s legislative program.”
At the conclusion of the October Bar Conference, bar leaders traditionally return to their local communities and share the information from the Conference with their local members, so MSBA members are updated at the local level. This year, Johnson encourages them to share MSBA’s legislative and communication thrust so that all members are involved in our legislative process.

 

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