Maryland Bar
Bulletin
Publications :
Bar Bulletin
Editor: W. Patrick Tandy
January, 2004
CONROY
NOMINATED 2005-2006 MSBA PRESIDENT
By Janet Stidman
Eveleth
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J. Michael Conroy, Jr.,
President of the Montgomery County law firm of Conroy, Ballman & Dameron,
Chtd., has been named President-elect nominee of the Maryland State Bar
Association (MSBA) for 2005-2006. He will run for election this June during
the MSBA Annual Meeting, along with current Treasurer Edward J. Gilliss and
Secretary-elect nominee Alison L. Asti. Cornelius Helfrich, a solo
practitioner from Harford County, will be installed as MSBA President at the
2004 MSBA Annual Meeting.
A prominent Maryland
attorney and bar association leader, Conroy is known for his effective
leadership in the legal community. A consummate legal professional, the
MSBA’s future president has long been applauded for his dedication to pro
bono and public service in the community. He has been recognized for his
commitment to diversity and is very proud to be part of the “honorable”
profession of law.
The President-elect
nominee has always been a champion of MSBA and Maryland lawyers. Conroy
believes the strong support MSBA gives to members, as well as the valuable
leadership it gives to the legal community, inspires “Maryland lawyers to do
great things.” As President, he plans to accentuate MSBA’s hallmarks of
professionalism and uphold the Association’s tradition of effective service
and assistance to members. |
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J. Michael Conroy, Jr. |
“MSBA’s greatest asset is
its energy,” reports Conroy. “MSBA is an effective source of strength because it
is willing to work on anything of importance to its members. Lawyers must deal
with new issues like bureaucratic requirements and economic concerns on an
almost daily basis. MSBA tackles these on its members’ behalf. Given the
opportunity, the MSBA takes up the gauntlet and confronts issues on their
behalf. It puts together a program, educational structure or whatever is needed
to assist members.”
Conroy is excited about
his future MSBA leadership role and the challenges it presents. “The opportunity
to follow in the footsteps of MSBA’s truly accomplished, terrific presidents is
a huge and humbling honor. I enjoy leadership roles and consider this
opportunity a tremendous privilege,” he declares. “I hope to bring leadership to
our association and take on and be in the forefront of a tough challenge, should
one arise. I would like to give back and assist this exceptional organization as
it continues its good works.”
Conroy brings a diverse
legal background and many good works of his own to his future role as MSBA
President. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame in 1967, Conroy served in
the United States Army and the Reserves from 1968 to 1974. He earned his Juris
Doctorate and Master of Laws in Taxation from the Georgetown University Law
Center and was sworn-in to Maryland’s Bar in 1972. He engaged in private
practice for several years before joining the Office of the Public Defender for
the State of Maryland in Montgomery County in 1976. Returning to private
practice in 1980, Conroy has been a partner in the law firm Conroy, Ballman &
Dameron since 1987.
For 31 years, Conroy has
practiced law in Montgomery County, most often as a trial practitioner in the
construction, banking and brokerage industries and in the real estate
transactional area. He has been involved in over 300 criminal and civil trials,
appellate work in federal and state courts, the arbitration and mediation of
commercial and residential matters and administrative hearings involving
regulatory bodies and agencies. In addition, he handles the defense of lawyers,
employment matters and administrative hearings involving regulatory bodies and
agencies.
Conroy has also been
extensively involved in bar association work at the local and state levels since
his admission to Maryland’s Bar. He served as President of the Montgomery County
Bar Association (MCBA) in 1994-95, headed the Montgomery County Bar Foundation (MCBF)
from 1995-96 and continues to be active on many of the county bar’s committees.
In addition, he is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of
Trial Lawyers of America and the District of Columbia and Virginia State Bar
Associations.
MSBA’s future President
has also been actively involved in MSBA since the early ‘70s. Currently MSBA
Secretary, Conroy also served as the Association’s Treasurer and has been a
member of the Executive Committee for three years. He has been a member of
MSBA’s Board of Governors on four different occasions, is a member of the
Litigation and Taxation Sections as well as numerous committees and presently
chairs the Special Committee on Increasing Bank Interest Rates on IOLTA
Accounts.
Conroy is a Life Fellow
of the Maryland Bar Foundation, a MICPEL instructor and a member of the Judicial
Compensation Commission for the State of Maryland. He received a National
Institute of Trial Advocacy Certification in 1973, has been honored with
President Citations from both the MCBA and the MCBF for leadership in the legal
community and received the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association’s Award for
Commitment to Diversity in 1996. In the greater community, Conroy is actively
involved with the Ronald McDonald House for Oncology Services, the Catholic
Youth Organization and numerous educational organizations.
Conroy is thrilled,
humbled and honored to lead this dynamic organization in the future. “MSBA has
so much to offer today’s lawyers,” he emphasizes. As an example, he cites the
strides MSBA has made in the area of mass communication. “Email Lists on the
website, like the one in the real estate area, are prime examples of significant
MSBA services now available to all members at a most reasonable price.”
Additionally, he
considers the Solo Conference “a marvelous value and benefit to attorneys” and
believes MSBA’s plethora of meetings and events present excellent networking
opportunities for members. “The functions members attend give them the
opportunity to get to know their peers,” he adds. “Networking benefits lawyers
and serves as a learning experience. They discover how things are going in other
areas, often confirming their own experiences.”
The 2005-2006 MSBA
President is already contemplating his year as President. “I’d like to make our
members’ professional lives better than when I started. Whether this means
continuing existing and improving programs or developing new ones to serve new
member needs, I hope we can make a difference and enhance the lives of our
members.”
Above all, Conroy would
like to be remembered for doing a good job, continuing MSBA’s outstanding
reputation and improving the lives of MSBA’s members.
