MEMBERSHIP NEWS
By Janice Jones-Branch

On June 15, 2004, 350 new candidates were admitted to the Maryland Bar in the swearing-in ceremony at the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in Annapolis, Maryland.

Among the group of MSBA members on hand to offer the new admittees an enthusiastic welcome were Diane Stewart Hamilin, Stacy Reid Swain, Nancy Grimm, Tonya Waller, Alice Doyle, Pat Rosier, Byron L. Warnken, Shara Mervis Alpert and Laura Bean-Clark, as well as Membership Committee member Bill Rosseler and Anne Arundel County Bar member John Gardner. Amidst the crowd of picture-taking parents, grandparents, siblings and friends, the volunteers were among the first to offer hand-shakes and congratulations to the new Maryland lawyers while distributing MSBA Lawyers’ Manuals and additional MSBA membership information.

MSBA President Cornelius Helfrich was among the distinguished bar members present to offer introductory remarks before moving for the admission of the new candidates. Along with Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, Court of Appeals, Judges Irma Raker, Alan Wilner and Dale Cathell responded to the motions for admissions.

“New lawyers will discover that membership in the Maryland State Bar Association is invaluable to the practice of law, no matter whether they are practicing in the private sector, the public sector or a public interest organization,” said the Honorable Angela Eaves, Co-Chair of the MSBA Membership Committee. “Hopefully, they will take advantage of the many resources the Association has to offer to attain both personal and professional fulfillment.”

The MSBA Membership Committee sponsors this welcoming group for each swearing-in ceremony in the spring and winter. If you are interested in participating, please contact Membership Committee liaison Jan Jones-Branch via e-mail at jjones-branch@msba.org.