Howard Nominated President-Elect of MSBA

By Janet Stidman Eveleth

Katherine Kelly Howard MSBA Secretary

Katherine Kelly Howard, General Counsel of Regional Management in Baltimore City, has been named President-Elect nominee of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA). She will run for election this June during the MSBA Annual Meeting, along with Treasurer John Patrick Kudel, a solo practitioner in Rockville and Of Counsel to the Rockville-based law firm of Karp, Frosh, Lapidus, Wigodsky & Norwind, P.A. J., and Secretary-Elect Thomas C. Cardaro, a partner in the Baltimore City law firm Cardaro & Peek LLC. Alison L. Asti, Executive Director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, will be installed as President at the 2007 MSBA Annual Meeting. Howard is slated to be president in 2008-2009.

Howard is well-known in Maryland's legal community as a consummate legal professional with boundless energy, high ethical standards and a strong commitment to public service. She is a champion of MSBA who has served as an active member in a multitude of leadership roles since joining the Association in 1980. Today, Howard is one of MSBA's most dynamic cheerleaders and is quite enthusiastic about tackling her role as MSBA's 2008-2009 President.

"MSBA plays a fantastic role in our legal community," she proclaims. Howard views MSBA as the voice of Maryland lawyers and the face of Maryland's legal profession. "Just look at our influence! Over the years we developed a high level of credibility with the Judiciary, Legislature, the Governor's Office and the media. If people want to know what the legal community thinks on any law-related issue, the first place they call is MSBA."

In this arena, Howard characterizes MSBA's representation as one of strength in numbers. "MSBA provides all of the representation that you as an individual attorney can not get on your own in the legal world," she explains. "MSBA means strength in numbers for every single lawyer in Maryland, and we really do need the safety in numbers MSBA provides. Plus, where else are you going to go and hang out with other people who totally understand the profession and what a lawyer really does in a day – what it's like to go to court, to deal with a client, etc.?"

MSBA's representation includes an extensive menu of outstanding member services, too. "MSBA offers an enormous number of services to lawyers and they are valuable to every single practitioner," Howard declares. "We try to provide value to every single practicing lawyer through our broad range of member services."

As an example, Howard cites Fastcase, MSBA's free online research member service. "Just look at the enormously popular affect of Fastcase – it is the most popular member service that we have been able to provide the legal community in years," asserts Howard. "Plus, look at our membership level; it's the highest it has ever been. To have fully two-thirds of all lawyers able to practice in Maryland as members of a voluntary bar association is awesome."

Background

After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law School in 1980, Howard served as a clerk of the Honorable James A. Parrott, of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City before joining the law firm Wright & Parks (now Wright, Constable & Skeen) in 1981, where she engaged in a litigation practice for four years. In 1985, she became the Assistant General Counsel of Regional Management, Inc., and was promoted to General Counsel in 1996. In her 20+ years with Regional Management, Howard has handled Landlord/Tenant Law, Governmental Relations and General Corporate Matters.

Upon admittance to the Bar, Howard immediately became active in the Maryland State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section, Chairing the Association's largest Section in 1989-90. She has served as a member of MSBA's Committee on Laws, Judicial Appointments Committee and Local and Specialty Bar Liaison Committee and Chair of the Public Awareness and Program Committees. She has served several terms on MSBA's Board of Governors and currently is the Secretary of the Association.

A Past President of the Bar Association of Baltimore City in 2003-2004, Howard also served as its President Elect and a member of the Executive Committee. She continues to co-chair BABC's Legislative Committee and was also chair of its Nominating, Program and Membership Committees. Howard is also a member of the Baltimore County Bar Association and has been active in the American Bar Association since 1980. She is a member of the ABA's Family Law and General Practice Sections and the Young Lawyers Division and served on its House of Delegates from 2005-2006.

Howard has actively supported MSBA for "many, many years. I think it is a real challenge professionally to be President of MSBA. I want to do this job to give back to the legal community and the rest of the community by being out in front of an Association to which I have dedicated so many years. I want to recognize the people who inspired me, particularly when I was a young lawyer. Most are and were leaders of MSBA, like Herb Garten, Ed Shea and Barbara Howe. They brought me along and told me this is the way to be a true professional. I want to follow in their footsteps and emulate their stellar leadership."

"I think I bring a different practice perspective to the table that hasn't been in a true leadership role for a long time, at least 12 years," she continues. "I am general counsel for a real estate management company, so I have love and enthusiasm for people who have decided to commit to a client. I represent one client and get to do everything for them. Not all attorneys get this chance."

"I am truly a jack-of-all-trades – I get to litigate, do government-related work, district and circuit court work, corporate work, real estate law, administrative law and much more," she adds. "I get to touch on all major areas of practice, most of which parallel our MSBA Sections and the support they offer our members."

Howard recognizes that "MSBA's presidency carries an enormous amount of responsibility. It is not a job to be taken lightly because you are the person who is the face of the legal profession. It is an enormous, eye-opening experience, and that's what I bring to the table, ‘a little understanding of a lot of things.'"

As President, Howard "wants to make every lawyer feel he or she has a place at MSBA's table. MSBA has such a diverse membership that all lawyers can find something that suits them – they can find a benefit regardless of their practice area and interest because we are such a diverse Association," she proclaims. "The message I want to get out to our members – get involved; we are here for you."

As President, Howard would like to be remembered for having done a good job as President. "I hope the members feel that they have been well-served by the efforts I committed to this job."

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Publications : Bar Bulletin: January 2007