From the Chair                                            

From the Chair, Michael W. Siri

Being a young lawyer is hard work. There is an enormous amount of learning involved when a new attorney enters the legal profession: learning the art of practicing the law; learning a specific area of the law; learning how to manage clients; learning how to bring in clients; learning how to give back to the community; and learning how to balance one’s personal and professional lives. The Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Section (“YLS”) wants to both assist members with the rigors of their professional careers and provide an opportunity for them to give back to the community. As a result, the YLS created the “Be a Mentor/Be a Mentee” program. The “Be A Mentor/Be A Mentee” Program has been created with several goals in mind: 1) provide mentors from the MSBA for members in the Section; 2) provide mentors from the Section for potential members (including law students and new admitees); and 3) provide mentors for teenagers/children interested in seeking a career in the legal profession.

The YLS has teamed with the Pro Bono Resource Center and created the Pro Bono Mentoring Program. The Pro Bono Mentoring Program is designed to combine the desire of recently barred attorneys eager to gain experience in the law and the willingness of experienced attorneys to share their knowledge to advance the cause of bringing access to justice to all Maryland citizens. YLS members will take a pro bono case and be assigned an experienced mentor in the area of law germane to the case. The mentor will assist the YLS member with the case and develop a professional relationship. If you are interested in becoming a mentee, contact me at siri@bowie-jensen.com or Sharon Goldsmith, the Executive Director of the Pro Bono Resource Center, at Sharon.Goldsmith@probonomd.org. Further, working in conjunction with the Maryland Mentoring Partnership, the YLS plans to enlist young lawyers to become mentors and to develop mentoring programs within their firms or organizations. The YLS is committed to giving back to the community and assisting young people fulfill their goals. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact me or Mike Stone of the Maryland Mentoring Partnership at mikes@marylandmentors.org.

Being a young attorney is hard, but with help and guidance, the transition from young lawyer to seasoned attorney hopefully will make the ride a little smoother. As such, the YLS is here to assist in that transition and to assist each of its members reach their professional goals.

Michael W. Siri, Chair
29 W Susquehanna Ave, Fl 6
Towson, MD 21204-5201
(410) 583-2400 Fax: (410) 583-2437
Email: siri@bowie-jensen.com