Get Involved with Our Section Council—Take Your Practice to the Next Level

If you are a practicing Estates and Trusts lawyer in Maryland who wants to take your practice to the next level, consider volunteering for the MSBA Estate and Trust Law Section Council.

There are many ways to get involved with the Section Council. Want to write an article? Build your speaking resume? Advocate for a change in the law? Take a deep dive into potential new legislation? Meet new people and build a social media presence for the Section? The Section Council is looking for your help.

What is the Section Council?

The Section Council is a group of dedicated Maryland Estates and Trusts lawyers who work together to support the practices of Section members. We craft new Maryland legislation, develop educational content, publish a biannual newsletter with pertinent articles, represent the Section in meetings with judges and registers, and plan social and networking events. The Section Council is also expanding its outreach to Section members through its website, its Membership Committee and its Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Section Council Membership

When choosing new members of the Section Council, the Nominating Committee looks for experienced Maryland attorneys who have demonstrated (1) a commitment to the law of Estates and Trusts, and (2) a willingness to contribute to the Section’s work. Priority is typically given to Estates and Trusts attorneys who have participated in committee work and who offer a valuable, new or underrepresented perspective to the Section Council.

Committee and Volunteer Work

This first place to get involved with Section Council is by joining a committee or by taking on a smaller task such as writing an article. We are particularly looking for estates and trusts attorneys who are interested in getting involved in the following activities:

  • Membership Committee: This committee is responsible for member outreach by such activities as publishing our monthly email blast, and organizing social events. If you want to meet new people in the Section, this is the committee for you.
  • Mentors: If you are willing to share your experiences with other practitioners, our low-key mentorship program is a rewarding way to connect with other members. Volunteer to spend an hour over Zoom with a small group leading a discussion about best practices as an estates and trusts practitioner. You do not have to be a 30-year Estates and Trusts veteran to be a mentor — our members want to hear from practitioners with a wide range of experiences.
  • Website and Social Media Committee: This committee works to develop and approve content for the portion of the MSBA’s website devoted to the Section. The committee also hopes to improve the Section’s social media presence and welcomes new ideas from those active on social media. One of the main goals of this committee is to serve Section members by making valuable resources and information easily available to them.
  • Legislation: We have a number of legislative work groups studying proposed new legislation. You can pick a piece of legislation that the Section has on its agenda to work on from start to finish, or you can get involved in the committee to help track legislation and see multiple pieces of legislation through the process.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Committee: This committee’s work includes drawing out additional voices from the Section, educating the Section about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and reviewing trusts and estates law for disparate impacts affecting different groups. This is a relatively new committee with a large mission and lots of opportunities to make an impact.
  • Speakers and Writers: We are always looking for new voices to speak at our events and write for our newsletter. If you are a new speaker and would like assistance, we can pair you up with a more experienced speaker as a mentor, or have you on a panel with other speakers. Let us know if you would like to be added to our list of potential speakers or writers and what topics may interest you.

If you would like to learn more about getting involved in the Section Council or its committees, please contact Christine Hubbard at christine@chubbardlaw.com.

The MSBA has staff devoted to supporting MSBA Sections — you can always reach out to them with via sections@msba.org.