The Maryland State Bar Association’s (MSBA) mission is to “effectively represent Maryland’s lawyers, to provide members services and to promote professionalism, diversity in the legal profession, access to justice, service to the public and respect for the rule of law.” Over the past several years, MSBA has increased its focus on providing members with timely content, education, and resources so they can provide well-informed and high-quality service to their clients. MSBA has also increased its focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the legal profession. MSBA is a non-partisan organization that values the diverse perspectives of our members.
In service of its focus on supporting and educating members, MSBA has launched a resource page for Maryland attorneys in light of the many White House Executive Orders that have far-reaching legal implications and will change how practitioners do their work and advise their clients. As part of this important effort, MSBA President Raphael Santini has instructed MSBA’s substantive law sections to review these Executive Orders and develop articles, webinars, roundtables, and other resources as necessary to ensure members are informed of the Executive Orders’ legal impact. Maryland attorneys can access these resources here: Executive Action Attorney Resource Portal.
In service of its focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, MSBA has taken steps over the last few years to foster inclusivity and fairness within all facets of our bar association. MSBA has created new pathways to leadership, continued investments in our future leaders through its Leadership Academy program and Young Lawyers Section, and improved the accessibility of its website and learning opportunities. These steps ensure that all members of the Maryland legal community are heard, seen, and welcomed in everything we do. As a member-first organization, these values are paramount to us.
MSBA also works to increase access to justice for all Marylanders through its partners at the Maryland Access to Justice Commission. MSBA has supported fair and equal access to the judicial process and increased funding for the many legal services organizations in Maryland, which are doing great work serving Maryland’s most vulnerable populations. Today, those organizations face uncertainty regarding funding while seeing an increased need for services. Now is the time for Maryland attorneys to give back through pro bono efforts and donations to these organizations that are doing their best to serve their clients while dealing with significant uncertainty. MSBA calls on all Maryland Attorneys to volunteer through the Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center (MSBA’s pro bono arm) at https://probonomd.org/volunteers/ or donate much-needed funds to the Maryland Bar Foundation (https://marylandbarfoundation.org/), the Maryland Access to Justice Commission (https://www.mdaccesstojustice.org/), or a legal services provider of your choice.
Finally, MSBA has been a leader in promoting the rule of law. MSBA is focused on maintaining an independent judiciary, one of three cornerstones of our democracy. MSBA, in partnership with the Maryland Judiciary and other key stakeholders, advocates at the state and national levels to ensure our judicial officers can dispense justice without fear of retribution or violence. Through our partners, we ensure all Marylanders have access to the judicial process and that the process remains fair and equitable.
MSBA affirms its commitment to its mission, values, and efforts to support the legal profession. We will continue our efforts to serve our membership, create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and promote the rule of law while respecting the diverse perspectives of our membership and remaining a non-partisan organization.
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