At its December Board meeting, the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) Board of Governors (BoG) fulfilled its duties under MSBA Bylaws to nominate officers for the upcoming bar year. Current MSBA Treasurer, Marisa Trasatti, was nominated as President-Elect, current MSBA Secretary, W. Carl Isler, II, was nominated to fill the office of Treasurer, and Natasha Dartigue, Maryland Public Defender, was nominated to fill the office of Secretary. The nominees will be presented to the membership for election at the June 7, 2024, MSBA Annual Business meeting in Ocean City.
Marisa Trasatti Named 2024–25 President-Elect Nominee
The BoG named Marisa Trasatti as MSBA’s President-Elect Nominee for the 2024–25 bar year. She will then serve as MSBA President in 2025–26, succeeding Raphael Santini at the completion of his 2024–25 term as MSBA president.
Trasatti currently serves as MSBA Treasurer, a position she has held since June 2022. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, she is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Trasatti is the vice president and in-house general counsel for Sciton, Inc., and a partner with Cipriani & Werner, P.C. in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Her work includes providing legal advice on a variety of issues facing businesses including insurance coverage, human resources, regulatory compliance, ethics, intellectual property issues, and more, as well as handling complex civil litigation arising from product liability related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
In addition to her expansive career accomplishments, Trasatti has held several notable appointments, including service on the Judicial Disabilities Commission since June 2015 and the Character Committee for the Sixth Appellate Circuit Court of Maryland since July 2016. She is active in multiple local and national legal organizations and bar associations, including the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Maryland Defense Counsel, The Risk Management Society, and the District of Columbia Bar Association. Her work within these organizations includes not only several leadership roles but also contributions as a speaker, panelist, and author of programs and legal articles.
MSBA Grants Posthumous Membership to Edward Garrison Draper
MSBA’s past presidents, led by Chair M. Natalie McSherry and Hon. Mark Scurti, proposed a resolution to the BoG to grant membership to Edward Garrison Draper. In 1857, Draper, an African American man, was found to be fully qualified to practice law in Maryland; however, he was denied admission to the bar because he was not a white male. In an October 2023 ceremony, the Supreme Court of Maryland posthumously admitted Draper to right this historic wrong. The resolution, as presented by MSBA’s past presidents, therefore sought to recognize Draper as a member of the MSBA. The BoG unanimously adopted the resolution.
District Governor, Section Governor & At-Large Governor Seats for 2024–25
The BoG also reviewed the distribution of district governors and section governors based on the Amended & Restated Bylaws adopted on June 9, 2023. The 2024–25 bar year will be the first year in which the new board composition will be in effect.
In addition to the district and section governor seats, 12 at-large governor seats are also available, providing multiple pathways for MSBA members to become engaged at the board level. Details on the vacancies, application process, and related deadlines will be circulated to all members as well as the various local and specialty bar associations.