President’s Message: Wrap-Up and Reflections by William T. Wood This is my last column as your Presi-
dent. The year has passed quickly. I have met many new people and have revisited old friends. The year has been filled with many events and surprises, and most have been very positive. We have some of the finest lawyers in the state as members. We should all be proud of MTLA’s many ac- complishments. Last year, when I was installed as Presi- dent, I announced two objectives I wanted to accomplish during my term as Presi- dent. The first was to initiate a bicycle helmet program and the second was to establish a new awards program. Niel Fick of Fick & Petty, of Towson,
Maryland ably chairs the bicycle helmet program. Niel has identified five elemen- tary schools in Baltimore City to be the recipients of 1,000 free helmets with pub- lic events scheduled during Safe Kids Week, May 6-13, 2000. This project has been the subject of a previous column so I will not repeat the details except to thank Niel for his hard work and success in chairing this event. I’d also like to thank all the MTLA members who made con- tributions during our fund drive. At the last Board meeting, the concept of establishing three annual awards was approved by the Board of Governors. The awards are: the President’s Award, Trial Lawyer of the Year, and the Civil Justice Award. The recipient of the President’s Award will be selected exclusively by the outgo- ing President each year and will be announced by the outgoing President when the new officers and Board mem- bers are installed. This year’s ceremony will be held at the Center Club in Balti- more on June 2nd
. A special Nominating
Committee has been appointed to nomi- nate the recipients of the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award and the Civil Justice Award. MTLA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year will be honored for success in a case(s) that resulted in a positive impact upon society, not necessarily for the largest ver-
dict or settlement. The Civil Justice Award will be presented to a non-mem- ber who has made a major contribution that is aligned with MTLA’s interests that has benefited the citizens of the State of Maryland. This year, the members of the Awards
Nominating Committee are: Elizabeth J. Frey, Nicole L. Schultheis, Leonard A. Orman, Randall J. Craig, Jr., and me. I offer my sincere thanks to these attorneys for agreeing to serve on this important committee.
Also during the past year, MTLA hired
three new lobbyists to work as a team in Annapolis. In case you have not other- wise learned of their identities, they are: Daniel T. Doherty, Jr., Michael E. Arrington, and Mindy K. Binderman. This team approach offers greater depth to our legislative efforts. Many thanks to Bruce M. Plaxen, and J. Mitchell Lambros, Chair & Vice-Chair of the Leg- islative Committee and to our lobbyists for their efforts. Also, we appreciate all of our members who have volunteered to testify in Annapolis on our issues. I would also like to recognize the fol-
lowing Committee Chairs for their hard work and dedication during the past year: Walter E. Laake, Jr. (Amicus), Elizabeth Jesukiewicz Frey and Thomas L. Kemp (Education & Programs), Paul D. Bekman (Golf Tournament), Mitchell A. Greenberg (Membership), Dennis F. O’Brien (Trial Reporter), Alison D. Kohler and Harold P. Dwin (Fund Rais- ing), Bruce M. Plaxen (Legislative), Henry I. Greenberg (Unfair Insurance Claims Practices), Vicki L. Dexter and Andrew E. Bederman (Long-Range Planning), and Simon Walton (ProBono – Public Inter- est).
On June 2, 2000 at the Center Club, I will hand the traditional brass bell and gavel to Philip O. Foard, who will then become our new President. Phil is a proven leader, a great trial lawyer and has vast experience in Annapolis. We are very
fortunate that he is willing to serve as President. I know Phil will make deci- sions based on the best interests of our membership and will lead us in the right direction. Jennifer Soldati, MTLA’s Executive
Director, is completing her third year as our Executive Director.
Jennifer moved
to Baltimore from her position as Execu- tive Director of the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association. She brought with her a wealth of experience and knowledge that has served the Association well. Most interestingly, Jennifer served for five years as an elected Representative to the New Hampshire Legislature and was appointed Democratic Whip.
Jeff Rees, Assistant
Executive Director, received his under- graduate degree from Gettysburg College and his Masters degree from Elmira Col- lege. He is doing a terrific job in the #2 position. Special thanks also go to Michele Linck, secretary/receptionist, and April Reed, MTLA’s bookkeeper. There is a tremendous amount of work per- formed at MTLA headquarters, and, as they say these days, it all seems to flow seamlessly. Before I sign off, I want to offer a spe- cial thank you to Catherine Schombert who is a paralegal in my office. She has supported me throughout my term as President and has assisted in the many varied activities that made it possible for me to serve as President. We will celebrate her 5-year anniversary with the firm in April, 2000. Finally, all members are urged to at- tend the General Membership Meeting at the Omni Hotel in Baltimore on May 17, 2000 when our new officers, Board members, ATLA Representative, State Delegate and Minority Caucus Delegate stand for election. Our program topic is “Wrongful Death after O.J. Simpson” with Howard A. Janet as the speaker. I’ve enjoyed it immensely and look
forward to future years in the best job there is – Past President.
Spring 2000
Trial Reporter
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