The Attorney's Office Tools
President’s Message
Kevin I. Goldberg A
s my term as President winds down, I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the wonderful people that helped us have another
great year. First and foremost, I would like to thank our Executive Director David Walls and the incredible MAJ staff — Michele Linck (Membership Manager), Ashley Hodak (Communications Coordinator), Jenna Kellam (Conference Coordinator), and Crista Hakala (Bookkeeper). I have seen first-hand how committed each of these individuals are to MAJ, and to making sure that all of our events are run efficiently and within our budget constraints. Tis year’s challenges included an unexpected tort reform
threat on the federal level when the United States Congress and President Obama took on health care reform. With the guidance of our Executive Committee MAJ decided to step up to the plate and raise a substantial sum of money to combat this threat. As I write this article, the battle is still on-going and we do not know what the final outcome will be. I’m proud that MAJ made substantial contributions to fight against this federal tort reform effort. I want to thank the members of the MAJ Executive Committee - Bruce Plaxen, Robert Jenner, David Kopstein, George Tolley, Laura Zois, Louise Lock, Robert Zarbin, Wayne Willoughby, Lawrence Greenberg, and John Cord-for their input on this particular issue and for their wisdom and guidance throughout the year. Tanks to the efforts of Wayne Willoughby, George
Tolley, David Wildberger, J. Robb Cecil, Bill Wood and Louise Lock we have a new Foundation which will make it easier for us to raise money for our public outreach programs. Jack Condliffe spearheaded MAJ’s adoption of a new Pro Bono effort—Project Heal—whereby MAJ Members will have the opportunity to provide pro bono legal services to children and adolescents at the Harriet Lane Clinic or the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Increasing MAJ Membership continues to be a priority
this year. Our Membership Committee worked closely with our Fundraising Committee in order to accomplish this goal. Te members of our Board of Governors worked tirelessly to promote MAJ Membership, retain existing members and recruit new members. I’m proud to report that despite the fact that the economy has struggled, MAJ Membership has grown
From left to right: MAJ President Kevin I. Goldberg, Delegate Joseph L. Vallario, Jr., Governor Martin O'Malley & MAJ President-Elect Robert J. Zarbin.
this year. Most Trial Lawyer Associations around the country, including AAJ, have lost members during this difficult time. Tanks to the efforts of Eric Schloss, Lawrence Greenberg, Laura Zois, Lisa Miller and the entire MAJ Board of Governors, we have done an incredible job of increasing MAJ membership this year. I also thank our Executive Director David Walls and our Membership Manager Michele Linck for recognizing that membership retention and recruitment must always be a priority. As we move forward it is crucial that we continue to grow our membership. I thank Lawrence Greenberg and Mandeep Chhabra
for starting the new MAJ Criminal Law Section. Tis will allow us to offer specific member services to the numerous trial lawyers who practice in the area of criminal law and ultimately, will help us grow our membership. In the area of continuing legal education we have had
approximately a dozen programs, many of which were made available to MAJ members in remote counties via Webinar and/or DVD purchase. Our energetic CLE Committee Chair John Cord has done an amazing job, and he has been assisted by Amy Orsi, Greg Lockwood, and others on his committee. I also want to thank our various Section Chairs and Vice-Chairs who play a crucial role in planning the various CLE Programs. Special thanks to John Bratt and Justin Katz for the Auto Negligence CLE Program, to Lawrence Greenberg and Mandeep Chaabra for the Criminal Law CLE Program, Andrew Kahn and James Lanier for the Workman’s Compensation Seminar, and to Christian Mester and Jeff Peek for coordinating the Medical Negligence CLE Program. Also, Bill Wood did an amazing job coordinating the Workhorse Seminar that MAJ hosted with the Trial Lawyers of Metropolitian D.C. I have been to CLE programs put on by other lawyer groups in Maryland and to numerous CLE programs all over the United States. I truly believe that MAJ’s continuing legal education programs are the best in the State of Maryland and rival those put on by AAJ and other national organizations. Tanks to Ashley Hodak’s talents in the area of graphic
design and layout, our Trial Reporter Magazine looks better than ever, and it continues to provide excellent articles about
Trial Reporter / Spring 2010 3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76