Photo Credit: Mike Vigneux
MBA Secretary Christopher A. Kenney welcomes newly admitted attorneys to the Massachusetts Bar Association's Practicing with Professionalism class on May 22
Newly admitted attorneys made their way to UMass Medical School
in Worcester on May 22 for a full day of training and networking as
part of a required one-day Practicing with Professionalism
course.
With the implementation of Rule 3:16 by the Supreme Judicial
Court's (SJC) Standing Committee on Professionalism, all newly
admitted Massachusetts attorneys must attend the course within 18
months of being admitted to the bar in order to maintain their good
standing. The rule applies to anyone newly licensed to practice law
in Massachusetts on or after September 1, 2013.
The MBA is the only SJC approved provider to offer the course
statewide. Beginning in January 2014, the MBA has partnered with
the University of Massachusetts to host the one-day course on UMass
campuses in Boston, Worcester and Dartmouth. The course will also
be offered at UMass Lowell on September 18 and UMass Amherst on
October 27.
Some general themes of the day included building a good
reputation, finding a mentor, making ethical decisions, giving back
through pro bono work and the importance of continuing legal
education.
The highlight of the course was keynote speaker Superior Court
Judge Shannon Frison, who spoke about hidden bias within the legal
profession and strategies to combat it.
"This is really a conversation to be had by our larger society,
not just in the law," Frison told the new attorneys. "We're all
subject to it. It doesn't matter what your race or gender is."
The afternoon sessions covered topics such as navigating social
media, time management, and introductions to law office management,
managing client fund accounts and trust account recordkeeping, the
bar disciplinary system, the Massachusetts court system and bar
associations.