Photo Credit: Jeff Thiebauth
The Massachusetts Bar Association celebrated the efforts of its volunteers and recognized its 50-year members (pictured, above with MBA President Robert W. Harnais and MBA President-elect Jeffrey N. Catalano) on July 13.
Five Massachusetts Bar Association members were honored for
their outstanding service at the MBA Volunteer Recognition Dinner
at Lombardo's in Randolph on July 13.
Scott D. Burke, Jennifer
Clapp, John G. Dugan and Samuel
A. Segal were each presented with the Volunteer
Recognition Award, which salutes members who volunteer substantial
time and effort to the mission, program and/or publications of the
MBA, or otherwise enhance the organization in a significant
way.
Maureen E. Curran received the Public Service
Award, which is bestowed by the MBA's president upon individuals
who have made significant contributions to the work of the MBA,
including judges and members of the public, for their contribution
to their community, and for furthering the public understanding and
respect for the law and showing extraordinary leadership and
dedication to improving the administration of justice in the
commonwealth.
MBA officers voted to approve the 2016 honorees based on
recommendations from the MBA's Volunteer Recognition Committee,
which solicited the nominations. The awards were presented by MBA
President Robert W. Harnais, President-elect
Jeffrey N. Catalano and Volunteer Recognition
Committee Chair Grace Garcia.
Volunteer Recognition
Award
Scott D. Burke, Morrison Mahoney LLP
Scott D. Burke (pictured center) is a partner at
Morrison Mahoney LLP in Boston, where he was recently elected the
firm's managing partner. For 18 years he chaired the firm's
non-medical professional liability group.
Burke has been an active member of the MBA's Ethics Committee
for the past eight years, a group that addresses ethical issues
faced by members on both an intellectual and practical level. He
was also a past member of the MBA's Education Committee and served
on the Attorney Financial Responsibility Disclosure Task Force.
In addition to presenting at CLE seminars held throughout the
commonwealth, Burke has given highly rated presentations on ethical
issues, professionalism and risk management at the MBA's Practicing
with Professionalism course for new attorneys.
"He is truly a volunteer that makes a difference for MBA members
and does so willingly, with great enthusiasm and projects a
professional image that shines the best light on the MBA," read one
nomination for Burke.
"It's amazing to be grouped with the people that I have seen
receive this award in the past," said Burke. "I have always been
impressed by the dedication of so many of my colleagues with whom I
have worked on MBA projects, and feel so honored by both those who
nominated me and the committee."
Volunteer Recognition
Award
Jennifer Clapp, Grindle Robinson LLP
An attorney with Grindle Robinson LLP since 2005,
Jennifer Clapp (pictured, center) focuses her practice on all
aspects of family law.
She has been a highly-respected member of the MBA's Family Law
Section Council for the past seven years, during which she has
served as chair, vice chair and member-at-large. Clapp is most
proud of the work the section council recently undertook this past
year to revise the shared custody bill, as well as the council's
progress on alimony reform.
"I loved being involved with the Family Law Section Council.
Serving as chair was an opportunity to work with my peers and a
group of lawyers and judges that I have respected since I started
practicing," said Clapp.
A past member of the Young Lawyers Division, she also served on
the MBA's House of Delegates and volunteered for the monthly
Dial-A-Lawyer program.
Volunteer Recognition
Award
John G. Dugan, Doherty, Ciechanowski, Dugan & Cannon
PC
A former MBA vice president and secretary, John G.
Dugan (pictured, center) has been practicing law in Massachusetts
for more than 40 years. He concentrates in the areas of trusts and
estates, probate, and family law.
Dugan has served the MBA in many volunteer capacities during his
career. A former member of both the Executive Management Board and
House of Delegates, he was honored with the MBA's Community Service
Award in 2009. Dugan is also a past member of the Education
Committee and has served as a faculty member for several CLE
programs.
He has recently been highly-involved with the Probate Law
Section Council, where he has worked with Jan Nigro in planning,
organizing and growing the annual Probate Law Conference. Dugan has
always appreciated working within the MBA's section councils with
fellow attorneys in the same practice areas.
"It gives you a little bit better feel for how you should be
practicing law if you're going to practice in that field," remarked
Dugan.
Additionally, Dugan has served as a member of the Budget and
Finance Committee, the Family Law Section Council, the Bylaws
Committee, the Child Support Guidelines Committee, the Community
Service Committee, Gala Dinner Committee and the Judicial
Evaluation Committee. He has also been involved with the Elder Law
Education Program and has served as a judge for the MBA's High
School Mock Trial Program.
Volunteer Recognition
Award
Samuel A. Segal, Law Offices of Samuel A. Segal
The owner and principal of his own solo practice in
Boston, Samuel A. Segal (pictured, center) focuses on complex
personal injury and wrongful death claims and litigation. A 2010
graduate of Northeastern University Law School, Segal has been a
constant and dedicated volunteer for many MBA programs. Segal has
been very involved within the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), in
particular, serving as director at large and treasurer. He is the
incoming chair-elect of the YLD for 2016-17.
Segal has participated in the monthly Dial-A-Lawyer program for
the past four years, a role that has been especially meaningful to
him given its direct connection to those seeking legal advice and
assistance.
"A lot of people have problems and they don't know where to
turn," noted Segal speaking about his experience as a Dial-A-Lawyer
volunteer. "Callers want help and assistance, and I think that
easing their burden just by answering some common questions is
pretty gratifying."
In addition to Dial-A-Lawyer, Segal has been a member of the
Lawyer Referral Service Committee for the past four years, Segal
has also served as both a coach and judge in the MBA's High School
Mock Trial Program.
Public Service Award
Maureen E. Curran, Law Office of
Maureen Curran LLC
Maureen E. Curran (pictured, center) operates her
own practice in Boston, which focuses on probate litigation, trust
litigation, contested wills, guardianship and fiduciary law.
A longtime member of the Probate Law Section Council, Curran
helped spearhead the Fiduciary Law Probate Session Working Group, a
collective body that has worked diligently to make reforms within
the Probate Court. The group drafted a proposal in 2015, which
called for the establishment of a separate session for contested
trust and estate litigation matters within the Probate Court. A
pilot program for the trust and estate litigation cases is expected
to begin this coming fall at Norfolk Probate and Family Court.
"Maureen's insight, drive and ability to work to bring a
consensus to this diverse group of practitioners is both amazing
and helpful to the courts and our clients who were being denied
access to justice," read one of her nominations.
In addition to her work with the Probate Law Section Council,
Curran has also been a member of the MBA's Civil Litigation Section
and that section's ADR, Appellate, Federal Practice and Probate
Litigation practice groups.