Photo Credit: Jeff Thiebauth
MBA President Grace V.B. Garcia speaks during the MBA's Volunteer Recognition event. To the left of the podium are plaques for the six Volunteer Recognition Award winners and the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award winner.
On Wednesday, June 21, the Massachusetts Bar Association hosted a reception to honor six recipients of the Volunteer Recognition Award and the 2023 winner of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.
The reception at the MBA's Boston office began with a cocktail hour and continued with the presentation of awards by MBA President Grace V.B. Garcia and President-elect Damian J. Turco. Selected by the Volunteer Recognition Committee, the following attorneys received acknowledgement for their devoted service to the MBA:
Thomas J. Carey Jr.
Hogan Lovells LLP and Boston College Law School, Boston
Carey was honored for his roles as a longtime member and chair of the MBA Amicus Brief Committee, as the founding chair and a longtime member of the Appellate Bench-Bar Committee, and as a nearly 20-year member of the Massachusetts Law Review Editorial Board, where he is a frequent contributing author.
Professor Andrew L. Kaufman
Harvard Law School, Cambridge
Kaufman was honored for his recently concluded 44-year tenure on the MBA Committee on Professional Ethics, with 40 of those years spent in the position of chair.
Paul Klehm
Krasnoo, Klehm & Falkner LLP, Andover
Klehm was honored for his participation in the MBA's Dial-A-Lawyer and Mock Trial programs, his service as a longtime former member and chair of the Civil Litigation Section Council, and his current roles on the House of Delegates and Real Estate Law Section Council. He also previously served on the Amicus Brief Committee and the Committee on Civility and Professionalism.
Dean A. Mazzone
Attorney General's Office, Boston
Mazzone was honored for his nearly 20 years of service and dedication to the Massachusetts Law Review Editorial Board, including as editor-in-chief for the past three years.
Marc A. MocciaKazarosian Costello LLP, Haverhill
Moccia was honored for his roles as a 10-year member and the current chair of the Family Law Section Council, as chair of the MBA Governance Committee, as a member of the Executive Management Board and Gala Committee, and as an at-large delegate for the House of Delegates. He has also volunteered as an ambassador for MBA marketing campaigns and has co-chaired the annual Family Law Conference.
Melina Muñoz Turco
Turco Legal PC, Newburyport
Muñoz Turco was honored for her leadership on the MBA's Digital Marketing Committee, where she was instrumental in developing a pilot program of LinkedIn videos targeted to prospective MBA members. Namely, she spent countless hours interviewing MBA leaders and editing footage to create the final video clips.
Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
Following the presentation of the Volunteer Recognition Awards, MBA Young Lawyers Division Chair Francis R. Mulé presented the 2023 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award to
Chelsea K. Choi of Connor & Morneau LLP in Springfield. The award is presented to a lawyer who has practiced for 10 years or less; has demonstrated outstanding character, leadership and legal achievement; and has contributed service to the community.
Choi was honored for her active membership in the Hampden County Bar Association (HCBA), where she sits on the Board of Directors and chairs the Solo & Small Firm Section. Through her role on the Pro Bono Associate Advisory Board, she is a dedicated advocate and volunteer for the HCBA Legal Clinic and its Lawyer for the Day program. Outside of the HCBA, Choi has volunteered on the Oversight Committee for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and with the nonprofit organizations Read to a Child and Discovering Justice.
Click here to view event photos by Jeff Thiebauth.