The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) House of Delegates held
its second meeting of the association year at the TD Bank
Conference Center in Springfield on Nov. 17.
Highlighting the meeting was the presentation of the MBA's
Public Service Award to Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, who is
retiring after an admirable 42-year tenure. Elected to his post in
1974, Sheriff Ashe has become known a national and international
innovator in the criminal justice field through his work on
re-entry programs for inmates and reducing recidivism.
Also of note, Housing Court Justice Dina E. Fein provided an
update on the state's receipt of a $100,000 grant from the Public
Welfare Foundation to develop a statewide strategic action plan to
improve access to justice initiatives across the commonwealth. Fein
reported that Massachusetts was one of just seven states to receive
funding of 25 that applied. The goal of the process will be to
examine existing access to justice resources within the state and
identify gaps in services. Only the seven states that received
funding will be eligible for implementation grants which are
expected to be awarded next fall.
President Jeffrey N. Catalano opened the meeting by
acknowledging and thanking those who made the trip out to the
western part of the state. In his president's report, he
highlighted several successful MBA fall events that enjoyed record
attendance. Catalano specifically commended a Veteran's Day
community service project with The Mission Continues and the
Middlesex County Bar Association, which involved re-constructing
community garden beds in Lowell. His report also highlighted the
launch of the MBA's new podcast, the MassBar Beat, which is now
available through several online platforms.
Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Operating Officer Martin W. Healy
reported that the MBA will have a seat on a committee convened by
the courts to discuss ongoing concerns and procedures pertaining to
the posting of court records online. The most recent court ruling
left it up to individual court departments to determine what gets
posted. According to Healy, discussions are expected to continue on
this topic for the next year or two. Healy wrapped up his remarks
by promoting the Annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid on
Jan. 26 at the State House. He also presented Catalano with a book
inscribed by Immediate Past President Robert W. Harnais which will
now be passed on to the succeeding MBA president each year.
Bar association updates from the western part of the state were
provided by Richard Dohoney, president, Berkshire County Bar
Association; Kevin Maltby, president, Hampden County Bar
Association; John Garber, president, Hampshire County Bar
Association; and Lisa Kent, president-elect, Franklin County Bar
Association.
The meeting concluded with section council reports from Julie
Green of the Complex Commercial Litigation Section Council and
Scott Heidorn of the Civil Litigation Section Council. After the
meeting, attendees were invited to a reception at the nearby
Springfield Sheraton sponsored by the Hampden County Bar
Association.