BARBULLETIN Volume XXXVII, Number 6 • June 15, 2020
What’s Inside Court Splits On Application Of “Plain-feel” Doctrine To Cell Phone Page 10
Legislative Updates on Consumer Protection Issues Page 11
MSBA Partner Supports Virtual Law Firms with OnDemand Office Space, Virtual Receptionists, and Other Services Page 12
2020-2021 Board of Governors Page 14
The COVID-19 Meltdown Page 16
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Board of Governors Reflects on Bar Year During First Virtual Annual Retreat
Every year, the existing Board of Governors hosts a retreat to address business matters of the Association. Future Board of Governors are invited to attend this meeting, to learn more about the current issues facing the Association, as they prepare for the start of the new Bar year.
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or the first time in its history, on May 15, 2020, the MSBA held this retreat virtually. Over 70 existing and future leaders of the Association were in attendance.
MSBA Leadership Reflects on Challenges to the Legal Profession
MSBA President, Dana O. Williams, Esq., opened the meeting by providing his reflections on the current year. He expressed his gratitude for the great leadership provided by the Executive Committee during a very trying time for the MSBA and the legal profession, including the attempt to tax legal services and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Following the President’s report, Executive Director,Victor Velazquez provided the MSBA Year in Review. In doing so, he described the MSBA’s extensive efforts in
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its fight against the proposed taxation of legal services, including grassroots efforts, lobbying tactics, engaging with other professional associations, and rallying Maryland’s largest firms. On the heels of that effort, he explained that the MSBA quickly turned to providing valuable content and information to the legal profession during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its work with the Maryland Judiciary, the 20+ complimentary COVID related webinars, Section Coffee Talks and countless articles, tools & resources provided through the MSBA’s COVID-19 website among others. He also highlighted the fact that the MSBA has opened its resources to both members and non-members, providing complimentary access to 150+ OnDemand CLEs, the most recent edition of the Maryland Bar Journal, and more.
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MSBA Feels the Impact of COVID-19
Over the past few months, the MSBA has provided countless resources to the Maryland legal profession, while operating with virtually no revenue from March and projected through to the end of the fiscal year. Despite its work to support the legal profession through unexpected challenges, the finances of the MSBA have been severely impacted by COVID-19. In February 2020, the MSBA projected to have a substantially improved year, with revenue 15% ahead and expenses 17% below the prior year. However, beginning in March 2020, these trends began to change, as the MSBA had to change course to postpone in-person CLE and cancel the Legal Summit & Annual Meeting, which are traditionally its two largest revenue sources during the 4th quarter of the Bar year. As CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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