The Advocate | Spring 2022

THE

ADVOCATE VOLUME 36, NUMBER 3 - Spring 2022

THE ADVOCATE Young Lawyers Section Council Maryland State Bar Association EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jessica Gorsky, Chair Kerri Smith, Chair Elect Lauren Lake, Treasurer Avigayil Pearlman, Secretary Emmanuel Fishelman, Member At-Large Elizabeth Rosen, Past Chair BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPRESENTATIVES Jessica Gorsky Chris Jennison Josephine Bahn Christian Noble STANDING COMMITTEES ACTIVITIES CO-CHAIRS Emily Greene & Ashley Fellona ABA REPRESENTATIVE Chris Jennison DISASTER RELIEF CHAIR Kerri Smith DIVERSITY COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Maya Zegarra, Jasmine Caesar-England, & Beatrice Thomas EDUCATION CHAIR Rima Kikani FAMILY FRIENDLY CO-CHAIRS Lauren Macari & Adam Rutherford LAWYER WELLNESS CHAIR Genna Hoy

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 5

Message from the Chair Committee Updates 5 Membership Committee 6 Wellness Committee

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8 Public Service Committee ABA Update

10 Wellness Sidebar: Eat Smart Be Smart 10 Spinach Soup with Mint

11 Spring Pea Pasta with Mint, Truffle, and Lemon 12 Tarragon Chicken (or TOFU) with Asparagus, Lemon, and Onion 14 First Annual Wellness Challenge 15 Riding the Circuits

15 Frederick County 16 Howard County

16 Prince George’s County

LEGISLATIVE CHAIR Josephine Bahn MEMBERSHIP / LAW STUDENT OUTREACH CO-CHAIRS Justin Wallace NOMINATING CHAIR Jon Huddleston OPEN & ANNUAL MEETING CO-CHAIRS Greg Waterworth & Eleni vanRoden Bickley

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POLICY CHAIR Emmanuel Fishelman PRO BONO / WILLS FOR HEROES CO-CHAIRS Victoria Lucido, Bill Kiniry, & David Scull

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

PUBLICATIONS CHAIR Heather Krick

BY JESSICA M. GORSKY, SECTION CHAIR (JGORSKY@WTPLAW.COM)

PUBLIC SERVICE CO-CHAIRS Christian Noble, Amy Rappole & Garrett Mannchen

Greetings,

SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR Kyle Anthony STRATEGIC PLANNING CO-CHAIRS Kerri Smith & Avigayil Pearlman TECHNOLOGY CO-CHAIRS TJ Keilty III & James Miller YLS SUMMIT CO-CHAIRS Kerri Smith & Lauren Lake CIRCUIT REPRESENTATIVES Jeff Sadri, Anne Arundel Rachel Samakow, Baltimore City Adam Konstas, Baltimore County Sierra Mitchell, Calvert/St. Mary’s Spencer Cropper, Lower Shore Madonna Lebling, Upper Shore Denise Brown, Frederick Michelle Dauksha, Howard Shua Tajammul, Montgomery Mike Reiter, Prince George’s David Arnold, Western Shore Daniel Santos, UB Law Camilla Thorpe, UMD Law The Advocate is published quarterly by the Section of Young Lawyers of the Maryland State Bar Association, 520 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201.

The opinions exercised in this publication are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the opinions of the Section of Young Lawyers or Maryland State Bar Association ©2022 Maryland State Bar Association, Inc.

Happy Spring YLS! I hope everyone has been able to stay safe and healthy during what will hopefully continue to be a positive transition in this pandemic. While YLS remained mostly virtual until recently, we are excited for the in-person events coming this Spring and Summer. In furtherance of our Section’s continuous efforts to bring quality programming, helpful resources, and networking connections for all our members, below is a recap of some of the fantastic events that our Section Council put forth since the start of 2022.

We kicked off 2022 in January with a joint virtual event put on with the Solo & Small Firm and the Litigation Sections in which we discussed “COVID Doldrums” and advice on handling COVID-related isolation, working from home stresses and work/life balance, and transitions back to in-person. In February, our YLS Wellness and Family Friendly Committees hosted a round table discussion with young lawyer parents to openly explore parental leave policies, personal experiences, and shared goals for improving the way our legal community deals with young lawyer parental issues. In March, our YLS Wellness Committee 3

also partnered with the National Alliance for Mental Illness for an engaging virtual panel discussion on mental health and available resources for law students, lawyers, and their family members throughout the state.

Additionally, in March, our YLS Membership Committee hosted a super fun virtual Bingo night for the Section in which hundreds of dollars’ worth of fantastic prizes were won by many. We closed out March with our annual Polar Bear Plunge campaign in support of Special Olympics Maryland, and ultimately met and surpassed our fundraising goal of $1,500 on behalf of Team MSBA! As your Chair this year, it has been my continued goal to ensure that all our members are provided with opportunities to engage, learn and

grow so we may all continue to improve and strengthen our legal community.

To that end, for us to serve you better, we need your input. We welcome all our members to check out the exciting events and activities offered by YLS on msba.org and through our Section’s listserv on MSBA Connect. We also value your suggestions on how YLS can continue to meet the needs of all Maryland young lawyers, which can be submitted to me directly at jgorsky@ wtplaw.

Thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to serve you as your Chair this year. As we trickle back to in-person events, I am eager and excited to see many of you back in person soon!

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COMMITTEE UPDATES YLS Stays Social with Virtual Bingo By: David Risk, Co-Chair On March 23rd, the MSBA Young Lawyers Section’s Membership Committee hosted a virtual bingo event presented by TriviaHub, a virtual gaming event vendor that hosts virtual bingo, trivia and other social events that can be held by remote means. Five different MSBA members won great prizes that included Center Ice Washington Capitals tickets, DC United tickets, AirPods, and gift cards for Amazon and UberEats. The event was well attended by more than 20 young Maryland attorneys and was a welcome social break in a work week that fell only six days after Saint Patrick’s Day on the March calendar. You will be hearing from the YLS Membership Committee again soon about future events as the weather gets warmer in 2022!!

Connect!

All YLS members are automatically signed up for the YLS Section in the Connect platform. Use the email (young-lawyers-section-(yls).connect.msba. org) to send a message to the Section through Connect without logging in to the MSBA website.

Join Us! Join YLS Council and get involved in one of our committees. Contact Chair, Jessica Gorsky (JGorsky@wtplaw.com) for more details if you are interested.

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Featured Holistic Wellness Events from MSBA Wellness Committee Chair: Genna Hoy

This year, the Wellness Committee took a more holistic approach to wellness with a focus to mental and emotional wellness as well as parental/family health and wellness.

This year, the Wellness Committee provided the following events and programs for YLS members: 1.

In October, the MSBA YLS Wellness Committee hosted an intimate virtual meeting with experienced lawyers from the MSBA Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) and fellow young lawyers to discuss mental health, parental wellness, work-life balance, and imposter syndrome.

2. The week of Halloween, the Wellness Committee highlighted an organization in Maryland, “I Support the Girls”, to help provide quality ‘treats’ and donate to those in need with wellness and hygiene items. “I Support the Girls” collects items for homeless youth, women, and refugees to include feminine wellness items such as maxi pads, new bras and underwear, face masks, toiletries, household supplies.

3.

Host a weekly Peloton “Biking with Barristers”! Every Wednesday evening, fellow lawyers ride a LIVE class after work.

• The class is the first LIVE class that starts at 6p.m. or whichever first LIVE class that starts right after 6p.m. (for example, if the LIVE classes on Wednesday evening are 5:35 and 6:30pm, the class will be the 6:30pm class.)

• To ride along, click on “add tags” under your profile settings and find 6

#MSBAYLS, join the ride, and send high fives!

4. In February, hosted a Parental Wellness and Well-being round robin chat with fellow lawyer parents/caregivers with an open dialogue chat on the stresses of parenthood while lawyering and how we can support each other. About 15 attendees joined – both moms and dads! – with engaging dialogue on parental leave, work-life balance, how to combat motherhood penalty even before getting pregnant, with interest in ongoing Parental Wellness sessions in the future.

YLS Wellness Committee has an interest to provide support to and shine a light on a group that is too often ignored in our industry and is interested in future discussions on how we can continue to support working parents and each other.

5. In March, MSBA YLS Wellness Committee and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maryland hosted: The Verdict is In: 1 in 5 Marylanders are Affected

by Mental Illness • This event included speakers from NAMI MD to introduce themselves and NAMI, and provide an overview on what NAMI is, how to access local chapters, and why young law students and lawyers would benefit from NAMI. • The discussion included candid conversation with attendees on personal mental health illnesses and how they impact us personally and how families play a role, as well as how our legal professions can exacerbate symptoms.

6. On April 14, co-sponsored with MAJ New Lawyers’ Section and BABC Young Lawyers’ Division, a panel discussion was held on mental health issues and stressors that are particularly prevalent in the lives of new and young attorneys.

This presentation featured a diverse panel of young lawyers who discussed their experiences managing the stresses of the profession in their own areas of practice. The panel provided practical tips and guidance on how to manage stress and maintain a work-life balance to help succeed in your profession.

The panelists shared resources that are available to attorneys who may feel overwhelmed or in need of assistance.

7.

On April 20, with the Education Committee, hosted a virtual panel discussion: Parental Leave Laws; What are they; Why they affect everyone at your firm; and how to navigate HR. This was an educational panel on parental leave laws (nationally and locally), with a history on what was offered (FMLA and short-term disability (STD); what is offered now (FMLA, STD, federal parental leave, and some states and private companies 7

offer some paid leave); why they matter to everyone and not just parents/ caregivers, and how to work with HR and understanding parental benefits.

The panelists included Michelle Browning Coughlin; she is the founder and president of MothersEsquire, which advocates for gender equity, motherhood, and caregiver issues. She was appointed to the ABA Presidential Commission on Women, where she is active in continuing work for gender equity in the legal profession and is an adjunct professor of Gender Law & Policy at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law; Jamie Cannon – the General Counsel and Chief of Staff/Head of HR for Frederick County Public Schools; and fellow Young Lawyer, Indira Sharma, on her experience as a young lawyer and new parent and how that affected her work-life balance at her law firm.

8. Be sure to also check out The Advocate issues as the Wellness Committee provided seasonal, healthy, and quick meals for busy lawyers!

Public Service Committee: Young Lawyers Section Leads MSBA Participation in Polar Bear Plunge By: Amy Rappole, Co-Chair, Public Service Committee Team MSBA’s Special Olympics 2022 Polar Bear Plunge was a success! The Team virtually plunged on Saturday, March 26, 2022. We raised over $1,500 (beating our goal!) for Special Olympics Maryland this year. MSBA YLS President Jessica Gorsky Halle herself was an outstanding fundraiser, raising over $900 for the plunge. Thank you to all our donors for pitching in to make this virtual event a success and raise money for Maryland athletes. Money raised by the Plunge funds year-round programming for Special Olympics Maryland and keeps Maryland athletes having fun, making friends, and, of course, competing hard! We look forward to next year when we will almost certainly be Plunging in person!

Public Service Committee CoChair, Amy Rappole

YLS Chair, Jessica Gorsky plunged three times after she committed to an additional five gallon bucket of ice water for every $500 raised for Team MSBA.

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UPCOMING ABA EVENTS By: Chris Jennison, ABA Representative

The American Bar Association is busy with programming in coming months, to serve young lawyer affiliates like the MSBA YLS across the country! Here are a few upcoming programs of the ABA YLD -- but be sure to check out the YLD’s website for more information!

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ABA YLD Spring Conference, May 5-7, virtual: Join the Young Lawyers Division for their first (inperson) Spring conference in two years! We have designed this conference to help you keep going strong with timely discussions about Resilience and Revitalization during challenging times. Our Spring Conference YLD Dinner Dance will be held at the iconic, state-of-theart Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Also, The Men of Color Project will present programming on the Revitalization of Atlanta’s Green Spaces. There will be an Expungement Fair and so much more!

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Everything Young Lawyers Want to Know but Are Afraid to Ask Regional CLE Program, in person (DC- May 17, Philadelphia- May 18, NYC- May 19): This program will target young, female lawyers and offer them practical tips on how to advance their career, focusing on how to become a first chair lawyer,

how to handle work/home balance conflicts, and how to handle the office creep.

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Improve Your Legal Judgment by Leveraging Technology for Legal Research and Writing, June 2, virtual: Clients get frustrated when lawyers don’t spend enough time on thoughtful, high-value work but still produce a hefty bill based on repetitive, low-value work. When you’re in the thick of things, it can be hard to tell the difference. That’s where judgment comes in. Good judgment means you understand the client’s needs, can create a plan to meet them, and have a sense of how much work is appropriate for the value and impact of the client matter.

As you develop your judgment, you’ll learn from past work and apply the lessons to future work. We’ll show you how to use technology to work effectively and efficiently and build the elusive-but necessary-skill of judgment. We’ll also show you how technology can reveal insights and reinforce learning as you work toward your professional goals.

•

Annual Meeting Conference, Chicago, August 3-9: Join the most influential legal professionals from across the industry, in person, at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago!

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Connect and network with our diverse legal community, reach your professional goals by attending up to 7 CLE Showcase Programs, and celebrate the achievements of the past year. We look forward to seeing you August 3 - 9, 2022! We will also have YLD specific programming,

including the YLD Assembly and Elections, from August 4-6. YLS is anticipating providing travel stipends to up to 8 attendees; if you have an interest in attending, please email Chris Jennison at chris.s.jennison@ gmail.com no later than May 15, 2022.

WELLNESS SIDEBAR: EAT SMART BE SMART Spinach Soup with Mint Prep and cook time both 15 minutes. (+ vegan and dairy and gluten-free!)

Creamy vegan Spinach Soup, velvety smooth with a refreshing hint of mint. Simple clean ingredients create a deeply nourishing and delicious soup that is dairy-free.

Vegan and Gluten-free. Serve warm or chilled.

Ingredients •

2 teaspoons olive oil (or butter)

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1 medium onion (can sub leeks or shallots)

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1 medium potato, like Yukon gold

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4 cups broth, veggie or chicken

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1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

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1/2 pound, about 6 cups, fresh spinach leaves

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1/2 cup packed fresh mint

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2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Instructions 1.

Add olive oil to a saucepan along with chopped onion and sauté a few minutes until softened.

2.

Add potato, broth, salt and pepper.

3.

Cook 15 minutes over medium heat until the potato is soft. Turn heat off.

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4.

Add spinach, mint, and vinegar. Stir until wilted.

5.

Blend until smooth.

Garnish suggestions: fresh mint, chives and chive flowers, pea shoots, watercress, coconut milk. If desired, swirl in yogurt, coconut milk or cream

Spring Pea Pasta with Mint, Truffle, and Lemon Prep time 15 minutes, cook time 10 minutes (can be vegan!)

Ingredients •

1 pound pasta

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3–4 cups peas

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5 scallions thinly sliced

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1 shallot, finely diced

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1 cup chopped fresh mint

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1 cup chopped Italian parsley

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½ cup olive oil

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2 lemons – zest and ¼ cup juice

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2 cups baby spinach or arugula

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1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste and ½ teaspoon pepper

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1 tablespoon truffle oil

Instructions 1.

Boil pasta in a generous amount of salted water according to directions.

2.

While the pasta is cooking, chop the scallions, shallots and herbs, and zest two lemons, and measure out ¼ cup lemon juice.

3.

Once the pasta is just about done, add the peas to the boiling pasta water and blanch for one minute, or just until bright green. Immediately drain, place pasta and peas in large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

4.

Toss in the spinach/arugula and add the scallions, shallot, herbs and lemon zest. Stir.

5.

Taste, adjusting salt and lemon juice, adding more of both, if necessary. (Sometimes pasta takes a while to absorb the salt and lemon – so make sure to taste this again after a few minutes -the saltiness will have settled down quite a bit, and you may need more especially if you did not salt your pasta water)

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6.

Drizzle with truffle oil and serve immediately.

Notes: •

Keep it vegan or add goat cheese. Serve warm as an entree, or chill and serve as a salad. Add the goat cheese right before serving.

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If making this as a pasta salad– make sure to rinse pasta and peas in cold water to stop the peas from cooking longer…this will help keep their lovely bright green color.

If making the pasta salad ahead, taste it right before serving, it may need a little more seasoning (salt, lemon, oil, truffle).

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Want to include protein? Add cooked turkey meat or salmon after adding the spinach!

Tarragon Chicken (or TOFU) with Asparagus, Lemon and Onion Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes.

A healthy delicious sheet-pan dinner with 4 servings, with the best of spring produce! Make it in 30 minutes with minimal clean up. Vegan adaptable, GF and paleo!

Ingredients •

2 lemons

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1/ 4 cup olive oil

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4–6 garlic cloves, minced

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2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper

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1-ounce chopped tarragon leaves about ¼–⅓ cup (or basil/dill)

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1 extra-large bunch asparagus, trimmed (about 1 ½ pounds)

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1–2 large onions, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds

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4–5 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) about 1- 1 1/2 lbs or sub tofu, see notes

Instructions 1.

Preheat oven to 450F

2.

In a small bowl take the zest of one lemon, and its juice (about 3 tablespoons) in a small bowl and add oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and mix well until salt dissolves. Add ½ of the

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fresh tarragon (or basil), saving the rest for garnish.

3.

lace trimmed asparagus in a bowl and spoon some of the marinade over top. Toss to combine and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Add onions to the same bowl, toss with a little marinade, and spread out on the sheet pan. (If using tofu, place in the bowl adding a little more marinade, toss to coat, add to sheet pan.)

4.

Then, add the chicken breasts, with the remaining marinade, coating well. Nestle the chicken (or tofu) amongst the asparagus.

5.

Zest the second lemon over the whole sheet pan and slice the lemons into rounds, layering them over the asparagus. Place in the hot oven. (If using tofu, either nestle it into one side of the pan or place it on a separate sheet pan – up to you.)

6.

Bake 20 minutes and check chicken- internal temp should read 160-165 F – thicker pieces will take longer. To get a more golden color broil for just a couple of minutes.

7.

Remove from the oven. Give everything a little toss, turning chicken over to coat the top with the flavorful juices. Sprinkle with remaining fresh tarragon and serve.

Notes: •

Serve this with a starch like smashed potatoes, black rice or everyday quinoa, cauliflower rice or keep it low carb and serve just like this.

•

If using tofu, use extra firm. Slice into ¾ inch thick slabs and coat on all sides with marinade. For mixed households, serve both tofu and chicken! (Marinade is enough for 1.5 lbs chicken + 8 ounces tofu and the veggies.)

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WELLNESS SIDEBAR

First Annual MSBA YLS Wellness Challenge 2022!

Reminder, beginning Monday January 3, 2022 through Monday June 6, 2022, the task, if you choose to accept it, is to complete the below Challenge Card featuring 25 simple and fun wellbeing activities. The Challenge is a voluntary effort to focus on mental, physical, and emotional health. Participants will use the below card to complete the activities that encourage personal well-being: nutrition, exercise, sleep, hydration, etc. There will be a celebratory event with possible prizes (TBD) at the end of the Challenge at the MSBA Annual Event in Ocean City for all participants.

Start a new fitness class (or check out our Peloton group!)

Go for a 15-minute walk at lunch once a week

Clean out and organize your office or that cluttered closet/ drawer

Write 3 notes of gratitude to yourself once a month

Peform a random act of kindness

Have a game night with family/roommate instead of TV

No screen time for the last hour before bed for a week!

Enjoy an outdoor activity with someone

Take an in-person or virtual coffee break with a colleague

Listen to a favorite album-dancing encouraged

Listen to a new Podcast

Reach out to a family member or friend you havent talked to in a while & catch up

*FREE SPACE* (choose your own wellness activity)

Take a stretch break for 10 minutes at your desk once a day

Get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep three nights in a row

Donate or volunteer for a good cause

Bring healthy snacks to work

Cook and eat dinner at the table with your family/roommates 1x a week

Eat breakfast every day for one week

Try a new healthy recipe (check The Advocate for ideas!)

5 servings of fruit & veggies for 3 days

Send a message to a colleague on something you admire about them / contratulate them on a job well done

Drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month

Exercise for 30 minutes 3x a week for an entire month

Read an entire book for FUN

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RIDING THE CIRCUITS Frederick County

By: Denise Hicks Brown, Representative With our courts reopening for “business as usual” on March 7, 2022, we have been slowly but surely resuming in-person gatherings, meetings, and events. We held an in-person bar association luncheon on April 5 at the Delaplaine Arts Center.

Unfortunately, among the first of our in-person gatherings was a memorial for a fellow Young Lawyers Section member, Stephen LeRoux.

Stephen LeRoux: Celebration of Life

This is the link to his obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fredericknewspost/ name/stephen-leroux-obituary?id=33971397 Details for his memorial are as follows:

Howard County

By: Michelle Dauksha, Representative HCBA had a monthly meeting on March 25, 2022, where we had the pleasure of being joined by Judges Matthew Fader, Kathryn Graeff, and Andrea Leahy wherein they provided an update on appellate decisions.

On April 3, 2022, HCBA participated in The Red Shoe Shuffle to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. This family and pet friendly event is not only for a good cause but brings a lot of laughs as people dress up and shuffle through Harbor East!

Our sincerest congratulations to Judge Stephanie Porter, who was sworn in early this year. On February 24, 2022, we celebrated with Judge Porter’s investiture. We also give our sincerest congratulations to the newly appointed Magistrate Maurice Frazier, who will be sworn in on April 20, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. The event will be held in person and via zoom.

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Prince George’s County

By: Michael Reiter, Representative On March 3, 2022, an exciting brown bag lunch was held on “Juvenile Drug, Adult Drug, and Mental Health Programs”.

The Goldstein Criminal Law Seminar was held on March 19, 2022, covering a wide variety of topics, including: “New Private Home Detention Program,” “Marijuana Legalization”, “Parole Board & Sentencing Guideline Changes”, and “MDEC Coming to Prince George’s County”.

The spring membership meeting took place on March 29, 2022, at the Newton White Mansion and was well attended with Erek Barron, U.S. Attorney, District of Maryland as a guest speaker.

Upcoming events include: The 2022 Golf Classic which is set for May 9, 2022, at Oak Creek Golf Course and the PGCBA 120th Year Anniversary Fundraiser is upcoming as well.

Seeking Submissions The Advocate is seeking submissions for our next issue. Are you looking for a publication opportunity? Do you have an interesting story to share about your practice - a lesson learned or a practice pointer? Have you been trying to spread the word about your last pro bono case? Or do you just have an article that you would like to get published? The Advocate is your opportunity to shine!

Is there an upcoming event you would like other young lawyers to know about? Is there an unsung hero in your legal community whose story you want to share?

Submissions can be any length…from a blurb of a few sentences to a scholarly article. The only requirement is that the subject relate to young lawyers in Maryland in some way.

We look forward to your submissions!

The deadline for the next issue is June 10, 2022. Please direct all questions to Heather Krick (hlkrick@gmail.com).

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PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE For questions or comments about The Advocate please contact any member of the Publications Committee: Heather Krick Beatrice C. Thomas

hlkrick@gmail.com beat.campbell@gmail.com