A Message from State Bar President
Carla Martinez Dear Members of the State Bar of New Mexico, It is hard to believe that another year is coming to a close. Although it was a challenging and nontraditional year, I truly enjoyed serving as your president. The beginning of the year began very similar to 2020 with many activities limited and remote. As the state started to reopen, I was enthused to know that we would be able to meet in person especially for the State Bar Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Event. However, as this event was approaching, I was unexpectedly confronted with a personal situation that required my attention and has kept me away from many State Bar activities, including the State Bar Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Event. I want to personally thank President-Elect, Carolyn Wolf, Secretary-Treasurer Benjamin Sherman and Erinna Atkins for stepping in to host the Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Event in October 2021. The event provided 5 free CLE credits and over 1,000 State Bar members took advantage of the free programming, which included topics on well-being, diversity and access to justice. Additionally, I would like to thank Past President Ernestina Cruz for her unwavering support, encouragement and advice throughout the year. It was comforting knowing she was in my corner cheering me on and I will miss her on the Board of Bar Commissioners. I am also thankful for the members of the Board of Bar Commissioners who gave tirelessly of themselves this year to make the legal profession a better place for all of us. I am truly honored to serve with them and will cherish their friendship. Moreover, I am grateful to the dedicated staff at the State Bar who work quietly behind the scenes. I appreciate the friendly greetings I always received from Cecilia Webb while visiting the State Bar Center. In my mind, she and Kris Becker are the epitome of customer service. Below are a few highlights of State Bar activities this year: In March, the State Bar launched its new association management system which replaced the old website. This update has provided an improved user experience for members. You can now renew your licensing certifications and complete minimum continuing legal education requirements in one place with one set of login credentials. The State Bar will continue to make updates to the system and will introduce more features that will assist you in your professional lives and practice management. Please visit the new State Bar website at www.sbnm.org. In January of 2020, I chaired the first Well Being Committee of the State Bar. The committee was created to focus on and improve the overall well-being of New Mexico judges, lawyers and law students. This year’s Co-Chairs, Bonnie Stepleton and Sean Fitzpatrick, continued to advance well-being for the legal community through their ongoing committee work. Furthermore, retired Senior Justice Barbara Vigil led the initiative to advance well-being for judges in New Mexico. Her work included creating round-table discussions, regular emails to judges on well-being topics and a mentorship program for judges. It is also through retired Senior Justice Vigil’s work that the State Bar hired an employee to focus on well-being initiatives for the New Mexico judiciary. It is also because of retired Senior Justice Vigil’s passion and dedication to well-being that I awarded her the State Bar President’s Award. I am so honored to have worked with her in many capacities this past year. I would also like to acknowledge the Well Being Committee members who wrote many articles on well-being for the Bar Bulletin and launched and participated in a podcast series called Legal Well-Being in Action. The inaugural podcast consisted of 11 episodes, was streamed over 1,200 times and was listened to across 26 states and 9 countries. Lastly, I would like to thank state bar employees Pamela Moore and Tenessa Eakins whose hard work and support made it possible for the Well-Being Committee to be successful in advancing wellness for New Mexico’s legal community.
Bar Bulletin - December 22, 2021 - Volume 60, No. 24
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