Volume 18 | NUMBER 11 | july 2011
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PRESIDENT’S VIEW Denise Squillante
Picking up the pieces
Pay it forward “It was like the world was ending ... You cannot believe the force of the wind, the noise, the destruction. When you look at the level of destruction, you say, ‘There’s no way that could have happened in a minute, a minute and a half, tops.’” Andrea R. Reid
Photo courtesy of Andrea R. Reid
by Bill Archambeault
Western Mass. lawyers caught in tornado’s path try to cope, move forward
The three-story brick building at 969 Main St. in downtown Springfield, which included Reid & Gaudet Law Group LLP, was severely damaged by a June 1 tornado. The building was razed two days later. ndrea R. Reid didn’t get the chance to run for her building’s basement. When a tornado ripped through Reid & Gaudet Law Group LLP’s downtown Springfield office at 969 Main St., all she could do was dive under her desk and wait out the chaos of swirling winds, shattered windows and flying debris. After tornadoes unleashed their fury on
Western and Central Massachusetts June 1, three people were dead and around 300 hospitalized, with $175 million in property damage claims. Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency after the storm. After President Barack Obama approved disaster relief funding, Patrick signed a bill that included $15 million to help residents and businesses recover from the damage. 6
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As we see more of a “graying” of our profession, more seasoned attorneys will soon be turning over the reins of the profession to younger, up-and-coming lawyers. To prepare for this shift, the more seasoned attorneys have the responsibility to nurture and show our less seasoned colleagues the way. I am confident that as you read this message, you will remember those persons who assisted you as you began your career and how important their mentorship was to your professional journey. We need to honor the legacy of those who have helped us in the past while carrying on that tradition in the future. As I have spoken throughout the state this year, I have encouraged colleagues to “reach behind and pull up one new lawyer in front of us.” To help, the Massachusetts Bar Association has wonderful mentoring programs, networking opportunities and events planned by the various sections, the Young Lawyers Division, the Lawyers in Transition Committee and our educational department. Programs such as “Basics” and “How to Start and Run” are among our most popular offerings as they provide much-needed lifelines for young or newly admitted attorneys. All of these beneficial opportunities are important, particularly in the difficult economic climate where the unemployment of new lawyers is causing many to tap their entrepreneurial spirit and open their own office. More seasoned practitioners can play a part to help such attorneys in their respective communities by connecting them with the various programs and events hosted by the MBA. 2
Program aims to aid medically vulnerable, low-income residents New effort will bring together patients, health care workers, volunteer attorneys by Jennifer Rosinski
and environmental factors,” said MBA Vice President Jeffrey N. Catalano, a partner at Todd & Weld LLP in Boston. “Through this program, MBA volunteers can strengthen health care teams and support low-income
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The Massachusetts Bar Association and the Medical-Legal Partnership Massachusetts network have joined forces to create a new program, the MBA Pro Bono Prescription. The pioneering initiative brings together volunteer attorneys and medical
professionals to promote the health and well-being of low-income patients through legal advocacy. “The MBA is particularly pleased and proud of this joint venture between the MBA and Medical-Legal Partnerships in Massachusetts. Medical-legal partnerships serve a critical role in providing services to residents whose health is impacted by social
patients by lending their expertise and service in such legal areas as substandard housing and domestic violence matters.” The House of Delegates, the MBA’s governing body, unanimously passed a resolution in January endorsing MLPs, which laid the ground for creating the partnership. The MBA’s support follows approval from the American Medical Association, which passed a similar resolution aimed at the medical profession in June 2010. The American Bar Association passed a 14
The family business
inside story on the SJC
FOR YOUR PRACTICE
Frank and John Morrissey profiled
Judge Gants speaks at labor conference
Not your average first year
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See page 2 for a complete listing of this issue’s contents.