Here is what I know about Maryland lawyers: We are not a profession in decline. We are a profession that has undersold itself. We have extraordinary talent across every practice area, every career stage, every corner of the state. We have infrastructure. We have institutions. We have each other. What we have sometimes lacked is the architecture to connect it all so every member feels that this association was built for them, not just around them. Because the future strength of this profession depends on three things being true at the same time: That we see ourselves as one profession. We hold ourselves to one standard. And that we commit ourselves to a rule of law that is not merely promised but fully realized. That is the work ahead of us. That is what this year is for.
ONE PROFESSION
I believe in sections. I believe in the specialized knowledge and community they create. But I also believe that a trial attorney in Garrett County and a transactional lawyer in Montgomery County are fighting for the same thing: the integrity of a system that millions of Marylanders depend on every single day. This year, we deepen those connections. We strengthen our sections through shared purpose, not siloed identity. We make clear that “the bar” is NOT a building in Baltimore; it is every one of you. We begin immediately.
In June, we relaunched our Section Leadership Annual Training, rebuilt to create alignment, build confidence, and prepare every section leader to lead and to collaborate.
ONE STANDARD
I am the Public Defender. I have spent my career in courtrooms and communities where people’s lives turned on whether they had access to a lawyer—a lawyer who was present, prepared, and well. Well-being is not a soft topic. It is a professional standard. We will treat it as one. The Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) is part of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and has done important work. But “call us when you’re in crisis” is not a wellness strategy. This year, we will formalize an early-intervention partnership between LAP and the Attorney Grievance Commission, so we reach lawyers before their breaking point, not after. We will also take the underrepresentation of women at the leadership table of this profession seriously. A profession that does not fully utilize its talent is a weaker profession. Full stop. This year, we name it, measure it, and build the pathways through our Profiles in Leadership initiative, Bar Leadership 101, and deliberate sponsorship. The future leadership of this profession should look more like the profession itself.
THE RULE OF LAW, FULLY REALIZED
We are living in a moment that is testing the rule of law in ways many of us did not expect to see in our lifetimes. Access to justice is not a peripheral concern of this bar. It is the center. It is why we exist. Our responsibility is not merely to defend the rule of law when it is challenged but to strengthen public confidence in it when it is doubted. This fall, we will publish the first MSBA Annual Advocacy Impact Report. It is a concrete accounting of our work and our wins translated into real member and public value. If we are doing the work, the people we serve should be able to see it.
The future of our profession will not be shaped only by courts and legislatures. It will also be shaped by technology. This summer, we will also launch MSBA’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Certification Program, positioning MSBA as Maryland’s authoritative voice on legal technology and artificial intelligence. The lawyers who shape how AI is used in this profession should be us, not tech vendors, not default settings, not whoever gets there first.
I became a lawyer because I believed the law could make people’s lives better. Thirty years later, I still do. I am still trying to make lives better in this office, with MSBA, alongside each of you. One profession. One standard. The rule of law, fully realized. The moment is NOW. LET’S GET TO WORK.