BerksBarrister_Fall2021 - 6

w w w . B E R K SB A R .o r g
Opening Statement
Our Best
Selves
W
e spent
the early
part of this
year making lemonade
out of the lemons
that life gave us. Now,
because of the hard
work and dedication
of so many, and
because so many of
our members supported the Bar Association by
attending the Conference, I am both thrilled and
proud of the fact that we went back to business as
usual. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank
the Bench-Bar Committee co-chairs, Jill Scheidt
and Allen Shollenberger, for their tireless planning
and dedication to making the dream of an in-person
2021 Bench-Bar Conference a reality, and I want to
thank everyone who gave their time and talents to
make this in-person event a success.
There were so many highlights of the day, but two really stand
out. First, I very much enjoyed the presentation that Dan Nevins
moderated regarding peak performance in the courtroom. Second,
we were delighted to welcome 2021 Pennsylvania Bar Association
President Kathleen Wilkinson and listen to her speech where she
shared her ambitious agenda for the PBA.
A holistic approach
While these presentations were undeniably different, both had
an overarching theme of a holistic approach to well-being. Dan's
presentation focused on how a commitment to fitness, sleep habits,
and mindfulness are tantamount to personal and professional
success in our profession. In President Wilkinson's speech, she also
focused on well-being, but she did so by emphasizing how
Pennsylvania Bar Association President
Kathleen Wilkinson's message about the
benefits of civility in our profession was a
highlight of the Bench-Bar Conference.
we treat one another. While introducing
President Wilkinson, I read a quote on this
subject from a previous interview with Law360,
when she said, " Civility ties into wellness and
quality of life. If we conduct ourselves with
professionalism and kindness, it's better for the
courts, our clients, and ourselves. It is much
less stressful to treat everyone with dignity and
respect. "
Celebrating shared experiences
To me, both presentations were just
different sides of the same coin, and their
messages are more important than ever. Every day we see people
struggling with a global pandemic, but as a society, instead of
banding together and rising up collectively for the greater good,
our society is now more divided than ever before. If you don't
believe me, attend a local school board hearing. What I took from
the Peak Performance presentation and President Wilkinson's
message was that we must focus on taking care of ourselves and
being kind to others to be our best selves.
We can achieve this through service to others, sharing our
knowledge and expertise, and continuing to learn information and
skills to hone our craft. And, most importantly, coming together
with our friends and colleagues to celebrate our shared experiences
in this profession.
I cannot express how proud I am of the members of this
organization for answering the call to service, time and time again.
Without fail, our great sections and committees have stepped up
to provide innovative programming for our members,
using technology, such as Zoom, that most of us had
never heard of prior to March of 2020. All of us did so
out of necessity, and because of our deep commitment
to the Bar Association. I am, and forever will be,
grateful for the support and service that you have all
provided during these trying times.
Mr. Bodor is the 88th President of the Berks
County Bar Association and serves as an
Assistant District Attorney for the County
of Berks.
6 | Berks Barrister
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BerksBarrister_Fall2021

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