Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2021 - 6

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Opening Statement
Continued from page 5
While we should all be proud of what we have accomplished
in the past year, we're not done yet. Our bar association continues
to focus on providing valuable services to the membership.
First and foremost, our great Committees and Sections are
planning and scheduling a number of lunchtime CLE seminars,
with a goal of offering at least 12 CLE credits prior to the first
CLE compliance deadline of April 30.

Justin and Carl Mantz: This past year, our Bar has adapted,
improvised and overcome to continue serving members, such as Carl
Mantz. Our Mardi Gras celebration is just one example.

In fact, the staff and board of directors have used technology
to provide services to the membership, whether it is affordable
CLE seminars, our first-ever online Mardi Gras concert, and
even a Bench-Bar Conference -- all via Zoom!
Last year at this time, I never would have imagined writing
this sentence, and I certainly had never heard of Zoom.

But, here were are, trying to find ways to adapt, improvise, and
overcome. Not all bar associations around the Commonwealth
have been as active as ours, and for that, I am extremely thankful
for the hard work and dedication of our fellow Board members,
Committee and Section chairs, past Presidents, and all of our bar
association staff.

While I'd much rather attend Committee and Section
meetings in person, the convenience of attending via Zoom has
allowed me to attend nearly all of the scheduled meetings, and it is
an understatement to say that I have been impressed with the level
of dedication and commitment to service of the Committee and
Section members. I urge all our members to become active in one
or more Committees and Sections. They are truly the heart and
soul of our Association.
In addition to providing CLE's, our sections are thinking
outside the box to provide social events and activities for our
members. For example, the Wellness Committee has started a
book club, which will be a great way for our Association members
to connect, and the Entertainment Committee is hard at work
planning a summer picnic.

While the early part of 2021 has looked much like 2020, our
Bar Association has refused to sit idle and wait until the pandemic
ends. I pledge to you that we will continue to innovate and work
hard every day to provide services to our members and to be
leaders in the community. We will get through this together, and
we will be stronger for it.
Mr. Bodor is the 88th President of the Berks County Bar
Association and serves as an Assistant District Attorney for
the County of Berks.

	 I'm also proud of the way our Judges and attorneys have
embraced the use of technology to continue to provide access to
justice for our community.
Again, none of us could have envisioned that we would be
conducted hearings via Teams or Zoom, but our commitment
to justice and fairness to all guided our Judges and attorneys to
implement new technology and to keep cases moving through
our court system.

It certainly wasn't easy, but the members of this Association
sought new and creative ways to fulfill our commitment to the
public. While we may take for granted the fact that we still have
dockets full of hearings and even jury trials, believe me when I
say that our county court system is a model for the rest of the
Commonwealth.
" Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit
there. "

6 | Berks Barrister

Justin and PamVanFossen: Service with a smile - even behind a
mask - during our Mardi Gras Celebration on February 16. Thanks
to Law Journal Editor Pam VanFossen and all of our members who
patiently waited for their meals from Judy's on Cherry.
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Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2021

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