SIDEBAR Summer 2017 - 6

MONTGOMERYBAR.ORG

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

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Diversity 1L
The Diversity 1L program begins its 9th year and approaches
a decade of offering diverse law students an opportunity to learn
and hopefully one day practice in Montgomery County. Under
the leadership of Carolyn R. Mirabile and Gerald L. Shoemaker,
eight first-year law students from five different law schools
are participating. These diverse students have been matched
among eight law firms for a summer of learning. The program
participants also will be attending Monday morning breakfasts
at the Association to interact with different diverse speakers.
Through this extraordinary program, the MBA is able to make
practicing in Montgomery County an attractive option for these
diverse future attorneys.
Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy is well into its third program year
with an incredibly talented and motivated class. At the Annual
Business Luncheon in January of this year, I called upon the

MBA to re-examine its diversity programming periodically as a
matter of course, but especially in 2017 as it has been a decade
since the MBA set out to make diversity a priority. This year's
Leadership Academy has taken up the task. There really is no
better group to lead this examination, as they are representative
of the future of the MBA and they are themselves diverse in
nearly every respect of that word. I look forward to working
with the Leadership Academy for a full exploration of diversity,
and a top-down review of the MBA's diversity programming.
Legislation
The MBA is monitoring at least two important pieces of
substantive legislation affecting our practices and clients. We
should all be familiar by now with SB76, Senator Argall's
property tax reform bill that includes a tax on most legal
services. The threat that SB76 will be brought to a vote in the
Senate remains, and the MBA is monitoring its status. In June,
our Executive Director Nancy R. Paul, our lobbyists, and I went
to Harrisburg to meet with legislators in opposition to SB76
and to explain the importance of legal journals. Another piece
of important legislation is the Resolution of the Montgomery
Bar Association Regarding House Bill No. 1250 that would
effectively gut the Commonwealth's spousal support laws. The
MBA Family Law Section immediately leapt to the forefront
of this issue, passing a resolution to oppose this legislation. The
MBA formally adopted the position of the Family Law Section
at its May Board of Director's meeting. Thank you to Andrew
D. Taylor, Chair of the Family Law Section, for taking the lead
on this important matter.
Justice Center

Cutting Edge Trial Presentation Support since 2000

The Justice Center Committee continues to do its work.
After site visits to Bucks County, the Philadelphia Family Court
and Chester County Court of Common Pleas, the Committee
is now compiling comments for submission to the County for
inclusion in the project. This Committee examined specific areas
of concern, including technology, security, courtroom design
and layout, public spaces, and internal flow. The Committee
will be working with its consultant to identify any additional
comments as well. The Justice Center Committee is an excellent
example of the benefits of having mutually supportive bench
and bar relations.
Passing

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6 SIDEBAR

It is with much sadness that I report on the passing of the
Honorable Horace A. Davenport on March 21, 2017. Judge
Davenport served as Montgomery County's first AfricanAmerican Judge. Later in his tenure on the bench, he defined
case settlement and dispute resolution in the county and served
as the namesake of the MBA's Davenport Dispute Resolution

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SIDEBAR Summer 2017