The Connecticut Bar Association held its 2020 Annual Meeting on June 8 to thank the 2019-2020 CBA officers for their service and install the 2020-2021 CBA officers.
Executive Director Keith J. Soressi welcomed over 150 attendees to the virtual event and began with a moment of silence to honor those that have passed away this past bar year.
Ndidi N. Moses, president of the 2019-2020 bar year, then provided a year in review in reference to her theme for her presidency, “Balance for a Better Legal Profession,” which focused on “balancing customs with innovation, work with play, tribalism with community, networking to advance our own goals and being unofficial ambassadors for others, individual freedom with collective responsibility, listening and speaking.”
She went on to address the recent demonstrations throughout the country in response to the death of George Floyd in regard to the role of the profession: “As lawyers…we swore an oath to ensure the rule of law is protected by ensuring the scales of justice are balanced. So it follows logically that when those scales are unbalanced, it is incumbent on us as profession to realign them to ensure they are balanced once again.”
President Moses then announced that the CBA has created a Policing Task Force, which will convene community and law enforcement leaders in an earnest and frank dialogue about where we find ourselves in 2020. Learn more here.
Plaques were then presented to the outgoing officers for their dedicated service to the organization: Vincent P. Pace (Treasurer 2016-2020), Dahlia Grace (Secretary 2018-2020), David A. McGrath (Assistant Secretary-Treasurer 2019-2020), and Jonathan M. Shapiro (Immediate Past President 2018-2019).
President Moses virtually passed the gavel to incoming President Amy Lin Meyerson, who was introduced by Cindy Citrone, founder and chief executive officer of Citrone 33 and EMBRACE Pittsburgh. As longtime friends, Ms. Citrone reflected on their mutual philanthropic work and said of the incoming president, “When Amy commits to something, she gives it 100 percent and makes sure it gets done and gets done the right way.”
The 97th president of the association, Amy Lin Meyerson, is a solo practitioner of The Law Office of Amy Lin Meyerson in Weston where she practices in the area of domestic corporate law, concentrating in formation and growth of emerging businesses, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, computer law, and venture capital.
The new president shared her vision for the 2020-2021 bar year; she explained that throughout her career, she has “seen firsthand the power of connecting with others involved in the law and legal community, and the resulting success in promoting justice and strengthening our legal profession. It is, with that in mind, that this year’s theme is Connect to Succeed!” which reinforces the CBA’s commitment to ensure the benefits of bar membership are realized and to serve as the voice of the legal profession within the organized bar and with the public in Connecticut. She then introduced the “ABC’s of the CBA,” which outline the principles of the theme: Advance Justice, Broaden Networks, and Championing Our Communities.
She concluded her remarks with a note to her CBA family: “as we move strategically forward, many things about this bar year will not look anything like the past 96 CBA years. But regardless of the adaptations we have to make, you can rely upon us to continue to deliver the outstanding services and programs you need to be the exceptional legal professionals our citizens and communities rely upon. With your safety, health, and overall well-being at the forefront of our minds, we will plan and shape our legal landscape to bring you the full benefits of CBA membership. I believe that we will rise to meet this challenge through perseverance and innovation.”
President Meyerson then introduced her fellow incoming CBA officers: President-elect Cecil J. Thomas, Vice President Daniel J. Horgan, Treasurer Margaret I. Castinado, Secretary Erin O’Neil-Baker, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Amanda G. Schreiber, and Immediate Past President Ndidi N. Moses.
CBA Executive Director Keith J. Soressi closed the meeting by stating, "I am excited about the future of the bar and the profession as a whole."
View President Meyerson's Speech