by Therese M . Corsones , Esq .
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ’ S NEWS
The “ President ’ s Column ” normally appears in this space , but , don ’ t worry , it will appear again soon ! I ’ m only pinch-hitting for this edition due to unusual timing in the VBA Board officer hierarchy . Because former Board President Jennifer Emens-Butler ( very thankfully !) has stepped in as the new VBA Director of Education and Communication following Kevin Ryan ’ s departure to assume ED responsibilities in the Monroe County Bar Association , Mike Kennedy has assumed the role of Interim Board President until he passes the gavel to himself as Incoming President at the Annual Meeting on October 14 th . I ’ m sure that writing the President ’ s Column is what Mike looks forward to most !
I wanted to take this chance to first of all thank everyone for such a warm welcome . I had the pleasure of working with our world class VBA staff while serving on the VBA Board several years ago , but have even more appreciation for them now that I see what they accomplish so expertly day to day . I was invited to attend the Connecticut Bar Association Annual Meeting recently , and visited with the CBA staff there . That meeting had 1,000 lawyers in attendance , with a wide variety of CLE ’ s , exhibitors and presentations similar to what we enjoy at our annual meetings . I commented on how smoothly everything was running and asked how many staff the CBA has . “ Only 18 !” was the response , which I thought reflected very well regarding the VBA staff of “ only 6 !”, accomplishing similar tasks to the same high levels here in Vermont .
My starting in mid-May near the CLE crunch time for those lawyers up for license renewal , gave me the chance to see firsthand how the VBA staff is able to do what they do so well when it comes to our all-important CLE presentations . The staff works with the incredible number of attorneys who give so generously of their time and talents presenting CLE seminars . Whether it was VBA Environmental Law Section Chair , Gerry Tarrant , organizing a day-long Environmental Law program , or Family Law Section Chair , Penny Benelli , and Dispute Resolution Chair , Emily Gould , coordinating a day-long Family Law Day , or Dan Richardson ( who isn ’ t even a section chair !) organizing a day-long Agricultural Law Day program , or Bar Counsel , Mike Kennedy , organizing the most entertaining ethics presentations anywhere on the planet , we are very lucky to have so many fellow lawyers who consistently share their expertise . The VBA could never offer what it does at the low cost it does without your generosity of time and effort .
I also wanted to thank the county bar associations that I ’ ve had the chance to meet with so far , for all that they do to bring together their members and to help them in their practices . I very much enjoyed getting to attend Chittenden County , Washington County , and Franklin-Grand Isle Counties Bar gatherings so far , and look forward to upcoming Rutland and Bennington County Bar gatherings . I shouldn ’ t admit this , but I ’ m in my 30 th year as Secretary / Treasurer of the Rutland County Bar Association ( that ’ s what I get for missing a meeting in 1986 !). I know how beneficial county bar relationships can be , and promise on behalf of the VBA to do what we can to be a resource to county bars . Along those lines , following are a few initiatives that we ’ re working on that will involve county bar associations in particular , and Vermont lawyers in general :
Legislators ’ Days in Each County
In recognition of the fact that many legislators may not have had the opportunity to observe actual court hearings , or to be aware of the aftermath of decisions that they make that affects our court processes , we plan to organize Legislators ’ Days in each county this November , shortly after the General Election . Several counties have held Legislators ’ Days in the past , with excellent results . Area legislators are invited to attend regularly scheduled court hearings on a specific date . They ’ re provided court calendars and have the chance to attend whatever type hearing they wish at whatever number of courthouses is in the particular county . They ’ re then typically invited to a light luncheon with the judicial officers ; if a county bar is involved with the planning process , a representative of the bar may also be in attendance . The luncheon gives area legislators , judges , attorneys and court staff the chance to interact and learn from one another . Legislators are likewise invited to ask questions of judicial officers and lawyers in attendance at the end of the day ’ s hearings , regarding any questions they might have regarding the hearings .
Legislators ’ Day is an opportunity for legislators to see what happens in a courthouse , to see how hard judges , attorneys and court staff are working under often very challenging circumstances , and to see the impact that ever-increasing numbers of pro se litigants have on court processes . It ’ s also an opportunity for the bar and courts
Apparently , only Mike Kennedy was willing to be recognized at the VLS graduation where Bob Paolini was granted an honorary degree !
to work together to assist legislators , so that they have helpful information ( and contacts ) when they ’ re evaluating legislation affecting the courts and your clients . It ’ s also useful if there ’ s a primary focus at a Legislators ’ Day . For example , several years ago the focus was on proposed legislation affecting the foreclosure crisis ; more recently , the focus was on the burgeoning juvenile docket and its effect on judicial resources and other dockets . Stay tuned for information about Legislators ’ Days in your county .
Constitution Day in Each County
Also regarding law-related education , the VBA would like to be a resource to our members and county bar associations regarding Constitution Day , traditionally celebrated on September 17 each year . We encourage lawyers and judges to approach area high schools and area service clubs , to present basic information about the Constitution and its relevance in today ’ s society . We are happy to provide however many “ Pocket Constitutions ” you might need for this outreach effort , as well as templates for requests to make 30 – 60 minute presentations , as well as the presentations themselves . Presentations qualify for CLE credits . It ’ s been suggested by legislators that they also participate , allowing attendees to ask questions of representatives of two of the three co-equal branches of our government . Please contact me at tcorsones @ vtbar . org if you ’ re interested in making a Constitution Day presentation in your county . www . vtbar . org THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • SUMMER 2016 5