Practice Resources
March
From left to right: Family Law Section Council Chair Marc E. Fitzgerald and Vice Chair Michael I. Flores.
Welcome message
Welcome to the March Family Law Section newsletter.
It's time for everyone to get ready for spring and what better
time than to discuss some upcoming events for fall. I'd like
to remind those early planners to get ready for the annual family
law conference being held at Chatham Bars Inn, Friday, Oct. 28 and
Saturday, Oct. 29.
For those that may be interested, please do not hesitate to
contact myself or Mike Flores, if you have an interesting ideas for
a CLE that you'd like to present on behalf of the MBA.
As for upcoming legislation: We are monitoring the proposed
alimony legislation and also a particular piece of legislation
regarding changing the terminology around custody as it relates to
parenting schedules. These pieces of legislation could
certainly change how all of us practice. No big news yet, but we
will keep you posted!
Almost opening day!!
Marc E. Fitzgerald, chair
Michael I. Flores, vice chair
Family Law Section Council
Upcoming Family Law Section Council meeting
As a member of the Family Law section, you are invited to attend
the Family Law Section Council meeting on Tuesday, April 5
from 5 to 7 p.m. at the MBA, 20 West St., Boston.
Upcoming CLE seminar
Upcoming MBA CLE program of interest to Family Law
practitioners.
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Assisted Reproductive Technology:
Current Trends, Practice and Procedure 
Thursday, April 14, 4-7
p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
This program will examine the law of Assisted Reproductive
Technology (ART) from both an academic and pragmatic perspective.
Panel members will discuss the relevant statutory as well as case
law and how it is relentlessly outpaced by the rapidly advancing
field of reproductive technology. The program will also focus on
the ramifications of the evolving law for the practitioner
representing clients in both a transactional and litigation
context.
The faculty includes: Michael I. Flores, Esq.,
program chair, The Law Offices of Michael I. Flores LLC, Orleans;
Hon. Edward F. Donnelly, Middlesex Probate &
Family Court-East Cambridge Session; Susan L. Crockin,
Esq., Crockin Law & Policy Group LLC, Newton; and
Joyce Kauffman, Esq., Law Office of Joyce Kaufman,
Cambridge.
Interested in learning more about another MBA section?
Check out upcoming section open meetings
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Limited Assistance Representation
open meeting
Thursday, April 28, 4:30-5:30
p.m.
Brockton Courthouse, 215 Main St., Brockton
The MBA's General Practice, Solo & Small-Firm Section is
sponsoring a three-part series of open meetings on Limited
Assistance Representation (LAR) around the commonwealth. The second
open meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 5 from 4:30 to 5:30
p.m. at Brockton Courthouse, 215 Main St., Brockton. All MBA
members are invited to attend. The program's focus will
include:
- What is LAR;
- How LAR can benefit both the legal profession and clients with
limited means;
- How to qualify for LAR; and
- What forms and agreements you will need to streamline your LAR
practice.
Panelists include include: Hon. Catherine P.
Sabaitis, first justice, Plymouth Probate and Family
Court; and Barbara L. Nason Esq., Ryan and Faenza,
Walpole.
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Juvenile & Child Welfare
Section Council Bench-Bar meeting
Wednesday, May 4, 3:30-5:30
p.m.
Worcester Law Library, 50 Harvard St.,
Worcester
The MBA's Juvenile & Child Welfare Section Council is
sponsoring its fourth Bench-Bar meeting at the Worcester Law
Library Wednesday, May 4 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The meeting is free
to all attorneys interested in the practice of juvenile & child
welfare law.
This presentation will focus on the Standing Order for Care and
Protection Trials and implementation of new laws for young adults
(ages 18-22) in DCF custody and harassment prevention orders.
The program will be moderated by Peter A. Hahn,
chair, Juvenile & Child Welfare Section Council. Additional
panelists will be announced.
SAVE THE DATE: The final bench-bar meeting will be held on Monday,
June 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the MBA, 20 West St., Boston.
Panelists include Hon. Michael F. Edgerton, chief justice, Juvenile
Court. Click
here to R.S.V.P. as space is limited.
Save the date: MBA Member Appreciation Week, April 4-8
Participate in exclusive events, giveaways and raffles
Click here for more information on raffles and
to enter to win.
The MBA is on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Join the conversation today
The Massachusetts Bar Association now has a presence on three
social networking platforms, including Facebook, launched in October 2010, LinkedIn, launched in January 2010, and Twitter,
launched in July 2009. All three social media platforms feature
information about the MBA including CLE, events and news.
As an MBA member, we encourage you to both post items of
interest to you, and the greater legal community, on these pages
and comment on items already posted.
Put your name out there
The goal of section councils is to offer members opportunities
for professional growth and development through participation in
section activities. One opportunity available to section members is
publishing articles which are of interest to fellow practitioners.
The MBA provides several forums for articles by section members -
Lawyers Journal and the Massachusetts Law Review.
If you are interested in writing an article for any of these
publications or if you have seen articles which you think may be of
interest to other Family Law Section members, please contact Jean Stevens for more information regarding this
opportunity.
MBA Centennial Conference Co-Chairs Marsha V. Kazarosian and Douglas K. Sheff.
MBA Centennial Conference to feature three concurrent educational tracks on Young Lawyers, Litigation and Substantive legal topics
Register for the conference by April 1 and receive $50 off a full conference pass
The MBA's Centennial Conference, a celebration of the MBA's
century of service to the public, profession and rule of law, will
take place on Wednesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 19 at the Boston
Sheraton Hotel.
The conference will feature three concurrent continuing legal
education tracks that will kick-off on Wednesday, May 18 with a
half-day of programming and continue with a full-day of seminars on
Thursday, May 19.
Click here to
register on or before Friday, April 1 and receive $50 off a full
conference pass.
Programming on Wednesday, May 18 includes:
Programming on Thursday, May 19 includes:
The MBA's Centennial Conference will also feature the annual
Access to Justice Awards Luncheon on May 18 and the Centennial Ball
on May 19. The ball will include a keynote address from
Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen G.
Breyer and a special MBA Hennessey Award presentation to
retiring U.S. District Court Judge Nancy
Gertner.
Look for the full schedule of programming, including
descriptions and faculty, as well as information about the rest of
the conference events in future issues of Lawyers Journal,
Lawyers e-Journal and in e-mail communication.