Search

Mass. Bar Foundation elects officers and trustees

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013
Article Picture
Top: New life members of the MBF Society of Fellows (from left to right): Frank A. Smith III of Frank A. Smith III & Associates PC, Robert V. Ward Jr. of Kurnos Law, Judith Farris Bowman of Bowman, Moos, Elder & Noe, Administrative Office of the Probate and Family Court Judge Megan H. Christopher, J. Owen Todd of Todd & Weld, James E. McGuire of JAMS and Gerald P. Hendrick of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP. Bottom: MBF Officers (from left to right): President Jerry Cohen of Burns & Levinson LLP, Secretary Lawrence J. Farber of the Law Office of Lawrence J. Farber, Treasurer Janet F. Aserkoff of Rappaport, Aserkoff & Gelles and Vice President Robert J. Ambrogi of the Law Office of Robert J. Ambrogi. Photos by Merrill Shea.

On Jan. 24, the fellows of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation gathered for their Annual Meeting at the Social Law Library in the John Adams Courthouse. Following the recommendations of the Nominating Committee chaired by Steven Wollman and including Francis Ford, Wendy Sibbison and Craig Stewart, the MBF Fellows unanimously elected the following:

Officers

  • President Jerry Cohen, Burns & Levinson LLP, Boston;
  • Vice President Robert J. Ambrogi, Law Office of Robert J. Ambrogi, Rockport;
  • Treasurer Janet F. Aserkoff, Rappaport, Aserkoff & Gelles, Boston; and
  • Secretary Lawrence J. Farber, Law Office of Lawrence J. Farber, Amherst.

Trustees

  • Frank J. Ciano, Law Office of Frank J. Ciano, Cambridge;
  • Lewis C. Eisenberg, Cosgrove, Eisenberg & Kiley PC, Quincy;
  • Hon. Andre A. Gelinas, Fitchburg;
  • Gerald P. Hendrick, Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, Boston;
  • Dennis M. Lindgren, Pierce & Mandell PC, Boston;
  • Angela McConney Scheepers, Commonwealth of MA -- Division of Administrative Law Appeals, Boston; and
  • Andrew Rainer, Office of the Attorney General, Boston.

In addition to presenting the Great Friend of Justice Award to MBA Past President Leo V. Boyle of Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow PC, the MBF inducted 19 new life members into the MBF Society of Fellows, all of whom successfully completed generous pledges made to advance the MBF's mission of increasing access to justice.

In sharing his vision for the year ahead, MBF President Jerry Cohen reaffirmed the MBF's determination to preserve the structure and scope of legal services in the commonwealth. He urged outreach by the MBF fellows to identify new sources of "money, time, and compassion" to mitigate the effects of the drastic cuts in IOLTA and other funding sources for the foundation and its grantees. Cohen reminded all in attendance, "it's easy to become jaded when we hear of great need and the like, but it's not enough to say the need is great, we also have to say the cause is right."