Leaders of the Massachusetts Bar Association brought significant legal issues to the attention of congressional leaders on Capitol Hill during the American Bar Association Day on April 29-30.
The leadership team - which included MBA President Joseph P.J. Vrabel, MBA President-Elect Richard Van C. Nostrand, MBA Vice President Kathleen M. O'Donnell,MBA Executive Director Abigail Shaine and MBA Legislative Activities Manager Lee Ann Iannacchino - spoke to members of Congress to foster communication between Massachusetts lawyers and the state's congressional representatives. Also attending ABA Day were former MBA presidents Alice Richmond, who serves on the ABA Board of Governors, and Massachusetts ABA delegate Michael S. Greco, who also is a candidate for president-elect of the national organization.
The leaders spoke with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Congressmen Martin Meehan, Richard E. Neal, William Delahunt and James P. McGovern, as well as an aide to Congressman John Tierney.
In addition, the MBA leadership pushed for funding for the Legal Services Corporation. They also spoke with the delegation concerning legal matters at the forefront of the national arena: opposing the preemption of state medical professional liability laws and protecting the independence of the judiciary by supporting increased judicial salaries.