On May 4, the Massachusetts Bar Association participated in the American Bar Association’s annual ABA Day in Washington, D.C.
MBA leadership, including President Warren Fitzgerald, President-Elect Mark D. Mason, General Counsel Martin W. Healy and Legislative Activities Manager Lee Constantine, met with leaders of other states’ bars from throughout every region of the United States, along with ABA staff, to discuss key federal legislation of interest to the organized bar.
Issues that were discussed included medical malpractice reform, the government’s use of attorney-client privilege waivers in federal criminal matters and funding for the Legal Services Corporation. Recently, the U.S. Senate rejected a wide-sweeping legislative proposal that would have restricted the rights of malpractice victims.
Meetings were held with U.S Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Congressmen Michael E. Capuano, John F. Tierney, James P. McGovern, Richard E. Neal and William D. Delahunt, as well as staff from Senator Kennedy’s office and U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch’s office.