The Massachusetts Bar Association has been approved by the
Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Advisory Committee on
Professionalism to administer a mandatory Practicing with
Professionalism course for new lawyers admitted to the
Massachusetts bar, pursuant to the new SJC Rule 3:16.
Effective Sept. 1, 2013, Rule 3:16 requires all newly admitted
Massachusetts lawyers to complete a day-long program to assist in
the transition from law school to the practice of law. The
Practicing with Professionalism course will provide new attorneys
with an understanding of their duties in the legal profession as
members of the bar.
Starting in 2014, the MBA will offer the course in partnership
with the University of Massachusetts School of Law, and with the
assistance and collaboration of county bar associations. The course
will be held in five UMass campus locations across the
commonwealth: Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Worcester and
Lowell.
"The MBA has always been in the forefront in providing affordable
continuing legal education to lawyers in the commonwealth. We felt
it was natural for us, as the only statewide bar association, to
offer the programs," MBA President-elect and Education Chair Marsha
V. Kazarosian said. "It is important to the MBA to participate in
the excellence of our practicing attorneys."
The MBA's day-long, interactive course will cover all practice
areas, including law office management, professionalism and
civility, professional ethics, the bar discipline system, managing
the attorney-client relationship, the dos and don'ts of social
media, the availability of mentoring and continuing legal
education, an introduction to general and affinity bar associations
and the importance and availability of pro bono opportunities.
Course faculty includes judges, experienced attorneys and
professors.
Look for more information about the MBA's professionalism
courses on www.massbar.org, in future issues of Lawyers Journal,
Lawyers e-Journal and in e-mail communication.