Lawyers Journal

What happened at the Boston Marathon last April was a horrible tragedy. With the next marathon upon us, I want to reflect on what has happened since that fateful day and recognize the inspiring people who have run "the marathon between marathons" along the road to recovery.

Who are these people? First and foremost, they are the survivors who have been working hard and retraining every day to overcome their injuries. Some are teaching themselves to walk again. Some are learning to see, hear and feel again. Some are fighting unseen injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). Almost all of them are learning what a new normal feels like.

State Sen. Will Brownsberger began 2014 with a new role when he was appointed chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary by Senate President Therese Murray in January. While the chairmanship is a fairly new position for Brownsberger, he is certainly no stranger to the Massachusetts legal community, given his diverse legal background.

A native of Watertown and a resident of Belmont, Brownsberger has represented the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District in the Senate since 2012. His district covers Back Bay, Fenway, Brighton, Watertown and Belmont, and also includes the south end of Allston. Brownsberger also served as a state representative for the 24th Middlesex District from 2007 to 2012.

The Massachusetts Bar Association will pay tribute to the Hon. Suzanne V. DelVecchio (ret.) and WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens at the May 1 Excellence in the Law event, co-presented by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. DelVecchio has been selected to receive the Daniel F. Toomey Excellence in the Judiciary Award and Stevens will be honored with the MBA's Excellence in Legal Journalism Award.

The annual Excellence in the Law event, which will be held at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, also features award presentations in the following areas: Up & Coming Lawyers, Excellence in Pro Bono, Paralegal, Marketing and Firm Administration.

The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) will hold its 2014 Annual Dinner on Thursday, May 15, at the Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer St., Boston. Chris Matthews, a highly respected political news commentator who hosts the top-rated "Hardball" program on MSNBC, will deliver the keynote address. Matthews is also a celebrated author of several literary works, including books profiling some of Massachusetts' favorite sons, John F. Kennedy and Tip O'Neill.