The following is an excerpt from President Jeffrey N.
Catalano's speech at the MBA's Annual Dinner on May 4.
It has been a true honor to serve as the MBA president this
year. My presidency has been the sum of the amazing people who have
supported me. I deeply appreciate the advice and support of my
fellow officers Chris Sullivan, Chris Kenney, John Morrissey and
Denise Murphy, along with Marty Healy and the staff at the MBA. I
am also thankful for my firm Todd & Weld for their backing. And
I am especially grateful to my wonderful wife Elizabeth and
terrific kids Zach and Tessa for their encouragement.
Before I started this year as president, former MBA President
and good friend Leo Boyle cautioned me to expect the unexpected.
That turned out to be quite prophetic. These turbulent political
times presented me and the MBA with more opportunities and
obligations for civic engagement than I truly could have expected.
But where many see our society as deeply divided, I see exciting
opportunities for all of us to become more invested in our justice
system as a voice for fairness and equality. Whatever our political
persuasion, everyone is fighting to protect these two core
principles. And the MBA is giving new life to these words by
reigniting passionate and well-informed participation.
I started my year by asking all of you to "join us in
leadership," and so many of you have answered the call. Some of you
have launched and participated in our successful new Leadership
Academy. This program nurtures future impressive leaders who will
listen, collaborate, and inspire. Very many have helped mentor high
school students through our Judicial Youth Corps, Tiered Community
Mentoring and Mock Trial programs, which create future advocates
for justice.
Our members have organized and attended packed seminars on
criminal and juvenile justice issues, and our seminar on implicit
bias in our legal system. Hundreds of you listened to our new
podcasts on the Homeless Court and about a play we co-sponsored
with the MBLA for high school students engaging them on complex
issues of race, gender, and religion. Some of you volunteered with
me and military veterans on a community service project in Lowell
on Veterans Day.
And an overwhelming number of you voiced your support for our
historic Immigration Resolution, proclaiming our support for due
process rights and legal representation for immigrants in
deportation and detention proceedings.
There are many fingerprints all over the great work we do. So
many of you have put the interest of others before yourself. And I
deeply appreciate that.
But we are not done yet. We are now working hard to expand free
and affordable legal representation to low-income people across the
state. The doors of justice are still shut to so many fellow
citizens who lack the ability to afford a lawyer.
Indifference is no longer an option. Our commonwealth needs
lawyers to enlist and do more. The MBA has stepped up and grabbed
hands with our friends in our affinity, minority and county bar
associations.
But it's going to take a larger volunteer force to continue the
fight for fairness and equality. A modern Massachusetts "battalion"
that ensures that our legal system stays true to itself no matter
how overwhelmed we may feel at times. I say that with optimism.
Since its formation, this state has gone against the odds in the
past and succeeded. In our recent past, we were the first state to
pass statewide health care, and make it work. We were the first
state to stand up for the right to gay marriage, which emboldened
other states to follow us. So Massachusetts lawyers, legislators,
and judges are undaunted and always ready to lead the charge.
I also remain optimistic because throughout my presidential
year, I have come into contact with so many of you who are doing so
much good. Our association is more active than ever.
So to repeat what I said at the beginning of my presidency:
please join us in leadership. Because the MBA is the sum of the
amazing people who support us.