Message from the President, September 2019

Welcome back, Colleagues!  The Greensboro Bar Association is back from summer break and we are planning an exciting year for our members.

Before I share some of those plans with you, I feel it appropriate to acknowledge the profound loss to our legal community that occurred on August 3, 2019 when the Honorable Tom Jarrell passed away.  We not only lost our Chief District Court Judge, but we also lost a model public servant, a wonderful person and a friend.  We will miss Judge Jarrell and on behalf of the Greensboro Bar Association, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Cindy, and his three sons: Thomas, Robert and David.

The beginning of this Greensboro Bar Association year comes with a reminder to all that we are now the 24th Judicial District.  And to coincide with our new district number, the Greensboro Bar Association will soon introduce a new website.  We are putting the final touches on the website and expect to send all members specific directions about how to claim your listing and add your practice areas to your profile.  When you receive this email, please take a few moments to browse the site and its many functions.  A special thank you is in order to Diane Lowe for her persistence in making this new website a reality!

While I look forward to serving as your President this year, I can’t do this job without your help.  So, my first request of each member of the Greensboro Bar is to reach out to me and the Board with your feedback and suggestions about how we can serve you better than ever before.

As our year gets started, we will hit the ground running.  At press time, we are finalizing plans for a few events in September.  On September 3, 2019, the GBA, with the help of Kearns Davis, will greet a delegation of lawyers from Haiti who will be observing court in Greensboro.  All members are welcome to join us in the newly renovated “lawyers lounge” on the second floor of the courthouse in Greensboro.  Details will be emailed to members.  Next, our monthly meeting will be a luncheon at Greensboro Country Club on September 19, 2019, with a special presentation from BarCARES.  We are also organizing a membership outing on September 20, 2019 to the Community Theatre of Greensboro to enjoy a presentation of the Broadway hit musical, “Memphis.”  We hope you will take the opportunity to join us as we step back in time to 1950’s Memphis, Tennessee, where singing and dancing surround serious social justice themes.  Look for an email about how to get your tickets.

With the help of my Board Members and Committee Chairs, we plan to emphasize three goals this year: (1) providing pro bono and community service opportunities for members seeking to meet our ethical recommendations of annual service, (2) improving member camaraderie by emphasizing monthly membership socials and recruitment outings for members and potential members, and (3) building upon previously successful educational programs to provide affordable, quality CLE programs all year long.  We hope you will see the value of your membership in these goals as well as the monthly meeting opportunities.