Message from the President, May 2025

Dear Members of the Greensboro Bar Association,

As this bar year comes to a close, I find myself filled with deep gratitude and pride as I reflect on the accomplishments of the Greensboro Bar Association since June 1, 2024. It has been a true honor and privilege to serve as your President this year, and I am sincerely thankful for the trust you placed in me to lead this incredible organization.

When I began this journey, I shared that my theme for the year would be service—service to our community, to one another, and to the ideals of our profession. I am proud to say that we fully embraced this mission. From our very first member meeting in September 2024 to our most recent gatherings, our programming has been thoughtful, timely, and impactful. We were inspired by guest speakers, educated through CLEs, and connected with one another through engaging events that reminded us why the GBA is such a vital part of our legal community.

Our commitment to pro bono work was exemplified in November when Theodora Vaporis was honored with the 2024 Pro Bono Award for her unwavering dedication to access to justice. The Pro Bono Committee held the second annual MLK Ask-A-Lawyer Day in January 2025 to provide an outlet where community members could get their legal questions answered by volunteer attorneys. The 2024 Herb Falk Society was also recognized this year for pro bono legal service in excess of 75 hours in 2024. Our Community Involvement Committee organized several service projects, including a meaningful event with the Out of the Garden Project that allowed us to combat food insecurity right here in Guilford County in addition to the creation of the Robert C. Cone Community Involvement Society, recognizing GBA members who served our community outside of pro bono legal services as prescribed in the NC Rules of Professional Conduct.

In December, our annual Holiday Celebration at Elon Law brought us together for an evening of warmth, fellowship, and reflection. The event was a festive highlight, filled with the spirit of camaraderie that defines our Association.

Our Mentorship Committee continued to bridge the gap between generations of lawyers, fostering valuable connections and supporting the next wave of legal professionals. Meanwhile, our CLE Committee ensured that we remained educated and empowered in our practices, providing a slate of high-quality programming throughout the year. Our Annual CLE in February 2025 raised a record amount of funds for the Greensboro Bar Association Foundation, allowing the GBAF to award grants to local legal non-profit organizations later this calendar year.

We took lead in our community to donate to our colleagues and neighbors in Western NC after Helene. We collected funds to allow students at Jones Elementary to “buy” books at their annual book fair. We raised record funds for our Foundation through our Annual CLE seminar. We raised over $20,000 with our annual LANC fundraiser. As recognition to the outstanding contributions of our long-time GBA members, we created the Greensboro Bar Association Foundation Fellows to recognize a select 10% of the GBA membership for their contributions while raising funds for our Foundation to expand the work we do each year with our annual grants awarded to community non-profits. The GBA set a standard as one of two voluntary bar organizations in all of North Carolina to stand up for the Rule of Law with our March 31, 2025 Statement in Support of the Bar Organizations Letter with the American Bar Association.

We celebrated our members’ accomplishments, cheered their appointments and recognitions, and supported one another through challenges and triumphs alike. And behind every event, every initiative, and every success was a dedicated Board and a committed membership, working together with purpose and passion.

As I pass the gavel to the Hon. Bill Davis as your 2025-2026 GBA President, I do so with full confidence in the future of this Association. The GBA is strong because our members are engaged, dedicated, and united by a shared sense of purpose. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, and I am grateful for the relationships and memories that this year has given me.

Thank you for the honor of serving as your President. It has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life.

With sincere appreciation,

Manisha P. Patel, Esq.
President, Greensboro Bar Association
and the 24th Judicial Distric