On Friday, February 5, 2010, MassABOTA held its Annual Dinner Meeting at the Algonquin Club in Boston.  The event was extremely well attended.  Pete Durney accepted the symbolic Presidential Quill from Eric Parker, and outlined a very ambitious program for this year in his acceptance speech.

       We were honored to have Lt. Governor Timothy Murray address the gathering.  Lt. Governor Murray praised the organization for its efforts to preserve the 7th Amendment right to trial by jury despite the difficult economic times and constraints imposed on all by the current budget. 

    In addition, or National President Elect, Harry Widmann, attended from New Orleans and made us all honorary members of “Whodat Nation”, with high hopes for a favorable outcome of Superbowl XLIV. As it turns out, he was not disappointed.   Mr. Widmann recognized our recent chapter growth, in both numbers and activities, and urged our members to become more active at the national level by getting involved in some of the many programs sponsored by ABOTA, attending National Board meetings and especially by becoming Fellows of the ABOTA Foundation.  More on the ABOTA Foundation can be found on the National website or by clicking here.

    The Chapter’s activities are outlined in the 2010 Calendar.  Next up is our Law Day reception at the US District Court on May 7, 2010.  We will be honoring US District Judge Reginald Lindsay, posthumously, by presenting his family with our second William Whiting Award for Judicial Courage.  Those of us who practiced before Judge Lindsay know that there was no judge more deserving of this award.  We hope to see all members there. The reception will be open to all who wish to honor Law Day and recognize Judge Lindsay’s substantial contributions to the trial bar over the course of his career.