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| July/August 2025 | BAEC Bulletin
BAEC Bulletin | July/August 2025 |
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
FROM THE ERIE COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION
Dear Members, Thank you for choosing me to serve you as President of the Bar Association of Erie County. I’m grateful for this opportunity to take my turn and do my part in service of you, this Association, and our community. For the last year, I’ve been fortunate to work with our immediate Past-President Lauren Breen, our Executive Director Anne Noble, and the entire outstanding BAEC staff. I have learned a great deal from all of them, about our bar association, about the tremendous work of our committees, the Bar Foundation, and the Erie Institute of Law. For the past year as our President, Lauren Breen led us in deepening our connections with each other as colleagues, and in fulfilling our role as educators and advocates for civic responsibility. My aspiration for the coming year is to build on that work by focusing on our duty as attorneys to work together to promote and protect the rule of law. As an association of attorneys, our members hold many different views. Our legal community includes diverse and even opposing perspectives. When we were sworn in as attorneys, each of us
Having just celebrated the 4th of July, we can all take some time to reflect upon the importance of our Declaration of Independence. This document serves as the foundation for American Democracy, shaping our Nation’s identity and values. Thomas Jefferson reminds us all, “Let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.” As attorneys, we are obligated and accept the challenge to zealously represent the clients we serve. We pour an inordinate amount of time and effort into our work, oftentimes ignoring self-care in the process. I encourage you to take advantage of the programs and help that is provided through the Member Assistance Program (MAP) and the Foundation. For assistance call 716-681-4300 or Anne Noble, 716-852-1777.
BRIAN M. MELBER PRESIDENT BAR ASSOCIATION OF ERIE COUNTY
HELEN FERRARO-ZAFFRAM PRESIDENT ERIE COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION
“My goal for this year is that we will become more connected with each other as a community, and that as an association we will use our collective strength to fulfill our oath to defend the Constitution.” took the same oath – to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of New York State. That oath surpasses our differences. Together, we all stand for the rule of law, the independence of the bench and the bar, the operation of our system of government, and the administration of justice in our courts. Collectively, it is our responsibility and our privilege to defend our constitutional system, with our words and our actions. Please consider applying your time and resources to engage more deeply in our association. Join or lead a committee. Contribute content to one of our publications or social media platforms. Celebrate and honor those who have done extraordinary work for our laws and our system. Extend an invitation and real welcome to a colleague who may not feel included, or heard, or represented here in our association to make our community more complete. We’ve planned many wonderful opportunities for you to connect, learn, and to invite new members and have fun this year. Please join us for a CLE and panel discussion on July 15th, focused on building stronger multigenerational teams: bit.ly/intergenconflict. Or, mark your calendar for September 25th for a special Bench & Bar Social, hosted by the BAEC Judges Committee, Minority Bar Association of WNY, and WBASNY, WNY: bit.ly/2025benchbar. If you know someone in our legal community whose work deserves special recognition, please consider nominating them for an award: bit.ly/AnnualAwards2025. We’ll honor our awardees at our 138th Annual Awards celebration on November 13th. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you over the course of this year.
SCAN TO DONATE TO THE FOUNDATION
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