BAEC Bulletin | July/August 2022 | 5
Letter from the President
I have read these President’s letters over the years. It is always so interesting to me to hear someone else’s stories, perspectives, and insights. I never considered that someday, I might be the one writing this letter. To be honest, I have never thought of my story as particularly interesting, nor my perspectives as especially insightful, yet I find myself tasked with sharing both in the next four installments of this Bulletin. It is an honor to serve you Over the past 35 years “or so,” I have had the privilege to practice in a profession I love and to interact with many of the members of this Association both professionally and socially. Some of the best people I know are the lawyers practicing law in this community. As an in-house attorney, I have handled many matters on my own, and I have also been the consumer of legal services. I have dealt with attorneys around the world. I have come to know that the attorneys in Western New York are as good as any I have worked with, even those big city big firms with sub-specialties in every practice area. I have a preference for working with local attorneys and not just because local hourly rates are much more reasonable than those big city rates! I have also worked with many lawyers on the not-for- profit boards on which I have served over the years. These attorneys have always been ready to pitch in when the hard work needs to be done to address the many needs of our community. I have come to admire and respect many of you, and those whom I have not had the pleasure to meet, I also admire and respect as I know the intellect and hard work this profession requires. To be selected by this Association to serve as a leader for this year is the honor and privilege of my career. I am prepared to serve you I served as a Director of BAEC some time ago and enjoyed getting to know how the Association works and the issues addressed. Serving on the Board and on the Judiciary Committee were both terrific experiences. I got to know attorneys I might not otherwise have met and I observed and understood the important work of this Association. This past year as Vice President taught me so much more. I have to thank Past President Hugh Russ, who included me in every decision that was made, soliciting and listening to my thoughts, even if, and maybe especially if, his inclinations differed from mine. I thank Hugh for this and for serving as a role model for me. He gave so much to this Association during his presidency. He went out on limbs more than once, shared his story of privilege and struggle to understand and support those who of us who do not enjoy such advantages. He had countless meetings with people of color in our community, and those conversations informed
JILL K. BOND President Bar Association of Erie County
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