[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARYLAND STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

 Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise to ask the Senate to join 
me in recognizing the Maryland State Bar Association on the 125th 
anniversary of its founding. Since its founding on August 28, 1896, the 
Maryland State Bar Association, MSBA, has advanced and protected the 
interests of Maryland attorneys, their clients, and the general public.
  Over the past 125 years, the MSBA has grown into a premier 
professional trade association comprised of over 20,000 members from 
every segment of the legal profession. This includes large law firms, 
solo and small-firm practitioners, government lawyers, in-house 
counsel, nonprofit attorneys, judges, and legal academics. The MSBA has 
steadfastly supported the Maryland legal community in its important 
work to serve the public interest, facilitate commerce, and create a 
more fair and just society.
  In the decades since its founding, the MSBA has advanced and 
supported the demographic diversification of the Maryland bar. In 
partnership with the Judiciary of Maryland and numerous nonprofit 
partners, the MSBA and in particular its Committee on Diversity & 
Inclusion have fostered policies and programs to enhance the diversity 
of the practice of law in the State to the benefit of all Marylanders. 
The committee is charged with promoting recruitment, hiring, and 
retention processes to create environments within the legal community 
in which all individuals are encouraged to join, thrive, and lead the 
legal profession regardless of race, color, gender, gender identity, 
disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other 
characteristic of identity.
  Over the years, the MSBA has also expanded its vision and mission to 
include efforts to promote access to civil legal services. The 
association has advocated for legislation to support the Maryland Legal 
Services Corporation, a critically important organization that raises 
and distributes funds to nonprofit organizations that provide civil 
legal assistance to low-income individuals in Maryland. As chair of the 
corporation from 1988 to 1995, I know firsthand the extraordinary and 
needed service that it provides. In addition, MSBA has in recent years 
integrated the operations of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, 
an independent entity that convenes partners from the State attorney 
general to the private sector, to academia, to advance equal access to 
the civil justice system.
  In the community at-large, the MSBA has played a significant role in 
enhancing civic literacy in Maryland, including by hosting thousands of 
high school students participating in mock trial and moot court 
competitions. These programs offer students the opportunity to enhance 
their skills and expose them to the practical implications and 
importance of the law. As a Maryland lawyer myself, I ask the Senate to 
join me in congratulating the Maryland State Bar Association for its 
exemplary service to the Maryland legal community over the past 125 
years.

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