Commentary Now You Know, 1014 RIBJ, 63 RI Bar J., No. 2, Pg. 27
| Author | Michael R. McElroy, Esq., Schacht & McElroy. |
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0 September, 2014
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\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0As I was wrapping up my term as your President at our Annual Meeting in June, 2013, I experienced one of the most satisfying moments of my legal career, in fact, of my life. I was rushing to the Friday luncheon because the seminar I had just attended on the future of legal education had exceeded its allotted time. I was scheduled as Master of Ceremonies at the Friday awards luncheon and delivering a tribute to the late, great Chief Justice Joseph R. Weisberger at the luncheon.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0As I hustled through the Convention Center, an attorney rushed up beside me. He thanked me for the President's Message I had written bringing attention to the services available through the Bar Association for lawyers, their families, and staff who are challenged by alcoholism, addiction, and other similar problems. I thanked him and explained I had delved into personal details of my early family life (my father was an alcoholic) hoping someone who needed help might read the Message and take the opportunity to get help through one of the Bar Association-sponsored assistance programs. I told the attorney that because the programs the Bar Association offers are confidential, I would unfortunately never know whether my Message had encouraged anyone who needed help to take advantage of any of the programs. As we hurried along, the attorney suddenly put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks. He looked me squarely in the eye, and said "Well, now you know." I was stunned and moved that he felt comfortable sharing this with me. Although I had to immediately run off to the luncheon, this encounter was the proudest moment of my presidency.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Participation in Bar leadership offers many opportunities. I experienced a number of other wonderful moments for which I thank all of you. They included:
•Attending a luncheon at Roger Williams School of Law with United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito and having an opportunity to speak one-on-one with him.
• Traveling to the National Conference of Bar Presidents Convention in New Orleans the week before Mardi Gras and experiencing the sights and joyful musical sounds of...
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