COVID-19 Perspectives from the Board of Governors, 0421 KSBJ, 90 J. Kan. Bar Assn 2, 7 (2021)
| Position | 90 J. Kan. Bar Assn 2, 7 (2021) |
March, 2021
Candice Alcaraz - District 11
At the start of 2020, I worked in the office every day and would come in on the weekends as necessary to keep up with my caseload. I had many trials scheduled up until June of 2020 with at least one month in which I would be in trial every week. After a heavy trial schedule, I was looking forward to a weeklong Caribbean cruise. By March of 2020, everything had changed. The world was shut down. The courts were at a standstill as we all tried to cope with the days ahead and an uncertain future.
In my district, we began the task of scheduling hearings in person versus by Zoom, setting up checkpoints for checking temperatures, installing hand sanitizer units all over the courthouse, and limiting the number of people in the courthouse daily. We also adopted a mediation policy to assist parties in coming to resolutions or at least fostering more conversation with all parties involved given the state of future trial settings.
In my office, we set up networks to enable both attorneys and support staff to work effectively from home. We adopted working schedules to ensure we are following the requirements and limits imposed by the various levels of government. In fact, when the pandemic first became national news, people in my office began making masks to ensure everyone was safe here and in the community. It has surely brought us together in a united fight against the spread of the virus.
Lastly, on a personal note, the Caribbean cruise was canceled. However, I was able to do many of the things I had been putting off until my schedule was less restrictive. I began spending more time outside going on walks, riding my bike, and reading in the park like in my college days. The pandemic has slowed things down professionally for now, but once we begin our normal ways of being, the real work will begin again.
Dell Marie Shanahan Swearer - District 8
I have never been an athlete, but 2020 taught me how to pivot.
Like many in District 8, I've worked from home during the pandemic. My home office now sports multiple monitors and a laptop on a much larger desk, a comfy chair, and other equipment needed to serve our donors, staff, and committee and board members. And because of the telecommute, my technology skills improved...
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