President’s Column

• Publication year: 2019
• Pages: 5

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Vol. 45 No. 4 Pg. 5 Vermont Bar Journal Winter, 2019

By Elizabeth Novotny, Esq.

In my remarks at the VBA annual meeting in September, I committed to elevating our profession, connecting the VBA to our broader community and celebrating Vermont attorneys for their dedication to Vermonters and the cause of justice. I’d like to use this column to share our progress since that meeting.

• In 2020, the VBA will sponsor 4-5 regional public forums to discuss proposed amendments to the Vermont Constitution. I will have the privilege of facilitating a panel of legislators, constitutional legal experts, and perhaps historians as they talk about the process and history of amending the Vermont constitution and their interpretation of the scope and effect of the amendments. We plan on recording this event where we will invite audience participation. The video will be posted on the VBA website for any member or member of public who is unable to attend.

• In order to promote civics in our schools, I have asked the VBA Board to create an annual VBA Civics award and name the award in honor of a person whose work or deeds exemplify civic duty. This gives the VBA an opportunity to elevate values inherent in civic duty while honoring the deserving recipient of the award.

• In an effort to strengthen our connection to the youth in our communities, the VBA will collaborate on an education/civics program that will help connect Vermont lawyers with students in our Vermont classrooms. VBA Executive Director, Teri Corsones, is reaching out to Vermont social studies teachers regarding legal and civics topics of interest. The VBA will provide the topic materials to VBA members interested in talking to a class. Our goal is to make it easy for interested lawyers to spend an hour in a Vermont classroom and, by doing so, promote our profession and generate an interest in civics.

• As part of our commitment to partner with non-legal community organizations, the VBA joined an alliance of Vermont organizations developing and planning the 100 year anniversary of the 19^th Amendment.

• The VBA contacted presidents of the county bar associations seeking recommendations...