MLGBA ANNUAL DINNER IS ALMOST HERE

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The MLGBA is pleased to announce that it will host its 23rd Annual Dinner at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge on Friday, May 9, 2008.  The theme for the evening is "Transformation."  A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will commence at 7:00 p.m.  Formal invitations were recently mailed to all members and further details, ticket and sponsorship materials as well as online ticket purchases may be found at www.mlgba.org.  This year we are thrilled to present awards to the following distinguished individuals:

Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service

Gunner Scott & Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

MBA Community Service Award

Mark D. Mason, Esq.

Partner, Cooley Shrair, PC

Gwen Bloomingdale Pioneer Spirit Award

Vickie L. Henry, Esq.

Partner, Foley Hoag, LLP

Our Wonderful Awardees

Please join us at the Annual Dinner on May 9, 2008, in celebrating three outstanding community leaders.  We hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about our award recipients below.

Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service

This year, MLGBA will present the Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service to Gunner Scott & Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. We educate the public, lobby state and local government, encourage political activism, and empower community members through collective action.

MTPC's work is guided by the following values: equal rights and institutional responsibility; working against all forms of oppression; building broad-based participation and community power; developing leaders and building coalitions; drawing strength from diverse experiences and identities; being informed by our history and elders; growing through challenge and critique; being inclusive of those who cannot be fully visible; and accountability to the communities for which we work.

Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.  It followed in the footsteps of It's Time Massachusetts, an organization that ceased to exist on the passing of its founder.

MTPC has chapters located in the Boston area and the North Shore, which are made up of community members, activists, students, parents, lawyers, educators, and workers.  MTPC's accomplishments include passage of ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression in Boston (2002) and Northampton (2005); educating the Registry of Motor Vehicles about transgender people; training health and human service agencies, colleges, and policy makers; advocating on behalf of transgender people accessing the social services system; and spearheading the campaign to pass HB 1722, An Act Relative to Gender -Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

MBA Community Service Award

The Massachusetts Bar Association will present the MBA Community Service Award to Attorney Mark D. Mason.

Mark is a partner with the Springfield, Massachusetts, law firm of Cooley, Shrair P.C. where he focuses his practice on the fields of business litigation, probate litigation and domestic relations litigation.  Mark is a graduate of Columbia University and a graduate of Boston University School of Law.

Mark has been active in numerous Massachusetts Bar Association and community activities since 1985.  Mark served as MBA President during the 2006-2007 term.  He has served as MBA Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Mark has held a number of MBA leadership positions, including Chair of the Same Gender Marriage Task Force, Co-Chair of the Anniversary Fee Task Force, Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Secretary of the Judicial Administration Committee and Chair of the Young Lawyers Division.  Mark has served numerous terms on the MBA Executive Management Board and the MBA House of Delegates.

Mark has served on the Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution, serves on the Superior Court's Business Litigation Session Advisory Committee, and co-chairs the Western Massachusetts Pro Bono Alliance.  He is a Past President of the March of Dimes of Western Massachusetts, Co-Founder and Past President of the Gay & Lesbian Civic Association of Greater Springfield, and a Past Chair and Commissioner of the Springfield Cultural Council.  Mark has served on the Boards of Directors of the Holyoke Street School, the Community Music School of Springfield, the Hampden County Bar Association and the Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association.

Since 1988, Mark has served as a mediator, arbitrator and court-appointed master on a variety of matters.  He has published articles in the American Journal of Law and Medicine, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly.  Mark has served as an Adjunct Professor of Negotiation at Cambridge College.  He has spoken nationally on business litigation, alternative dispute resolution, gay and lesbian legal matters and bar leadership.

Mark was honored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of the 10 Outstanding Lawyers of 2001, received the Gay & Lesbian Advocates 2004 Spirit of Justice Award and has been named a Super Lawyer for the period 2005-2007.  Mark resides in Western Massachusetts with his husband, John Shea.  He regularly performs as a member of the Pioneer Valley Symphony First Violin Section.

Gwen Bloomingdale Pioneer Spirit Award

The MLGBA is proud to present the Gwen Bloomingdale Pioneer Spirit Award to one of its former Co-Chairs, Vickie L. Henry, Esq.  Vickie is a partner in the Boston office of Foley Hoag, LLP.

Vickie Henry has focused her 15-year litigation career on resolving intellectual property and product liability disputes, with her work in these areas based on a solid background in general commercial litigation.  She has tried more than 20 trials to verdict or judgment

The intellectual property matters that Vickie handles involve both patent litigation and analysis and litigation of trade secrets.  She has represented corporate and individual clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in these matters.  Her clients come from a diverse range of businesses and industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications and food processing equipment.  Vickie's product liability work shows a similar wide range of experience, from pharmaceutical and medical device liability to toxic tort cases to consumer product liability. She has tried these matters throughout the country in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate levels.

Prior to joining the firm, Vickie served as law clerk to the Honorable Denise R. Johnson of the Vermont Supreme Court and practiced law in California.

Representative Experience

The following is a brief summary of Vickie's experience and accomplishments:

• In patent infringement damages matter against a manufacturer of automated histology equipment, won fifth highest verdict in Massachusetts in 2007

• Defended a pharmaceutical manufacturer in a patent infringement suit in Illinois (eventually resolved by settlement) involving biodegradable polymers used as pharmaceutical excipients

• Represented a provider of prepaid wireless services and a wireless carrier in defense of a patent litigation that resulted in a settlement that enabled the provider to obtain licenses under the patent-in-suit

• Successfully defended an inventor of a patent on artificial vascular grafts from an assertion of ownership or co-inventor status by a former employer

• Represented a vender of commercial food processing equipment against allegations that it misappropriated a client's alleged trade secrets.  After a successful interlocutory appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals defeating plaintiff's damages theory, the client obtained a zero dollar settlement. Cacique, Inc. v. Robert Reiser & Co., 169 F.3d 619 (9th Cir. 1999)

• Secured a favorable settlement for an experimental laboratory of a Massachusetts company in a Massachusetts state court action alleging that the client was negligent in performing genetic testing of embryonic material

• Represented Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in a $7 billion state court action by the Massachusetts Attorney General to recover Medicaid expenses allegedly incurred to treat tobacco-related illnesses.  Played a key role in obtaining summary judgment on the plaintiff's claims for treble damages and attorney fees

• Represented a national medical device and biologic processor in multi-district litigation in state and federal courts against plaintiffs' claims that a blood derivative caused them to develop hepatitis C

Professional / Civic Involvement

• Trade Secrets Law Committee of the Boston Patent Law Association, Co-Chair

• Suffolk University Litigation American Inn of Court, President

• Defense Research Institute, Commercial Litigation Section, Vice Chair; Drug & Medical Device Liability Section, Member

• Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, Co-Chair (2003-2005)

• MassEquality, Board of Directors

• Boston Bar Association, Member

• Massachusetts Bar Association, Member

• American Bar Association, Member

MLGBA to Present Alexander G. Gray, Jr. Scholarship at Annual Dinner

MLGBA will present the 2008 Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship at the Annual Dinner on May 9, 2008.

The Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Fund honors Alec Gray's outstanding work as a lawyer and his dedication to MLGBA, particularly his mentorship of new lawyers.  Alec was a dynamic and important contributor to the work of MLGBA.  He served on the MLGBA Board from 2002 until 2005.  He was an energetic participant in the mentor program.  He took seriously the task of mentoring LGBT law students and new lawyers and developed lasting relationships with those individuals whom he mentored.  Alec will long be remembered for his dedication to public service, his advocacy on behalf of children, and his deep commitment to all that he undertook.  Each year, in Alec's memory, the Fund presents a $1,000 award to a law student who demonstrates a proven commitment to and involvement in the LGBT community, as well as leadership, maturity and responsibility.  The award helps law students defray the costs of their legal education.

MLGBA is currently working on endowing the Gray Scholarship in perpetuity. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Fund.  By making a gift, you will honor Alec's life and work, and you will signal your commitment to the next generation of lawyers committed to LGBT equality.  All deductions to the Scholarship are now tax deductible thanks to the Massachusetts Bar Foundation serving as our fiscal agents. Contributions should be directed to the Massachusetts Bar Foundation with a clear notation that the gift is for the MLGBA Gray Scholarship.  If you have any questions about the Gray Scholarship Fund or how to make a gift, please visit the MLGBA website, which permits electronic donations, or contact Polly Crozier at (617) 577-1505 or polly@kauffmanlaw.net. Thank you for your support.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting Lisa Wilson at wilson@wmblawfirm.com

MLGBA to Present Alexander G. Gray, Jr. Scholarship at Annual Dinner

MLGBA will present the 2008 Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship at the Annual Dinner on May 9, 2008.

The Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Fund honors Alec Gray's outstanding work as a lawyer and his dedication to MLGBA, particularly his mentorship of new lawyers.  Alec was a dynamic and important contributor to the work of MLGBA.  He served on the MLGBA Board from 2002 until 2005.  He was an energetic participant in the mentor program.  He took seriously the task of mentoring LGBT law students and new lawyers and developed lasting relationships with those individuals whom he mentored.  Alec will long be remembered for his dedication to public service, his advocacy on behalf of children, and his deep commitment to all that he undertook.  Each year, in Alec's memory, the Fund presents a $1,000 award to a law student who demonstrates a proven commitment to and involvement in the LGBT community, as well as leadership, maturity and responsibility.  The award helps law students defray the costs of their legal education.

MLGBA is currently working on endowing the Gray Scholarship in perpetuity. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Fund.  By making a gift, you will honor Alec's life and work, and you will signal your commitment to the next generation of lawyers committed to LGBT equality.  All deductions to the Scholarship are now tax deductible thanks to the Massachusetts Bar Foundation serving as our fiscal agents. Contributions should be directed to the Massachusetts Bar Foundation with a clear notation that the gift is for the MLGBA Gray Scholarship.  If you have any questions about the Gray Scholarship Fund or how to make a gift, please visit the MLGBA website, which permits electronic donations, or contact Polly Crozier at (617) 577-1505 or polly@kauffmanlaw.net. Thank you for your support.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting Lisa Wilson at wilson@wmblawfirm.com.

Our Wonderful Awardees

Please join us at the Annual Dinner on May 9, 2008, in celebrating three outstanding community leaders.  We hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about our award recipients below.

Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service

This year, MLGBA will present the Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service to Gunner Scott & Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. We educate the public, lobby state and local government, encourage political activism, and empower community members through collective action.

MTPC's work is guided by the following values: equal rights and institutional responsibility; working against all forms of oppression; building broad-based participation and community power; developing leaders and building coalitions; drawing strength from diverse experiences and identities; being informed by our history and elders; growing through challenge and critique; being inclusive of those who cannot be fully visible; and accountability to the communities for which we work.

Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.  It followed in the footsteps of It's Time Massachusetts, an organization that ceased to exist on the passing of its founder.

MTPC has chapters located in the Boston area and the North Shore, which are made up of community members, activists, students, parents, lawyers, educators, and workers.  MTPC's accomplishments include passage of ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression in Boston (2002) and Northampton (2005); educating the Registry of Motor Vehicles about transgender people; training health and human service agencies, colleges, and policy makers; advocating on behalf of transgender people accessing the social services system; and spearheading the campaign to pass HB 1722, An Act Relative to Gender -Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

MBA Community Service Award

The Massachusetts Bar Association will present the MBA Community Service Award to Attorney Mark D. Mason.

Mark is a partner with the Springfield, Massachusetts, law firm of Cooley, Shrair P.C. where he focuses his practice on the fields of business litigation, probate litigation and domestic relations litigation.  Mark is a graduate of Columbia University and a graduate of Boston University School of Law.

Mark has been active in numerous Massachusetts Bar Association and community activities since 1985.  Mark served as MBA President during the 2006-2007 term.  He has served as MBA Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Mark has held a number of MBA leadership positions, including Chair of the Same Gender Marriage Task Force, Co-Chair of the Anniversary Fee Task Force, Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Secretary of the Judicial Administration Committee and Chair of the Young Lawyers Division.  Mark has served numerous terms on the MBA Executive Management Board and the MBA House of Delegates.

Mark has served on the Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution, serves on the Superior Court's Business Litigation Session Advisory Committee, and co-chairs the Western Massachusetts Pro Bono Alliance.  He is a Past President of the March of Dimes of Western Massachusetts, Co-Founder and Past President of the Gay & Lesbian Civic Association of Greater Springfield, and a Past Chair and Commissioner of the Springfield Cultural Council.  Mark has served on the Boards of Directors of the Holyoke Street School, the Community Music School of Springfield, the Hampden County Bar Association and the Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association.

Since 1988, Mark has served as a mediator, arbitrator and court-appointed master on a variety of matters.  He has published articles in the American Journal of Law and Medicine, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly.  Mark has served as an Adjunct Professor of Negotiation at Cambridge College.  He has spoken nationally on business litigation, alternative dispute resolution, gay and lesbian legal matters and bar leadership.

Mark was honored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of the 10 Outstanding Lawyers of 2001, received the Gay & Lesbian Advocates 2004 Spirit of Justice Award and has been named a Super Lawyer for the period 2005-2007.  Mark resides in Western Massachusetts with his husband, John Shea.  He regularly performs as a member of the Pioneer Valley Symphony First Violin Section.

Gwen Bloomingdale Pioneer Spirit Award

The MLGBA is proud to present the Gwen Bloomingdale Pioneer Spirit Award to one of its former Co-Chairs, Vickie L. Henry, Esq.  Vickie is a partner in the Boston office of Foley Hoag, LLP.

Vickie Henry has focused her 15-year litigation career on resolving intellectual property and product liability disputes, with her work in these areas based on a solid background in general commercial litigation.  She has tried more than 20 trials to verdict or judgment

The intellectual property matters that Vickie handles involve both patent litigation and analysis and litigation of trade secrets.  She has represented corporate and individual clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in these matters.  Her clients come from a diverse range of businesses and industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications and food processing equipment.  Vickie's product liability work shows a similar wide range of experience, from pharmaceutical and medical device liability to toxic tort cases to consumer product liability. She has tried these matters throughout the country in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate levels.

Prior to joining the firm, Vickie served as law clerk to the Honorable Denise R. Johnson of the Vermont Supreme Court and practiced law in California.

Representative Experience

The following is a brief summary of Vickie's experience and accomplishments:

• In patent infringement damages matter against a manufacturer of automated histology equipment, won fifth highest verdict in Massachusetts in 2007

• Defended a pharmaceutical manufacturer in a patent infringement suit in Illinois (eventually resolved by settlement) involving biodegradable polymers used as pharmaceutical excipients

• Represented a provider of prepaid wireless services and a wireless carrier in defense of a patent litigation that resulted in a settlement that enabled the provider to obtain licenses under the patent-in-suit

• Successfully defended an inventor of a patent on artificial vascular grafts from an assertion of ownership or co-inventor status by a former employer

• Represented a vender of commercial food processing equipment against allegations that it misappropriated a client's alleged trade secrets.  After a successful interlocutory appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals defeating plaintiff's damages theory, the client obtained a zero dollar settlement. Cacique, Inc. v. Robert Reiser & Co., 169 F.3d 619 (9th Cir. 1999)

• Secured a favorable settlement for an experimental laboratory of a Massachusetts company in a Massachusetts state court action alleging that the client was negligent in performing genetic testing of embryonic material

• Represented Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in a $7 billion state court action by the Massachusetts Attorney General to recover Medicaid expenses allegedly incurred to treat tobacco-related illnesses.  Played a key role in obtaining summary judgment on the plaintiff's claims for treble damages and attorney fees

• Represented a national medical device and biologic processor in multi-district litigation in state and federal courts against plaintiffs' claims that a blood derivative caused them to develop hepatitis C

Professional / Civic Involvement

• Trade Secrets Law Committee of the Boston Patent Law Association, Co-Chair

• Suffolk University Litigation American Inn of Court, President

• Defense Research Institute, Commercial Litigation Section, Vice Chair; Drug & Medical Device Liability Section, Member

• Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, Co-Chair (2003-2005)

• MassEquality, Board of Directors

• Boston Bar Association, Member

• Massachusetts Bar Association, Member

• American Bar Association, Member

Tickets may be purchased by contacting Lisa Wilson at wilson@wmblawfirm.com

MLGBA star and board member, David Eppley, granted an interview to the BBC World News Service on same-sex divorce.  Great world-wide representation, David!  To listen, click here.

by Daniel Levin

            On February 5, 2008, BU Outlaw, Boston University School of Law's student organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and allied students, hosted "Defining Equality: In Transition," the third event in a year-long series exploring LGBT equality in the Commonwealth following the defeat of the same-sex marriage ban in June 2007.  The first two events in the series, "Beyond the Commonwealth" and "The Working Family" were great successes and the recent event was no exception. 

BU Law Professor Robert Volk moderated the discussion between panelists Laura Langley, Esq., associate at Bingham McCutchen and Chair of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association's Committee for Transgender Inclusion, and Alex Coleman, PhD, JD (BU '74), a practitioner of law and clinical psychology who specializes in gender identity issues and advancing social justice.  More than twenty law students and professors participated in the dialogue about legal issues facing the transgender community.  Topics included existing protections of transgender rights and pending state legislation to include gender identity and expression in the state's anti-discrimination and hate-crime laws.

Outlaw looks forward to the final event in the "Defining Equality" series coming up later in the semester which will explore coalition-building between various civil-rights groups in order to facilitate each others' successes. 

Outlaw is also in the beginning stages of planning its 30th Anniversary celebration for the 2008-2009 academic year and compiling historical information about the group’s activities since its inception.  The organizers would love to hear from BU Outlaw alumni about their experiences during law school.  Please contact Daniel Levin at dlevin@bu.edu.

We invite you to join us at our 6th Annual Pride and Passion Party Fundraiser!

Honorary Co-chairs, Novelist, Robert Parker and his wife, Joan and Chad and Anne Gifford! Attached please find an electronic version of the invitation or go to http://www.gbpflag.org/events/showevent/36  to order tickets today!

by Liz Monnin-Browder and Richard Juang

Massachusetts Transgender Legal Advocates (MTLA)—Massachusetts’ only free legal clinic dedicated to serving low-income transgender people—needs your help. Please consider signing up as a consultant to share your legal expertise with the clinic’s law student advocates. Your participation will help ensure MTLA’s sustainability and success.

Since opening the clinic in January, the all-volunteer law student advocates of MTLA have handled a high caseload. We are seeking attorneys in all areas of law to add to our consultation list to provide us with legal support and advice. If we can call on you when we have a legal question, please email your name, email, phone number, and area of legal expertise (e.g. immigration, family law, employment, housing) to transgenderlegaladvocates@gmail.com (or leave us a voicemail message at 617-450-1353).

 Our transgender clients face a wide range of serious legal challenges, both related and unrelated to gender identity. If MTLA can turn to you for consultations and legal advice, what you know might mean housing instead of homelessness, stability instead of poverty, and safety instead of violence.

 MTLA is a joint project of TransCEND (a project of Cambridge Cares about AIDS), AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

by Polly Crozier

Donations to the Gray Scholarship Fund are now fully tax deductible.  The Massachusetts Bar Foundation, a charitable, non-profit organization under the IRS code 501(c)(3), is serving as the fiscal agent for the Alexander G. Gray, Jr. Scholarship Fund.  As such, all contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by state and federal law, and receipts will be issued for all gifts.   Please visit the MLGBA website today to make your contribution to the Fund. 

The Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Fund honors Alec Gray’s outstanding work as a lawyer and his dedication to MLGBA, particularly his mentorship of new lawyers.  Alec was a dynamic and important contributor to the work of MLGBA.  He served on the MLGBA Board from 2002 until 2005.  He was an energetic participant in the mentor program.  He took seriously the task of mentoring LGBT law students and new lawyers and developed lasting relationships with those individuals whom he mentored.  Alec will long be remembered for his dedication to public service, his advocacy on behalf of children, and his deep commitment to all that he undertook.  Each year, in Alec’s memory, the Fund presents a $1,000 award to a law student who demonstrates a proven commitment to and involvement in the LGBT community, as well as leadership, maturity and responsibility.  The award helps law students defray the costs of their legal education. 

By making a gift, you will honor Alec’s life and work, and you will signal your commitment to the next generation of lawyers committed to LGBT equality.  If you have any questions about the Gray Scholarship Fund or how to make a gift, please visit the MLGBA website or contact Polly Crozier at (617) 577-1505 or polly@kauffmanlaw.net.  Thank you for your support.

The MLGBA joined the amicus filings in the case of Charron v. Amaral, SJC-09942, which was argued in the SJC on March 4th.  The case concerns a loss of consortium claim by one partner in a lesbian couple.  The cause of action occurred before marriage became legal.  The lower court judge granted summary judgment for the defendant because the couple was not married.  Plaintiff Charron, the MBA, GLAD, and MLGBA argue, inter alia, that because there was proof that the plaintiff suffered a loss of consortium and that the couple would have been married if they were legally allowed to do so, the summary judgment motion was wrongfully decided.

On March 4, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a public hearing on H1722, An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes.  H1722 would amend the State’s hate crimes and key non-discrimination laws – including statutes prohibiting discrimination in employment, credit, housing, public accommodations, and public education – to be explicitly inclusive of transgender people. 

Over 50 people testified before the Committee in favor of the bill, while many others submitted written testimony voicing their strong support for this legislation.  Amongst those who provided written testimony encouraging the bill’s passage were Governor Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Congressman Barney Frank.  Public officials testifying in person included Suffolk County Sherriff Andrea Cabral, Boston City Council President Maureen Feeney, and Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons.  Additionally, the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, MLGBA, and GLAD all spoke in support of the bill, and the Asian-American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts provided the Committee with positive written testimony.  You can read some of these organizations and individuals’ testimony by clicking on their names above.

More information about H1722 is available here.

The MLGBA joined the amicus filings in the case of Charron v. Amaral, SJC-09942, which will be argued in the SJC on March 4th.  The case concerns a loss of consortium claim by one partner in a lesbian couple.  The cause of action occurred before marriage became legal.  The lower court judge granted summary judgment for the defendant because the couple were not married.  Plaintiff Charron, the MBA, GLAD, and MLGBA argue, inter alia, that because there was proof that the plaintiff suffered a loss of consortium and that the couple would have been married if they were legally allowed to do so, the summary judgment motion was wrongfully decided.

Argument in this case will be held on March 4 at the Supreme Judicial Court.  If you cannot attend, you may watch the SJC's webcast by going to http://www.suffolk.edu/sjc/.  To read the briefs in the case, go to: http://ma-appellatecourts.org/display_docket.php?dno=SJC-09942 and scroll to the middle of the docket, where you will see the .pdf's of the briefs.

A big good luck to Kathy Jo Cook!

By Katherine Triantafillou
Founding Member of Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Bar Association and current Vice-President of MassEquality

Knowledge is Survival

Massachusetts Transgender Legal Advocates (MTLA)—Massachusetts’ only free legal clinic dedicated to serving low-income transgender people—needs your help. Please consider signing up as a consultant to share your legal expertise with the clinic’s law student advocates. Your participation will help ensure MTLA’s sustainability and success.

Since opening the clinic in January, the all-volunteer law student advocates of MTLA have handled a high caseload. We are seeking attorneys in all areas of law to add to our consultation list to provide us with legal support and advice. If we can call on you when we have a legal question, please email your name, email, phone number, and area of legal expertise (e.g. immigration, family law, employment, housing) to transgenderlegaladvocates@gmail.com (or leave us a voicemail message at 617-450-1353).

Our transgender clients face a wide range of serious legal challenges, both related and unrelated to gender identity. If MTLA can turn to you for consultations and legal advice, what you know might mean housing instead of homelessness, stability instead of poverty, and safety instead of violence.

MTLA is a joint project of TransCEND (a project of Cambridge Cares about AIDS), AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

	Breaking News: Attorney General Reverses Curbs On Gay Group at Justice Department By Darryl Fears Washington Post February 5, 2008 Five years after a gay advocacy group was told that it could no longer use the email, bulletin boards and meeting rooms at the Justice Department, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has reversed that decision and issued a revised equal-employment-opportunity policy barring discrimination against any group. Mukasey informed leaders of DOJ Pride last week that the department would give it the same rights as all other DOJ employee organizations, said the group's president, Chris Hook. In a statement, Mukasey said the department will "foster an environment in which diversity is valued, understood and sought" and maintain "an environment that's free of discrimination." DOJ Pride and its 110 members had been barred from holding an annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Month celebration since 2003, when then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft told the group that the Bush administration observed an unwritten policy of not sponsoring events without a presidential proclamation, Hook said. The group also was told it could not post notices of general meetings and events on department bulletin boards, he said. Read more >> (free registration required) To visit the DOJ Pride website, click here. Attention Students: ABA Law Student Division Seeks Liaison to SOGI Commission Among other entity liaison positions, the ABA Law Student Division (LSD) is seeking a liaison to the ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). The application process can be found on the Law Student Division website. Applicants must be current members (in good standing) of the ABA and the Law Student Division. In addition to the written application, all applicants are interviewed via telephone by their regional circut governor and results of those interviews are attached to the liaison application. The review committee announced the appointments in Mid-May. The postmark deadline for applications is February 15, 2008. Lavender Law 2008 - San Francisco Submit a Proposal TODAY! Lavender Law, NLGLA's Annual CLE Conference, aims to provide the most challenging and rewarding learning experiences possible for our attendees and presenters. This year, attendees will find some of the nation's top academics, impact litigators, lobbyists and practitioners presenting current topics and issues. Lavender Law 2008—San Francisco, the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Lavender Law, will feature two dozen workshops on cutting-edge legal issues affecting LGBT individuals and the community on Friday, September 5th and Saturday, September 6th. Topics covered in past conferences included practical litigation and transactional skills, constitutional law developments, estate planning and drafting, employment discrimination, HIV/AIDS, immigration, domestic violence, the Solomon Amendment and other LGBT law student group management issues, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell and other military matters, and issues affecting out legal practitioners in the profession from solo practice to large firms. The deadline for proposals is March 1st. Please click here to quickly and easily submit your online workshop proposal. Upcoming Regional Events A new feature for NLGLA members, check out the Event Calendar in the NLGLA Online Community. Send us your events to reach a broader base of interested individuals. To view all the upcoming events, login to the NLGLA Online Community using your username and password, click on "Event Calendar" in the navigation bar, and start browsing! Questions? Please contact Jennifer. Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) BALIF and LGBT History at the GLBT Historical Society Join us for an evening of LGBT and BALIF history at The GLBT Historical Society. The Historical Society will have two exhibitions on display: (1) "Out Ranks: GLBT Military Service from World War II to the Iraq War" - the world's first major retrospective of LGBT veterans; and (2) "Chuck Arnett: Lautrec in Leather" - a look back at one of San Francisco's most controversial and important LGBT artists. There will be light refreshments, and the Historical Society will provide private tours of the archives to attendees. Historical BALIF materials will also be available for viewing. Come out and celebrate BALIF's history and the history of our larger LGBT community at this very special event. Contact Shay Gilmore, social@balif.org, for more details. Want to feature your events in the NLGLA newsletter and in the NLGLA Online Community Event Calendar? Click here to submit an event. NLGLA Membership Becoming a member of NLGLA is quick and easy - and renewing your dues is even easier! Safely pay your member dues with a credit card through our secure website. Read all about NLGLA Membership on our website (includes links for becoming a member and renewing dues) Copyright 2008 National Lesbian & Gay Law Association 601 Thirteenth Street, N.W., Suite 1170 South Washington, D.C. 20005-3823 (202) 637-6384 info@nlgla.org Designed & Distributed by Southern Web Group

It’s time again to renew your membership in the Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association.  This coming year marks the twenty-third anniversary of MLGBA and we are proud to continue with our largest membership numbers in our history!   

 So, don’t miss out as we take you into the next level of member services:

• a new and enhanced interactive web site that will help us stay plugged-in;
• a members-only web resource to keep you connected to other members;
• regular networking and social events to bring us together and to have fun;
• continuing our cutting edge legal education forums;
• legislative support for important matters such as greater Transgender rights; 
• broader partnership roles with MassEquality to preserve our marriage rights;
• joint bar membership with the MBA and the BBA at a reduced membership fee; 
• career and volunteer opportunities posted on our website; and
• a new MLGBA administrative assistant to provide you with up to the minute information about our activities and how to get involved.

NUMBERS DO MATTER!  Part of the strength of MLGBA comes from our numbers.  Hundreds of GLBT member attorneys and our supporters across Massachusetts work every day in a multitude of practice settings.  It is our unique perspective coupled with our legal skills that help achieve justice and social change. 

RENEWING IS EASY! Just go to www.mlgba.org and click on Registering & Renewing and follow the step by step instructions.

THANK YOU for showing your support for the hard work of the Board and countless volunteer members by renewing your membership.  MLGBA is a premier Bar Association playing a pivotal role in the development of laws that affect each of our lives.  While we have a lot to be proud of in 2007, every year brings more challenges for our community to hurdle.  We need each of you to ensure our voices will continue to be heard.

Christina E. Miller                                                        Charles P. Wagner

On December 7, 2007 the western Mass. Committee held its annual holiday party at Bishop’s Lounge in Northampton. The event was a huge success and many thanks to Jane Rothchild for organizing the event. Please continue to join your friends and colleagues at the monthly “Second Thursdays” gathering at Bishop’s Lounge.

by Richard M. Juang, Member, Committee for Transgender Inclusion, MLGBA (richard_juang@yahoo.com)

 If you work for Foley Hoag, Mintz Levin, Raytheon, John Hancock Financial, Massachusetts Mutual Life, Harvard, Brandeis, Tufts, MIT, or the cities of Boston and Cambridge, you have a workplace non-discrimination policy that includes gender identity. This reality in Massachusetts reflects a growing national reality. For many private and public employers, the question of transgender inclusion in the workplace is no longer a question of "whether or not" but "how best to." Approximately 450 private and public employers nationwide have transgender-inclusive workplace policies. By that measure, the private sector, along with some municipalities, represent the leading edge of transgender inclusion.

 So what does it take create a genuinely inclusive workplace for transgender people?  The National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center identify five starting points for putting a transgender inclusive workplace policy into practice: 1) using the correct names and pronouns for transgender employees, 2) preserving employee privacy, 3) allowing transgender employees to use gender-appropriate restrooms, 4) allowing transgender employees to dress according to their correct gender, and 5) providing safe and respectful trainings for co-workers to address their questions. These five areas are not exhaustive. They are, however, important starting points.         

Using the Correct Name and Pronoun

 Supervisors and co-workers should consistently use the preferred name and pronoun of a transgender employee. This is the case whether the person is newly hired or transitions on the job. Correct name and pronoun use provide a baseline of recognition and respect (one that applies to non-transgender employees, as well). Along the same lines, employee records and identification documents should reflect those preferences as much as possible.

 When an employee transitions on the job, individual co-workers may need time to adjust to a new name and gender pronoun. Mistakes can be expected as people adjust their perceptions. What is important is that co-workers make an effort to correct themselves when mistakes happen. The deliberate use of an old name and incorrect pronoun should never be used to "out" or harass someone.

Preserving Privacy

The fact that an employee is transgender should be kept confidential. The choice of whether to be out to coworkers should be left up to the employee. Simple curiosity is not a legitimate reason to ask prying questions.

Different employees will have different levels of comfort with being out as transgender. Some may choose to be out to a few people with whom they feel especially comfortable. Some may wish to be out to no one except one or two essential human resources personnel. Others may be out to everyone. Still others may be out to no one. A good rule of thumb is that just because an employee is out to some people, it does not mean that he or she is out to everyone. When in doubt, an employee's privacy should be respected. The person should be given the opportunity to clarify what degree of disclosure he or she is comfortable with.

Access to documents that might reveal that a person is transgender should be kept confidential.  Of course, when an employee transitions during the course of employment, other co-workers will most likely be aware of it. Nonetheless, a transgender employee should be able to keep the specific personal details about the process confidential. In essence, no employee should be required to justify or explain his or her personal life or medical care. 

Restrooms

Like other employees, transgender employees should be allowed to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity. The City of Boston's non-discrimination ordinance specifies that all individuals should be able to use the restroom that they "publicly and exclusively assert or express." It is reasonable to have unisex, single-stall restrooms available for employees, alongside single-sex, multi-person facilities. However, is not appropriate to demand or require that a transgender employee only use the single-stall restroom.

The historical experience of over two decades of transgender non-discrimination laws and policies have proven that fears about transgender people using restrooms are groundless. Simply allowing a transgender employee to use a gender-appropriate restroom does not open an employer to liability.

What about the risk that a non-transgender employee might object to sharing a restroom? Such a fear can usually be dispelled along with other myths in the course of educating employees about transgender issues. If necessary, non-transgender employees who experience discomfort at sharing a restroom can individually choose to use a single-stall restroom. Giving an individual the option as to what type of restroom to use is different from compelling an individual to use a single-stall restroom or a restroom that is opposite of his or her correct gender. Ultimately, the critical issue with bathrooms is applying a standard that can be consistent for both transgender and non-transgender employees: all persons should be able to use the restroom that matches his or her gender identity with a sense of dignity and without harassment.

Dress Codes

As with restrooms, the critical issue with regard to dress codes is applying a consistent standard for both transgender and non-transgender employees. Transgender employees should be allowed to dress in a manner consistent with their gender identity, within the dress codes of the workplace.

In non-discrimination laws and ordinances, employers have consistently retained the ability to create gendered dress codes. Those codes must be applied equally, however. Transgender employees should face neither heightened restrictions nor additional scrutiny about how they dress compared to non-transgender men or women. This is the case whether a transgender person is newly hired or a person transitions during the course of employment.

One option is, of course, to do away with dress codes based on gender, entirely. It is reasonable to ask all employees to dress professionally.

Training

Finally, a cornerstone of creating an inclusive environment for transgender employees is providing trainings and education. Ideally, co-workers, supervisors and human resources personnel should have opportunities to meet with an experienced trainer on transgender issues in the workplace. Such trainings have two important benefits. They allow co-workers to ask questions and learn in a non-confrontational environment. At the same time, drawing on an experienced trainer alleviates the burden on transgender employees of having to do educational work that may feel intrusive or for which they may be unprepared. It is reasonable, of course, to have transgender employees involved in the trainings if they so wish.

Trainings and education reduce the likelihood of bias incidents that stem out of co-workers' discomfort, misconceptions, and uncertainties. An experienced trainer can provide reliable resources to learn about transgender issues beyond just relying on a single transgender employee or on the mass media. The diversity of transgender people and experiences makes it difficult for any single person to talk about all the many different facets of transgender experiences. In effect, educational opportunities help maximize everyone's comfort while minimizing any one individual's burden.

The MLGBA would like to pass along to its members information regarding the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network newly updated Survival Guide. The new guide contains the latest legal analysis of the ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members, as well as expanded sections on issues such as regulations impacting transgender personnel; HIV/AIDS and same-sex family issues.

Since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was first enacted, SLDN’s Survival Guide has been the authoritative source on the law. Used by service members, defense counsel and family and friends of LGBT service members, the Survival Guide is the most comprehensive resource available on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
You can download a .pdf copy of the new Survival Guide by clicking here.

by Emilie Kramer

 The following excerpts were submitted from one mentor/mentee pairing through the MLGBA Mentor Program.  We strongly encourage all lawyers and law students to seek out mentoring relationships.  If you would like to participate in the MLGBA Mentor Program, please contact Emily Kramer at emiliekramer@yahoo.com

 A Mentor’s Perspective:

Scott D. Pomfret

MLGBA Mentor, United States Securities and Exchange Commission

 When I was a summer associate at Ropes & Gray, there was an out lesbian litigator named Deb Levi who never thought twice about bringing her partner (later wife) Francoise to firm functions.  I joined the MLGBA mentor program for a simple reason: I wanted to be Deb.  Not that I am discontented being a gay man, but Deb was smart, brave, fun, and a terrific lawyer.  She blazed a trail for me at the firm and never failed to offer helpful advice.  And it didn’t hurt that she and Francoise were fabulous cooks and wine geeks to boot.

 Over the past few years, I have had three mentees, each of whom is familiar to MLGBA regulars: Tony Wright, John Koss, and Dan Levin.  Each has become a friend.  I have met their husbands (or, in the case of John, romantic partners of somewhat shorter duration!) and enjoyed a few meals and not a few drinks.  For me, the reward has been meeting this new generation of Deb Levis -- smart, funny and ambitious.  Dan, for example, caused me to reflect on my own career as he was facing choices about what area of the law to focus on, what city to live in, and what firms to apply to.  I hope I offered him sage advice (such as, “Don’t make the same mistakes I made!”).

 For me, the mentor program is a pleasant obligation I inherited from Deb (who sadly has since died of cancer).  To the extent I offer any help to my mentee, I figure it contributes to a tide that lifts all (gay) boats, by helping our members achieve positions where they in turn can help others. 

A Mentee’s Perspective:

Daniel Levin, MLGBA Mentee

JD Candidate, 2009 Boston University School of Law

 I joined the MLGBA in order to become a part of the Massachusetts LGBT legal community.  While I immediately began attending MLGBA events and meeting people, I viewed the MLGBA Mentor Program as the best way to get to know an attorney practicing in an area of law that interested me. 

 The program connected me with Scott Pomfret, an attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, whose work enforcing the federal securities laws matched my interest in financial law.  Scott is an extraordinarily dedicated mentor and adviser.  I turned to him as I took my first law school exams, selected classes for my second year and searched for summer internships. 

 With Scott's invaluable assistance, I spent my first summer as an intern in the SEC's Boston office where he personally made sure I always had good, substantive work to do.  My internship experience, Scott's recommendation and his insights about potential employers also greatly contributed to a successful job search for my second summer.  I am extremely grateful to have Scott as a mentor and a friend and cannot thank MLGBA enough for its fantastic program.

The odd thing about winning the con-con vote on marriage equality is that it has generated among some a conversation about the future of MassEquality.   For those who have been watching the machinations of the Board of Directors of MassEquality, this conversation is particularly disquieting because there is so much left to do about marriage equality, besides defeat the referendum.  For example, there still is the dreaded 1913 law preventing many from getting married in Massachusetts, there are scores of laws related to marriage that need revision and there are those wonderful legislators who switched their vote that need our help.  So, what's to talk about except making a list of things that need doing and assigning tasks, now that we've "won?" 

Unfortunately, there are some in the organization who feel we have accomplished our mission and therefore should declare victory and go home.  This is based on the following provision of the by-laws:  "MassEquality.org, The Campaign for Equality, Inc. is a coalition of local and national groups dedicated to ensuring that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision on marriage is upheld, and anti-gay marriage amendments or legislation are defeated." 

There are several "core partners" in the Coalition, including MLGBA which have seats on the Board.  Others include GLAD, ACLU, Freedom to Marry, Freedom to Marry Foundation, NGLTF, HRC, MGLPC, Bisexual Resource Center, Western Mass. Political Alliance, NOW and JALSA. The rest of the Board is made up of at-large members with no particular organizational designation.  Both the organizational makeup of the Board and the by-laws help create a conundrum of intentions that contribute to the perception of paralysis currently gripping MassEquality as it considers future directions.   MLGBA, to be sure, has gone on record several times to support both a larger mission for the organization and a longer life.  However, this position is not shared by enough members of the Board/Coalition partners and thus we engaged in a journey of self-identification with a facilitator. 

In addition, there have been online surveys to the membership and on Monday, October 15, 2007 a "World Café," that was open to members of the community.  Approximately 100 participants gathered at 10 tables to share their thoughts as they answered the question of what should become of MassEquality and given the answers to the first question, what are their concerns.  It was an amazing evening!  Co-Chair Christina Miller was participated on behalf of MLGBA, as did MLGBA Board Member David Eppley.  Former MLGBA co-chair John Affuso also attended. 

Uniformly, participants thought that MassEquality ought to continue as a statewide organization with a broader mission, especially through the 2008 election cycle.  Many people talked about MassEquality as the first truly effective grassroots political organization with special expertise that ought to be shared with other states, but that its focus should remain in Massachusetts.  Some expressed concern about what funders would fund and whether expanding the mission would dilute the organization's effectiveness or duplicate other organizational efforts. 

The result of both the online survey and the forum will be made available to the Board of Directors of MassEquality at its next planning session on October 24, 2007.  The goal of the Board is to complete its deliberations at an all day session on November 3, 2007.  Hopefully, the additional data from the survey and the forum will help influence those on the Board who feel that our mission has been accomplished, and the answer to the question "wither thou goest" will be boldly into the future.

            NB:  Please remember these legislators with a note of thanks and a gift of money over the holidays: 

Paul Kujawski

Angelo Puppolo

Robert Nyman

Michael Morrissey

Sal DiMasi

James Vallee

Brian Wallace

Therese Murray

Richard Ross

Paul Loscocco

Geraldo Alicea

Christine Canavan

Gale Candaras

Deval Patrick

** Click Here for Address Information

by Ashely Mauldin

The Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association (MLGBA), through the efforts of its Committee on Transgender Inclusion, has joined forces with the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA), Boston Bar Association (BBA), Women's Bar Association (WBA), and Essex County Bar Association to send a clear message to Congress that anything short of a transgender-inclusive version of H.R. 2015, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), would be unacceptable to the leadership of those groups whose membership, collectively, numbers in the thousands.

These bar associations have sent letters to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Representative George Miller, House Education & Labor Chair.  (To view MLGBA's letter, click here.)  The letters cite the importance of advancing protections for a unified lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and several of them reference a 2006 American Bar Association Resolution that calls upon federal, state, and local governments to enact legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

The inclusion of gender identity in ENDA's language would provide explicit protection from discrimination for transgender people, as well as for other individuals who do not conform to gender stereotypes.

"The MLGBA could not stand by and watch as Congress made plans to exclude a marginalized group of people from receiving the rights and protections that ENDA will provide should it become law," said Chic Wagner, MLGBA Co-chair.

"We could not be more thrilled that our brothers and sisters at the MBA, BBA, WBA, and Essex County Bar Association took a vocal stand on this issue and sent a strong message to Congress," he added.  Indeed, the MLGBA board and Committee on Transgender Inclusion are deeply grateful for the powerful support provided by these bar associations.

The message being sent by bar association leadership is not going unnoticed.  "The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition applauds the MLGBA and the major bar associations for supporting gender identity inclusive legislation, as transgender people face high levels of job discrimination," said Gunner Scott, a co-chair of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

ENDA is currently under review in the U.S. House of Representatives.  It was first introduced in Congress in 1994, at which time it prohibited employment discrimination solely on the basis of sexual orientation.  Pro-equality groups have worked for many years to include in ENDA protection from discrimination based on gender identity.  Such protection was added to H.R. 2015, the version of ENDA introduced in Congress earlier this year.  However, members of Congress recently introduced a substitute bill, H.R. 3685, which does not include gender identity as a protected characteristic, and House leaders announced that they would move forward with this less-inclusive version of the bill.

A vocal coalition of over 300 organizations has protested this attempt by some members of Congress to remove gender identity from the bill, asking Congress to vote only on an ENDA that protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.  Many of these groups - including the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Transgender Law Center - have posted to their websites thoughtful analyses of why an ENDA that lacks gender identity protections is bad for our entire community.

The Western New England Law Review is proud to announce its symposium on Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples, to be published in Volume 30, Issue 3, Spring 2008.  As the only state that allows same-sex couples to marry, it is time for a Massachusetts law school to devote a symposium to the unique financial strategies applicable to same-sex couples.  Because Western New England College School of Law has an LL.M program in estate planning, which teaches courses in estate planning for same-sex couples, the school is quickly becoming a regional authority on this issue.

The purpose of the symposium is to provide readers with an analysis on the implications current state laws have on the financial planning of the gay and lesbian community as well as provide a forum to discuss potential legislation or judicial determinations that will impact same-sex couples' tax strategies.    We encourage legal scholars and practitioners who are knowledgeable in this field to submit a 25-40 page article for publication in this symposium.  Our current deadline for submissions is December 1, 2007.

Those wishing to submit an article for this symposium should contact the Symposium Editor, Crystal Ochrymowicz at crystalochrymowicz@hotmail.com, or call at 413.250.3892.

On September 17, 2007, MLGBA held its annual Boston-Area Law Student Reception graciously hosted by Mintz Levin.  Well over one hundred students, attorneys, and judges attended the event.  During the program, attendees learned about the resources MLGBA offers for students, including free membership, the mentor program, and the Gray Scholarship.

The keynote speaker of the evening was Representative Carl Sciortino, who provided an inspirational perspective on the power of state and local government to safeguard civil rights and the ability of individuals to be involved in such initiatives.  Representative Sciortino urged the crowd to consider next steps for equality now that equal marriage has been secured in the Commonwealth.  He talked in depth about Massachusetts H.B. 1722, which aims to redress discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

Attendees also heard from Mintz Levin leaders Rosemary Allen and Linda Port.  Attorney Port spoke about Mintz Levin's hard work to promote and foster meaningful diversity and the firm's inclusion of transgender people in its non-discrimination policy.

At the conclusion of the evening, Attorney General Martha Coakley made a surprise appearance to address the crowd.  The reception was a wonderful launch to a new program year. 

On behalf of the entire MLGBA Board, MLGBA membership, our community and friends, please join us in congratulating and saluting CHRISTINA MILLER on her new position AND being named by Lawyers Weekly as one of the 15 Rising Star's of the bar.  As one of MLGBA's co-chairs for the past 2+ years, we already know how fabulous Christina is and all that she has done for our community and we can not be more thrilled to announce her recent successes.  For more information on her new position, please see the press release below.  In addition, for information on how you can join your friends in celebrating Christina's stardom in the legal community, information about an upcoming reception is included.  Read more about it on the Suffolk County's District Attorney's Press Office.

Lawyers Weekly Cocktail Reception to Celebrate Christina's Stardom:

For information go to: http://events.lawyersweekly.com/UpandComingLawyers/index.cfm

Up & Coming Lawyers

Please join us at Lawyers Weekly's Annual Networking Cocktail reception as we salute 15 rising stars of the bar!

Tuesday, September 25
The Liberty Hotel 215 Charles Street in Boston
5:30-8pm Presentation begins at 6:30pm

Tickets $65 A portion of the ticket proceeds go to New England Center for Children.

Space is limi