Nassau County
Bar Association

May 27, 2020


Dear NCBA Members:

The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight! I feel good that I am ending my presidency with things in our area moving in the right direction.

The past three months have been a substantial challenge to many people, including in the legal community. Many of us have faced unprecedented personal and professional difficulties. We have faced issues related to the lock-down of our offices and the closure of the courts to non-emergency matters. It hasn’t been easy but always remember the NCBA is here for you!

I have always believed that membership in the NCBA provides a higher level of value to the legal community than does membership in any other professional association. What we have accomplished during this pandemic is the conclusive evidence. NCBA membership was essential to the profession during this crisis. Through this stressful time NCBA has provided an even higher value to you than ever before. We are committed to maintaining this level of service and value in the months and years ahead.
The goal of the NCBA leadership during this trying time has been to rise to the occasion in support of our members. Members were desperate for up-to-the-minute information, so I worked closely with Communications Manager Ann Burkowsky to ensure that members had immediate access to the information they needed through frequent NCBA e-blasts containing the latest developments in the Nassau County courts and other courts in our area; simple links to important web pages; original video content on important points related to the pandemic; and more. Wherever possible, we broke the news to you. Everyone connected to the NCBA has pitched in. WE CARE continues its great work, giving out about $150,000 in grants this week to local charities helping Nassau County residents. And NCBA set up a task force early on to help the community with COVID-19 legal problems.
NCBA led the professional pack in so many ways. Our many NCBA committee chairs stepped up big-time. Under the supervision of the tireless Hector Herrera and Past Academy Dean Tom Foley, committee meetings went virtual en masse. The meetings―scheduled by NCBA Committee Liaison Stephanie Pagano―covered many topics related to COVID-19, and the robust attendance is a testament to their quality and relevance. And for many of us working from home, the meetings provided much-needed social interaction with our colleagues.

The Nassau Academy of Law promptly re-imagined its CLE programming. Under the direction of Jen Groh and Patti Anderson, our CLE On Demand program has been a monumental success. With countless CLE programs now being made available online, free to members―covered by your membership dues―there’s greater value in membership than ever before.

But beyond information and services, I wanted to do even more for our members. One of the special task forces I appointed was commissioned to work with Justice Norman St. George on adapting the courts and court processes to the pandemic. How can lawyers and litigants be protected while justice is pursued in re-opened courts? The NCBA held several town hall Zoom meetings with court administrators to help take justice “off pause,” and the attendance was nothing short of incredible. We will continue to work closely with judicial administrators to ensure public safety while we reopen our county.

Our Membership Coordinators Donna Gerdik and Stephanie Pagano are preparing to send out dues notices. I urge everyone to quickly renew and to contact Donna at dgerdik@nassaubar.org if you need to arrange a payment plan. We were here for you when you needed us most, and we will continue to be here for you. I know this may be a tough economic time for some, but I ask those who can do so to consider becoming Sustaining Members of the NCBA. As a Sustaining Member, you will help NCBA fund this extraordinary level of service and advocacy. If you agree that NCBA under my leadership has provided exceptional value to you, this would be one much-appreciated way to express it.

I thank you for your membership in NCBA, now and in the years to come, and for your support of my presidency.
Regards,

Rick Collins
Richard D. Collins
NCBA President
NEW ZOOM MEETING INFO BELOW!

Upcoming NCBA CLE Programs and Committee Meetings Offering CLE

PRE-REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED!
The Nassau Academy of Law is working
hard to manually process each form,
please be patient with them!

PLEASE SEND ALL FORMS TO: academy@nassaubar.org  


Please DO NOT  send the forms
to an individual staff member. 
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
12:30 to 1:30 PM

Medial-Legal Committee Meeting

Preservation at Trial and Post-Trial Motions: An Appellate Perspective
DOWNLOADS:
Friday, May 29, 2020
12:30 to 1:30 PM

Dean’s Hour: PPP Loan Forgiveness: How to Prepare and Succeed

DOWNLOADS:
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
12:30 to 1:30 PM

Dean’s Hour: Contractual Performance Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Force Majeure, Impossibility And Other Considerations

*Zoom info to follow.
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