The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) kicked off its 2020-21 bar year on Fri., May 1 a little bit differently than previous years. BAMSL's 2020-21 Board of Governors and Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Executive Board were sworn in virtually via Zoom at noon on May 1, the same day that Law Day annually is commemorated nationally.

Many of you are seeking ways to assist those in our community who are in desperate need of food right now. Our St. Louis Attorneys Against Hunger Committee has some opportunities for you to donate food or help fund local efforts to feed area schoolchildren and their families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. There also are opportunities to volunteer your time — the organizations are providing masks and gloves for your safety.

We are being called to help in this time of crisis. Local health care professionals working in hospitals and otherwise on the front lines against coronavirus have been reaching out to BAMSL asking for assistance with their estate planning. BAMSL President Sara Neill created a special task force to respond to this plea, and I write as one of the chairs of that task force.

We wanted to reach out and assure each of you that leadership and staff of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) are doing everything we can to continue providing excellent service while also being mindful of everyone's safety and health.

The St. Louis Bar Journal, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis’ (BAMSL) quarterly scholarly publication, is seeking proposals from parties interested in serving as Editor-In-Chief. This is a voluntary position that would work in conjunction with BAMSL’s Staff in producing the four issues a year. Proposals must be submitted by April 3, 2020.

There will be a contested election for the YLD Chair-Elect position for the 2020-21 BAMSL bar year. The two candidates for the position are Lauren C. Collins and Vincent B. Taormina. YLD members can vote between 9:00 a.m. on March 2 and 5:00 p.m. on March 16.

The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers' Section (YLS) presented the CLE "Milly Sawyers; Freedom Suit: Reflections on our Past, Lessons for our Future" on Feb. 12. The program began with a private showing of the The Milly Project followed by a panel discussion. We were honored to host the Honorable Mary R. Russell from the Supreme Court of Missouri, who joined the discussion as a panelist.

The John C. Shepherd Professional Award is given annually at the Law Day Luncheon to a BAMSL young lawyer (a member who is 36 years of age or younger or licensed to practice for five years or less) who exemplifies the BAMSL Tenets of Professionalism in the tradition of John C. Shepherd. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on March 13, 2020.

In carrying out our work as a committee, we were guided by the principle that BAMSL's Executive Board should be, to the extent possible, qualified and representative of the diverse elements of the Association's membership including, but not limited to, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, geography, and areas and types of practice and have a willingness to commit time, energy and talents to BAMSL. We believe our recommended slate of candidates is reflective of that.

BAMSL is pleased to announce its partnership with Insurance Specialists, Inc. (ISI). ISI provides BAMSL members with a practical alternative to traditional insurance: a Level-Funded Health Plan.