Dear Hellenic Bar Association Member / Prospective New Member:

I invite you to become a member of the Hellenic Bar Association, (HBA) or to renew your membership in the organization.  The HBA is the premier association of legal professionals of Greek descent in New England.  It is committed to serving the legal profession and the Greek American community by promoting professional excellence, cultural awareness, community service and civic involvement.   The HBA is entering an exciting period and we need you and your ideas to help us achieve our goals, and maintain the vitality and growth of the organization.
 
HBA Membership Benefits:  There are several benefits to being an active member of the HBA, including free admission to HBA events, free listing on the HBA Attorney Referral Network on our website (which we are in the process of updating), and countless opportunities to meet and network with fellow Greek American lawyers, members of the judiciary and non-lawyer Greek professionals.  
 
Some examples of recent HBA events include:  a lecture on corporate governance by Paul P. Brountas of WilmerHale LLP; a Legislative Forum with State Senators Bruce Tarr and Steven Panagiotakos; a lecture on The New Foreign Policy of Greece by Dr. Dimitris Keridis of the Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and of course, our annual Distinguished Jurist Award reception hosted by the Consulate of Greece in Boston where we honor an outstanding Hellenic American member of the Massachusetts judiciary.
 
Public Policy:  Also, this past March, the HBA was proud to provide technical legal assistance in the drafting of a letter [click here to see PDF of Halki letter]—spearheaded by HBA Board member and State Senator Bruce E. Tarr and signed by several members of the Massachusetts State Legislature--to President George W. Bush regarding the Turkish government’s illegal closure of the Greek Orthodox Seminary at Halki.   As lawyers, stewards of the law, there was a special duty to lend assistance in a situation when international law is being violated.  As an HBA member, you will have an opportunity to weigh in on and participate in other relevant public policy issues as they develop.

What’s Ahead:  The HBA spent the last year in a strategic planning process to determine how better to serve our members.  We want to engage more of members and cultivate new ones, and have plans for interesting and informative forums and events, which include collaborative activities with other Hellenic American professional organizations.  Here are just some of the events coming in the spring and fall of 2007:

SAVE THE DATE! June 15, 2007: The Hellenic Bar Association’s popular annual Distinguished Jurist Award reception will be held on Friday, June 15, 5:30-8:30 at the Consulate of Greece, 86 Beacon Street, Boston.  HBA members and prospective members are invited to attend.  This year’s award recipient is The Honorable Peter A. Velis, who will be honored for his exemplary service to the legal profession.     

Fall 2007:  There are several exciting events in the works for the fall. The HBA is planning a collaborative forum and reception with the New England Hellenic Medical and Dental Society on bioethics—more details to come.  The HBA will also hold its annual Legislative Forum in November, where state legislators of Greek descent will provide insights about the year ahead on Beacon Hill, and we are planning to revive the HBA’s festive holiday networking reception—with many more interesting events are in the works.    
 
I encourage current and prospective HBA members to become active in the organization and help us develop new activities, programs and expand our membership.  In 2008, the HBA will celebrate its 10th anniversary.  In order to continue our successful growth, the HBA needs your participation and ideas.  If you wish to serve on event committees, host regional events for the HBA, help with membership development, or are interested in potential board or committee involvement, please contact us at HellenicBarAssn@aol.com.   We are especially interested in cultivating members from various parts of the state--e.g., North Shore, Lowell area, South Shore, and Worcester/Central Massachusetts.  If you would like to become a regional representative for any of those areas and, please contact us at the above email address  
 
Thank you all for your support.  I look forward to working with all of you to make the HBA's next 10 years even more exciting and interesting for our members and making the HBA an influential force in the Greek American community of New England.   
 
Sincerely,
Georgia D. Katsoulomitis, Esq.
President, Hellenic Bar Association