COVID-19 Updates

Dear MBBA Members and Supporters,

We understand the difficulty that has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to helping each of you alleviate the fear, anxiety, and stress that you and your families are facing during these unprecedented times. Our New York will forever be changed by the damage caused by COVID-19, but also by the actions we take to ensure our safety.

We, the Officers and Board Members of the MBBA stand with you as we do our best to navigate these difficult and unprecedented times. The MBBA remains committed to its mission of helping black lawyers in the legal profession despite the challenges we must now overcome. Many of us have been forced to work remotely, find creative ways to care for one another, and even teach our kids remotely (or entertain them) as a result of school closings. Our members, who are also first responders, are aiding our friends and families on the front lines of this epidemic. Thus, whether you are an introvert who doesn’t mind being at home or an extrovert who has already been emotionally affected by the social distancing mandates, we are committed to providing you with the resources needed to endure. These resources include:

• Please read the information on how the legal profession is maneuvering through the pandemic, including: The linked letters from the Unified Court System regarding court closings: 3/13 Memo NYS Unified Court System and 3/15 Memo NYS Unified Court System.
• The Thomson Reuters Practical Law Global Coronavirus Toolkit (found here) is a collection of Practice Notes, Standard Documents, Checklists and other resources covering a range of public health emergency and disaster preparedness topics applicable to attorneys and professionals located in the UK, US, China, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
• Robust MBBA CLE webinars to help Members fulfill their CLE requirements. The NY CLE Board recently adopted a new regulation that permits newly admitted attorneys (2 years or less) to participate in non-traditional CLE formats (webinars, teleconferences, video conferences) from now until June 30th (or longer, if the board extends the time), and use credits from those events to satisfy their CLE requirements. More information will be provided about these offerings in the next few weeks.
• Personal resources to alleviate the added burden placed on MBBA members and their families. For example: Some of our officers are using the “Amazing Education Resource” to find creative ways to keep their children busy during the day. This resource (found here: https://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/) is a live document, updated on a daily basis, with a wealth of free (or reduced price) educational and professional resources to help you stay calm, move your business forward, and assist your children with completing their educational requirements.
• The Mindfulness in Law Society has opened its weekly mindfulness sessions to all members of the legal community. They offer the following “virtual sits,” all live-streamed via Zoom:
  • Mondays at 3pm Eastern: 30-minute session.
  • Tuesdays at 11:45am Eastern: 15-minute pause.
  • Wednesdays at 12:15pm Eastern: 45-minute session with some discussion.
  • All sessions can be accessed through the Mindfulness in Law website.
• 6 Tips for Working From Home Amidst the COVID-19 (Corona) Virus Outbreak article by Treasurer and Immediate Past President, Paula T. Edgar.

The MBBA will also be offering even more virtual resources to help you manage your professional life, balance the needs of your family, and remain connected to your MBBA family.

During these challenging times, we encourage each of you to reach out to us. Send us your questions, comments, and requests. We must maintain our resilience and our commitment to strengthening the black legal community. United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once said, “the measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.” The MBBA is committed to preserving the greatness of our legal community by doing just that.

In solidarity,

The Officers and Board Members of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association

Gala Update: The MBBA has made the difficult decision to reschedule our 36th Anniversary Awards Gala from Friday, May 15th to Friday, September 11, 2020 . You will receive a new Gala invitation shortly and registration for the Gala will remain open . If you have already registered for the Gala, we will automatically transfer your tickets, ads, and sponsorship to the new date.

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