Kendra L. Berardi Esq.

President’s Message

As I write this message, I am just over a month into my term as REBA’s President, and every day I am amazed at the energy of REBA’s Board members, staff, section chairs, and members.  For a 150-year-old organization, REBA has nimbly embraced the opportunities presented in the last two years by increasing the available online content, adding new webinars every week, and continuing to advocate for causes, legislation, and issues important to our members and their practice goals. 

With nineteen different practice area sections producing valuable, web-accessible content weekly, there is a webinar for every member and every practice, whether your focus is affordable housing, construction, residential conveyancing, trusts and estates, litigation or anything else related to real estate.  Given the current temperatures, quality, online content sounds perfect.  The full schedule of upcoming webinars is available on REBA’s website.

I know I speak for many of us when I say that REBA’s in-person annual meeting in November was a welcome and long-overdue opportunity to connect and catch up with each other.  Believe it or not, REBA’s annual Spring Conference is right around the corner on May 2, 2022 at the Four Points Sheraton in Norwood (hopefully bringing with it some Spring temperatures).  The chairs of the Continuing Education Section have developed a great program for our members and I encourage you to attend for a day of excellent content and networking.

Just as important as continuing legal education is a commitment to lawyer well-being.  As past Presidents have noted in this space, the Supreme Judicial Court has asked all bar associations, including REBA, to promote lawyer well-being.  As part of that effort, I want to encourage our members to participate in the survey being conducted by Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, a non-profit research organization.  This survey, designed to conduct an independent assessment of the well-being of Massachusetts attorneys, should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete and explores several topics, including health and wellness and access to well-being and mental health services.  Responses to this survey are voluntary and confidential and will help the Supreme Judicial Court to continue its important work with regard to lawyer well-being.

I look forward to seeing you all in May at the Spring Conference.  In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out with any ideas, comments, or questions.