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Chairs:

THIS COMMITTEE MEETS ON THE SECOND FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH

12:00 p.m., Yangtze River Restaurant, Lexington

Contact Veronica Zolina or Maria Theophilis

We are very excited to begin work as co-chairs of the Middlesex Committee and thank you all for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.  Many thanks also to Andrea Goldman for agreeing to serve as interim co-chair during this transitional period.

As we begin our terms, we would very much like to have input from the group as to the direction of the Committee, our meetings and events in the upcoming year.  What can we do to make our Committee meetings even more helpful, informative, and productive?  We propose to use part of our time at the May 9, 2008 meeting for an open discussion of these issues. 

At the end of the April meeting we met briefly with Sydelle and MaryAnn (thank you, ladies, for sharing your expertise!), and generated some initial ideas, summarized below.  Let's use this list as a starting point for our discussion on Thursday.   

1. Structure of meetings: while leaving sufficient time for informal networking and conversation, we could choose a topic each month for more focused discussion at each meeting.  Members would propose topics of interest.  These could include marketing, networking, and business development strategies; a substantive legal issue impacting women; an exchange of personal experiences practicing in various courts, etc.  Different members could lead these discussions each month.
2. Summer Event: Sydelle suggested that we begin planning an event for summer 2008.  We discussed several ideas for possible speakers.  Sydelle will see if Gloria Larsen, president of Bentley College, might be available.
3. Smaller events: In addition to the big summer event that would be open to all WBA members, we could plan several smaller, topical events for the Committee.  Ideas include:
• A tour of the new Middlesex courthouse in Woburn
• Replicating on a smaller scale the successful “Power Chicks” program that the WBA held in Boston in April
• A job fair for new lawyers and/or panel discussion for those who are starting their own practice for the first time. 

Please bring your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on Friday at noon, or send us an email if you cannot attend in person. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

 - Veronica and Maria