[blindLaw] Happy 2026 Note From Sec. Chair: Dates

[GL Norman]

>From G. Norman, Chair


2 minutes for you to read
Greetings:
In this missive, I will quickly provide some key dates but not the complete list of dates related to the spring. Happy 2026! WE, in the leadership, have been restful during this past fortnight – with the various holidays taking place across traditions. We will now reinvigorate the fast-paced rollout or work on deliverables. I express my thanks to serve as Section Chair.

  *   Believe that submission of columns for the newsletter close on January 15, 2026.
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A social media Linked-in page has been established and thanks to our Co-Captains on the Section Council helping with these reinvigorated communications. We will start this month with providing posts.
  *   The nominations committee is doing magnificent work in recruiting or vetting a slate of candidates for Section Council. If you are interested, let me know.

Thematically, the fall semester focused on relational presence and re-building the voice of the ADR Section. A major dialogue product occurred on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, setting a platform for long-term efforts to ensure the ADR Section, not to mention the MSBA, reaches people outside of Baltimore. The nominations committee has met under the wonderful leadership of the Co-Chairs or co-animation leaders and the work to construct a slate for the Section’s annual business meeting taking place during May is underway. Incredible work to actualize a long-term but uncompleted product deliverable, a video, has occurred during the fall semester – with strong progress towards its completion. Thematically, the spring semester will focus on mentorship and career pathways, especially as supports non-partisan public service.
Quickly, we will have two sessions at the “annual meeting” in Ocean City, Maryland, and will look to host the second iteration of the State and Future of ADR dialogue process during July while visiting beautiful Western Maryland. The Vice Chair has my full support to make the July dialogue process happen. I have slowly discussed, with one of our stakeholders and supporters, co-hosting a panel during Public Service Week focusing upon those who were once involved in ADR on a federal civil service level.
Now, therefore, take immediate notice of these dates in a brief sense. The list set forth below is the list of major spring events -- certainly not all the possible work products and not workloads that are in stream.

  *   February 17, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. Sharply Annual Section Council Legislative and Policy Dinner at the Peppermill in Baltimore County, Maryland.
  *   February 19, 2026 “MSBA Day” in Annapolis, Maryland.
  *   March 20, 2026, at 9 A.M. Second iteration of the “career practice forum” at Morgan State University.
  *   March 26, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. sharply Annual Robert M. Bell Award and Social Levy in partnership with the Legal Studies Institute at AAC in Arnold, Maryland.
  *   Again, the ADR Section will collaborate with our friends and stakeholders to host two sessions at the “annual meeting” taking place in Ocean City, Maryland. Due note that, contrary to recent practice, the annual meeting is back to a bit of a later sequence during June. As to dates and registration, you can read that for yourself at the MSBA website.