Amy Lin Meyerson. Courtesy photo

As Amy Lin Meyerson takes over the reins of the Connecticut Bar Association on July 1, she'll do so in the midst of a global health pandemic that has affected all areas of society, including the law.

The 10,000-member bar association has been in the forefront of organizing efforts to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as to fellow attorneys, since the crisis to take center stage in March.

Meyerson will be the bar's 97th president and its first Chinese-American president. She said she is proud of its members and how they've dealt with the pandemic by, in many cases, offering time pro bono to help others.

Meyerson resides in Weston, where she also operates a solo practice focusing on business and general corporate law. She said she hopes to build on the bar's successes during the COVID-19 crisis.

"We have dedicated, special and caring people in our CBA membership who, faced with these challenges and complications resulting from this global pandemic, have taken up the mantle to help other attorneys and members of our communities," Meyerson said in an interview with the Connecticut Law Tribune Wednesday.

Meyerson, who was born in New Orleans, received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1994.

Here's Meyerson's conversation, edited for length and clarity.

Connecticut Law Tribune: What are your short-term and long-term goals for the CBA and please be specific?

Amy Lin Meyerson: I've seen firsthand the power of connecting with others involved in the law and legal community and the resulting success in promoting justice and strengthening our legal profession. It is with that in mind that this year's theme is Connect to Succeed!

Connect to Succeed! reenforces the CBA's commitment to ensure the benefits of bar membership are realized and to serve as the voice of the legal profession within the organized bar and with the public in Connecticut. We will work to: Connect to Succeed!; champion our communities; broaden networks; and advance justice.

CLT: If you could point to one area where the CBA has fallen behind and needs to improve, what would that be and why?

Meyerson: In these extraordinary times when political leaders are undermining fundamental American values and civil and human rights issues have become hyper-partisan, the CBA, as a nonpartisan organization, faces the difficult task of working effectively with people on both sides of the aisle.

As the CBA continues to shape its policy, our unquestioned focus is to protect and promote the principles of the rule of law, democracy and our justice system against those who are attacking it. We need to hear the concerns of our members, make sure their issues are addressed, clearly express the CBA's positions and communicate them effectively.

It is because of these divisive times that I believe our theme of Connect to Succeed! is more imperative than ever. Our country's foundation is based on the rule of law: we must stand together to advance justice and protect liberty for all.

CLT: Tell us about the effect COVID-19 has had on the profession of law and how CBA members have addressed it.

Meyerson: Members of our legal community are facing challenges on all fronts right now, including mental health and well-being issues arising from working from home, and insecurities about serving clients and their needs given all the uncertainties about both health and the economy.

Our membership is dealing with issues that often have no clear precedent; it is unprecedented.

We have dedicated special and caring people in our CBA membership who faced with these challenges and complications resulting from this global pandemic have taken up the mantle to help other attorneys and members of our communities by sharing information, actively providing resources and tips on how to get things done and checking in with one another.

CBA members also are giving to Project Feed Connecticut and volunteering to provide pro bono services through Pro Bono Connect, CT Free Legal Answers and the Small Business Virtual Legal Clinic.

CLT: The CBA has a diversity summit and has long made the issue of diversity and inclusion a top priority. What will you do to expand the association's diversity and inclusion initiatives?

Meyerson: I support inclusion as well as diversity. Inclusion means both a sense of belonging as well as a recognition of individual uniqueness.

To that end, I plan to encourage and support the provision of more opportunities for the civil and robust open exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives at the CBA. Civility allows us to listen to one another, share ideas and advocate effectively to defend the rule of law, democracy and our justice system.

We have to change people's mindsets and address issues of implicit bias. People of diverse backgrounds are excellent lawyers. Increasing diversity in the legal profession results in better service to our clients, facilitates access to justice and improves the legal profession as a whole.

CLT: Connecticut recently joined the ranks of states that have formed task forces to examine potential changes to the regulation of the law industry. The association created the State of the Legal Profession Task Force. What is your plan for the task force and how will you implement it?

Meyerson: Due to the global pandemic resulting in the governor's issuance of the stay safe/stay home order and closure of courts and businesses, much of the work of the Leveraging Technology to Advance the Legal Profession and Law School and Future Lawyers subcommittees of the State of the Legal Profession Task Force was accelerated and implemented by the CBA COVID-19 Task Force.

In the coming weeks we'll look to the chairs of both task forces with outgoing CBA President Ndidi Moses' continued guidance to work collaboratively to present their findings and recommendations on further implementation.

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