Upgrading the lawyers' lounge in the New Haven courthouse and negotiating better discounts for members are just two of the projects on the agenda of Julia Baldini, the new executive director of the New Haven County Bar Association.

Baldini, who joined the bar association staff in January and was named executive director in April, has taken over for Carolyn "Carrie" Witt, who was the executive director for 17 years. Witt died in December.