One of the subjects covered in this issue of Bar Leader—staff transition—is especially relevant and timely for those of us who work in the ABA Division for Bar Services. There’s some news within the division that we thought we should share with you, too.
Joanne O’Reilly has retired after 36 years with the ABA, most recently as publications and survey manager. In that position, she handled a staggering amount of data related to bar organizations and was the driving force behind the Benchmarks survey—and the source of the friendly reminders to complete your survey each year. There’s more: On May 13, 2022, Pamela Robinson will leave the ABA, after stints as director, deputy director, and associate director of the division. Pamela will now be the director of communities at the D.C. Bar, which represents both an exciting career move and a homecoming: She grew up in the D.C. area and has family there. Jennifer Lewin was promoted from deputy director to director; if you’ve had a chance to work with Jennifer during her tenure at the ABA, you know that we’re all in great hands.
It's often the case that long-time staff members remain in our orbit after leaving the division. In fact, previous division director Roseanne Lucianek attended the joint celebration for Joanne and Pamela, as did several other “alumni.” Pamela hopes to attend meetings of the National Association of Bar Executives, so those of us who attend can look forward to seeing her there.
We hope that Joanne will continue to enjoy her much-deserved retirement, and we wish Pamela every success in her new role. To both, we say, “Thank you, congratulations—and don’t be a stranger.”