The earliest records of the Baltimore County Bar Association commence with typed minutes of a May 21, 1920, meeting, some sixty-nine years after the formation of Baltimore County as a unit of government. The official separation of Baltimore County from Baltimore City had occurred on July 4, 1851. After the separation, however, it took three separate elections to have Towson declared the seat of County government and to provide for local government. The County Courthouse was started in 1854. Originally, it was to have cost $30,000, but not surprisingly, there was a cost overrun, and an additional $20,000 had to be raised to complete the structure. The first session of court in Baltimore County occurred in January, 1857. There have been three separate additions to the structure since that time, with the final addition occurring in 1958. A new courthouse was constructed and put in use across a plaza from the original structure in 1974.

Courtroom 5 in the Old Courthouse is still used for trials as well as for ceremonies and for Bar Association meetings. It has been fully restored and contains portraits of past jurists and members of the Bar since the founding of the County. The portraits were commissioned by the Bar Association starting in the mid-1920's and include some of the most prominent members of the bench and bar in the State. The courtroom itself so accurately reflects the public image of an old-style courtroom that it has been used in movies and in county promotional videos.

Past Presidents of the Baltimore County Bar Association:

Constitution

ByLaws

BALTIMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
CODE OF PROFESSIONALISM

PREAMBLE
AS AN ATTORNEY MEMBER OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION,
MEMBER RECOGNIZES THAT THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF OUR NOBLE
PROFESSION DEPENDS ON THE EXERCISE OF PROFESSIONALISM AND EXTENDING
BASIC COURTESIES TO OTHERS. MEMBER, THEREFORE, PLEDGES TO ABIDE BY
THE FOLLOWING CODE OF PROFESSIONALISM:

1. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT: At all times, Member shall adhere to the provisions of the
Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct and shall aspire to the “Ideals of Professionalism” as
published as an Appendix to such Rules.

2. CIVILITY: Member shall strive to: (1) enhance the public perception of lawyers; (2)
exemplify and promote the highest ideals of the legal profession; (3) be courteous in all
professional relations; and (4) encourage courteous behavior in others.

3. DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUITY: Member shall respect, support and promote
diversity, equity and inclusion of all individuals regardless of background, age, race, ethnicity,
national origin, culture, ability and disability, gender, identity, sexual orientation, marital or family
status, religious or spiritual belief, or socioeconomic status.

4. PREPARATION: Member shall be adequately prepared on all professional occasions.

5. ZEAL AND COMMITMENT: Member shall represent Member’s clients zealously and,
after becoming thoroughly knowledgeable concerning the facts of the matter and the applicable
law, shall strive to achieve a desirable result as expeditiously and inexpensively as possible. In
doing so, Member shall exercise independent professional judgment as to the merits of the issue
and its appropriate resolution and shall not allow a client’s improper or unethical motives to
interfere with Member’s exercise of professional judgment.

6. PUNCTUALITY: Member shall return telephone calls and respond to other forms of
communications, including electronic communications, with reasonable promptness. Member
shall be punctual and prepared for all trials, hearings, depositions, conferences and other
proceedings. Member shall make best efforts to notify promptly all persons affected by any delay
that prevents Member from appearing on time.

7. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LAWYERS: Member shall be certain that others can
rely on Member’s word. Member shall always be courteous, candid and honest in Member’s
communications with other lawyers. Member shall be mindful of civility in electronic
communications. Member shall honor all oral agreements. Member makes and shall memorialize
those agreements promptly in order to avoid misunderstandings. Member shall not criticize
opposing counsel in a personal or hostile manner at any time. In negotiations, Member shall act
courteously and negotiate in good faith. Member shall state information and proposals to other
parties accurately and within the authority granted by the client. Member shall note changes and
deletions made to documents submitted for approval by opposing counsel. Member shall not
quibble unnecessarily over style, but will focus on the substance of the matter at issue.

8. DEADLINES: (1) Before scheduling dates or imposing deadlines, Member shall
reasonably attempt to accommodate calendar conflicts of other attorneys resulting from previously
scheduled hearings, depositions, meetings, conferences, vacations, seminars, or other important
commitments. (2) Member shall agree to reasonable requests for extensions of time and for waiver
of procedural formalities when the legitimate interests of their client will not be materially and
adversely affected. (3) Member shall not request an extension of time solely for the purpose of
unjustified delay or to obtain an unfair tactical advantage. (4) Member shall avoid last-minute
cancellations or requests for extension of time except in cases of legitimate necessity. (5) Member
shall not make scheduling, filing or service decisions that unfairly limit another party’s opportunity
to prepare or respond. (6) Member shall not impose arbitrary or unreasonable deadlines for actions
by others. (7) Member shall notify other counsel at the earliest time when trials, hearings,
depositions, meetings, or conferences are to be cancelled or postponed.

9. COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT: (1) Member shall speak civilly to all court
personnel. (2) Member shall be mindful of time constraints when requesting hearings, provide
accurate estimates of trial and hearing requirements and shall attempt to schedule lengthy
proceedings well in advance. (3) Member shall not attempt to alter the appearance of neutrality in
dealings with court personnel. (4) Member shall promptly notify the court when cases have been
settled. (5) Member shall refrain from making unauthorized ex-parte communications. (6)
Member shall communicate reasonable and rational positions to permit the Court to make
decisions.

10. DISCOVERY: (1) Member shall (a) limit discovery requests to items that are reasonably
necessary for the preparation, evaluation and presentation of their client’s case; (b) conduct
discovery in a courteous and respectful manner; (c) conduct discovery without harassing or
intimidating any person; and (d) voluntarily withdraw any claim or defense that in the exercise of
good faith should be withdrawn as a result of information received during discovery. (2) Member
shall refrain from (a) interpreting the adverse party’s discovery requests in an artificially restrictive
manner; (b) engaging in any conduct during a deposition that would be inappropriate in open court,
conflict with the spirit of the Maryland discovery rules or otherwise lack civility; (c) delaying a
response to discovery requests; or (d) producing documents in a disorganized or unintelligible
fashion, or in a way calculated to obscure a particular document.

11. SETTLEMENT AND ADR: (1) Member shall encourage Member’s clients, when
appropriate, to explore the possibility of settlement as soon as enough is known about the case to
make settlement discussions meaningful. (2) Member shall consider the issue of whether
Member’s client’s interests would be better served by alternative methods of dispute resolution,
and apprise their clients of such alternative methods.

12. SERVICE TO COMMUNITY AND THE BAR: Member shall aspire to contribute time,
talent or resources to the betterment of Member’s communities, ensuring pro bono representation
and the availability of justice to all persons in need. Member shall engage in activities which
support and promote the betterment of the legal profession and serve the purposes and Mission
Statement of the Association.

13. EDUCATION AND MENTORING: Member shall aspire to participate in and support
continuing education activities and mentoring to promote excellence in the profession.
 

The Baltimore County Bar Foundation is the fundraising arm of the

Baltimore County Bar Association, but is a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) entity.

The objectives of the Foundation are to foster and maintain the honor and integrity of the profession of the law; to improve and to facilitate the administration of justice; to enhance and improve the image of lawyers; and to promote the study of the law and research therein, and the diffusion of knowledge thereof.

In furtherance of those objectives, the Foundation provides financial support for non-profit programs and organizations that have a significant relation to the Baltimore area community and that may be expected to contribute to:

1. the improvement of the administration of justice;

2. the provision of legal services through staff attorneys or unpaid volunteers to persons who find it difficult to obtain legal services through normal channels;

3. the education of the general public, including primary and secondary school students, regarding law and the legal system; or

4. the improvement of the image of lawyers and of the legal profession through lawyer participation in community outreach programs and other good works.

The Foundation meets three times a year, and reviews applications as they are received at its next meeting. The completed Grant Application should be submitted to the Baltimore County Bar Foundation, 100 County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, MD 21204, for consideration.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Baltimore County Bar Foundation, please call the Bar Office (410-337-9100). Thank you for your continued commitment and support oft he Baltimore County Bar Foundation.

Annual Sponsorship Opportunities

If interested, please e-mail Rachel Ruocco at rruocco@bcba.org.

If the Baltimore County Public Schools are delayed or closed for weather, all BCBA meetings in the County Courts Building are cancelled. Of course, if the Circuit Court for Baltimore County is closed, programs are cancelled. This would include Continuing Legal Education, Bench/Bar Committee and Executive Council meetings.  Every effort will be made to notify anyone registered for a program via email, and to reschedule the program. If you are not registered for a program, you may not receive the email notice.

Of course, there are exceptions when we can’t cancel due to contracts.  These would be the Annual Black-Tie Banquet, Wine Tasting, Golf Outing and Bull Roast.  If you are in doubt please call the Bar Office about these events. If you are attending a Committee dinner or meeting, please call the Chair of the Committee directly. Committee Chair contact information can be found in Committee Reports.

BALTIMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION WEB SITE

TERMS, CONDITIONS AND DISCLAIMERS

PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE WEB SITE. BY ACCESSING THE WEB SITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU SHOULD NOT ACCESS OR USE THE WEB SITE.

The Baltimore County Bar Association presents the information on this web site as a service to our members and other Internet users. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or other sites to which we link. Any unauthorized downloading and distribution of any copyrighted material from this site or sites to which we link, without the copyright owner's permission, is strictly prohibited.

NO SERVICE WARRANTIES

THIS WEB SITE AND THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE AND OTHER MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON OR ACCESSIBLE FROM THIS WEB SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NONINFRINGEMENT OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE MARYLAND STATE BAR ASSOCIATION DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE WEB SITE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE OR THAT ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE OR OTHER MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON OR ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE WEB SITE IS FREE OF VIRUSES, WORMS, TROJAN HORSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL THE BALTIMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT IN ANY WAY FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE WEB SITE OR YOUR RELIANCE ON OR USE OF INFORMATION, SERVICES OR MERCHANDISE PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THE WEB SITE, OR THAT RESULT FROM MISTAKES, OMISSIONS, INTERRUPTIONS, DELETION OF FILES, ERRORS, DEFECTS, DELAYS IN OPERATION, OR TRANSMISSION, OR ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE.

INDEMNIFICATION

YOU AGREE TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD THE BALTIMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES, COSTS AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYSÆ FEES, RELATED TO ANY VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BY YOU.

The Baltimore County Bar Association presents the information on this web site as a service to our members and other Internet users. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at other sites to which we link.