Member Benefits

The HCBA sponsors numerous seminars on various aspects of the law throughout the year to keep our members informed of current developments in their practice area. The Hampden County Bar Association is committed to continuing legal education to provide the best possible service to the public. Most seminars are offered at a minimal or no cost to our members.

The HCBA has seven sections based on an area of practice or demographics which keep members apprised of current practices in a specific area of law. We also have numerous committees that deal with issues of importance to both the practicing attorney and the public, such as bench-bar committees and fee arbitration.

The HCBA maintains a Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS) which you may consider joining the panel of attorneys willing to accept referrals in your area of concentration. This service helps to increase your client base and serves our community by putting people in contact with local attorneys.  As part of the LRIS program, we offer attorneys the opportunity to participate in a Reduced Rate Panel Panel and Limited Assistance Representation panel.

The HCBA publish a monthly newsletter that keeps members informed of all Association activities, programs, current events and contains articles of interest to the profession.  In addition to the monthly newsletter, we publish a weekly notice with reminders of current events as well as an Educational Notice later in the week with upcoming programs.

The HCBA sponsors an Arbitration & Mediation Service which maintains a roster of highly qualified neutrals which you may consider joining.  The HCBA also assists with the administration of a conciliation program in the Hampden County Probate & Family Court.  For more information on either of these programs, please call our office at 413-732-4660.

The HCBA sponsors a wide variety of social and educational programs throughout the year. These events include our Judges’ Night Dinner, Annual Dinner Meeting & Vendor Show, Annual Golf Outing, Law Day Celebration, Chili Cook-Off, Toast to the Season Holiday Reception, Race Judicata:  A Run for the Bar, educational programs with guest speakers, and many special events sponsored by our various committees and sections. These events afford our members the opportunity to meet and discuss issues of importance with each other, judicial and legislative members in an informal setting.

The Hampden County Bar Association offers numerous ways to give back to your community, including our Lawyer for the Day Programs, Legal Help Hotlines, Speakers Bureau, and M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program.  We also co-sponsor a variety of community programs.  Our dedicated members volunteer numerous hours of their time to these programs.

The Hampden County Bar Association maintains a website that includes a member-only section.  In the members-only section, you have access to a pictorial directory, the complete newsletter, quick access to FastCase, and information on all of our member discount programs and benefits.

If you find yourself in the Hall of Justice and the battery in your cell phone, tablet or computer needs to be recharged, The HCBA can help! We have set up a charging station in our office for members use while in court. We also have a universal laptop charger!

The HCBA now has a Keurig for our members to enjoy! A cup of coffee/tea is only 75¢ and can be purchased in our office. Don't forget, your "cup of joe" has to be consumed in our lobby and can't be taken into the courtrooms. Members can also take advantage of the use of a microwave oven also located in our lobby for quick warm-ups.

Members have access to the computer terminal in our lobby that is equipped with Internet service, Microsoft Office, and a printer. For those members with laptops, we also have the wireless router that we installed for our members who would like to access the Internet. Both of these services are available exclusively to our members. Please stop in or e-mail us to register for use and to obtain the password.

The HCBA lobby has a Drop Box for attorneys who require documents to be served through the Hampden County Sheriff. The sheriff's office picks up documents daily.

We have a copier in our lobby for use by our members while at the Hampden County Hall of Justice. Many of our members have already taken advantage of this useful benefit. All you need to get started is your user code. If you would like to have your code emailed to you, please click here to send us an email.

Our office has notary publics on staff to assist attorneys and clients who may need a last minute document witnessed.

The Hampden County Bar Association is pleased to partner with numerous vendors to offer exclusive discounts to a variety of services available only to our members.  Please click here for a full list of discounts available to our members through the following companies: