Page 5 - Delaware Lawyer - Summer 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE
Every consequential event has unanticipated results, some not immediately obvious. Just as floods or forest fires can reju- venate their environments or destroy them, the unprecedented public health crisis, now entering its 18th month, has not just interrupted our lives, but is altering them.
As we grasp for release from restric- tions — even as new variants loom — it is clear that work, play, travel and life- style will change, unpredictably and perhaps permanently. In this issue, six authoritative voices analyze what lies ahead in their areas of expertise.
President Judge Jan Jurden of the Superior Court describes how the pan- demic accelerated the court’s need for electronic filing on criminal matters and other technological advances.
Dr. Sandy Gibney, bringing the pas- sion for excellence that made her an all- American distance runner and member of the U.S. National Field Hockey team, delivers a clinician’s view of the devasta- tion among the state’s most vulnerable and the behavior of the privileged when vaccines became available.
Dick Voith, a prominent Philadel- phia economist who has studied Wilm- ington deeply, including for a 2015 article in this magazine, outlines pos- sible outcomes for the city, whose size, location and demographic composition could make it either a beneficiary or a victim of a trend to remote work.
Lauren Russell, employment lawyer at Young Conaway, describes the Hob- son’s choices that will greet employers, whom she advises to focus on their em- ployees’ mental health like never before.
Bryan Townsend, the most influen- tial lawyer in the General Assembly in 50 years, foresees more openness in the legislature’s deliberations and increased reliance on data.
Ciro Poppiti, the Register of Wills who also heads the Delaware State Bar Association’s newest section — Tourism and Hospitality — examines how that industry may develop practices and ser- vices unimagined two years ago.
Delaware has shown its best — in resolve, cooperation and seriousness of purpose — during the COVID-19 pandemic. The continuing hazards of public health require that this spirit continue.
Chuck Durante
Chuck Durante
SUMMER 2021 DELAWARE LAWYER 3