Brooklyn Bar Association reopens doors after 5 months with first-ever breakfast event | amNewYork

"I thought, since we just reopened this month, this would be a great opportunity to invite our members in the legal community to come back to our legal home, said Anthony Vaughn, the organization's immediate past president. This is something new, and I'm hoping that we can use this as a jumping off point to do this each month [and] as an opportunity to get more events on the calendar. In-person events, like this breakfast, are critical to building the legal community, learning from each other and bridging generational gaps, Vaughn said. Without the in person experience, you lose sight of the importance of building and nurturing relationships, Vaughn said. I know there's a different perspective that you can fulfill the same goals by online or through social media, and I agree in part, but there's something about a screen which creates separation that in-person events eliminate."

"I think it's important for the younger generation, as well as our senior attorneys, to get together to bridge those gaps, he continued. The elders can learn from the youth, and quite frankly, the youth can always learn from the elders. But, it's very difficult to do that if the elders aren't on social media, but the young groups are. So, why don't we get into a common space where we all feel comfortable and share ideas and do something new?"

The Brooklyn Bar Association reopened its over-a-century-old brownstone after closing in September 2025 because of a leak. Leaders hosted the organization's first-ever breakfast event to welcome members back and plan to hold similar monthly gatherings to expand in-person programming. Organizers emphasized that in-person events are critical for building the legal community, nurturing relationships, and bridging generational gaps between younger and senior attorneys. Organizers acknowledged that online platforms can achieve some goals but noted that screens create a separation that in-person gatherings eliminate. The event aimed to create a common space where elders and younger attorneys can share ideas and strengthen intergenerational learning.

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