By MATT CHANDLER
mchandler@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1654

It has been 11 years since a Western New Yorker represented the legal community as president of the New York State Bar Association. That all changed Wednesday when attorney Vincent Doyle III took the reins from outgoing President Stephen Younger.

Doyle, an attorney with Connors and Vilardo, will serve as the 114th president of the bar.

He was welcomed with a Tuesday evening reception at his alma mater, Canisius College. On hand were attorneys, judges and well-wishers from around  the region and state, including Younger. He called Doyle not only a terrific colleague but a friend and someone who is sure to be a strong leader for the state bar and its membership of 77,000.

"We all know about Vince's deep roots in this bar," Younger told the audience. "The son of a legendary judge, he started going to bar association events when he was 7, 8 years old. He is a person of great stature and he commands respect because of his leadership talents."

Scott Schwartz, president of the Bar Association of Erie County, also weighed in.

"Most people think of New York lawyers as New York City lawyers, but we have an excellent legal community here in Buffalo," he said. "And the 77,000 members of the state bar will see that as Vince Doyle leads them as their next president."

For his part, Doyle said he is excited about the opportunity and the recognition it will bring to Western New York.

"It's one of the reasons I'm glad to do this," he said. "I was hoping people would be excited to have someone from Western New York, and from the reaction I've been getting from people in emails and phone calls, they are excited."

Among the issues he will highlight are initiatives to benefit military veterans, as well as immigrants, the indigent and others who need legal representation.

"I think what lawyers do best is ensure that people get access to justice and they get a fair shot," Doyle said. "So what we've done is identify a few areas where we feel there need to be additional resources given to people because of their circumstances."

Initiatives include:

• Veterans - "Our veterans face a host of problems, many of them legal. There's no reason why they should suffer as a result of their service to our country. We are going to find ways for the lawyers to help them by creating a network of attorneys familiar with veterans' issues to help them when they need it."

• Immigrants - "We have people who want to come to this country for a better life and to pursue the American dream. They shouldn't face legal obstacles without the quality legal assistance that might help them. There is no way that they should be forced to leave the country because they can't find a lawyer knowledgeable enough to assist them."

• Indigent criminal defense - "This is an area where the budgetary problems the courts are going through are really having an effect on people's lives. Our defenders across the state are overworked and underfunded, and we are going to do what we can in terms of lobbying to get them adequately funded. Until we can do that, we are going to try and help the providers find ways that they can share resources and do more with less."

Despite some well-documented struggles in the legal profession in recent years, including layoffs and a slowdown in hiring, Doyle said he is optimistic about the future.

"We've had some very encouraging signs in the latest hiring data," he said. "We ourselves have done surveys of management partners and corporate clients, and all of that tells us that we think there is a turnaround in the legal market."

There's a feel-good aspect of having a local lawyer at the helm of the state association, but what other benefits are in store for the region?

"One of my intentions is to use my term to promote the legal community in Western New York," Doyle said. "That will include hosting one of the House of Delegates meetings for the first time in over 20 years (scheduled for April 2012), as well as hosting committee meetings locally."

Maryann Saccomando Freedman was among those lauding Doyle at the Canisius reception. An attorney with Cohen Lombardo in Buffalo, she was the first woman president of the state bar.

She praised the new top official of the association.

"I'm so proud of him," Saccomando Freedman said. "Not only what he brings to the bar but what he brings to the Western New York legal community."