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| What Have You
Done What
has the MSBA done for me lately? This question likely has been on the mind of
many of you as you've received your annual dues statement and paused
to consider what your MSBA membership means to you. Whether your interests involve continuing education,
developing your career, or simply finding opportunities to build relationships
and network with other attorneys, your bar association has a lot to
offer. Fundamentally, what we are talking
about here is value, and I challenge you to consider what value
could be yours if you took full advantage of the many services and
opportunities MSBA offers. Lawyers frequently tell us they are surprised
to learn that services they have wished for are already available
through MSBA. Maybe it's time
you too had another look. Members expect and deserve direct
benefits that hone professional skills.
The timely articles in Bench & Bar and the CLE and
materials provided by our sections are likely familiar to you.
But did you know you can get the latest court opinions delivered
to you daily by email? Or that you can find uniform conveyancing forms,
a spousal maintenance calculator, and many useful practice tools online
at practicelaw.org? Title standards and the membership directory
are two other valuable resources available from your association.
Through MSBAdvantage you can obtain preferred rates on products,
services and insurance. Pamphlets
for use in marketing and client education are available, as are structured
opportunities to consult with experienced colleagues, both via email
list services (where all subscribers see all messages) and one-on-one.
This list is not exhaustive, but is illustrative of direct
benefits. MSBA members also have many outlets
to fulfill their profession of service to others.
Boundless opportunities exist for pro bono legal services
and for participation in policy and program planning through committees,
commissions and boards. These
involve a myriad of professional interests, including legal education,
criminal sentencing guidelines, professional responsibility, diversity
within the profession, judicial elections, and human rights, among
others. Members serve without expectation of personal
benefit or reward but with the expectation that others who follow
will also contribute to enhance the profession.
This culture of service is institutionalized within the MSBA. The programming of MSBA is fluid
and evaluated annually to ensure you get best value for your dues
dollar. Programs are added, eliminated, or modified,
as appropriate. In the coming
year as your president, I plan to focus on four program areas: legislative
relations, section support, practicelaw.org, and the recruitment
of attorneys from Greater Minnesota for association leadership roles. Legislative Relations are
the key when we face issues that are important to the entire bar.
Over the past few years, we have confronted several such issues:
a near-crisis in funding for legal services to the disadvantaged,
for the court system, and for the public defender program.
We employ a skilled lobbyist who coordinates with MSBA leadership;
however, this small group can accomplish only so much. Attorney constituents in each legislative district
who know their legislators personally are more productive in educating
individual lawmakers. Additionally,
we have to help our legislator allies during their campaigns. Finances are integral to that process, hence
the need for a nonpartisan PAC. Effective
legislative relations depend on coordinated grass roots communications
and the funding of LawPac. There
are opportunities and real benefits here for the entire membership. Sections are the backbone
of the Association. The new governance structure, adopted at the
Convention in June, recognizes this by providing sections representation
on the governing Assembly. Led
by dynamic volunteers, MSBA sections produce about 100 CLE programs
annually and publish materials for client education as well as tools
for lawyers. Sections have developed email list services
linking their members for governance as well as general discussion
of practical concerns. practicelaw.org,
is up, running, and regularly updated thanks in large part to section
member participation. These
contributions are invaluable. The
sections and their leaders deserve recognition, assistance in leadership
development, and staff assistance. practicelaw.org aids
members in specialties of appellate practice, bankruptcy pro bono,
employment law, family law, guardianships/conservatorships, real property,
and marketing. Six thousand five hundred members currently
subscribe to this free service and half log in each month, many with
repeat usage. Obviously, the
service can be expanded into more practice areas, but it has greater
potential. New lawyers, solo practitioners, and small firms have a
need for law office management tools to assist them with their personal
business operations. Beyond that, we should explore the latest software
for information management. practicelaw.org
is a widely used membership benefit and it has unlimited potential
for expansion. Greater Minnesota is home
to a significant cross-section of our members and we are making accommodations
to encourage their participation in MSBA governance, sections and
committees. Whereas "windshield time" formerly
posed a major hurdle to their participation, today the Internet, facsimiles,
and inexpensive telecommunications minimize the need for travel. All three MSBA conference rooms are wired with
speakers and microphones to enable participation by telephone. Materials are sent by email or facsimile to
those unable to attend meetings in person.
Members, even those residing at a distance from the Twin Cities,
are a valuable resource and it is the responsibility of leadership
to recruit them. MSBA programming continues to evolve
and expand over time as we strive to provide ever greater membership
value. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the
abundant services and opportunities available to you as a member and
get involved, both to enhance your own professional competence and
to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to our profession and
society. DAVID STOWMAN of Detroit Lakes
is president of the MSBA, a certified civil trial specialist, and
a top 100 SuperLawyer. He concentrates his practice in products liability
and personal injury law and related litigation. |
