NABE - News of Interest

A Diversity Report Identifying Barriers to Diversity

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:44:00 GMT

The Alaska Bar Association’s Board of Governors voted in May of 2021 to create a Diversity Commission. As part of the Board’s goal to create a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse organization and to increase the membership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the Alaska Bar Association. The Diversity Commission was tasked with furnishing a report to the Board which identified barriers and impediments confronting BIPOC lawyers within the Bar and identify ways to better attract, recruit, retain, and support BIPOC lawyers in Alaska. Review the report here.

Steal This Idea: Partner with a Marketing Agency to Help Your Members

Tue, 2 May 2023 17:38:00 GMT

The Columbus Bar Association (CBA) has hosted an onsite media studio to help its members with producing their own video and audio content for over a year. Now, the CBA is taking their efforts to the next level by partnering with a local digital marketing agency for law firms to “help local attorneys succeed and grow their businesses.” Learn more about this unique partnership here.

Steal This Idea: Work Towards World Peace

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:28:00 GMT

The Washington State Bar Association is working towards world peace, through a dedicated section that “promotes education on and discussion of law, peace, and human rights.” The section “engages in additional educational activities with persons and organizations who share an interest in world peace through law.” Read more about the World Peace Through Law Section here.

Steal This Idea: A Fun Fundraiser

Fri, 7 Apr 2023 17:27:00 GMT

The Toledo Bar Association is hosting a euchre tournament to benefit their foundation. The event is intended to help members network with one another over a classic Midwestern game of euchre, with participants rotating through the room as opposed to playing with the same partner. Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: Set Up a Reporters Workshop

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 17:08:00 GMT

The Tennessee Bar Association’s Communication Law Section, in conjunction with the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation, hosts a two-day workshop for reporters in Nashville each year. The organizers select 15 print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to “develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting, and other timely topics.” Read more about the program here.

Steal This Idea: Turn Your Annual Report into a Year-in-Review Video

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 21:05:00 GMT

The Lancaster Bar Association took their annual report to the next level when they turned it into a year-in-review video! Check out their latest annual report here on YouTube.

Steal This Idea: Citizens Law School

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 20:59:00 GMT

The State Bar of Montana serves the public, in part, through its Citizens’ Law School. Citizens' Law School is a series of educational programs developed by the State Bar of Montana's Law Related Education Committee to provide information on a variety of topics related to the law in Montana to members of the public. The free, hour-long programs are presented by a Montana attorney with expertise in the area of law being discussed. Recordings of the programs are also posted to the bar’s website. Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: A CLE Sign-Up Raffle

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 21:28:00 GMT

The Rhode Island Bar Association is giving its January CLE participants a bit of an extra incentive for getting their CLE credits. For each CLE program a member attends in January, the member will receive a raffle entry. At the end of the month, raffle winners will receive free admission to one of the association's signature Food for Thought programs. Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: Create a Fiction Writing Contest

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:40:00 GMT

The Editorial Board of the State Bar of Georgia's Georgia Bar Journal sponsors an annual Fiction Writing Competition each year. The competition aims "to enhance interest in the Journal, to encourage excellence in writing by members of the Bar and to provide an innovative vehicle for the illustration of the life and work of lawyers." Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: Host a Holiday Party for Disadvantaged Children in Your Community

Fri, 9 Dec 2022 21:06:00 GMT

Every year, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL), in conjunction with Motion for Kids, hosts a holiday party for up to 2,500 children in foster care whose lives have been severely impacted by the criminal justice system. Children are matched with sponsors from the St. Louis legal community who are asked to purchase and wrap two gifts chosen from the child's wish list. Presents are distributed during the party, and party activities include arts & crafts stations, games, books, photos with Santa Claus, refreshments, and live entertainment. Check out local news coverage of the event here and learn more about the event on BAMSL's website here.

Steal This Idea: Four-Legged Friday

Fri, 7 Oct 2022 16:06:00 GMT

As part of its Member Appreciation Week, the Tarrant County Bar Association invited its members to show off their four-legged friends in the bar center parking lot—offering free photoshoots for members and their pets and special prizes for the first pets to arrive. Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: Student Loan Support

Fri, 2 Sep 2022 20:56:00 GMT

The Washington State Bar Association has provided resources for new lawyers struggling with their student debt. On a dedicated page on their website, the WSBA offers a list of internal and external resources that may support new lawyers as they work to resolve their debt. Check it out here.

Steal This Idea: Spot Mentoring

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 17:35:00 GMT

The Louisiana State Bar Association offers its newest members mentoring in small doses. The program “allows individual and eligible LSBA attorneys to initiate contact with a volunteer spot mentor on the numerous questions a lawyer out in the practice 2-7 years may encounter.” Mentees can seek advice by posting questions in a secure email format on the LSBA website. Learn more here.

Steal This Idea: Summarize Your Listserv Discussions on Social Media

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 20:20:00 GMT

Are your listservs one of your most valuable benefits? If so, you might want to let members know what they are missing by not participating in the discussions. Consumer Attorneys of San Diego posts highlights of its listserv discussions on social media twice a month, encouraging members to go online to read some of the posts they may have missed.

Steal This Idea: Create a Knowledge Hub

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 19:36:00 GMT

The Nebraska State Bar Association has launched the NSBA Knowledge Hub, a “library of free downloadable content [that] includes white papers, webinars, product guides, case studies, industry analysis, and much more.” What’s cooler than that? The NSBA Monthly Minute! It is a short video that introduces the new content on the hub each month. Check it out here.

Steal This Idea: Get Ready for the Season of Giving

Mon, 6 Jun 2022 21:20:00 GMT

While the summer may just be starting, the holiday season will be here before we know it. The Atlanta Bar Association, through its “Atlanta Santa” program, gives members and local judges the opportunity to “serve as Santa and elves to visit non-profit organizations and children’s hospitals during the holiday season and spread holiday cheer.”

Steal This Idea: Launch a Limited Podcast Series

Tue, 31 May 2022 21:49:00 GMT

The Denver Bar Association launched a limited podcast series honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, where the association interviewed “AAPI Pioneers” in their legal community. Check out the series here.

Steal This Idea: Put Your Mission Front and Center

Fri, 20 May 2022 20:37:00 GMT

The Grand Rapids Bar Association is focused on its mission, which is "to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law, foster the dignity and integrity of the profession, provide law-related services to the community, and serve the needs of our members." The association's mission is so central to its operations that it gets the center spot on its home page. Check it out here.

Steal This Idea: Create a DEI Action Plan

Wed, 18 May 2022 17:07:00 GMT

The Federal Bar Association is putting its aspirational diversity goals into action with its association-wide DEI Action Plan. The plan was developed in conjunction with the organization's overall strategic plan to "ensure that a diverse and inclusive federal legal community continues to be an organizational priority in the years to come." Learn more and download and review a copy of the plan here.