NABE - News of Interest

Think Like a Solo

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:46:00 GMT

Expectedly, solo attorneys face different challenges than attorneys who practice in larger firms. However, there may be value for attorneys in firms of all sizes in understanding and acknowledging how solo practices are structured. John Trimble, a senior partner at Lewis Wagner, authored the article “To be a better lawyer, think and practice like a solo” for Indiana Lawyer magazine.

Danger in your DEI Policies

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:46:00 GMT

“This widening gap between global expectations and regulation regarding DEI-related matters and the concerns of some constituents in the U.S. over the role of DEI in corporate decision-making is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future, putting companies between the proverbial rock and hard place. What these developments make clear is that corporate DEI efforts are, and likely have been for some time, riskier than many companies may initially appreciate. And the risks associated with DEI initiatives are only positioned to grow and expand as companies look to thread the DEI needle and make a broader and potentially more divergent set of stakeholders happy, or at least less annoyed, with their DEI-related commitments and initiatives,” according to Latham & Watkins partners Sarah E. Fortt, Danielle Conley and Nineveh Alkhas. They discuss “The four scary legal risks hiding in your DEI program” in this Reuters article.

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.

AI and Associations

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 18:36:00 GMT

“There’s little it appears generative AI can’t do. The applications for this technology across a vast number of industries is near endless. While this post will focus mainly on what ChatGPT (text generation) can do, generative AI is shaking up the entire creative and artistic world with capabilities like: converting text to images, music, animation, speech, and video. The more it makes, the more it learns, the better it gets. It’s a powerful tool for addressing limitations of scale, time, and maybe even talent when it comes to content creation,” says Higher Logic blog contributor Tiffany Moule. She discusses “What Associations Should Know about ChatGPT and Generative AI” here.

Making Speakers and Sponsors Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 18:32:00 GMT

If you are marketing an upcoming conference or event, your speakers and vendors can add significant value to your marketing efforts. Associations Now offers advice on how to incorporate your speakers and exhibitors in your marketing strategy here.

Share with Your Members: Is A.I. Coming for Our Jobs?

Tue, 2 May 2023 17:39:00 GMT

“More than a decade ago, lawyers were singled out as an endangered occupational species, their livelihoods at risk from advances in artificial intelligence. But the doomsayers got ahead of themselves. While clever software has taken over some of the toil of legal work—searching, reviewing and mining mountains of legal documents for nuggets of useful information—employment in the legal profession has grown faster than the American work force as a whole. Today, a new A.I. threat looms, and lawyers may feel a bit of déjà vu,” says New York Times reporter Steve Lohr, who writes about the impact of technology on work. He covers how new A.I. developments may impact the legal profession here.

Share with Your Members: The Job Market for New Attorneys

Tue, 2 May 2023 17:39:00 GMT

Earlier this week, the American Bar Association released information on the state of hiring for new lawyers. According to the data, 78% of new attorneys found jobs that require bar passage within 10 months of leaving campus in 2022, an increase from 76% in 2021. What does this mean for the class of 2023? Reuters provides an analysis 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.

What Goes Behind the Wall

Tue, 2 May 2023 17:36:00 GMT

Many association leaders feel that the online content created by the association should be reserved exclusively for members. But are there benefits to keeping some of your content available to all? Association consultants from McKinley Advisors identified two strategies that represent the most common and effective strategies for organizing online information for associations and how they may impact your content marketing strategy. Learn more here.

Change Management

Tue, 2 May 2023 17:33:00 GMT

“A social defense is a collective, and hardly conscious, effort to preserve traditional features of an organization—legacy structures, strategies, or cultures that make leaders feel proud and their followers feel safe. People invest in those traditions because they give them a familiar if not always comfortable place, a sense of order and predictability, and even an identity. New leaders must understand their organizations’ social defenses, and develop sensitive strategies to work through them, if they want to usher in the change they were hired to bring,” according to Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD. Read his Harvard Business Review article on “Driving Organizational Change— Without Abandoning Tradition” here.

Share with Your Members: The Benefits of Blogging

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:30:00 GMT

If blogging is part of your firm’s marketing plan, you may be questioning the tangible benefits of that type of nonbillable work. In this Above the Law article, lawyer and digital marketing consultant Annette Choti discusses why blogging is still a viable marketing and business development tool.

Share with Your Members: Fighting Email Addiction

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:29:00 GMT

“Email can be addictive. It’s a one-stop shop of notifications of new information on all my court cases as well as an interactive to-do list. Email also makes me feel needed; responding to email makes me feel useful. But because I have no boundaries around it, it intrudes upon my work, my life, and my relationships,” says attorney Cresston D. Gackle. He discusses how he is working to combat email addiction in this article for Bench + Bar of Minnesota (a Minnesota State Bar Association publication).

Newsworthy Newsletters

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:28:00 GMT

Are you struggling to keep your newsletter fresh and newsworthy and worth reading? If you are noticing a drop off in member engagement with your newsletter, it might be time for a refresh. Association Brain Food offers a free guide on “15 Ways to Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level” 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.

AI's Impact on All Business

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:27:00 GMT

Without a doubt, the rapid rise of AI technology will impact nearly every business and every profession. Recently, the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business hosted a panel of UI experts who discussed “the underlying technology that has [led] to the evolvement of ChatGPT, its impact on higher education, the legal issues impacting the technology, and how it is already changing business.” You can access a recording of the discussion on YouTube here.

Share with Your Members: DEI Program Inspiration

Fri, 7 Apr 2023 17:30:00 GMT

Are you struggling to develop your firm’s diversity fellowship, scholarship program or other DEI initiatives? The National Association for Law Placement lists information on a variety of programs at law firms across the country that may help to guide your firm’s efforts. Access the list (and consider listing your own program) here.

Share with Your Members: Law Firm Pricing Priorities

Fri, 7 Apr 2023 17:28:00 GMT

“Law firms would be wise to see their pricing function as less about money and more about how they define their value as a firm to their clients,” says Aaron Boersma of Google and Esther Bowers of Honigman. They discuss law firm pricing strategy in this Thomson Reuters article.

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.

Making Meetings Happier

Fri, 7 Apr 2023 17:27:00 GMT

“After a few years away from in-person events, people are looking for something more from the meetings they travel to. Problem is, you may not have the budget to do something big and splashy in your efforts to surprise and delight—maybe quick and clever is the name of the game. The key? Focus on moments of joy,” says Associations Now Editor Ernie Smith. He provides ideas for bringing more joy to your meetings here.

Association Revenue Overview

Fri, 7 Apr 2023 17:10:00 GMT

How are association teams growing revenue? If you are curious about how associations are faring when it comes to the financial performance of their membership, events, and non-dues revenue programs, this report from Professionals for Association Revenue may be of interest.

Share with Your Members: DEI & Neurodiversity

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 17:09:00 GMT

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, neurodiversity remains one of the least-tracked metrics, according to an analysis from Bloomberg Law. ThisBloomberg Law article highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of neurodiversity.

Share with Your Members: The Case for ChatGPT

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 17:08:00 GMT

“As it exists today, ChatGPT as a stand-alone tool offers value to lawyers. When it is integrated into legal technology products, [it] is even more promising. Over time, as new and improved versions are released, it will undoubtedly change the way that legal work gets done in a variety of contexts,” says Nicole Black. She discusses why lawyers should embrace the new technology in this ABA Journal article.

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.

Making the Most of Mistakes

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 17:07:00 GMT

“What if businesses could learn from their worst mistakes without actually making them? How might the same progress and innovation occur, without firms incurring the costs associated with such errors? The results of a recent study about close calls in health care suggest that when people feel secure about speaking up at work, incidents in which catastrophe is narrowly averted rise to the surface, spurring important growth and systems improvement,” says Kristen Senz, growth editor for Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. She discusses “How to Learn from the Big Mistake You Almost Make” here.

Adding the B to DEI

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 17:06:00 GMT

According to research from McKinsey & Co, one of the top drivers of the Great Resignation was employees who felt they didn’t belong. To attract and retain talent, some organizations have added the term “belonging” to their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, turning DEI into DEI&B initiatives. Read more on “Why Belonging Matters” in this article from the Society for Human Resource Management’s HR Magazine.