The American Bar Association Talks Outreach And Adaptation

* As many baby boomer lawyers retire from the
profession, we need to adapt.

[Ed. Note: This post was written for Above the Law by
Hilarie Bass, President of the American Bar Association]

I read the recent Above the Law column titled, “The ABA Is Losing Money Because It Does Not
Provide Value to Small Firms,”with interest, as the very first
goal of the American Bar Association’s mission is to serve our
members. This entails providing benefits, programs and services
that promote members’ professional growth and quality of life.

The ABA knows that providing value to lawyers will be the key to
attracting and keeping members. We value all our members, whether
they come from big firms, small firms, public service, the
judiciary, law schools, or anywhere else in the profession. The ABA
welcomes anyone who wants to improve and contribute to the legal
profession.

Our association understands that it needs to prove its value to
both current members as well as lawyer non-members. The ABA has
spent a lot of time and effort recently developing new ways to
provide value to solo and small firm lawyers and will continue
those efforts.

Programs, such as ABA Blueprint — which provides a collection of
products and services offered at deep discounts to help lawyers run
a modern, efficient firm — is one such area. It is a one-stop
online shop for ABA members that provides access to a suite of law
practice management services. These services are packaged to give
lawyers, particularly solos and small-firm lawyers, access to
online advice and provide much-needed help managing the
administrative complexities of their legal practices.

ABA Blueprint launched last year. Now that we have had a chance
to interact with users, we are in the process of adding new
features. These include substantive content generated from ABA
groups, including the Law Practice Division; the Solo, Small Firm
and General Practice Division; the Young Lawyers Division; the
Section on Litigation, as well as third-party content, such as blog
posts and podcasts.

The next version of ABA Blueprint will also have a more robust
tech infrastructure, leveraging artificial intelligence and
blockchain. This will allow us to scale the application quicker and
provide members with more services.

The ABA also offers a large portfolio of insurance products,
including cyber liability, life, disability, dental, vision and
travel insurance for ABA members. The coverage can be tailored to
meet a law firm’s unique needs, and the ABA Insurance website has a
dedicated portal for solo and small firms.

Our next ABA president will be Robert M. Carlson, a member of a
small firm in Billings, Mt., who has already brought first-hand
experience about the needs of smaller firms to ABA leadership. To
improve the worth of a membership, we are working on simplifying
the ABA’s dues structure and bundling some ABA services to offer
better value.

The ABA, like many associations today, must continually assess
what we provide our members and must look for innovative ways to
enhance the appeal of membership. As many baby boomer lawyers
retire from the profession, we need to adapt. Younger lawyers may
find some of the reasons their older colleagues joined the ABA
(professional socializing, civic engagement, access to unique
written material) can be achieved through new technologies. But the
value the ABA offers still is vibrant and relevant for the 21st
century.

The ABA is much more than a trade association. In addition to
serving its members, the ABA also seeks to improve the profession,
to enhance diversity and inclusion within the legal community, and
to advance the rule of law. The work of the ABA centers on helping
lawyers, but radiates out much further, aiding citizens’ ability to
receive justice and bolstering the institutions that protect our
democracy.

Culled from abovethelaw

* As many baby boomer lawyers retire from the
profession, we need to adapt.

[Ed. Note: This post was written for Above the Law by
Hilarie Bass, President of the American Bar
Association]

I read the recent Above the Law column titled, “The ABA Is Losing Money Because It Does Not
Provide Value to Small Firms,”with interest, as the very first
goal of the American Bar Association’s mission is to serve our
members. This entails providing benefits, programs and services
that promote members’ professional growth and quality of life.

The ABA knows that providing value to lawyers will be the key to
attracting and keeping members. We value all our members, whether
they come from big firms, small firms, public service, the
judiciary, law schools, or anywhere else in the profession. The ABA
welcomes anyone who wants to improve and contribute to the legal
profession.

Our association understands that it needs to prove its value to
both current members as well as lawyer non-members. The ABA has
spent a lot of time and effort recently developing new ways to
provide value to solo and small firm lawyers and will continue
those efforts.

Programs, such as ABA Blueprint — which provides a collection of
products and services offered at deep discounts to help lawyers run
a modern, efficient firm — is one such area. It is a one-stop
online shop for ABA members that provides access to a suite of law
practice management services. These services are packaged to give
lawyers, particularly solos and small-firm lawyers, access to
online advice and provide much-needed help managing the
administrative complexities of their legal practices.

ABA Blueprint launched last year. Now that we have had a chance
to interact with users, we are in the process of adding new
features. These include substantive content generated from ABA
groups, including the Law Practice Division; the Solo, Small Firm
and General Practice Division; the Young Lawyers Division; the
Section on Litigation, as well as third-party content, such as blog
posts and podcasts.

The next version of ABA Blueprint will also have a more robust
tech infrastructure, leveraging artificial intelligence and
blockchain. This will allow us to scale the application quicker and
provide members with more services.

The ABA also offers a large portfolio of insurance products,
including cyber liability, life, disability, dental, vision and
travel insurance for ABA members. The coverage can be tailored to
meet a law firm’s unique needs, and the ABA Insurance website has a
dedicated portal for solo and small firms.

Our next ABA president will be Robert M. Carlson, a member of a
small firm in Billings, Mt., who has already brought first-hand
experience about the needs of smaller firms to ABA leadership. To
improve the worth of a membership, we are working on simplifying
the ABA’s dues structure and bundling some ABA services to offer
better value.

The ABA, like many associations today, must continually assess
what we provide our members and must look for innovative ways to
enhance the appeal of membership. As many baby boomer lawyers
retire from the profession, we need to adapt. Younger lawyers may
find some of the reasons their older colleagues joined the ABA
(professional socializing, civic engagement, access to unique
written material) can be achieved through new technologies. But the
value the ABA offers still is vibrant and relevant for the 21st
century.

The ABA is much more than a trade association. In addition to
serving its members, the ABA also seeks to improve the profession,
to enhance diversity and inclusion within the legal community, and
to advance the rule of law. The work of the ABA centers on helping
lawyers, but radiates out much further, aiding citizens’ ability to
receive justice and bolstering the institutions that protect our
democracy.

Culled from abovethelaw