The ABA Conference Started Yesterday – Does Anyone Know or Care?
Yesterday was the start of the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. Bob Ambrogi reports that the Litigation Section will be blogging the highlights of the conference which gives me some reassurance that the ABA has entered the twenty first century.
Still, with so little buzz about the ABA on law related weblogs, I can’t help but wonder whether the ABA really serves any purpose any longer. The debates about John Roberts’ Supreme Court nomination have been thoroughly covered by bloggers that who even knows or cares whether the ABA has chimed in. And the bar has become increasingly specialized; those with niche practice areas are far better served by dedicated bar associations than somewhat costly ABA membership.
But even though the ABA doesn’t benefit my practice directly, that’s not to say that I wouldn’t consider attending a meeting if it could offer me some excitement. But the ABAin most cases still adheres rigidly to the lecture panels, where speakers talk, I listen, maybe have a chance to ask a question and leave with five sheets of paper with three talking points on each (and the law firm name and contact information, prominently displayed, of course!) In comparison to the Lexthink or Blogher conferences with their unique, informal formats and vibrance, the ABA conferences are just too dull to get me interested. Hint to the ABA – have Matt Homann organize a conference for you.
Then, there’s also the cost. Whereas Lexthink and Blogher both came in at $200 and $99 respectively, with meals included, the ABA conference costs $570 for a full day of prgrams or $295 apparently for a few programs. And I don’t believe that even includes meals. The ABA brass will claim that the meeting cost is worth it, and of course it is for them – ABA speakers are reimbursed for travel costs and conference expenses. Why can’t the ABA milk its willing sponsors for fees to subsidize meeting costs and make it more accessible for solo and small firm lawyers?
Which brings me to another point – the role that the ABA plays for solos and small firms. To its credit, the ABA does sponsor the Solosez listserve which has roughly 1200 members. But that’s just a small piece of the population of solos nationwide. I know that the readership at MyShingle exceeds the Solosez listserve membership and reaches a far broader scope. If the ABA had asked me what it could do to make itself more relevant to solos, in addition to lowering cost of attendance (see above), I’d have told it to have live blogging of all of the GP Solo sessions. I’d have paid a couple of solos to fly out to Chicago to attend the meeting and to blog their experience. I’d have invited blog vendors and had them cosponsor a blogging training, where lawyers could set up a weblog on the spot. Maybe podcasts as well.
Why all this focus on blogs? Sure I’m biased. But also because blogs are interactive and they’re live and they’re now! They make meetings and events relevant in real time. And more than anything else, that’s what the ABA needs now, to be relevant in real time. Otherwise, it’s going to wither away and frankly, neither lawyers nor non-lawyers will miss it very much.
Right on on the cost-benefit issue. There must be a better way of transmitting current information without the cash flow hit attending ABA conferences impose on solo lawyers. I’m not sure I want to pay the registration fee for the ABA GP Solo fall meeting in Boston–and that’s my home town!
Right on on the cost-benefit issue. There must be a better way of transmitting current information without the cash flow hit attending ABA conferences impose on solo lawyers. I’m not sure I want to pay the registration fee for the ABA GP Solo fall meeting in Boston–and that’s my home town!
Too expensive, no excitement, no attendee-presenter interaction? Heck, I wouldn’t go to one of those events either.
Only, I don’t organize those kind of events. Come to our ABA Midwest Regional for young lawyers. Get three days of 7 pre-approved CLEs, join our question and answer session with a state supreme court justice, get food, booze, rock out with the Love Monkeys… for only $100. Where else are you going to see that kind of value. Maybe it’s just that the ABA never had a convention in Milwaukee before.
On the State side, we just had record setting attendance at our annual convention on how to start a practice. Hey, we know the solo practictioner. After all, most of us on the YLD board are solos.
As for the blogging, come and ask the YLD president (a hometown girl) for yourself. Don’t forget to come and find me, we’ll settle up the score.
Check it out… http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Lawyers&template=/Conference/ConferenceDescription.cfm&ConferenceID=1274
Too expensive, no excitement, no attendee-presenter interaction? Heck, I wouldn’t go to one of those events either.
Only, I don’t organize those kind of events. Come to our ABA Midwest Regional for young lawyers. Get three days of 7 pre-approved CLEs, join our question and answer session with a state supreme court justice, get food, booze, rock out with the Love Monkeys… for only $100. Where else are you going to see that kind of value. Maybe it’s just that the ABA never had a convention in Milwaukee before.
On the State side, we just had record setting attendance at our annual convention on how to start a practice. Hey, we know the solo practictioner. After all, most of us on the YLD board are solos.
As for the blogging, come and ask the YLD president (a hometown girl) for yourself. Don’t forget to come and find me, we’ll settle up the score.
Check it out… http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Lawyers&template=/Conference/ConferenceDescription.cfm&ConferenceID=1274
I was Texas Reporter for ABA Real Property Section for two years after going solo, and enjoyed annual meeting in Dallas, but dropped out about 30 years ago.
Cost of keeping up with ABA high for many solo practictioners, as you note. Costs that big-firm lawyers can pass on to firms and ultimately to clients without substantial financial concerns can loom large for many sole practictioners.
One reason I dropped out and have not rejoined was ABA veering toward political views well to my left on a number of issues instead of sticking to its primary function of serving lawyers professionally.
This also led to much of what they said and did being irrelevant to me in my practice.
I read where one person in a responsible position in ABA litigation section has said he will not renew his membvership if they let their liberal bias prevent them from giving Roberts their highest endorsement fro Supreme Court. As he noted, their endorsements have become out of touch and somewhat irrelevant.
If I were active, and wealthy, I probably would hold my nose over political bias and rejoin ABA because they have been and are doing some good work in areas of interest and special concern to me, ranging from child abuse and disability law to their continuing key role in defining legal ethics, etc. There really should be a practical way to support and participate in those efforts without becoming entangled in the liberal bias of the organization.
PETER S. CHAMBERLAIN
1309 Hunt Street
Commerce, Texas 75428-2916
peterschamberlain@earthlink.net
(903)886-2323
Cell: (903)366-6926 (Unlisted Do Not Publish)
I was Texas Reporter for ABA Real Property Section for two years after going solo, and enjoyed annual meeting in Dallas, but dropped out about 30 years ago.
Cost of keeping up with ABA high for many solo practictioners, as you note. Costs that big-firm lawyers can pass on to firms and ultimately to clients without substantial financial concerns can loom large for many sole practictioners.
One reason I dropped out and have not rejoined was ABA veering toward political views well to my left on a number of issues instead of sticking to its primary function of serving lawyers professionally.
This also led to much of what they said and did being irrelevant to me in my practice.
I read where one person in a responsible position in ABA litigation section has said he will not renew his membvership if they let their liberal bias prevent them from giving Roberts their highest endorsement fro Supreme Court. As he noted, their endorsements have become out of touch and somewhat irrelevant.
If I were active, and wealthy, I probably would hold my nose over political bias and rejoin ABA because they have been and are doing some good work in areas of interest and special concern to me, ranging from child abuse and disability law to their continuing key role in defining legal ethics, etc. There really should be a practical way to support and participate in those efforts without becoming entangled in the liberal bias of the organization.
PETER S. CHAMBERLAIN
1309 Hunt Street
Commerce, Texas 75428-2916
peterschamberlain@earthlink.net
(903)886-2323
Cell: (903)366-6926 (Unlisted Do Not Publish)
Questioning 3L
You may have missed it, but last week the American Bar Association held its annual meeting in Chicago.
Questioning 3L
You may have missed it, but last week the American Bar Association held its annual meeting in Chicago.
Everyone knows that most people go the ABA annual meeting for the location and to write off vacations. I’d be curious to see the attendance records when they have them in Hawaii. 😉
Cost benefit ratio is too high for me too. and the political weight thrown around (aka plaintiff’s trial lawyers) is too much for me.
Everyone knows that most people go the ABA annual meeting for the location and to write off vacations. I’d be curious to see the attendance records when they have them in Hawaii. 😉
Cost benefit ratio is too high for me too. and the political weight thrown around (aka plaintiff’s trial lawyers) is too much for me.
Thanks for the plug! I couldn’t agree more. The existing conference model is broken. I’d love your thoughts on how to fix it.
Thanks for the plug! I couldn’t agree more. The existing conference model is broken. I’d love your thoughts on how to fix it.
Hi all!
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