proMoting professionaLisM through coMMunitY serVice
Professionalism & Ethics Committee Chairs : Joan Boles – Bay Area Legal Services & Shelton Bridges – Bridges Law Group , PLLC
the legal profession stands to benefit from your positive interactions .
Let ’ s talk about volunteering : Not pro bono legal service , but community service . We ’ re all well-aware of the aspirational goal for attorneys to provide 20 annual hours of pro bono legal service to the poor or a financial contribution to a legal aid organization unless the attorney is exempted . However , there is not a corresponding community service requirement . And there shouldn ’ t be . But , based on my personal experiences , I would encourage all of us to consider the value — personally , professionally , and to the community — of lawyers becoming involved in community volunteer service .
Community volunteer service — particularly that unrelated to the legal field — is a life-enriching experience that pays dividends . One ’ s reasons for engaging in volunteer service may be varied , but a consistent consequence of positive community volunteering experiences is a favorable view of lawyers and the legal profession . Lawyers can promote professionalism through their community service . Indeed , when lawyers volunteer in the community , they disrupt lingering negative perceptions and contribute to a positive reflection of the legal profession . When the community members you serve learn that you
are a lawyer , their positive experience with you helps frame the legal profession in a positive light . Community trust is built on each positive interaction , contributing to the betterment of the profession and its value in the community .
Lawyers are well-suited for service . Our educational backgrounds and unique skills add incredible value to the community service we provide . As pillars in our community , we have an obligation to contribute to its betterment . Personally , I have found my community volunteer service to be particularly rewarding , and a mental break from my daily work . Volunteering my time with non-profit organizations contributes to my healthy work / life balance . It also genuinely makes us feel good . While altruistic motives are typically at the core of meaningful community service , weaving ourselves into the fabric of our community can be professionally fruitful as well . These experiences can often help in your practice as you gain perspective on the community and the people in it . Volunteering also provides an opportunity to develop critical soft skills . I find myself more humble , empathetic , and understanding as a result of my volunteering . These qualities make me a better lawyer , a better mother , and a better person . Volunteer work often presents opportunities for networking and potentially increased business . Those added benefits are the result of the positive impact you are making — most people want to do business with good people doing good things in their community .
Consider issues , areas , or groups that interest you . Whether it ’ s child welfare , basic needs , homelessness , intramural sports , the environment , or something else — a quick selfassessment and subsequent online search will surely show you an organization that addresses your interest area . Whether it is one or 100 hours you have to give , non-profit and other community organizations and groups are so grateful for any time invested in their cause . And the legal profession stands to benefit from your positive interactions with and investment in the community .
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Author : Lyndsey E . Siara – 13th Judicial Circuit Court
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