PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
altruistic labor of our Atlanta Bar family.
With this honorable tradition in mind, I
hope to focus on (and hopefully enlist your
participation in) two areas in particular
over the course of the upcoming bar year.
F
irst, I want to explore ways that the
Bar and its members can play a role in
addressing humanitarian issues that have
resulted from the current circumstances
surrounding immigration in our community.
I recognize that immigration is a divisive
issue, perhaps the most divisive issue we
face as a nation today. And to be clear, I
want to leave the political dynamics with the
politicians, where they should be. But while
the political process looks for solutions, the
fact remains that there are many people in
our community without immigration status
who are in desperate need of our help. Legal
help. Men, women, and children who are
being taken advantage of and preyed upon.
People who need help with the most basic
human necessities – shelter, freedom from
violence, freedom from human trafficking.
People who can obtain assistance and
justice based on laws already on the books,
but not without lawyers. As lawyers, we
are uniquely situated to help address those
needs, to show our community who we are
and how we believe people should be treated.
I also recognize that there are already a lot
of wonderful organizations who are doing
tremendous work in this area: GAIN, Kids in
Need of Defense, the Southern Poverty Law
Center, among many others. It is certainly
not my intent to step on any toes as we
look for ways for the Bar to help, whether
it’s finding ways to direct our members
to volunteer opportunities with some of
these organizations, or shining a light on
the areas of greatest need, or perhaps even
finding a gap that needs to be filled by a new
program. I have already spoken with folks
from some of the non-profit organizations
working in this area to get their input
on this initiative. We will continue with
these conversations as we look for things
the Atlanta Bar family can do to help.
S
econd, I would like to focus on innovation
of the Atlanta Bar Association as a whole.
As I mentioned above, the world continues
to change and the legal profession with it. If
the Atlanta Bar doesn’t continue to evolve
and innovate, we put at risk everything
many generations of lawyers have worked
so hard to build the Atlanta Bar family.
Throughout the years, the Atlanta Bar has
always been on the lookout for new programs
to better serve and appeal to its members, and
that will not change. For example, last year,
the Bar established a Wellness Committee
focused solely on protecting and restoring
the physical and mental well-being of its
members. We have received a great response
The legal profession has
changed a great deal in
the 28 years since my
father was President.
The world has gotten
smaller. Practices
are not just local or
regional, but national if
not global. But despite
this globalization,
Atlanta remains our
home. And the Atlanta
Bar remains our family
[...] And nothing is more
we intend to start a study group to look at
more profound ways the Bar can change to
better meet the needs of its members. I have
asked Atlanta Bar stalwart, Steve LaBriola,
to help lead this effort. I would like for that
group to take the time necessary – both
this year and in the year that follows – to
conduct a thoughtful, deliberate process
where we essentially put everything on the
table, from changes to our pricing model,
to structural changes of the bar, and to
everything in between. If there are better
ways to meet our constituents’ needs, we will
identify them, explore them, and raise them
for possible implementation by the Board.
Both of these initiatives – humanitarian
issues associated with immigration and
finding ways for the Bar to evolve and
innovate – are significant and present real
challenges. But they also present wonderful
opportunities for the Atlanta Bar to remain a
positive force for lawyers in Atlanta, and for
the larger Atlanta community. A number
of people have already volunteered to assist
with these initiatives, but we can use all the
help we can get. Please reach out and let us
know how we can get you and your colleagues
involved, either with these initiatives or any
of the many other opportunities for service
and leadership offered by the Atlanta Bar.
T
hank you very much for your
interest in and service to the Atlanta
Bar and for your continued support
and participation in the Atlanta Bar
family. We look forward to another great
year for the Atlanta Bar Association.
important than
family. And just like it
always has, the Atlanta
Bar remains a powerful
force for good in our
community.
to this new committee, and we expect
that to continue in the upcoming bar year.
And while we will continue to think of new
programs and initiatives for our members,
given the changing world we live in, we
must also take a longer term view to make
sure the Atlanta Bar remains appealing to
lawyers in 2020 and beyond. To that end,
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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