THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ’ S RELEVANCY
ZACK PELHAM ABA State Delegate
I ’ m back ! After having served on the State Bar Association of North Dakota ( SBAND ) Board of Governors as the South Central Judicial District ’ s representative , presidentelect , president , and past-president from 2013 to 2020 , I was recently selected by the SBAND Board of Governors to be North Dakota ’ s American Bar Association ( ABA ) state bar delegate . I ’ m very familiar with the workings of our state bar ’ s board of governors and am very excited to work with the excellent attorneys who serve you on the board . This is a group that dedicates their time to working through challenges we as a legal profession face – both within our state , regionally , and nationally . There are many areas SBAND covers , but in my opinion , the core purpose of our association is to advocate for the North Dakota attorney – those working hard to support their families and preserve a way of life we are fortunate to have in this great state . I am grateful to again serve on the SBAND board .
The role that will be new to me is serving as SBAND ’ s representative to the ABA House of Delegates . I am grateful to Judge Daniel Traynor , who I succeed in this role . I ’ ve visited with Judge Traynor as to the role I will have in the house of delegates . He has been extremely helpful in preparing me for this . With that said , I am thankful Judge Traynor was elected by the lawyers in North Dakota who are members of the ABA to remain a member of the house of delegates .
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I will be providing updates as to the ABA House of Delegates in future articles .
So what is the American Bar Association and why is it relevant ? Sure , the ABA ’ s mission statement answers this , the ABA ’ s “ mission is to serve equally our members , our profession and the public by defending liberty and delivering justice as the national representative of the legal profession .” And the ABA is relevant only from the work of those members who seek to make it relevant . While some may disagree with certain positions taken by the ABA , what organizational decision is ever met with unanimous support ? Seldom does this occur . Indeed , consensus can be elusive . But what the ABA strives to do is to provide a tent where all are welcome . To debate . To disagree . To argue . This sure sounds like an organization fit for lawyers .
Lawyers face challenges and the ABA as an organization is no exception . There will always be varying opinions . And there is always a place for civil debate . But what I have experienced with my involvement at ABA events I ’ ve attended are professionals dedicated to serving their clients , their communities , and their states . The ABA offers members an array of programs , resources , and tools to which members have access . I encourage you to check out what the ABA has to offer on its website : www . americanbar . org .
Getting involved somewhere , anywhere , within your profession will benefit you professionally . Whether this involvement comes with your local bar association , SBAND , the ABA , or some other legal organization , you will develop relationships with other attorneys , learn about new areas of law , and equip yourself to adapt . Why is this important ? It is important to avoid being passed up as a professional . For some , that is not a problem . For most , and I include myself , we have to work hard to maintain an edge over the competition . The seemingly new adage is to “ work smarter , not harder .” Involvement in legal organizations provide a set framework for busy lawyers to get this involvement with little other work than showing up and participating . From the participation level , you will decide what level of involvement you want to have .
The ABA provides members with 39 ABA groups in which to join and participate . Groups from Administrative Law to Family Law to Solo and Small Firm & General Practice to Young Lawyers . These ABA groups provide members with the opportunity to network and develop your professional credentials in the area of law that interests you the most . In my next article , I plan to detail some of these ABA groups .