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September-October 2015

Volume 40 Issue 1  

Features

NCBP/NABE/NCBF Meeting

Professional Development

How to fight implicit bias? With conscious thought, diversity expert tells NABE

Do you think you’re “colorblind” and don’t hold any other types of biases? If so, think again—and think often. That was the advice of Sharon E. Jones, who said that one great way to combat the unconscious biases we all have is to think more consciously about race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other differences. Also up for discussion was what bar associations and the legal profession can learn from the symphony orchestra and from professional football.

Continuing Legal Education

State Bar of California offers diversity DVD free to bar associations, legal services offices

When you’re trying to understand and eliminate bias and discrimination, sometimes it helps to be able to see—and show others—some clear examples. Recently, filmmakers working with the support of the State Bar of California interviewed lawyers in a variety of practice settings and used their experiences to create fictionalized scenarios. The bar hopes that other bar associations will find the film useful, and is offering a free DVD copy.

Trade Regulation

LegalZoom, Avvo, other companies: Friends or foes? NCBP panel suggests a new view

“This is one time where the legal profession is not going to be able to regulate our way out of this.” That’s according to one bar president who spoke on an NCBP panel that also included, among others, executives from LegalZoom and Avvo. Find out what else was said during this candid, and at times provocative panel discussion regarding competition, collaboration, and what the future holds.

Professional Development

NABE panel: Successful succession planning takes honesty, humanity, willingness to change

Succession planning is something that a lot of organizations don’t want to face until they absolutely have to. For those that do have a plan in place for at least the executive director, the same often isn’t true for managers and other key staff positions. How can you make a plan, ease the transition, and ensure that both entrances and exits are as smooth as possible?

Practice Management

Should your bar association ‘lawyer up’? If so, how? Annual Meeting panel shares tips

Whether your bar is large or small, and whether you have a general counsel on staff or rely on a volunteer’s help, the speakers on this panel agreed that it’s vital for your association to have legal representation in place before there’s a lawsuit or other problem. What are the different models you might consider, and what should you discuss in advance with anyone who will be the lawyer for the bar?