Bar associations across the country have witnessed a change in how board meetings are conducted in the post-lockdown world. While some of these changes have improved the accessibility of board service, others have altered board meeting norms—for better or for worse.
July 25, 2024 Vol. 46, No. 5
Virtual or In-Person: The Ongoing Debate for Bar Board Meetings
By Julia Gray
A Question of Balance
As bars have resumed in-person meetings, there continues to be a struggle balancing the need for flexibility with the advantages of meeting in-person.
As many staff members are voicing support for remote or hybrid work models, board members are desiring the same arrangements. Association expert and author of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations, Mary Byers says she understands the desire to remain fully remote or adopt a hybrid model for board meetings. However, she says it takes a keen sense and awareness to make the board members attending virtually feel like they’re in the meeting room.
“There are times when in-person meetings are necessary—when onboarding a new member—for instance,” Byers says, adding, “In-person is preferable when discussing complex, and highly controversial or future-focus discussions, while virtual board meetings can be for time-sensitive tasks or common agenda issues.”
Flexibility is Key
The Philadelphia Bar Association (PBA) board has conducted meetings virtually over the past few years. Harvey Hurdle, the executive director of the PBA, says that the quality of interactions between board members is not as strong as it was pre-lockdown. “Hybrid discussions aren’t as fluid. Many participants on Zoom may be doing something else,” he says.
While he understands the need for flexibility, Hurdle believes budget discussions need to be in-person and that not being in the same room prevents collegiality and collectivity.
“People’s lives have changed, thanks to the pandemic, and embracing a work-life balance is more important these days” he says, adding that insisting some board meetings be held in-person has resulted in a great deal of push-back from members.
“It’s understandable but if members want to attend virtually, there needs to be commitment on their end, too: attend the meeting in a room or a quiet space, not a car,” Harvey says. “Flexibility is key and is expected on both ends.”
Mark Engle, principal of Association Management Center (AMC) in Chicago, a company that specializes in association management, says that state bars got together in-person sooner than other associations for board meetings in the post-lockdown era. Engle adds that state and local bar associations on average meet four times a year in-person and virtually two to three times.
Valuing Volunteers' TIme
The costs—both time and monetary—associated with requiring in-person attendance is also a topic for debate when considering how to hold board meetings in a post-lockdown world. People value their time more now than pre-COVID and are more likely to suggest that non-pressing issues can be handled via email or over Zoom.
“Bar associations that have face-to-face meetings post-lockdown utilize pared down yet purposeful agendas. Routine items such as appointments can be handled via email,” says Engle. “People don’t want to travel without purpose because of the cost and personal time away from home.”
Since bars are implementing either a completely remote or hybrid model for board meetings, Engle says that the higher-ups are relying more on their staff and in turn, these employees get to shine in their roles. “Their efficiency is on display and that doesn’t go unnoticed by board members,” Engle says.
Mary Amos Augsburger, CEO of the Ohio State Bar Association, said in an email that while members are busy professionals who give their time in service of the association, they certainly recognize the need for flexibility. In-person meetings generate the best results because participants are more focused on the issues at hand without distraction. Some virtual meetings are necessary for groups that meet more frequently and in smaller groups, like board committees and task forces.
“Overall, I believe we have struck a great balance at the Ohio Bar that has led to more productive (and fun!) meetings of the board,” said Augsburger.
Hurdle says that the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in December 2024 will be in-person and has informed board members to make the necessary accommodations. But, he admits, it could end up being another hybrid situation. Hurdle says they’re preparing for both scenarios.
Even though the board meetings landscape has changed, Mary Byers says that technology can be harnessed to improve engagement, which can eventually improve membership. However, she says she still believes that the most productive meetings are done “elbow to elbow and eyeball to eyeball.”