ABA Resources for Bars

Latest News

• The ABA’s Standing Committee on Paralegals’ second edition of the study The Economic Benefits of Paralegal Utilization elaborates on the fiscal benefits lawyers and law firms can experience when effectively utilizing paralegal services. The Committee has spent over 55 years engaging and informing members of the legal profession on the benefits of working with qualified, well-educated paralegals.
• The 2023 ABA National Celebration of Pro Bono is October 22-28, 2023. This year’s theme is “Voices of Democracy: Ensuring Justice for All”.  The ABA invites bars to plan events to educate attorneys, law students, and legal support staff of the need for pro bono assistance, educate individuals about the availability of legal services, and assist individuals with their legal needs. Visit www.celebrateprobono.org to learn more and register your events.

Check out our events page for exciting upcoming meetings for bar leaders!

Leadership & Governance Development

• Attend the ABA Bar Leadership Institute
• Consult the essential New Bar President and New Bar Board Member primers
• Ensure your board is leading courageously with the Board Catalyst Video Series and create a customized board retreat
• Find out key information on bar association participation in the ABA House of Delegates
• Follow news and trends with Bar Leader and Bar Leader Weekly

Consulting Services

• Engage in strategic planning
• Conduct a membership survey or focus groups
• Conduct an economics of practice survey

Key Data, Clearinghouse & Policy Library

• Compare your bar with its peers in the ABA State and Local Benchmarks Survey
• Request a sample policy or program information in the state and local bar clearinghouse
• Access high-demand resources in our resource page collections

Other Leadership Development Opportunities

• Encourage your young lawyer leaders to participate in ABA YLD leadership development programs
• Encourage lawyers of color to attend the Collaborative Bar Leaders Academy
• Join these ABA-staffed leadership organizations:
  •  National Conference of Bar Presidents
  • National Association of Bar Executives

Visibility for Your Bar

• Be sure your bar is a part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono Week
• Sign up to receive Law Day resources and share your Law Day activities
• Nominate one of your bar programs for an ABA award:
  • E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Awards
  • Harrison Tweed Award (expanding legal services to the poor)
  • Partnership Awards (advancing diversity and inclusion)
  • Cindy A. Raisch Award (lawyer referral programs serving modest mean clients)
  • Frank E.A. Sander Innovation in ADR Award
  • Division for Public Education Awards that help highlight programs that help the public understand the law and its role in society

Revenue Generators, Time Savers & Member Discounts

• Books for Bars program (ABA publication discount program with revenue for participant bars)
• ABA Leverage (use ABA buying power to book meetings)
• ABA Graphic Design Services: contact Nick Panos, Director of Design and Production
  
• MCLE Accreditation Service
• ABA TECHSHOW discount for your members

Other Resources by Topic

Delivery of legal services

• Improve your lawyer referral program, including access to a clearinghouse, the LRIS workshop and Program of Assistance and Review (PAR visit)
• Strengthen your pro bono program, including access to the Center for Pro Bono Knowledgebase, discussion lists for pro bono, and the standard reporting form

Lawyer regulation, professional responsibility and ethics

• Understand demographic changes in the profession
• Find a professional responsibility law speaker
• Get help with policy development and implementation (especially relating to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct)
• Assess the effectiveness of your lawyer and judicial discipline system
• Assess the effectiveness of your client protection fund

Public education about the law

• Create more compelling Law Day programming, including access to the Planning Guide and a discussion group
• Share the ABA’s Rule of Law content on your social media channels

Lawyer wellness

• Access the report from the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being
• Strengthen your lawyer assistance program, including access to the resources, consulting services and the National Conference for Lawyer Assistance programs
• Focus on lawyer wellness (Well-being Toolkit for Lawyers and Legal Employers)

Diversity and inclusion

• Offer training on implicit bias (Implicit Bias Videos and Toolkit)
• Offer training on sex-based harassment in the legal profession (Zero Tolerance Program Toolkit)
• Connect with other state and local bar disability entities
• Create programming around the challenges facing women of color in the profession (Guided Conversations in the Women of Color Research Initiative)
• Build understanding around gender equity in compensation (Gender Equity in Compensation Toolkit)

Advocacy on behalf of the profession and justice system

• Rapid Response to Fake News, Misleading Statements, and Unjust Criticism of the Judiciary
  
• Participate in ABA Day on Capitol Hill
• Stay apprised of governmental relations developments with the ABA Washington Letter