For more information about any of the services below, contact Jennifer Lewin, Deputy Director, ABA Division for Bar Services.
Consulting Services
Virtual Board Training
Refresh and Refocus Your Board
Bar Services Virtual Board Orientation and Education Sessions:
- Strengthen board members’ personal and professional connections
- Develop shared expectations for individual board member responsibilities and a shared culture for collective board action
- Focus the board on the strategic questions where they can especially add value
Pricing:
- One-hour agenda block facilitated via Zoom: $350
- Two-hour agenda block facilitated via Zoom: $450
- Three-hour agenda block facilitated via Zoom: $600
+ Copies of New Bar Board Member can be sent to each member of your board of directors, board of governors or board of bar commissioners at a discounted price of $12 per handbook. Includes shipping and handling.
Virtual Board Training Agendas
Agendas can be customized to meet your bar’s needs.
One-hour Sample Agenda
Individual Responsibilities of Board Members
- Format: 30 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Using their personal experiences, participants explore board members’ legal responsibilities as well as what it means to be an exceptional board member.
The Board’s Collective Work Together
- Format: 30 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Board members discuss what the board’s collective work should look like, how it should add value, and the norms and values to which it will hold itself accountable.
Two-hour Sample Agenda
Individual Responsibilities of Board Members
- Format: 30 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Using their personal experiences, participants explore board members’ legal responsibilities as well as what it means to be an exceptional board member.
The Board’s Collective Work Together
- Format: 30 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Board members discuss what the board’s collective work should look like, how it should add value, and the norms and values to which it will hold itself accountable.
Bar Trends and Developments
- Format options: 1) 30 minutes of presentation/ Q&A or 2) group previews trends video prior to session and time devoted to discussion of local situation/environment
- Content: Key trends across the bar and professional landscape.
Critical Questions: What are the 2-4 strategic questions our board needs to grapple with over the next 12 months?
- Format: 25 minutes of facilitated discussion (issue identification only)
- Content: Issue identification that will guide the board’s upcoming strategic discussions.
Next Steps and Close
- Format: 5 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Recap of key decisions and action items.
Three-hour Sample Agenda
Individual Responsibilities of Board Members
- Format: 45 minutes of facilitated discussion includes opportunity to explore a broader range of responsibilities, and includes small group work for extra board team building
- Content: Using their personal experiences, participants explore board members’ legal responsibilities as well as what it means to be an exceptional board member.
The Board’s Collective Work Together
- Format: 30 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Board members discuss what the board’s collective work should look like, how it should add value, and the norms and values to which it will hold itself accountable.
Break – 10 minutes
Bar Trends and Developments
- Format options: 1) 30 minutes of presentation/ Q&A or 2) group previews trends video prior to session and time devoted to discussion of local situation/environment
- Content: Key trends across the bar and professional landscape.
Critical Questions: What are the 2-4 strategic questions our board needs to grapple with over the next 12-18 months?
- Format: 55 minutes of facilitated discussion (issue identification, prioritization, discussion mode, determination of information necessary to have an informed discussion)
- Content: Issue identification that will guide the board’s upcoming strategic discussions.
Next Steps and Close
- Format: 10 minutes of facilitated discussion
- Content: Recap of key decisions and action items.
In-Person Board Training
Let a Bar Services facilitator help you build a customized in-person training session that will build your board's capacity and take it to a new level of effectiveness. Topics may include:
- The individual and collective role of board members, including legal responsibilities
- What makes an exceptional board
- Understanding individual and group dynamics
- Cultivating a constructive board-staff partnership
- Orientation to key bar programs and services
- Identifying the critical issues for board exploration and developing a work plan
Fees
| Daily Fee | Budget |
|---|---|
| $750 | $500,000 and under |
| $1,000 |
$500,001 to $1,000,000 |
| $1,500 | $1,000,001 to $3,000,000 |
| $2,000 |
$3,000,001 to $6,000,000 |
| $2,500 |
$6,000,001 to $10,000,000 |
| $3,500 | $10,000,001 and above |
A note about travel: In addition to the service fee, the following expenses are reimbursable to the Division for Bar Services by the hiring organization: economy airfare, hotel accommodations, meals not otherwise provided during the visit, airport transfers and local transportation.
Strategic Planning
Map your future. Planning identifies core strengths, explores the shifting environment and helps the organization respond. It creates a common framework for volunteer and staff decision-making, energizes the board and creates momentum for change.
How We Can Help
Our team:
- Works with the organization's staff and volunteer leaders to develop commitment and support for the planning process,
- Analyzes the internal and external environment, including necessary market research,
- Conducts the on-site planning session,
- Provides the organization with a functional planning report and supporting resources, and
- Monitors follow-up efforts.
Fees
| Daily Fee | Budget |
|---|---|
| $1,500 |
$250,000 and under |
| $1,500 - $2,000 |
$250,001 to $500,000 |
| $2,000 - $3,000 | $500,001 to $1,500,000 |
| $3,000 - $4,500 |
$1,500,001 to $3,000,000 |
| $4,500 - $7,000 |
$3,000,001 to $6,000,000 |
| Starting at $7,000 | $6,000,001 and above |
A note about travel: In addition to the service fee, the following expenses are reimbursable to the Division for Bar Services by the hiring organization: economy airfare, hotel accommodations, meals not otherwise provided during the visit, airport transfers and local transportation.
Market Research
Know Your Members. Before you can strategically move forward, you need to know where you stand. Division for Bar Services staff can help you understand how your members and nonmembers view your organization, and where opportunities may exist to strengthen your bar operationally.
How We Can Help
Contact us to discuss:
- Membership survey development
- Focus group assistance
- Tailored reports that illustrate how the bar compares with its peers in terms of membership, finance and other areas
Fees
Membership surveys are priced by membership size and survey scope, and typically range from $500 - $3,500. Please contact us for specific pricing of our market research and benchmarking services.
A note about travel: In addition to the service fee, the following expenses are reimbursable to the Division for Bar Services by the hiring organization: economy airfare, hotel accommodations, meals not otherwise provided during the visit, airport transfers and local transportation.
Succession Planning
Transition smoothly. Maximize the opportunity presented by an executive director transition. Division for Bar Services staff will work with the bar’s leadership to plan and carry out a thoughtful executive director succession plan and search.
How We Can Help
Our team will:
- Help the bar’s leadership outline the transition process and timeline, including budget considerations,
- Help the leadership identify who should be involved in the search process, including the composition of the search committee,
- Conduct stakeholder surveys, as necessary, to help determine desired strengths and skills of a new executive director,
- Help the committee communicate effectively with members and staff about the search process, and
- Help the committee develop an executive director onboarding plan.
Fees
Please contact the Division for Bar Services for pricing.