AFTER SUCCESSFUL presentations in four counties this fall, the Local Bar Outreach Program gears up again this spring with programs planned for several lawyers’ gatherings in southern NH.

The Outreach program, developed this year, seeks to provide information and promote discussions on how lawyers can cope with changes in client expectations and a dynamic business and technological environment. At the heart of the Bar’s Local Bar Outreach Program is the question: "What do we do?"—What should lawyers do about the forces reshaping their profession and, more fundamentally, how can lawyers answer the question of what it is that they do for their clients that adds value?

Many forces are pressuring lawyers in all settings—from solos in small towns to senior partners in the state’s largest firms—to compete harder against a baffling array of competitors from both within the profession and outside it. Meanwhile, the traditional work of lawyers is being taken away or redefined by such trends as Internet legal sites for consumers that provide legal advice and fill-in legal forms. Even business lawyers are feeling the pressure as corporations put legal work out to bid on the Internet.

The Bar’s Outreach program, a one-hour interactive, multimedia presentation, explores the forces reshaping the profession and raises provocative questions about lawyers’ roles in a changing society and business environment. It also suggests some ways to compete more successfully in this new economy. The program has drawn capacity crowds—and positive reviews—from local bar gatherings in Coos, Carroll, Strafford and Merrimack counties. Also in the works are follow-ups with participants to see what courses of action are suggested by the trends discussed in the program and attorneys’ own experiences.

Later this month, on March 22, the Nashua Bar Association will feature the Outreach presentation. In May, it will be the Rockingham County Bar (Wednesday, May 9) and the Manchester Bar (Tuesday, May 15) looking at the future of the legal profession. Inns of Court in Concord and Hanover also have been the sites of a modified version of the program.

If your local or specialty bar hasn’t hosted this program, call NHBA Secretary Richard Y. Uchida at 224-5004 to schedule it for your meeting.

Home | About the Bar | For Members | For the Public | Legal Links | Publications | Online Store
Lawyer Referral Service | Law-Related Education | NHBA•CLE | NHBA Insurance Agency | NHMCLE
Search | Calendar

New Hampshire Bar Association
2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord NH 03301
phone: (603) 224-6942 fax: (603) 224-2910
email: NHBAinfo@nhbar.org
© NH Bar Association Disclaimer