Bar News - September 19, 2003
We Want You! As a Voluntary Member of the Mandatory Bar
By: Jeannine L. McCoy
Executive Director, NH Bar Association
A RELATIVELY FAMOUS frog (Kermit) has observed "It's not easy being green." I would add, if you are one of the 33 unified state bar associations across the country, "It's not easy being mandatory." As you well know, to practice law in New Hampshire one has to belong to the New Hampshire Bar Association. Mandatory anything can be difficult to swallow at times and reasonable people differ on the value, economic and philosophical, of mandatory bar membership.
This subject has been debated at various times since the Bar was unified almost 30 years ago, most recently on these pages in the last issue of Bar News (Sept. 5, 2003) when Rep. Robert Rowe, a retired member of the Bar, and NHBA President Russell Hilliard exchanged views on HB 175, a bill restricting legislative activities of the Bar and mandating a membership vote on unification. (Attorney Hilliard explained the reasons why the NHBA Board of Governors opposes the bill as an unconstitutional intrusion into the affairs of a private organization and an attempt to usurp the judicial branch's regulation of the legal profession. These issues are currently pending before the NH Supreme Court.)
But here I want to discuss the issue of mandatory membership with a positive approach, and share with you how the Association is striving to be the mandatory Bar Association to which you would choose to belong.
There are advantages of cohesiveness and economies of scale to being a member of an organization to which all must belong. Being mandatory carries with it added obligations for the organization, however. Because members are compelled to belong, the officers and staff of the New Hampshire Bar Association recognize that we are charged with an even greater responsibility to "support members and their service to the public and the justice system." Still, we want you as a voluntary member of the mandatory bar...and here are some of the reasons why...
Top 10 Reasons for Being a Voluntary Member of the Mandatory Bar
- Stay current
: FREE LEGAL RESEARCH FOR MEMBERS - Whether you use it to fulfill all your computer-assisted online le gal research needs or to augment other commercial legal research tools, your Casemaker savings alone are "worth the price of admission." Access New Hampshire Supreme Court cases dating back to 1872, along with NH RSAs, administrative rules and Casemaker Web libraries for federal law, and state libraries for Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine and the rest of New England. Seven other states' libraries also can be consulted through Casemaker, with more states' libraries coming online.
- Stay informed: Through news and information you can use, brought to you via the award-winning Bar News sent to the entire bar 22 times a year; the quarterly Bar Journal; "e-bulletins" sent twice monthly to all bar members with e-mail addresses who opt to receive it; and www.nhbar.org - a 24/7 portal to your association.
- Stay educated: NHBA•CLE is continuing education by and for NH lawyers. In addition to traditional live programming - from multi-day programs to 1-2 hour offerings - the NHBA•CLE program has leapt forward with the launch of its online CLE programs, allowing Bar members access to CLE anywhere, anytime they choose from the comfort of their homes or offices at a modest cost. The programs also are available in a wide variety of formats, such as video and audiotapes, covering subjects from general practice areas to highly specialized topics. Whatever the format, NHBA·CLE consistently earns high ratings for its content and the experience...all at "below market" prices.
- Stay employed: Use the Lawyer Referral Service to expand your practice, open the door to out-of-state clients, reach the Internet-savvy and maximize your marketing dollars. By becoming a panel member, you may be connected to one of the hundreds of inquiries LRS receives each month from members of the public wanting to retain attorneys for a wide variety of legal matters.
- Stay engaged: Leverage your volunteer time as you fulfill your public service obligations through programs the Association organizes and supports on your behalf. Your volunteer efforts are facilitated by the Bar through such services as the screening of Pro Bono cases and clients, mentoring and training, coordination of domestic violence referrals through the DOVE Program, referrals of Reduced Fee cases, and the coordination of the monthly LawLine telephone service and the Question of Law newspaper columns.
Or take another avenue to public service through Law-Related Education programs such as Mock Trial, We the People and A Lawyer and Judge in Every School Day. Your Bar makes it easy for you to connect with schools and teachers around the state. Through LRE, hundreds of volunteer Bar members reach tens of thousands of young citizens with information about the law and the justice system each year.
- Stay in the loop: Improve your knowledge and skill while networking with colleagues with similar legal interests by joining one or more of the 20 sections of the Bar. In addition to regular meetings, several sections exchange information through e-mail listservs, newsletters and special interest seminars organized in collaboration with the CLE Committee. Section memberships are becoming more valuable as participation grows in the listservs, the electronic way to share information and receive guidance from some of the finest legal minds in the state.
- Stay covered: The NHBA Insurance Agency, Inc., was established to assist members in finding appropriate insurance coverage. This NHBA subsidiary has arranged professional liability coverage for hundreds of NH firms. A long-term care insurance product launched earlier this year has proven popular, and the NHBA Insurance Agency has more products in the pipeline - including providing bond coverage online. A complete package of insurance coverage for firms is being developed to provide "à la carte" or "turn-key" options from the agency, which exclusively serves Bar members.
- Stay connected: Bar committees and sections, membership meetings and events such as the New Lawyers Reception and Pro Bono Golf Tournament provide opportunities that inform, entertain and connect members with colleagues from around the state. The online member directory can also help you connect with others.
- Stay cool: If you are new, you can turn to the New Lawyers Committee for mentoring and networking. Troubled? The Lawyers' Assistance Committee can provide confidential support. The Ethics Committee can help resolve ethical quandaries, and the Dispute Resolution Committee can help resolve fee or other (non-discipline-related) disputes with clients.
- Stay proud: Members can be proud of the New Hampshire Bar's high standards of ethics, integrity, independent judgment, civility and obligation to the rule of law and the justice system. These values are articulated and fostered through the collective culture of the Bar and programs such as Statewide Professionalism Day, the Professionalism Creed, Litigation Guidelines and, most importantly, each member's professional conduct.
The Association has a great history of service to the public and the justice system. Each year, the Bar recognizes members for service through many Association programs and in other community-based efforts. This year, the Bar published "GIVING BACK," the first of an annual series of reports that begins to catalogue the depth and breadth of Bar members' service to their communities. As we go forward, we will be looking for your input to illustrate the hundreds of ways lawyers and law firms enrich their communities through volunteerism....We believe nobody does it better, and we need your help to prove it!
Many members aren't aware of the full scope of what the Bar Association can do for them. Visit For Members and consult our Member Services Guide to acquaint yourself with services and benefits of your Bar membership. If you don't see what you need - or don't know where to begin to access the Bar's services - as executive director of the NHBA, I urge you to call me. The legal profession and the business and social environment in which you practice are changing rapidly. You can help me help the Bar formulate and maintain a menu of services and activities that continue to effectively "support members and their service to the public and the justice system."
Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article originally published in the December 2002 (Member Services Guide) issue of New Hampshire Bar Journal.
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