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Bar News - September 9, 2005 What Is the New Lawyers Committee and What Can It Do for You? By: Jaye Rancourt
As you can imagine, I was scared and, at times, lonely. That is until I responded to a letter by past New Hampshire Bar Association President Jim Gleason offering me the opportunity to volunteer for a Bar Association committee. I was appointed to the New Lawyers Committee. Through my activities with the New Lawyers Committee, and the Bar Association as a whole, I have found the support, training, education, and camaraderie that I had been missing. I relate my personal story to highlight the fact that the Bar Association and the New Lawyers Committee is not just for the newly admitted lawyers, but is also relevant and helpful to those newer lawyers changing careers or relocating to/in New Hampshire. The Bar Association Listens to New Lawyers Over the past year, the Bar Association has made great strides in reaching out to newer lawyers and being more attentive to their unique needs. Last year, the Bar Association sponsored a conference at Waterville Valley where newer lawyers expressed their opinions and made suggestions on how to make the Bar Association relevant to them. They expressed a desire for the Bar Association to sponsor more informal, less expensive events. They also described certain feelings of isolation they had experienced when attending Bar Association functions because more seasoned members of the Bench and Bar were not interacting with them at such events. The Bar Association and the New Lawyers Committee has taken seriously some of these suggestions from the Waterville Valley Conference and, as a result, has planned some new events for the upcoming year.
Affordable Fun We enjoy sponsoring fun, low cost events where newer lawyers can get to know each other, as well as meet members of the New Lawyers Committee and more senior members of the Bar. This past winter, we sponsored an evening with the Manchester Monarchs. We reserved a luxury box at the Verizon Wireless Arena and had a great time watching the game, snacking on hot dogs and pizza, and getting to know some of the newer lawyers. On Thursday, August 25th we sponsored an evening with the Fischer Cats at the Fisher Cats Stadium in Manchester. We reserved a party suite and ate great food, watched a good game and again, got to know some of the newer lawyers. The cost of these events ranged from $20-$27 per person. We will be looking for more opportunities to sponsor such fun, low cost events in the future. Fall Events Especially for New Lawyers This fall we will again host a welcome reception for newly admitted attorneys. There is no charge for this reception and we welcome all newly admitted lawyers. This is a great opportunity to meet some senior members of the Bar and also members of the judiciary. On December 14, 2005 we will be sponsoring the first Bench Bar Meet & Greet Event. This event will be another opportunity for newer lawyers to mingle with more senior members of the bar and members of the judiciary in an event open just to newer lawyers. This event will be open not to just those attorneys recently admitted, but to attorneys who have been practicing for a few years. Watch for your invitations in the mail and save the date. The Mentor Program We are not, however, just about sponsoring parties and social events—although we enjoy sponsoring the social events very much! We also strive to provide newer lawyers with information and education that they can use to become successful in our profession. Through the Mentor Program, newer lawyers are matched with experienced members of the bar whom they can consult for advice and direction regarding the everyday problems which typically arise in the practice of a new lawyer. If you are interested in learning more about the Mentor Program, you can check out the New Hampshire Bar Association Web site at http://www.nhbar.org/ (look under New Lawyer Programs), or contact Rose Anocibar, Member Services, at (603) 224-6942. We are always striving to improve our services. Our goal is to help the newer lawyers become involved with the Bar Association, feel welcome to the practice of law in New Hampshire, and get the support they need. We are always open to suggestions and would love to hear new ideas about how we can accomplish our goals. If you have ideas for future events or services, feel free to contact me with your suggestions at jrancourt@bclilaw.com. On behalf of the New Lawyer’s Committee, welcome to the practice of law in New Hampshire; we look forward to meeting you at our upcoming events.
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