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Bar News - March 21, 2003 Illustrating Lawyers' Service to the Community NAME A NONPROFIT service organization, town or city board that doesn’t have a lawyer contributing his or her time and expertise in some way, either through service as an elected or appointed board member, dedicated volunteer or "kitchen cabinet" adviser. In the North Country, where there are precious few professionals, service on multiple boards is expected and well nigh inescapable. In more densely populated parts of the state, for large organizations or small, lawyers play leadership roles in guiding community organizations, helping to secure funding or simply helping these groups navigate through regulatory, legal or bureaucratic obstacles. Whether this service appears on a lawyer’s list of billable hours or not, it is an inherent part of being a member of the legal profession. Service to the poor, service to the community – these are part of the obligation – and gratification – of being a member of the legal profession. While the Bar regularly publishes the Pro Bono Honor Roll recognizing the active participation of attorneys in direct representation of low-income individuals and families with critical civil legal needs, the Bar only sporadically acknowledges the enormous contributions of time that lawyers make through "informal" pro bono and other types of community service. The stubborn stereotypes of hard-driving, money-hungry lawyers are retailed daily in the media, but overlooked are the tales of what lawyers are doing to build and nurture their communities. Furthermore, there is more that the Bar can do to facilitate the linking of lawyers willing to share their skills, judgment and energy with the community service sector. The Public Information Committee, at the suggestion of NHBA President Marty Van Oot and under the direction of newly appointed co-chairs Ovide Lamontagne and Charles Grau, is launching an effort to both recognize and quantify the community contributions lawyers are making. A survey will soon be circulated to Bar members asking them to estimate the number of hours of community service they have donated, and to characterize whether this service involved legal work or other kinds of volunteer assistance. Additionally, the Bar’s Communications Department will be seeking stories of the blood, sweat and tears that those statistics represent; we want anecdotal examples of the kinds of work being done by you and your colleagues. Next, we will also be asking you to respond with your areas of interest for future volunteering. Some lawyers would like to do more, and are just waiting to be asked. Some don’t know how their particular areas of expertise can be tapped for the community good. Help us help you find ways to put your talents to work for your community. Keep your eyes peeled for the surveys that will soon be popping up in your e-mail, in Bar News or in Bar mailings. Take a moment to fill them out – relating your own experiences and pointing us to a colleague who you think represents the kind of community-oriented professionalism that the NH Bar should be renowned for. "For some time now, I have wanted the NHBA to produce a comprehensive ‘report of lawyer volunteerism.’ The Bar is probably the only organization positioned to collect and disseminate the word about our members’ dedication to public service," says NHBA Executive Director Jeannine McCoy. "The challenge has been collecting the non-NHBA-related service information. NH lawyers do so much in their communities without saying much about it. Help us tell this story!" If you are interested in helping this effort, consider joining the Public Information Committee. Contact Dan Wise, communications director, at dwise@nhbar.org or 224-6942 for information on applying to join the committee.
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