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Akron Bar’s New Lawyers Section formed to attract members
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 24, 2015
There was a time that joining one’s local bar association was viewed as an essential part of having a successful law practice, especially among newcomers to the profession. But today joining the bar is far from a given as more graduates find themselves adhering to tighter budgets with access to new tools that allow them to market their services via the Internet.
In an effort to address changing trends, bar associations are pulling out all the stops and the Akron Bar Association is no exception.
In 2009 the Akron Bar Association officially elevated the former New Lawyers Committee to a section to shine a brighter light on the important goal of attracting emerging members of the legal profession to join the bar association.
“The section designation was significant because it increased participation and allowed for a more active group,” said former Akron Bar Association New Lawyers Section Chair Christopher Billow.
In addition he said the code of regulations permits the chair of the section to be an ex-officio member of the board of trustees. While this is a non-voting position, the chair can sit in on all the meetings and offer suggestions on how best to reach out to new attorneys.
The section, which currently has 148 members, is open to any attorney who has been practicing five years or less or is under the age of 35.
Billow joined the bar association in 2009 after graduating from The University of Toledo College of Law. In the beginning he was part of the New Lawyers Committee, but he later went on to serve as chair of the section for two terms from 2012 through 2014.
“Joining the bar association is not just about keeping up with your continuing legal education (CLE),” said Billow, now a judicial attorney for the 9th District Court of Appeals.
“It can help a new attorney to find his or her passion by allowing you to connect with more experienced lawyers in a variety of specialties, who can open doors in those areas.”
Billow said his experience at the bar association demonstrated the importance of mentoring.
“The Akron legal community has a great tradition of lending a hand to attorneys who are just starting out, which is something I plan to do as well.”
“Our goal is to let young lawyers know what the bar association has to offer,” said Brian Bremer, chair of the New Lawyers Section, who joined the Akron Bar Association in 2011 after being sworn in as an attorney in Ohio.
“The bar association provides a great opportunity for networking and that can lead to referrals,” said Bremer, also a judicial attorney for the 9th District. “But being a member is also a great way to get to know who you can approach for advice and can also help you serve your clients because you will know to whom you should refer them if you are unable to represent them.”
Bremer said the section has regular social events that are geared towards new attorneys forming relationships with each other.
“Our hope is that our events will make new members more likely to go to other bar events, such as the monthly side bars, where they can get to know the other members.”
He said the section has been putting on CLE Practice Pointers. “They consist of a panel of experienced attorneys and judges who speak about issues that young lawyers confront, such as managing your career or setting up your law practice,” said Bremer, who added that the practice pointers also give young attorneys the chance to meet and interact with experienced attorneys.
“Young attorneys often see the bar as an additional expense that they are reluctant to pay, but the bar really is one of the best ways to connect with the legal community and promote your career,” Bremer said.
Jennifer Cundiff, an associate at Niekamp, Weisensell, Mutersbaugh & Mastrantonio, said she has found her membership at the Akron Bar well worth it.
Cundiff first joined the Akron Bar as a student member in 2009 while attending The University of Akron School of Law. She is now vice chair of the New Lawyers Section.
“Our section offers many networking opportunities,” said Cundiff. “We hold CLE events twice a year on topics that are specific to young lawyers.
“We have a Practice Pointers series,” she said. “The last event was in February and it was called ‘Pump up your Practice.’ It was about practice management and included practical tips to make your legal business better.
“Law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer but not how to practice. I think the bar can go a long way toward helping new attorneys with the latter.”
She said one reason for the trepidation over bar membership is the shrinking job market.
“A lot of people who go to law school are not practicing traditional litigation or transactional law, they are taking nontraditional legal jobs and using their degree in some other way and may find it harder to get involved in the bar,” said Cundiff.
“Some young attorneys may not be able to see how membership in the bar association benefits them, but I do think the bar association is making strides in reconnecting with the younger generation.”
In 2013, the bar association created the Young Lawyer Task Force that was charged with engaging new members.
Last year, the organization also amended its code of regulations and executive leadership structure, creating a membership committee, a vice president of membership/secretary along with a coordinator of member engagement, the position that Thomas Christos Petropoulos has held since May 12.
“The task force provided emerging members with the ability to voice their perspectives, concerns and to creatively generate recommendations to enhance their association experiences,” said Petropoulos.
“The association is facing a real generational gap between emerging members and experienced members because of a variety of factors like technology and differing perspectives,” Petropoulos said.
He said the New Lawyers Section enables emerging members to be “amongst their peers in an open forum to problem solve and aid in their transition from students to practitioners of law.”
One of the keys to honing in on the concerns of newer attorneys is having the New Lawyers Section chair serve as an ex-officio member on the board of trustees, he explained, since it helps the association to get a better understanding of the emerging member perspective.
Not only does the New Lawyers Section chair advocate for emerging members, but the chair, who is also a member of the Membership Committee, works to help strengthen and increase membership,” said Petropoulos.
“The bar association is honoring its legacy by engaging its future and empowering emerging members to take leadership roles.”
To further the goal, Petropoulos said the bar association is rolling out its Leadership Academy in September.
“The application process ended on April 1 and we received numerous submissions and all are strong candidates,” said Petropoulos. “The academy’s goal is to identify emerging members who are leaders in the practice of law and in their communities and help them to develop these skills further.”
He said the association is also focusing on creating a partnership between the New Lawyers Section and the Senior Lawyers Committee to foster an open dialogue on both sides of the generational gap “to discuss methodologies that can enhance the ability of emerging members to be successful and to increase engagement.”