October 1999 

 All You Get is the Magazine

by Wood R. Foster Jr.

A friend of mine who practices law from his home was in my office recently. Knowing that I had become president of the MSBA, he said he thought he probably ought to join. In the course of this short conversation, it became pretty clear that he couldn’t think of very many good reasons to join the MSBA; his comment, "All you really get is the magazine," pretty much said it all.

I confess that for many years I didn’t fully understand or appreciate the importance of the MSBA as compared, for instance, with my own very active district bar association, which seemed more accessible and energized to me.

My perspective has obviously changed. But my purpose today is not to talk about the philosophical side of bar membership; it seems to me that perhaps we all need to be reminded that the "dollars and cents" side of MSBA membership saves dollars and makes sense. Even a cursory look at the financial side of bar membership quickly reveals how wrong my friend was.

It costs $179 per year for a senior member to belong to the Minnesota State Bar Association. Is this a good investment?

Let’s put aside for the moment the question of what it’s worth to a lawyer to have an organization carefully positioned to act as guardian of the profession and the professional values we all cherish. Let’s set aside the value of having a lobbyist who is looking after the profession on behalf of all us, members or not. We can also overlook for the moment the many community activities that bring credit to our profession such as the Mock Trial Program, the summer internships, the community relations programs, the extensive nurturing of pro bono services, and so on. Any lawyer who cannot see that significant dollar value can and ought to be attached to those services is myopic, but it is difficult to be dollar-specific about them.

Not so with many other bar services. Indeed, you do get a magazine -- a very good one, compared to bar magazines around the country. The magazine alone is worth at least $35 a year. The free directory containing a listing of all MSBA lawyers around the states that is annually sent to each member easily has a value of $25, which is what a nonmember must pay to purchase it. The Law Practice Management Manual comes with a $60 discount to members and the Real Property Title Standards carry with them a $40 discount to Real Property Law Section members. This year, members received For the Record, a history of the legal profession in Minnesota, at no charge. The book would easily cost $30 if it were available in bookstores. When you throw in the Volunteer Attorney Desk Manual and other publications it is easy to see that MSBA dues can be more than recouped in savings on publications alone.

But publications are only the beginning. Many lawyers pay $135 annually to a commercial publisher to receive Minnesota Supreme Court and Appellate Court opinions shortly after they are published. MSBA members can receive these opinions free by e-mail the day after they are released, simply by sending an e-mail message to request a subscription. Federal civil and criminal cases from the 8th Circuit and the District of Minnesota are also available via e-mail without charge. Detailed instructions on how to subscribe are posted on the MSBA Web site at http://www2.mnbar.org/msba/programs/ctopsinst.htm Also free are e-mail discussion groups (comparable to newsletters that would cost $25 per year), technical consulting (which would cost a minimum of $25 anywhere else), and an online guide to Quick Books (which would cost at least $50 elsewhere). In addition, MSBA now has over 150 family law forms and 100 Uniform Conveyancing blanks on line. A member can save up to $75 a year by using these forms. Once again, just a single group, in this case, MSBA’s online products, more than recoups the cost of membership each year.

Another way of saving money is by using MSBA CLE opportunities. Member rates on MSBA-sponsored programs tend to be anywhere from $15 to $75 less than nonmember rates, and many are held each year. In addition, MSBA members receive a 15 percent discount on CLE, which in turn translates into savings of between $50 and $100 per year on required credits. Once again, CLE services alone can more than recoup the cost of membership.

Other services abound. MSBA lawyers participate free in the "Colleague" program that enables them to obtain advice from another attorney. A comparable service from a private attorney would probably cost a minimum of $100. MSBA’s legislative hotline and updates are available only to members. To obtain such information commercially would cost at least $50 per year. Members pay $60 less than nonmembers to belong to the Attorney Referral Service, which of course carries with it additional potential for a fee-generating case down the line.

Finally, the MSBAdvantage program entitles members to discounts on merchandise that alone can easily recoup the price of MSBA membership. A $40 activation fee is waived on sponsored cell phone purchases, and a $50 telephone is free to subscribing members. Savings of up to $100 are available on computerized legal research; the $45 annual fee is waived on the MSBA credit card; $44 per night savings are available at Crowne Plaza Hotels; discounts off promotional rates are available from rental car agencies; and a variety of highly rated insurance products are available at prices that can hardly be matched.

Each one of these areas by itself enables MSBA members to recoup the price of membership. I’ve had to omit many other services and opportunities to save money in this column. If price is a consideration, members should simply look more carefully at the many money-saving options and services available.

If you know people who are hesitating to join the MSBA because it seems too expensive, ask them to think again. Perhaps you might even direct them to this column. Whatever else you do, don’t let them get away with thinking "all you get is the magazine."

Wood R. Foster Jr. is president of the Minnesota State Bar Association. A partner in the firm of Siegel, Brill, Greupner, Duffy & Foster, PA, he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation and class action. He is a graduate of Amherst College (1965) and of the University of Michigan Law School (1968).