January 2002 

Great Value for Your
Membership Dollar

by Jarvis C. Jones

"What have you done for me lately?"
--Janet Jackson, singer and sister of Michael Jackson.

As the value of the dollar bill shrinks smaller and smaller, more lawyers and their employers are asking providers of services, including bar associations, the legitimate question: "what have you done for me lately?" It is not an acceptable response for a bar association to simply say we are providing a forum for lawyers to come together to drink, eat, and swap war stories about the good ol' days. Many lawyers' employers are demanding that the organizations lawyers belong to provide relevant and tangible value-added services to their place of work and to the individual members of the firm.

In today's fast-moving world, in order for any bar association to remain "relevant," it must be able to point to more than its past and present accomplishments and activities. It must also be able to demonstrate its relevancy and value to its membership into tomorrow and into the distance future. I believe our bar association has positioned itself to respond well to the legitimate question of what have you done for me lately? The Bar's foray into the area of technology and its commitment to bringing relevant and practical technology to the practicing lawyer's doorstep is just one example of the Bar's commitment to bringing real value to you, your employer, and the profession.

In August of this year, I held group meetings over a two-day period with the chairs of our 33 Bar sections. During these marathon meetings, we discussed ways we could bring even greater and more immediate value to you, our members. As a direct result of these meetings, the Bar Association and its sections are sponsoring a section membership drive called the "10% Club." Over the course of the next six months, the Bar and section leadership will be working diligently to increase each section's membership roster by 10 percent. Assuming we are successful, we will have an additional 1,400 section members participating. To accomplish this objective, we have put together some significant enticements that we believe no legally sane and rational lawyer could refuse or equivocate on.

Here's how the program works: From now until June 30, 2002 ("open enrollment period"), 28 of 31 substantive sections have each agreed to plan and sponsor at least three CLE programs. During this open enrollment period, these sections have agreed to offer all of their CLE programs "free" to all Bar members. (However, if a meal is provided you may be charged for it. If that still ain't enough for you, the sections have agreed to also offer free membership ($20-$30 saving per lawyer) in their section during the open enrollment period to all Bar members who attend one of the free CLE programs sponsored by that section. This offer includes only section-sponsored CLEs and does not include CLEs offered by other providers.

By now, your alter ego might be lurking over your shoulder asking the cynical question, "What's the hook? There's got to be a hook." Well, there is no hook! All you need to do to take advantage of this value-added Bar program is to attend a section-sponsored CLE program during the open enrollment period. By doing so, you automatically become a member of that section. You will not be charged the customary fee to belong to that section nor charged for any other section-sponsored CLE programs that you attend during the open enrollment period. In addition, you always have the option of affirmatively opting out of membership in a particular section after you have attended one or more of its CLE programs. However, if after attending a section-sponsored CLE program, you see the tangible value of belonging to that particular section, you do not need to do anything further to join. You will automatically be enrolled as a section member for the July 2002 - June 2003 period and billed accordingly.

As a Bar member, if you do not already belong to a section (or two) relevant to your practice area, I strongly encourage you to open your crackerjack box and take advantage of the free prize inside. That is, you have already paid to belong to the Bar Association, why not take advantage of this unlimited free CLE offering and free membership in sections of your choice during the open enrollment period? As a practicing lawyer, your membership in a section provides you with access to topical CLE programs, an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in a given area of law, and also an invaluable forum for networking among colleagues of varying skills and backgrounds.

In addition to urging that you personally take advantage of this great offer, I ask that you do the following: 1) make your colleagues and members of your firm aware of the 10% Club; 2) encourage lawyers to look for section-sponsored CLEs by visiting the Bar's "10% Club" website at http://www2.mnbar.org/digest/phoneblonde.htm; and, 3) encourage lawyers in your firm to invite colleagues to join relevant sections and to attend their CLE programs. We also expect to include the listing of section-sponsored CLE programs in the February 2002 issue of Bench & Bar.

For additional information or questions about this program, please contact the Bar's Director of Section Services, Elizabeth Keyes (ekeyes@statebar.gen.mn.us, or (612) 278-6336). Now, if someone asks you the question, "what has your bar association done for you lately?" I hope you'll be able to respond, "I'm glad you asked that question. Let me share with you ... ."

JARVIS C. JONES is president of the Minnesota State Bar Association. An attorney with experience in business and in private practice, he now serves as an executive with the St. Paul Companies, where he is responsible for a new start-up business.