Vol. 77, No. 5, May 2004

Learning to Lead

by George C. Brown,
State Bar executive director

Active county and specialty bar associations create a positive local legal culture. Positive communication at the local bar meeting among lawyers who are adverse to each other on behalf of their clients enhances professionalism. Lawyers and judges can resolve courthouse and legal system issues. Lawyers can work together on public service projects that provide needed service, enhance the public's understanding of the law and lawyers' roles in society, and improve the image of the profession.

But active associations don't just happen. They take the work of committed local bar leaders. Many of us have been taught that leadership is inborn - you either have it or you don't. While this may be true for some, the vast majority of leaders learn their leadership skills from others. Some receive formal training, while others learn from their successes and mistakes. Bar associations are proven training grounds for learning leadership skills that will benefit you every day in your practice.

Your State Bar works to provide needed training and resources for your local bar associations. On the last Friday in March more than 80 bar leaders from 45-plus bar associations across Wisconsin met at the State Bar Center for the 2004 Wisconsin Bar Leaders' Conference. In what one repeat attendee called "the best training program yet," bar officers learned from each other and from State Bar staff about State Bar and local resources; communication techniques for working with members, the media, and the public; and solutions created by some bars that can solve problems facing numerous bar associations.

Former bar presidents informed the bar officers about what it takes to lead a successful bar association. Once a bar officer's term is completed, the lessons on leadership that he or she learned while in office become the legacy that they carry with them the rest of their lives.

Leadership skills, along with satisfaction and recognition, are the ultimate personal benefits for getting involved in your local bar association. Your State Bar also provides those same opportunities whether you get involved in one of more than 30 committees, 27 sections, four divisions, or dozens of projects, or you serve on the Board of Governors. So get involved. Work with lawyers from your community through your local or specialty bar association. Work with lawyers from all corners of Wisconsin on committees, sections, divisions, and projects through the State Bar. You will learn skills you can bring back to your practice while you serve your colleagues and the people of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Lawyer