For the Fun of It: Reasons to Join Our Bar Association

Can you recall the first time you participated in a bar association event as an attorney? Was the event a MCLE or a social activity? Were you expecting to meet friends, engage in a leadership role, find a new job, or perhaps meet a significant other? Were you bombarded with business cards prior to your exit or were you mostly on your own—away from the crowd?

No matter your first bar association experience, it is my hope that your journey with the California Lawyers Association will be fulfilled with excitement, engagement, and fun.

Plagued by a global health pandemic, racial tension, and senseless gun violence in our nation, my first six months as the CEO and Executive Director has been all business. Our professional team and Board of Representatives have been focused on right-sizing the organization’s staff, resources, strategic direction, governance, and delivering unmatched service to our members. Our member leaders and staff are committed, more than ever, to providing high-quality content to help meet the educational demands of California attorneys, protecting the legal industry from attacks on the profession, creating opportunities to celebrate legal professionals, and giving back to the profession by investing in the development of future attorneys.

While this work is important, I strongly believe that it is even more important to have fun along the way. I recall attending my first bar association event as an attorney—a new attorney networking reception hosted by the statewide voluntary bar association in Ohio. Judges, attorneys, and academics from around the state gathered and celebrated the profession. Many of those in attendance are close, personal friends of mine—partners at law firms, public servants, business owners, and academics. As a lawyer, I found the bar association was a place to network, enhance visibility, and build long-lasting relationships.

This is also true at the California Lawyers Association. Our members can enhance their visibility, strengthen their legal practice, lend their voice and expertise to issues that impact the industry, and build long-lasting relationships. But equally important, our members have a forum where they can be themselves and truly have fun while learning and building!

I am excited about the future of the California Lawyers Association. Join us! You will not be disappointed!

Oyango A. Snell is CEO and Executive Director of the California Lawyers Association.