Well, as most politicians will tell you, all politics is local.  While the ABA is in a position to gather and synthesize nationwide statistics, develop policies and positions based upon a broad range of opinions, and garner national attention for its public statements and op-ed pieces, it is the state, local and special focus bar leaders who can speak to the very real effects national issues have on the communities they represent, both their members and the general public.  ABA Day Planning Committee Chair Stephen Zack, past president of both The Florida Bar and the NCBP, described it best when he noted that at one Capitol Hill meeting, a senator spent more time conversing with the state bar officers present than he did the attending ABA leaders.  National organizations have clout, but local ones have voting constituents.

Much of what the ABA accomplishes could not be done without the efforts of bar leaders at the grassroots level.  It is your selfless work as bar officers, and that of your executive staff, that makes the difference. The ABA/bar association relationship is a two-way street.  The ABA, through its Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services and its Division for Bar Services, assists bar associations with their own objectives by providing services that make our bars more efficient and information that helps our organizations stay abreast of important developments.

As elected bar leaders, we can and must let ABA leadership know about the concerns of our members, our clients and our communities.  We also must convey how the ABA can support our bars' efforts.  I am pleased to report that Henry (Hank) F. White Jr., the ABA's new executive director, has demonstrated a genuine interest in maintaining a strong dialogue between the leadership of the ABA, the NCBP and its member organizations. At ABA Day, Hank went out of his way to meet with NCBP leaders as well as those from several state and local bar associations.  I challenge each of you to recognize the value of your bar's relationship with the ABA and to work toward strengthening it.   

The question still remains, what's the NCBP doing here? It educates, it foments discussion, and it provides the only national vehicle for current, future and past bar leaders to share their collective knowledge for the betterment of the organized bar.  When NCBP leadership speaks to ABA leadership, it speaks on behalf of all of our organizations and the hundreds of thousands of members the organizations represent.

A central facet of "what the NCBP is doing here" is presenting programs that help inform members about key issues facing the profession. I am excited about the programming that has been planned for the 2007 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, August 9-11. The Friday plenary will extend the focus on a fair and impartial judiciary that began during the midyear meeting in Miami and explore how our message is presented in the media. Other program topics will include award-winning diversity programs, using untapped member resources, financial planning and insurance as a member service, and using technology to provide services to the poor.

If you have not already registered, I encourage you to do so today at http://www.abanet.org/annual/2007  If you prefer faxing your registration form, go to the same site, select the NABE/NCBP/NCBF Registration Form and fax it to ABA/Experient (formerly I.T.S.) at 1-800-521-6017. The early registration deadline is May 31.  The advance registration deadline is July 6.  What's the NCBP doing here? Come to San Francisco and see for yourself. 

NCBP President Steven R. Sorenson is in private practice in Ripon, Wisconsin with the Sorenson Law Office. He is a past president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
BAR PRESIDENTS
2006-2007 Executive Council

Steven R. Sorenson, Ripon, WI
President

Kay H. Hodge, Boston, MA
President-elect

M. Joe Crosthwait Jr., Midwest City, OK
Treasurer

Mary T. Torres, Albuquerque, NM
Secretary

Lonnie J. Williams Jr., Phoenix, AZ
Immediate Past President

2007

Richard J. Badolato, Roseland, NJ
Tom Bolt, St. Thomas, VI
Guy N. Harrison, Longview, TX
A. Thomas Levin, Garden City, NY
Karol Corbin Walker, Newark, NJ

2008

Rhonda F. Hunter, Dallas, TX
Kelly Overstreet Johnson, Tallahassee, FL
Richard Turbin, Honolulu, HI
Fred S. Ury, Fairfield,CT
Charles J. Vigil, Albuquerque, NM

2009

William M. Corrigan Jr., St. Louis, MO
John C. Cruden, Washington, DC
Michael W. McKay, Baton Rouge, LA
Carl D. Smallwood, Columbus, OH
Amy Dunn Taylor, Houston, TX

Ex Officio

Karen J. Mathis, Denver, CO
President
American Bar Association

Timothy M. O’Mara, Williamsville, NY
President
Metropolitan Bar Caucus

ABA Division for Bar Services

Pamela E. Robinson
NCBP Liaison

Kimberly Vann
NCBP Communications Coordinator

Beverley M. Ware
NCBP Member Services Coordinator
 

 

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007 NCBP ANNUAL MEETING IS NOW OPEN Join NCBP at the Hilton San Francisco for its 2007 Annual Meeting, August 9-11 NCBP members save $100 on their annual meeting registration if they register by the early registration deadline of May 31; $40 if they register by the standard deadline of July 6. Register online today at www.abanet.org/annual/2007 See You in San Francisco!