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We know that committees are important to organizations. Like other organizations, bar associations see the value in committees and tend to create many of them. But why are they important? And does their creation automatically enhance a bar association?
In the spirit of moving into the future, I consulted our future overlord, artificial intelligence, to uncover why it thought committees were important. The hopefully benevolent future ruler generated the following reason: “they help organize, divide, and manage complex work within larger groups….” With AI’s permission, I will add some of my own reasons. The Austin Bar Association’s committees allow us to implement our initiatives, improve our organization, fulfill our mission statement, and provide value to our members. Further, the committees allow for greater member engagement, and they are many members’ first experience in bar service. Years ago, I began my own service by joining the Bench Bar Committee. Committees also provide attorneys with an opportunity to learn more about organizing, leading, and collaborating. Lastly, committees supply the opportunity for us to help foster the Austin Bar Association’s next leaders.
While the value of committees is evident, the answer to the second question is a little more nuanced. Committees can add value, but not necessarily by virtue of their existence. Committees typically add value when they function well. Committees that are unorganized and do not set goals will generally accomplish little for their parent organization. At the same time, committees that rely solely on their leadership (however dedicated and hardworking) will accomplish less.
In my experience, the hallmarks of well-functioning committees are relatively easy to identify. Well-functioning committees are organized. They tend to have motivated committee chairs who set goals, schedule regular meetings, and delegate responsibilities. When a committee is successful, the committee members know their roles and responsibilities early on. They also recognize the importance of their work and take ownership of it.
So, how do we ensure that our committees function well? It begins at the top. As bar presidents, we should do our due diligence by evaluating potential committee chairs and appointing them to committees that will provide them with the best chance to succeed. As committee chairs, we should consider how often our committees should meet and establish an agreed-to meeting schedule early on. It’s also important that we set goals, consider what needs to be done to reach those goals, create subcommittees with their own leaders, and otherwise delegate tasks necessary to achieving the committee’s goals. If possible, we should do many of these things either before or at the committee’s first meeting.
Because successful committees depend on their members, we—as committee chairs— should not always solely rely on volunteers. We should try to recruit individuals to join the committees who we believe will shoulder responsibility and contribute meaningfully. We should also check in as much as necessary to ensure that our delegated tasks are being accomplished.
Additionally, we should help foster our committee members’ growth by personally engaging them and by acknowledging their achievements. These efforts can be very impactful. An Austin attorney and longtime leader recently shared her story about a leader who reached out to her years ago. The interaction was uniquely memorable and had a lasting positive effect on her. This stuff matters.
When we serve as committee members, we should welcome the opportunity to shoulder more responsibility and to demonstrate our skills. There are many tangible benefits to displaying our competence to others in the legal community (especially to those that we might not typically interact with in our regular practice).
As the Austin Bar’s President, I feel fortunate that we have many dedicated attorneys to lead and to participate in the Bar Association’s committees. We have a lot to accomplish this bar year, but I have complete confidence in the value that the committees will add to our organization. Let’s use our committees effectively to ensure a productive and unforgettable bar year!