Austin Bar President’s Column: Why Community Matters – Especially in Our Profession

Bob Weir (the Grateful Dead’s last remaining full-time singer) recently passed away. It affected me deeply because the Dead have been part of my life since I was a child. In grade school, my father took my brother and me to meet Jerry Garcia in his hotel room after a show. That night, Jerry gave us a private tour of the Dead’s tour bus and lifetime backstage passes (that my brother and I promptly lost). As I grew older, I enjoyed attending shows by myself or with friends, especially the pre-show gatherings in the venue’s parking lot. 

At that time, I probably couldn’t aptly identify why I enjoyed those gatherings and the shows in a way that didn’t exist at other concerts. But, as John Mayer discussed while holding back tears at Bob’s memorial, the magic of Dead shows lay in the community of people who gathered for the shows and their connection with each other and the band.

Whether it’s a Dead show or the legal profession, community matters, and the magic can lie within. Practicing law can often be a solitary pursuit. We spend many hours sitting alone, thinking, researching, planning, and drafting. But the profession itself depends on a community. From law firm offices, courtrooms, and chambers to bar associations and other professional organizations, the legal system depends on our collective participation and responsibility.

Community serves a practical purpose in our profession. Among other reasons, I became a lawyer because of the intellectual challenge. The law can be complex, time-consuming to learn, and constantly evolving. Especially as less experienced attorneys, we rely on colleagues to evaluate our work, share their expertise, and provide a more time-developed perspective. We also lean on them to answer questions when the rules, caselaw, or resources provide no assistance.  Our profession depends on these everyday knowledge exchanges to maintain competence, achieve justice, and function smoothly.  

Beyond these things, community helps promote ethical behavior. We have designed our profession to be self-regulating, which means that the profession’s integrity depends on shared ethics and mutual accountability. When attorneys stay connected as a community through our peers, our bar associations, and other professional organizations, the community helps model proper ethics, naturally polices bad behavior, and minimizes the isolation that can enable unethical behavior. Among other things, community permits us space to ask tough questions and seek guidance when navigating our responsibilities to courts, clients, and fellow practitioners.

Equally important is the human component. While we don’t want to admit it, legal work can be isolating and emotionally demanding. We routinely deal with conflict, stepping in the shoes of others to manage uncomfortable situations with significant consequences. Community offers something essential but often overlooked: support. It reminds us that we are not alone in managing our stress, that others share the same doubts, and that we all make mistakes. Community supplies the connection that helps overcome the perils fostered by the isolating nature of our work.  

Lastly, community allows us to give back more efficiently. Organized legal networks allow us to educate the public and provide pro bono help in a timely and focused manner. Our community (though our colleagues’ generous efforts) also inspires us to give back and provides the resources for us to do so. 

In the era of remote work, technological change, and increasing specialization, it is tempting to retreat into our professional silos. But we and our practices do not function well in isolation. Like those who experienced the community at a Dead show, the magic lays in our connection. Rest in peace, Bobby.