There is no prescribed method of practicing law. Attorneys can do so in large regional, national, and international firms. They can also do so as part of governmental bodies, as corporate counsel, or in small-to-midsized firms. That being said, statistics show that a significant percentage of lawyers operate (like I do) as solo practitioners in private practice.

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. 

No one wants to be the early versions of Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch over the holiday season. But there is something else about this time of year that makes it the season of giving. As cold(er) air begins moving in and lights start adorning the trees, we tend to become more generous. There are many meaningful ways that we (as attorneys) can give back throughout the year. This type of giving will involve less fanfare and gift wrap but will not trail in impact. 

It’s a question that I began asking myself about the Austin Bar before my presidential term began. Like many local bar organizations, we have wrestled with issues concerning membership and the recent headwinds that a global pandemic generously provided.

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?

Typically, as your new President of the Austin Bar Association, my first article would contain my portrait and answers to numerous questions. We run these articles so that you (if you’re so inclined) can get to know the person who will lead the Bar over the next term.