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VOL. 1 NO. 1
January 2008
GUEST COLUMN:
An update from ABA Executive Director,
Henry F. White, Jr.
diversity matters
The ABA's New Diversity Center: How May We
Help You?
SOC ListServs
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What do you think of the articles in this issue? What would you like to see in upcoming issues?
contact us
Please feel free to contact us with your comments or questions.
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membership update
By Andrew "Josh" Markus,
Chair, SOC Membership Committee
Membership is the critical issue facing the ABA and its member groups. Now in its second year, the SOC Membership Committee serves as the primary gathering place for membership chairs and membership staff of the Sections, Divisions and Forums (Sections). The overarching goal of the SOC Membership Committee is to develop and share best practices among Sections, Divisions and Forums in order to facilitate the growth of membership of the constituent entities and the ABA as a whole.
Meeting three times a year, at the SOC Fall Meeting, the ABA Midyear Meeting, and the ABA Annual Meeting, the committee is recognized as one of the most vibrant and active groups in the SOC. The committee was first chaired by Gene Beckham (TIPS) who was succeeded by Darcee Siegel (Government Lawyers). Now chaired by Josh Markus (International Law), the committee has succeeded in drawing active participation by over twenty entities and continues to grow and engage in its mission to identify membership issues facing the Sections, Divisions, and Forums and develop suggestions and strategies to resolve these issues.
This mission is largely accomplished through the committee's facilitation of communication at multiple levels. The committee serves a bridge to the ABA Standing Committee on Membership and the ABA Membership & Marketing Division who use the platform of committee meetings to inform the Sections of the initiatives and concerns these bodies are discussing. The committee is also the primary forum for the communication of membership issues between the Sections and to discuss new and innovative membership and marketing strategies.
At its last meeting the committee addressed a number of pressing membership issues including retention of law student members once they pass the bar, providing member benefits via e-mail and the internet and tips for building an engaged and effective membership committee. There will be follow-up on these topics and discussion of new topics at the committee's next meeting Friday, February 8 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century City Plaza Hotel (9:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in the Sherman Oaks Room, California Level). All Section membership chairs are invited and encouraged to attend. Access by telephone will also be available for anyone not planning to attend the ABA Midyear Meeting. Regular updates will be provided through the SOC e-News and will be sent to the committee listserv. Contact Robert Rupp if you or your entity's staff are not subscribed to the membership list servs and wish to stay up-to-date on the committee's activities.
The SOC e-News is published three times a year by the Section Officers Conference (SOC). Each issue will contain information and resources specially designed for Section, Division and Forum officers. Please feel free to contact us with your comments or questions, so we may include them in future editions.
SOC e-News
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