The American Lawyers Auxiliary (ALA) and American Bar Association (ABA) partnership is one that we are proud of and are determined to build upon. Through this partnership, we have been able to offer more information and assistance to member auxiliaries and the public. Our programs and efforts have grown, especially those programs that promote citizenship education.

In 1958, the National Lawyers Wives was established. This newly formed group worked as a partner with the ABA in its law-related education efforts. In 1983, the organization became the American Lawyers Auxiliary (ALA) reflecting a responsiveness to the changing times. Today, the ALA is an organization of individual members, local auxiliaries and state auxiliaries united in the common mission, "To promote understanding of the American legal system through a national network of lawyers spouses."

As an affiliated organization to the ABA, the American Lawyers Auxiliary was invited to be listed in the annual ABA red book Directory, hold its Midyear and Annual Meetings in conjunction with the ABA’s meetings, and have ALA’s program be listed in the ABA meetings Program. ALA’s partnership with the ABA was further strengthened when ALA established its headquarter office at the ABA headquarters in Chicago.

In 1995, ALA President Rose McNeely and Strategic Planning Chair Elaine Ross met with ABA Executive Director Bob Stein. As a result of their meeting, ALA moved its separate office and settled in office space under the wing of the ABA’s Division for Public Education. Its Director, Mabel McKinney-Browning, appointed a staff liaison to work with the ALA in addressing areas of concern to the ALA and its state and local affiliates. Adrienne Barney has helped answer phone and written inquiries, taken care of mailings, helped with meetings, and assisted with a number of other items.

To date, the ABA Public Education Division staff has advised and assisted in development of the ALA web site (www.abanet.org/publiced/ala/home.html), set up a database of membership records, assisted with Midyear and Annual Meeting preparations, and handled the mailings of the Law-Related Education Curriculum units that the ALA provides to third grade teachers.

This past year, Diane Bruhl, ABA Director of Membership and Marketing spoke at ALA’s annual meeting in Toronto on techniques that auxiliaries can use to address membership issues. With the help of the Bar Services Division, we were able to get Jennifer Davis, Director of Communications of the State Bar of Georgia, to conduct a workshop on "Producing Attractive and Information Newsletters" at the ALA Midyear meeting (Feb. ‘99) in Los Angeles. The Chicago office staff has also assisted ALA by negotiating for hotel rooms near the ABA headquarters for spring or fall Board meetings held in Chicago.

ALA plans to continue to hold its Midyear and Annual meetings in conjunction with those of the ABA to enable attorneys to attend ABA meetings and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars while their spouses attend ALA meetings, workshops and cultural events. We will continue to reach out to the state and local affiliates with workshop sessions, like the two mentioned above to address concerns of our affiliates.

Through the joint effort of the American Bar Association and the American Lawyers Auxiliary, we will continue to reach out to lawyers and educators to work together to achieve educated citizenry.