ABA Division for Bar Services : 2007 ABA Bar Leadership Institute

Drafting Your Blueprint for Success
March 13-15, 2008

BLI PROGRAM

Thursday, March 13

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration

7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Keynote: Sandra Sucher, author, The Moral Leader: Challenges Tools and Insights

9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Sponsor Networking Break

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions: Governance Primers by Bar Size and Type
Featuring Association Experts Pamela Wilcox, Bob Harris, and Mark Smiley

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. Transfer Break

12:55 p.m. - 2:05 p.m. Workshops on Governance
(topics include risk management; planning; board development and orientations; program review; financial issues; parliamentary procedure; committee and section relations)

2:05 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. Sponsor Networking Break

2:35 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Workshops on Governance Repeat

3:45 p.m. - 3:55 p.m. Transfer Break

3:55 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Town Hall Discussion with ABA President-elect
H. Thomas Wells, Jr.

4:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Photo Opportunity for Registrants with ABA Officers

4:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Networking Reception
(followed by dinner on your own)

Friday, March 14

7:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Registration

7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast and Topical Discussions by Bar Size

8:45 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. Transfer Break

8:55 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Voice of Experience Workshops
(past presidents and veteran bar executives share their tips for managing your time, maintaining relations with your partners and colleagues, working with bar staff and much, much more)

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Sponsor Networking Break

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. General Session: Message Management and Development

11:45 a.m. - 12:55 p.m. Taste of ABA Lunch
(learn about ABA services to help your organization and to assist you in your practice)

12:55 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Transfer Break

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. General Session: Public Speaking

2:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. Transfer Break

2:10 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Communications Workshops
(topics include media relations, strategic communications, presidents' pages, and, where appropriate, legislative relations)

3:20 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Transfer Break

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. General Session: Top Trends You Can't Afford to Miss

4:30 p.m. Adjourn

Saturday, March 15

7:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Registration

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Breakfast & Plenary: Guerilla Guide Tactics for Parliamentary and Non-parliamentary Meetings Featuring Professional Parliamentarian Nancy Sylvester

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Individual & Group Consultation Sessions (A-K Individual Consultations/L-R Group Consultations)

A. IOLTA & Fundraising for Legal Services
Obtain information on the status of IOLTA activities nationwide, discuss strategies for increasing funds generated from IOLTA accounts and learn about innovative funding strategies for the provision of legal services to the poor.

B. Creating a Healthier Legal Profession
Bar-sponsored strategies for addressing lawyer stress, depression, related suicides and age-related issues.

C. Fair and Impartial Courts
Strategies for responding to unfair criticism of the judiciary and for promoting fair and impartial courts.

D. Pipeline Diversity
Explore pre-law programs and services to improve diversity in the "pipeline" to the legal profession and to encourage more students of color to pursue careers in the law.

E. Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Bar
Increasing minority lawyer membership and participation in the bar, and partnering with bar associations of color.

F. Public Education & Law Day
Explore civic education initiatives, including program activities for children and adults, and the 2008 Law Day theme: "The Rule of Law: Foundation for Communities of Opportunity and Equity."

G. Lawyer Referral
Balancing the business of public service; consults on the full range of issues, including operations, fees and marketing.

H. Pro Bono Efforts
Creating/administering bar-sponsored programs; supporting/expanding programs through recruiting, resource development, training, recognition and consolidation

I. Unbundled Legal Services
Strategies to encourage practices that help meet the legal needs of moderate income households; collaborative efforts to address and implement policies to clarify the lawyer's role with pro se litigants.

J. Media Relations and Communications
Practical PR strategies and communication planning to support association initiatives.

K. Bar Planning and Governance
Approaches to multi-year planning, challenges with the board, board structure/processes, leadership development.

L. Hot Topics in Professional Responsibility
Our experts will highlight strategies to help sole/small firm practitioners avoid client grievances, the status and implications of international and interstate cross border law practice, and the new Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Time also will be devoted to answering your questions on these and other ethics issues

M. Bars & Boomers: Transition Planning for Senior Lawyers
A significant portion of bar association members are poised to transition out of practice and, potentially, out of their bar associations in the next ten years. This session will help bar association leaders think about how they can assist law firms, and help their retirees learn new skills and competencies in this transition. The session also will explore how to keep retirees engaged within the association.

N. Stay Informed/Get Involved: Federal Legislative Hot Topics
Learn why and how it's so important for your bar association to partner with the ABA's Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) on federal legislative issues. Legislative Counsel will discuss substantive issues (LSC funding, preservation of the attorney/client privilege, and judicial salaries), and grassroots efforts and strategies, including plans for ABA Day in Washington.

O. Fostering Outstanding Performance: Setting Meaningful Expectations and Giving Constructive Feedback
One of the board's most important responsibilities is supporting the executive director and evaluating his or her performance, but surprisingly few bars truly do this well. Our HR expert will discuss collaborative and meaningful expectation-setting, and strategies for more constructively communicating about performance. Many of the strategies discussed also will apply to executive director management of staff.

P. Managing the Board Bully
Do you have board members who regularly hijack and disrupt your board meetings? This session will help you to recognize the bully's common tactics and more effectively prepare your response, thus making your meetings more enjoyable for all!

Q. Successful Time Management For Bar Leaders
One former bar president shares real-life, practical tips and tools that enabled him to make his presidential year a successful one, and stay sane in the process.

R. Young Lawyer Involvement in the Bar
Join this interactive discussion to learn more about what young lawyers want from the "big bar" and what the "big bar" expects from young lawyers. The session will focus on aligning expectations of young lawyer entities and the general bar association, and building a collaborative approach to getting and keeping young lawyers engaged.