Since its first report in 1979, the mission of the TriBar Opinion Committee has been to provide guidance on giving closing opinions to third parties in a manner that is fair to both the giver and the recipient. The Committee has promoted the standardization of both opinion language and diligence, thus facilitating the communication of complex ideas in a shorthand format. The Committee's explication of customary practice has been a major contributor to the growing national consensus on the meaning of standard opinion language and the work lawyers are expected to perform to support commonly given opinions. The Committee's work continues as opinion change practice develops and evolves. Many of the Committee's reports have been published in The Business Lawyer.