Handouts

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2007: A&F/IT Sections Workshop Sessions:

Expanding Your Reach Through Technology
Regardless of your bar's size, staff, or budget, governing and using IT effectively can enhance the services you provide to your members and reduce your costs of doing business. Listen to top advice from Gartner Consulting, one of the country's premiere IT consulting and services firms. Gartner consultants also will answer questions on a variety of IT topics, industry trends and future issues. Attendees will sit with bars of similar size so they can share ideas and success stories following the presentation.
Speaker:
Rich Floweree, San Diego, CA, Director of Consulting, Gartner Consulting

Can They Hear You Now? Communicating with Your Members in a Constantly Changing Environment
Even in this age of instant messaging, listservs, blogs and other e-communications, it is sometimes difficult to know which "new and improved" method will get the message to our members. Hear how bars are creating on-line communities by the innovative use of listservs, blogs and other technology. Learn which of these tools should be added to your e-communications mix.
Panelists:
Matthew Hart, San Francisco, CA, Webmaster, The State Bar of California
Jenn Moreira, Phoenix, AZ, Director of Internet Services, State Bar of Arizona
Nerino Petro, Madison, WI, Practice Management Advisor, Wisconsin Bar Association

Budgeting for IT
When it comes to budgeting for technology, where does one begin and end? The issue is as sensitive as the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. With growing demands from members and the public for a 24/7 bar, the financial impact of offering round-the-clock service is a great one. This session will explore ways to maximize your technology dollars - the must-haves versus wish-list items - and will address the importance of a detailed RFP (request for proposal) or project plan to minimize the snowball effect that one bad purchase can have on your budget. Whether your bar outsources its technology needs or has an entire IT department, this informative session will leave you armed with the tools to tackle the budgeting process.
Panelists:
Gary Clarke, San Francisco, CA, Chief Information Officer, The State Bar of California
Kari Hartman, Indianapolis, IN, Assistant Executive Director, Indianapolis Bar Association
Marc Mersol, Las Vegas, NV, Controller/Manager of Information Systems, State Bar of Nevada

An Accident Waiting to Happen: Creating Human Resource Policies in the Technological Age
All workplaces have written policies for typical procedures, but many have not addressed the new concerns that are generated by technology. This is starting to create some ripples in the bar world. Some of the issues to be considered are cell phone use in the office, working at home or off-site, e-mail protocols, downloading files or games, excessive Web usage, FaceBook, YouTube, and the list goes on. Hear how IT and HR can work collaboratively to develop and enforce the necessary policies. In addition, you'll learn how you can help your members with practice management issues once these policies are established.
Speakers:
Colleen McManus, Phoenix, AZ, Senior Director of Human Resources, State Bar of Arizona
Kathy Sinclair, Akron, OH, IT Director, Akron Bar Association

What Keeps You Up at Night?
Whether it is concerns about audits, internal controls, changing regulations, accountability, whistleblower protection, fraud or other compliance issues, this program will provide a wake-up call! This dynamic program will show you how to adopt an organizational culture and professional standard to make accountability a more visible and transparent practice - not because it is required but because it is the right thing to do. Learn principles that your association - regardless of size or location - can adopt to ensure non-profit integrity.
Speaker:
Florence Green, Los Angeles, CA, Executive Director, California Association of Nonprofits

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2007:

Transitional Leadership: Owning the Opportunity
Author, educator and former legislator, Dr. Dan Angel will share his experiences and wisdom on how bar executives can lead their associations in this environment of change.
Speaker:
Dan Angel, San Francisco, CA, President, Golden Gate University

Case Studies in Change Management
Join Dan Angel in a discussion of successful change management with a focus on both case studies and your own experiences.
Speaker:
Dan Angel, San Francisco, CA, President, Golden Gate University

Fraud and Embezzlement: How It Happens and How to Avoid It
It's unfortunate, but the reality is that you only think your fellow employees are honest! CPA Ed McMillan has developed a national reputation in fraud investigation, written numerous articles and presented countless seminars on the subject. This seminar, both humorous and practical, will walk you through several scenarios based on actual fraud, discuss what was in the mind of the perpetrators, how they were discovered and what could have been done to prevent them. Following the interactive presentation, a questionnaire designed to help you gauge the effectiveness and adequacy of your own internal controls will be reviewed and discussed in detail. The final portion of the program will discuss what steps you should take if, unfortunately, you find yourself the victim.
Speaker:
Ed McMillan, Forest Hill, MD, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Association Executive

Share the Pain: E-Discovery Issues for Bars and Their Members
What can bars do to make sure that their house is in order and what can they do to help their membership with education, vendor relationships and the courts? This program looks at how electronic discovery is being used and how it may impact bar associations on the technology, HR and member service fronts.
Produced by the IT Section
Panelists:
Jim Calloway, Oklahoma City, OK, Director of Management Assistance Program, Oklahoma Bar Association
Lincoln Mead, Salt Lake City, Utah, IT Administrator, Utah State Bar
Sharon Nelson, Fairfax, VA, President, Sensei Enterprises, Inc., Computer Forensics/Legal IT

Members: Creating a Renewal Mindset All Year Long
The real measure of success in recruiting new members is how effective you are at retaining them. Retention should not be something you only think about doing once a year when it's time to follow up with non-renewals. You need to think about how you can create experiences that will give members a sense of belonging. When your dues renewal statement arrives, you don't want your member to put it in a pile to be avoided or, even worse, thrown away! Members who feel connected to your bar association are much more likely to renew than those members who have not attended any committee/section meetings, member events or CLE programs. Join us for a session that will examine your yearly recruitment plan, will measure your success at retaining members and will keep them active in your bar association. Create an atmosphere in your association that will have members talking all year long!
Produced by the Bar Member Services Forum and the Membership Committee
Speaker:
Peggy Gruenke, Cincinnati, OH, Law Firm Manager, Finney Stagnaro Saba & Patterson Co. LPA

Best Practices as a Process, Not a Goal
The term "best practice" is often tossed about as though it is a 5-star resort where everyone wants to be. The truth is that this term is often vague, varied and ill-defined. It pertains more to the process than the outcome. While it is true that there are some best practice tips out there, such as "staffing costs should be between 60% and 80% of your overall budget," it is more true that best practice depends on who you are and what you are doing. Does "best practice" really exist? Come join us for a lively exchange of ideas as we hear that practice does not make perfect but gets us to a better place.
Moderator:
Nancy Roberson, Charlotte, NC, Executive Director, Mecklenburg County Bar
Panelists:
David Leonard, Pittsburgh, PA, Senior Director of Finance, Allegheny County Bar Association
Alice Mine, Raleigh, NC, Assistant Executive Director, North Carolina State Bar
Diane O'Steen, Atlanta, GA, Executive Director, Atlanta Bar Association

Meetings & Learning: Principles, Practice and Play, Part 1 & 2
Meetings rarely exhibit inventiveness or joy. Meetings have for years looked and felt and sounded like the worst of the school classes any of us ever experienced: rooms set in rows that dare not be disturbed, lights low lest we not see the visuals, teachers (subject matter experts) in front lecturing on what they believe to be important, stern looks given to anyone who doodles or appears to otherwise be engaged, and little time for questions to clarify information or to make comments to express thoughts and opinions or to interact with others. In a world where an appreciation for different kinds of intelligences and learning styles is flourishing, we can do better. We can begin to change meetings to be inclusive of different learning styles and to even be (GASP! Dare we say it?) FUN! From participation in this session, you will:
1) develop a greater awareness of your own and others' learning styles
2) advance your ability to create different learning environments and delivery formats
3) create steps to take to move meetings you plan or host to a new level of inventiveness
Produced by the Meetings, Seminars & Events Forum
Speaker:
Joan Eisenstodt, Washington, DC, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC

Dancing the Leadership Tango
Bar association executives often find themselves being forced to tango with incoming presidents before they have danced the final waltz with their outgoing leaders. How do we accommodate the demands of the new while simultaneously addressing the needs of the old? What is the role of the staff in dealing with volunteers who enjoy their positions so much that they cannot seem to let go even after their terms have ended? While these challenges are more frequently faced by chief staff executives, other senior staff members also will benefit from the knowledge and insight of this panel of experienced bar executives.
Moderator:
Loretta Larsen, New Orleans, LA, Executive Director, Louisiana State Bar Association
Panelists:
Diane Minnich, Boise, ID, Executive Director, Idaho State Bar
Diane O'Steen, Atlanta, GA, Executive Director, Atlanta Bar Association
Tom Tinder, Charleston, WV, Executive Director, West Virginia State Bar
Bob Wells, Columbia, SC, Executive Director, South Carolina Bar

Getting Good Data
All (yes, all) bars struggle with the age-old problem of garbage in - garbage out for their data systems. This session will examine ideas and tools for getting good data into your databases and cleaning up what's there. Produced by the Communications Section and the IT Section.
Panelists:
Toby Brown, Austin, TX, Vice President of Marketing, Manexa
Chris Burdick, San Jose, CA, Executive Director, Santa Clara County Bar Association
Cynthia Kuhn, Washington, DC, Director of Communications, District of Columbia Bar
Brad Powell, Austin, TX, Director of IT, State Bar of Texas

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2007

Take Your Seat at the Decision-Making Table
Do your bar leaders see you as a trusted advisor whose role includes providing input on policy decisions, helping to frame key issues, developing strategies for building relationships with internal and external audiences, and working to avert potential crises? Or do they see you as a line officer whose role is limited to scheduling meetings, creating spreadsheets, preparing the monthly numbers, backing up the server, or cranking out news releases? This workshop will start with a discussion of the unique characteristics of non-profit organizations and what they mean for the senior management professionals who work at bar associations both big and small, and then move to a discussion of six principles for building trust and establishing credibility with leadership.
Moderator: Bonnie Sashin, Boston, MA, Communications Director, Boston Bar Association
Panelists:
Christine (Tina) Lanier, Washington, DC, Deputy Director for Media Relations and Communications Services, American Bar Association
John Norwine, Cincinnati, OH, Executive Director, Cincinnati Bar Association
Russell Rawlings, Cary, NC, Director of Communications, North Carolina Bar Association
Kay Sim, Houston, TX, Executive Director, Houston Bar Association

Resourcing the Humans
An interactive discussion between the audience and the expert on how to resolve your knotty, naughty and nutty HR issues. Bring your weird and worst problems to stump the expert and educate others. You'll get answers, sympathy and support from your colleagues.
Speaker:
Robert Hawley, San Francisco, CA, Deputy Executive Director, The State Bar of California

Sections: Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them
At one extreme, sections have been described as the lifeblood of the association; at the other, as an ongoing source of "Mylanta moments." Reality, for the most part, lies somewhere in between. Properly organized and administered, sections can be a creative force for excellent programs and expert materials, as well as a boost for membership. At the same time, they can pose thorny issues in terms of governance, finances and operations. The challenge for bar executives is to emphasize the positive and contain the downside. A panel of knowledgeable bar executives will share their insights, experiences and suggestions for successfully handling the provocative issues surrounding the formation, governance and finances of sections. The program will be interactive, so attendees can raise their concerns, headaches and other issues for discussion and helpful guidance. Produced by the Sections & Committees Forum
Moderator:
John A. Williamson Jr., Albany, NY, Associate Executive Director, New York State Bar Association
Panelists:
Dana Collier Smith, Denver, CO, Assistant Executive Director, Colorado Bar Association
Kimberly Farmer, Las Vegas, NV, Executive Director, State Bar of Nevada
Maribeth Leininger, Fort Wayne, IN, Executive Director, Allen County Indiana Bar Association
Chris Manos, Helena, MT, Executive Director, State Bar of Montana