Connecting With Cba Yld Chair James Fogg
| Publication year | 2022 |
| Pages | 54 |
BY HALEY HEMEN
When asked what he sees as the biggest challenge facing the CBA Young Lawyer Division, lames "lim" Fogg, who began his term as YLD chair in luly, says it's getting lawyers to prioritize connection among a sea of competing interests. "I think the biggest challenge is to showyoung lawyers that meaningful participation in the bar is worth the time and effort." But for a generation dealing with the pressures of being anew lawyer, a generational shift in family dynamics, and what Fogg calls our "choose-your-own-adventure" society, bar involvement can be a hard sell.
"The reality is there's simply less time to devote to volunteer participation," explains Fogg. "More andmore often, bothparents work, not only out of a desire to do so, but also as a result of a need to do so to achieve the financial stability we all desire for our families. This is especially true in places like Colorado, where die cost of living has risen dramatically in recent years and salaries are still catching up. People are inclined to focus on activities that stand to increase family revenue versus activities with no immediate financial benefit."
Law firm culture also plays a role. "It's now the norm for lawyers in civil practice to have minimum billable requirements, and I think if you asked a hundred young lawyers in civil practice what the priority is at work, most would say 'to meet or exceed the minimum billable requirement.' That mentality is problematic for a number of reasons, but—particularly pertinent here—I believe it downplays the value of participation in organizations like the bar."
The Problem of Selective Engagement
Adding to the financial and work pressures is a society that emphasizes selective engagement. "Society provides more andmore opportunities to tune into your immediate wants andneeds and ignore anytfiing that falls outside those categories. Formy generation, selective interaction decreases engagement with professional organizations like bar associations. It can be tempting to forego spontaneous, personal interaction at a bar event and instead engage online with someone across die country who you already know.
"Obviously, there are upsides to that sort of connectedness, but I think there are downsides too, including isolation from your own community. We all need to be conscious of how we spend our time...
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