Ipse Dixit: Three Decades of Around the Bar—300 Issues!

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Publication year: 2022

Ipse Dixit: Three Decades of Around the Bar—300 Issues!

So it was September 1985. Ferris Bueller just took his day off, Y.M.C.A. was topping the radio charts, Bubby Burns was 19, and our first issue of Around the Bar came out. Prior to that, we had a one-page two-sided newsletter, which was folded and mailed.

We've come a long way. So what's happened to us in these 30 years? In 1985 we had just reached 1,000 members. Now we have 2,500.

The BRBA went from a staff of one, Bobbi Zaunbrecher, our first executive director, to an excellent staff of nine under our current (and second) executive director, Ann K. Gregorie.

The Bar Office was basically a small corner of the 7th floor of the courthouse on St. Louis Street (from which we were ultimately evicted by the judicial administrator), then to 309 North Blvd., then to 850 North Blvd., then we bought and moved into our current building in late 2000.

Back in 1985 we had one program: a monthly luncheon. We had no committees. Now we have well over 30 committees and specialty sections.

Our first Bench Bar Conference was in 1986 in St. Francisville.

Vince's first Tales from the Bar Side appeared in April 1986. We've been running the Gail's Grammar column since 1994. Our first Belly Up was in 1998. We're hosting our 17th annual Belly Up with the Bar event on Friday, October 30.

Our first Law Office Expo was in 1986. This year marked our 30th annual event, now called the Fall Expo & Conference. Incidentally, H. Alston Johnson III has been giving us his yearly legislative update for more than 30 years.

Original newsletter

First issue of Around the Bar

In 1991, the BRBA had 1,200 members and Around the Bar had its first color cover. This year, we started running the magazine entirely in color. Changing printing companies afforded us a better price while keeping the same great quality to which you've grown accustomed. Ah, technology . . .

Our first female president was Christine Lipsey in 1995. Our first African-American President was Leo Hamilton in 2002.

We've come a long way, but it wasn't without a few struggles. Back in 1986 we started a "Personalities" column in which we'd interview distinguished members of our bar who'd been around a long time to give us their...