Message

• Citation: Vol. 37 No. 1 Pg. 9
• Publication year: 2024
• Pages: 9

President's Message Vol. 37 No. 1 Pg. 9 Utah Bar Journal January 2024

Getting Together at the Fall Forum Was a Great Privilege

by Erik A. Christiansen

On November 17, 2023, the Utah State Bar held its annual Fall Forum at the Little America Hotel. This year, the event was sold out, with more than 350 lawyers attending the event. While the pandemic proved that the Utah State Bar could continue to offer high-quality CLE remotely, in my opinion, nothing beats the in-person CLE offered by the Utah State Bar. Not only is there the opportunity to interact with a plethora of gifted speakers, but maybe even more importantly, there is the opportunity to catch up with other lawyers and judges in the community. I personally enjoyed running into several former colleagues from my law firm who have moved in-house at various corporations, as well as the chance to interact with some retired lawyers. The integrated Utah State Bar is uniquely situated to bring lawyers, judges, and community leaders together to foster civility, create a better legal community, and improve the lives of lawyers in Utah. In states like California, where the bar has been split in pieces - a voluntary association and a mandatory regulatory agency - the number, quality, and frequency of in-person events has dramatically decreased. The integrated Bar in Utah is our secret sauce, which gives lawyers, judges, and community leaders the unique ability to dialogue, to communicate, to learn, and to enjoy time...