President's Page, 0515 ALBJ, 76 The Alabama Lawyer 156 (2015)
| Author | Richard J.R. Raleigh, Jr., J. |
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\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Work Hard-At the Office, in the Community and at Home
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0I have three things I hope to convey in this month's column. First, our Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting is July 15-18, 2015 at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. My focus this year is to reach out to lawyers who are transitioning-from law school to practice, reentering practice after some time off, changing their practice focus, moving firms and the like. We're also concentrating on the changes our profession is experiencing. With the annual meeting, we'll be getting "Back to the Basics" with a lot of CLEs on law office skills and on "nuts and bolts" that lawyers in transition can use to become more successful.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Second, we have a terrific program to support the Volunteers Lawyers Program-"Pay It Forward." I'm asking for your help to pay it forward by expanding the membership of the Volunteer Lawyers Program. If you're not a member of the VLP then please register right now and join. If you are a member, then get ready to "pay it forward" and ask a colleague to join the program. The larger the VLP grows, the better equipped we are to bring legal services to those in need.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0A recent study revealed a benefit of $78 million to the state as a result of Alabama civil legal aid programs-programs that help residents in critical civil cases like evictions, domestic violence disputes and public benefits decisions, where there is no guaranteed right to an attorney. As John Byrnes, president of Community Services Analysis LLC, explained, "This Social Return on Investment total for Alabama was one of the highest rates of return that CSACO has seen in over 100 SROI analysis projects-both in the legal aid field and in other types of social service organizations." Alabama's high rate of social return on investment is directly linked to the high participation rate of Alabama lawyers in the state's volunteer lawyer programs. Despite this extraordinary result, there is still an overwhelming need for civil legal assistance across the state. We need your help. Invite another lawyer to join the VLR I challenge you to share this invitation until you have added at least one person who is willing to serve our state's volunteer...
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