President's Page, 0914 ALBJ, 75 The Alabama Lawyer 284 (2014)
| Author | Richard J.R. Raleigh, Jr. |
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\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0An Exciting Time to Get on Board!
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0I am excited about this year, and I appreciate all of the offers of support and help from lawyers and judges throughout the state. We are facing changing times. The legal practice is slow to change, but outside economic, business and societal forces are pushing change upon us. Recent reports indicate slower growth in large law firms.1 Mergers have increased in recent years.2 At the same time, there has been a growth in online legal services-alternatives to hiring lawyers for certain services, like forming corporations and drafting wills. Technology keeps changing. We deal with issues related to electronically-stored information, social media and cyber-security. The pace of change, at times, seems overwhelming.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Today, more than ever before, the practice of law is varied and, in many places, very specialized. At the same time, lawyers are changing jobs more frequently, switching firms, going from private practice to in-house counsel and vice versa, taking time off to raise a family and later returning to practice, and changing the location of their prac-tice-with some moving from one state to another. Members of our bar face different challenges. Solos and small firm lawyers confront issues different than those faced by lawyers in large firms in metropolitan areas.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0These are challenging times, but they are exciting! As always, the leadership of the bar is needed. With fewer attorneys serving in our legislature, the Alabama State Bar needs to lead the discussion as our state government ponders important issues such as court funding, judicial reallocation and judicial selection. Our bar should be an integral part of the discussion as our Alabama law schools assess and modify their courses and programs to educate future lawyers, and as they prepare new lawyers to enter the changing legal workforce environment.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0What is the role of the ASB? It is a mandatory bar which means all attorneys in Alabama have to be members. This is not true in all states. Our recent presidents, particularly Anthony "AJ" Joseph, set a goal to focus on and support meaningful benefits to our membership so that we earn their involvement like voluntary bars must do. We...
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