Vol. 32, No. 6, 7. From the Top.

• Author: By William L. Hiser, President

Wyoming Bar Journal

2009.

Vol. 32, No. 6, 7.

From the Top

Wyoming LawyerIssue: December, 2009From the Top . . .By William L. Hiser, President At the end of each year it is customary to take a look back at what has been accomplished, take stock of the lessons learned, discuss ongoing activities and express future plans. This article will be similar to other holiday messages you may receive-it brags a little, informs a little and hopes much.

The Wyoming State Bar had an extremely active, and dare I say, successful year. Due to conservative budgeting and a careful eye on expenditures coupled with a very successful Bar Convention in Evanston, the Bar ended the year well in the black. In light of the successful year and the fact that interest rates on our investment accounts were very low, the Officers and Commissioners felt it wise to use some of our "low return" investment funds to pay off the higher interest mortgage on the new bar building in Cheyenne. We paid off the mortgage in October. In retrospect, the timing of our transition from the old facility to the new facility could not have been better planned. We hit the right time to sell our old facility and we built well and efficiently within our building budget. We have now transitioned from an old facility of 3,260 square feet to a new 5,160 square foot facility without any debt. Great work Bar staff and Officers and Commissioners!!!

Of course, the Bar Association has faithfully and dutifully carried out its Court mandated functions of administering the lawyers and judges of the state. Additionally, the Bar undertook to proactively promote the image of lawyers throughout the state in its televised "Legally Speaking" segments and with a radio call-in show in Cheyenne. Many lawyers and judges actively participated in these promotions and the image of the legal profession and justice system is certainly enhanced by providing positive and helpful information to the public. Thank you to all who helped last year, and we are actively looking for new presenters for next year.

The coming year brings two significant opportunities-an opportunity to help ourselves and an opportunity to help others. First, the Bar is working hard, with the assistance of ALPS, to...