July 2007
LET’S THINK BIG!
By Nancy Allf, President, State Bar of Nevada
"You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now."
Harry S. Truman
As your new bar president, let me start by saying thank you to the Board of Governors members, who have entrusted me to lead our association this year. I come to the job at a time when our bar is strong, ably led and fiscally sound, with excellence in its core functions. Our executive director, Kimberly Farmer, joined us in January after a national search, and brings innovative ideas and excellent management skills to the position. We are coming off of a year led by Reno lawyer Rew Goodenow. It’s an exciting time for our profession-- a time of unprecedented growth and changing demographics. It’s a good time to think about the future of our profession and how we must plan for the future.
In his first column to you a year ago, Rew outlined a four-point plan for the past year, stating his goals to develop a long range plan, promote the election of judges, work with our stakeholders regarding access to justice and to increase enforcement of lawyer advertising. He set a course for the bar that was timely and important. Even better, he accomplished most of his stated goals. Our bar association resolved to support the appointment of judges, which passed the Legislature this session. Also, the Supreme Court adopted far-reaching changes to the rules on lawyer advertising this year, changes which our bar is in the process of implementing. In the past year, we also strengthened our commitment and resources to the statewide group working on access to justice concerns. In addition to these four items, Rew also started a Diversity Committee which the board changed from an ad-hoc group to a standing committee. It was a successful year for our association, and congratulations are in order to Rew Goodenow for his steady leadership.
The items that remain from Rew's plan are items which we discuss each year, and which I intend to continue to move forward in the coming year. Even though we are a mandatory bar association, or maybe because we are, it is incumbent upon the board to make sure we provide vision to the staff that runs our organization, and that we consider the long-term issues that face the future of our association. The Board of Governors will meet in August to take up my challenge of thinking outside the box about the future of the profession. We need to look ahead at least 10 years, even if we just plan for the next two years.
Some of my goals for this year include taking a long-range look at how to keep our bar association relevant as the demographics of lawyers change. Futurists tell us that the majority of our profession will soon be under the age of 35, that young lawyers change jobs frequently and that most young lawyers will have three careers over their working lives. Technology has changed the way we practice law. Much is being written about a new mobility in our profession. Our organization must consider the needs of younger lawyers as we plan for our future. At the same time, we also must recognize the needs of our aging members. Most lawyers don't retire, and don't make contingency plans such as 'professional wills.’ And the majority of Nevada lawyers choose to work as solo practitioners. We must decide what the role of the bar is in the situation of lawyers who die or become disabled. This year we will consider these issues as we strive to serve the needs of the members and of the community at large.
I promise we won't forget the issues that confront lawyers besides young and old lawyers, however, in the meantime. I believe we must actively support the creation of an intermediate appellate court because it furthers the cause of justice. We also have space concerns, in that we are fast outgrowing our headquarters in Las Vegas. We have a dormant foundation that should be ramped up so that we fulfill our mission of service. Another of my goals is to involve more association members in the bar association, including the past presidents of the organization. Also, our association will turn 80 in January, which I believe calls for introspection as well as some celebration.
We've been led by a series of exceptional leaders in the past few years. Vince Consul's first President's Column in July 2005 challenged us to "think boldly" about the appointment, rather than the election, of judges. We have done so. Ann Price McCarthy has been a vigilant advocate for enforcing rules regarding the unauthorized practice of law. Judge Pat Flanagan, in his first column in July 2003, asked us to encourage professionalism by example. My friend Gloria Sturman, who served as president when our association turned 75, had inclusion as one of her main goals. And before her, John Mowbray dealt with the issue of multijurisdictional practice-- an issue which he foresaw almost before any other bar association dealt with the issue. The ABA took many leads from our Commission on Multijurisdictional Practice when it later took up the issue. Dan Polsenberg, who was the president when I joined the Board of Governors in 2000, promoted collegiality among peers. All of these issues are relevant yet today. I have learned much about leadership from these past presidents, and while I see it as my role to look 10 years ahead, I also intend to honor the traditions of these past presidents.
So, it is with this backdrop that I begin my term as president. I'm pleased that Bruce Beesley will be the president-elect of the organization this year. Bruce is a visionary who really understands the dynamics of leading an association. I hope he and I have the same close association that I had this year with Rew Goodenow. I'd like to welcome to our board two new members, Larry Digesti of Reno and Elana Hatch of Las Vegas, both of whom have much to contribute, and to thank outgoing board member Bradley Kenny for his service to the bar.
My favorite quote used to be "Think globally: act locally," but that doesn't apply to the State Bar of Nevada. I prefer the quote above from Harry Truman, because we must adapt our thinking to the ways of the future. The State Bar of Nevada is running smoothly. We are fulfilling our mission of service to our members and protection of our community. Taking a cue from a great president, its my goal to think about big things for our bar association-- by looking ahead 10 years or more, as well as planning for the next year. Like Harry Truman, I don't believe in little plans. This year, we are going to make big plans for the future of the State Bar of Nevada.