PRESIDENT'S COLUMN: Add Your Voice, Perspective

When I became Bar president, I spoke with many people to ask them what they wanted from their bar association. One theme that was raised was that the Bar sometimes feels like a clique, and it’s hard to get plugged in if you aren’t already in that clique.

I took that feedback to heart. The best way to break that perception is to include a bigger variety of voices. That’s why leadership positions and committee chairs rotate each year.

The best way to serve our members is to make sure that we represent their various voices and points of view.

At each of our board meetings, I have posed a question and we have had a robust discussion in order to include as many voices as possible about that topic. We began with the question of, “What do we owe our members?” for two months, and then we moved on to our budget and our fiduciary duty to the organization.

I am proud of all we have accomplished and what we will continue to accomplish. If you would like to add your voice and your perspective, I encourage you to join a committee or section, or consider running for a director position on the board of the Austin Bar. The best way to make a change is to be part of the discussion, and I encourage all of you to do so.

If you need help figuring out how to get involved, please email me at amanda@austinbar.org.