From the President

Focus on the Fundamentals | Gulam Zade

To be a great lawyer, you must have a firm understanding of the fundamentals. Throughout my career, fundamentals have been the building blocks upon which I have been able to learn, grow and succeed. Three of the most important fundamentals that have appeared and reappeared throughout my career include:

1. Civility – During my 11+ years of involvement with the NBA, I’ve had the opportunity to become acquainted with numerous attorneys and legal professionals, many of whom have different backgrounds, perspectives, and career aspirations than my own. Working and collaborating with the talented, diverse members of the NBA helped me gain the knowledge and support to earn the position of NBA president in 2023.

2. Honesty – In 2022, I served as CEO of a legal technology consulting firm, LOGICFORCE, and led the company through its sale to the leading global provider of outsourced solutions to firms in the legal and accounting markets. The sale of the company was complex and arduous at times, and honesty was necessary from all parties involved. Because the decision makers in the transaction committed to an honest process, the sale was ultimately successful, and important relationships were preserved.

3. Integrity – Early in my career, I worked in private practice and faced client demands and requests that occasionally bordered unethical and illegal. Making decisions with integrity helped me build my reputation as a person and a professional who stays true to my principles and values.

One important aspect of mastering the fundamentals is knowing that you may experience and learn them in both traditional and unexpected settings. Some fundamentals of law may have been learned from TV shows during childhood (Matlock, anyone?). Others may have been learned during law school, or bar prep. Some of the most important ones we learn inside courtrooms, board rooms, or sitting in a partner or supervisor’s office. We even learn them in social settings at bar events, CLEs or on Friday afternoons eating lunch with friends and colleagues at Brown’s Diner.

As you continue to grow in your career, I encourage you to embrace the fundamentals you learn and the places in which you learn them. Regardless of your age, experience, or ambitions, the principles these fundamentals teach us, sometimes many times over, can be some of the most important and defining of our professional journeys.

Don’t forget to keep the “FUN” in fundamentals as you continue to invest in yourself and your career.

Sincerely,

Gulam Zade