Young Lawyers Network - Origin of the Young Lawyers Network

Origin of the Young Lawyers Network

For more information on the RPTE YLN, please contact: Josh Crowfoot, Crowfoot Law Firm, 200 W. M.L.K. Boulevard, Suite 1000, Chattanooga, TN 37402.

In writing this issue’s column for Young Lawyers Network, I’m reminded of its origin story. The Young Lawyers Network was created several years ago by RPTE member Hugh Drake (now Chair of the Section) as a means to connect, engage, and recruit young lawyers to the Section who did not find their way into the Section through its fellowship program. If you have considered becoming more involved in the Section, but you’re not sure how, please read on for the best ways to do so and, as a result, raise your level of practice as a lawyer.

Apply to Be a Fellow for the 2023–2024 Bar Year

In my opinion, the best way to get involved in the Section is to apply to be a Section Fellow for the upcoming bar year. The fellowship program is how I became involved in the Section. I was a Section Fellow from 2016-2018. Each year, the Section selects 10 applicants for its fellowship program. Typically, the Section chooses five individuals for the Trust & Estate division and five individuals for the Real Property division. To be considered for selection, a person must (1) have practiced in the trusts and estates or real property area for at least one year, (2) be younger than 36 years of age or have been admitted to the bar within the last 10 years, and (3) have demonstrated leadership at the state or local bar level or in the ABA Young Lawyers Division. If selected, you are assigned to work with the chair of a substantive committee of the Section. In my case, I was selected to participate in the retail leasing committee, which is part of the Leasing Group. The committee chair then gets you involved in the substantive work of the Section. In my case, I wrote a brief article for Probate & Property magazine and assisted colleagues in the Leasing Group with a presentation for the spring RPTE conference. Throughout the year, I learned the mechanics of how the Section works by attending membership committee calls. I also learned a lot by sitting on calls that organized and planned programming for the Section. As you read this, please know there is always an opportunity for you to write an article for the Section or put together an e-CLE or webinar.

Attend the ABA RPTE Spring Conference

This year the 2023 ABA RPTE Spring Conference will be held May 10 – May 12 in Washington, DC. The spring conference is stacked with excellent CLE programming, and you can get all your CLE credits for the entire year in one place. Many of the speakers at the conference also hold leadership positions within the Section, so it is also an opportunity to meet the lawyers in the Section who are most active and who can connect you with a fellow member in your practice area.

Write for the Section

The Section has three publications: Probate & Property magazine, the eReport, and the RPTE Journal. Probate & Property releases a bi-monthly issue. Articles for the magazine can be written in a longer format (i.e., featured article) or a shorter format (i.e., the article you are currently reading). If you have an idea for Probate & Property, you can contact the articles editors for Probate & Property listed in the masthead at the front of this issue, and they can assist. Or you can reach out to me, and I’ll make sure you get connected with the right person in the Section. The please contact: Josh Crowfoot, Crowfoot Law Firm, 200 W. M.L.K. Boulevard, Suite 1000, Chattanooga, TN 37402, josh@ crowfootlaw.com. eReport is a quarterly electronic publication that includes more practical information and provides news on the Section’s activities and upcoming events. The RPTE Journal is published three times each year with assistance from the University of South Carolina and best suited for a more in-depth, scholarly article. Each of these publications is always looking for worthwhile content for Section members, and getting published is the easiest way to raise your visibility as a lawyer and within the Section.

Speak for the Section

The Section is always looking for quality CLE programming in the form of webinars, eCLEs, and presentations at the spring conference. If you have an idea for a program, please reach out to the committee chair for your specific practice area. If you have difficulty finding that information online, feel free to reach out to me, and I’ll put you in touch with the right person. One of the benefits of my serving as an active member of the Section for many years is that I am confident I can connect you with the right person to the extent you want to get more involved in the Section.

Parting Remarks

Being involved in the ABA RPTE Section has introduced me to an incredible network of top-notch lawyers within our profession. Through my participation in the Section, I’ve learned and improved my skills as a speaker, writer, and practitioner. Also, fellow Section members have even referred business to me, and I have referred business to other members. As with most things in life, you get out of the Section what you put into it. It’s my sincere hope you’ll become an active member of the Section and have the same experience.

Published in Probate & Property, Volume 37, No 1 © 2023 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.