The bar must be relevant to its members. But in our zeal to provide direct services, bar leaders remember the important, if lofty, benefit the bar provides by giving a focus to issues such as criminal justice. The bar is the sum of its parts. The moving force behind the symposium was the Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee, chaired by Catherine Greene Burnett and Allan Butcher and assisted on staff by Julie Oliver and Emily Jones. It is one of 38 State Bar standing committees.
Committees offer members outstanding opportunities for networking, professionalism, and services.
Each year, the task of appointing hundreds of lawyers to bar committees falls to the president. President-elect Broadus Spivey is accepting requests for appointments now. This time last year, I found it helpful when potential appointees explained why they wanted to serve on a particular committee. Sometimes the only credentials I knew were a potential appointee's name and address - not much to go on when deciding who goes where. So the more information you can give Broadus, the better he can do his job.