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Questions Regarding the ABA's Value to a Majority of the Legal Profession

By Eric Lipman

Over at Solo Practice University, Susan Cartier Liebel says "too little, too late" to the American Bar Association with respect to its decision to reduce annual dues for solos and other not-so-highly-compensated attorneys. Simply put, Liebel says, the organization doesn't offer benefits to the stand-alone lawyer that would justify even the half-dues agreed to at the midyear meeting. According to Liebel, and commenters on her post, the ABA, for many years, has been consciously ignoring the needs of solos and small firms, to focus instead on such things as law school accreditation. And, apparently, the new U.S. News plan to rank law firms. Suggestions from the comments include allowing attorneys to join one of the organization's sections, without membership in the larger ABA. The reduced dues seem to reflect a desire on the ABA's part to be more inclusive. Will it work? What value can bar associations and other professional organizations provide to lawyers in various practice settings? Disclosure: I have been a member of the ABA at various points in my legal career. Namely, when my firm was paying for it. Res ipsa loquitur.

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on February 10, 2010 (boomark / email).