OCBA UPDATE: What's the magic number?

By Peter Alter Some say the magic number is 250 - but from my perspective, the magic number is 300. What am I talking about? I'm talking about my goal of having 300 Sustaining Members by the end of this fiscal year. We already have 226 Sustaining Members. So if we work hard - and with a little help from each of you - we should be able to get to the magic number of 300. We do want you to become a Sustaining Member of the OCBA and join us on September 26 at our Sustaining Members reception, discussed below. A "sustaining member" of an organization is, according to Webster's Dictionary, one who aids "in the support of an organization through a special fee." That's exactly what it means to be a Sustaining Member of the OCBA. Does it cost $1,000, $500 or even $250 to be a Sustaining Member? No. An annual contribution of $100 makes you a Sustaining Member. And we are very proud to say that some of the best and brightest attorneys in Oakland County are among the OCBA's Sustaining Members. Why do we need "sustaining members?" The OCBA, rather miraculously, has not raised annual dues since 1998 - and we hope to keep it that way. However, each year we also seek to improve our technology, upgrade our Web site, and add some new features that will be heavily utilized by our membership. Over the last number of years, using the money generated from our Sustaining Members, we have redesigned our Web site, making it easier to navigate and making registration for events and seminars more user-friendly. With our e-Blast system, we now are able to quickly communicate time-sensitive news and announcements, including announcements of court news, seminars, notification of members' passing and even news of road construction and/or closures. Our e-Newsletter now shares upcoming events and trainings, short articles that you won't find in LACHES, and recognition of our members for their pro bono work and volunteer work in the community. We've also used OCBA Sustaining Member funds to upgrade our phone system; buy a digital camera, new laptop and projector; and upgrade an obsolete VHS recording system. As a result, CLE presentations, membership presentations and the like are done in a much more professional and technologically advantageous manner. This year we are committed to using our Sustaining Member dollars, among other purposes, to get our Web site's "Members Only" section up and running, and allow members special access. We need to reach our magic number. Of course, we are extremely grateful and express our special thanks to each of you who have been and continue to be a Sustaining Member of the OCBA. A Sustaining Members event, an opportunity to thank and recognize all of our Sustaining Members, will take place on September 26, 2011, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at South in downtown Birmingham. I am confident it will be, just as it has in recent years, a "sold out" event with great camaraderie and wonderful food. There is absolutely no charge to any Sustaining Member to attend. We invite and encourage each of you to become a Sustaining Member and allow us to thank you for your support. You can become a Sustaining Member by calling the OCBA at (248) 334-3400 and asking for Katie Tillinger, or by just showing up at the Sustaining Members reception on September 26. With your help, we will reach our magic number. ---------------- LACHES is a wonderfully informative and educational magazine that the OCBA publishes 10 times a year. Beginning with the October edition, we are delighted to be adding a new feature, "A View from the Bench." On a rotating basis, a judge of the Circuit Court, Probate Court and District Courts in Oakland County will write this column, providing the OCBA membership with his or her views, insights and recommendations on matters of great interest to the bench and bar. There will be a total of six columns penned by our Oakland County judges throughout the year. We eagerly look forward to reading these columns and thank the judges for their willingness to participate in this activity. (We also thank Kevin Oeffner and Rebecca Schnelz for "giving up" some of their monthly columns so that we can hear from our judges.) ---------------- In last month's LACHES article, "Who Cares About Awards," I told you that each month I would identify an "unsung hero," an OCBA member who has dedicated himself or herself to pro bono service in our community. This month's unsung hero is Mark Vasquez. Although Mr. Vasquez was only admitted to practice a few years ago, he already has represented four FLAP clients at hearings related to Personal Protection Orders. In each of these cases, the FLAP client obtained a PPO from the court and the respondent filed a motion to terminate the PPO. Thereafter, Mr. Vasquez represented FLAP clients in evidentiary hearings related to those motions. He even agreed to represent one client, on less than 24 hours notice, against a batterer who is a Detroit police officer. In addition, Mark assists FLAP at its walk-in intake clinics at the Oakland County Law Library. In the past year, Mark provided advice and pro se assistance at five clinics. We recognize Mark Vasquez and thank him for his outstanding pro bono service and dedication to our community. Congratulations, Mark! Please feel free to give Lisa Stadig Elliot a telephone call or send her an e-mail and let her know that you'd like to find a way to get involved in one of our many pro bono programs. It will be a truly rewarding experience. ------------ Peter M. Alter, a partner in the Southfield office of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss, is the 79th president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Published: Thu, Sep 15, 2011