OCBA UPDATE: Myth busting

One great privilege of leadership in the OCBA is the regular opportunity to discuss our organization with those who are less familiar or involved with it. Talking about the many attributes of our association is a pleasure, particularly with the myriad ways we enrich professional lives and serve the community.

But occasionally some conversations turn to misconceptions about who we are and what we do. So let me address and dispel four myths that occasionally arise in discussion about the OCBA, none of which should actually preclude people from actively participating in our association or from benefiting from the services we offer to members and to the public.

Myth 1: The OCBA is an organization only for litigators.
While lawyers involved in trial practice in Oakland County comprise a core constituency of the OCBA, our organization actually serves as home to large groups of lawyers who do not spend the bulk of their time in court or in lawsuits. For example, our Forum for In-House Counsel meets regularly to address common areas of interest in the practice of law inside businesses. The new and vibrant Energy, Sustainability and Environmental Law (ESEL) Committee tackles issues that often transcend litigation, holding forums this year on the Great Lakes Water Authority and fracking that have attracted attention from many non-members. The Legislative Committee and the Professional Development Committee provide opportunities for involvement among lawyers interested in public advocacy and in training that often go well beyond the particulars of trial practice. Among other groups, our Lawyers of a Certain Age (LOCA) Committee also serves as a community for many attorneys who may be transitioning away from active litigation practice but who have common interests, including keeping up with grandkids on social media.

Myth 2: The OCBA’s activities are limited to practice in Oakland County.
As the state’s largest voluntary bar association, the OCBA’s reach actually often extends well beyond the borders of our home county. Around 15 percent of our members work from offices outside Oakland County – including 1 percent beyond the state of Michigan. Our programs also often have statewide relevance: The Supreme Court Judicial Candidate Forum the OCBA co-sponsored last October with the League of Women Voters and Detroit Public Television was viewed online and on television by thousands of voters in counties as far away as Marquette. With our state bar roiled by a year-long controversy about what role it can play in public advocacy as a mandatory bar, the OCBA remains unbowed as an organization that advocates in Lansing for the interests of the profession and the public. The OCBA will host a Legislative Day in April to introduce some of our members to legislators in an event planned biennially by our organization, which is still the only local voluntary bar that retains a lobbyist to monitor and advocate on legislation for the benefit of members. The OCBA plays a central role in the practice of law inside and outside our home county.

Myth 3: The OCBA is an old-boys network.
As I addressed in last month’s column, the OCBA has worked successfully in recent years to dispel a perception of cliquishness and insularity. The data now suggests we are anything but an old-boys club. Nearly 90 percent of members in a 2013 membership survey agreed with the proposition that “the OCBA is an organization where I feel comfortable and welcome,” and the association continues to work hard to promote inclusion at all events. In addition, the four most recently elected members of the OCBA’s board of directors are women. About 30 percent of our membership is under the age of 40, compared to just 23 percent of all members of the state bar; better yet, around 14 percent of our members are under the age of 30, nearly triple the percentage statewide. This year’s Circuit-Probate Court Bench/Bar Conference also will have open registration to all members for the first time. The days of the OCBA appearing unwelcome to some should be over.

Myth 4: At the OCBA, it is hard to get involved in committees.
Becoming involved in any of the OCBA’s more than 30 committees actually has never been easier – and it will be getting even more so. All OCBA members in practice less than 10 years are automatically members of the New Lawyers Committee, which holds regular meetings and social events open to all. The NLC is a terrific gateway into the camaraderie and activities – both professional and social – among our newest members. Inclusion in nearly all of our committees – running a gamut that includes municipal law, probate, juvenile, employment and tax – takes little more than a phone call or e-mail to the OCBA offices with an expression of interest. A few committees necessitate both a written expression of interest and appointment by the OCBA president, but this year we have added new blood to these groups with numerous appointments to the Legislative, Medical/Legal, Circuit Court, and Circuit Court Case Evaluation committees, among others. With a new OCBA website in development, communication with and participation in all of our committees will become even easier through a member-only portal providing access to committee agendas, minutes, rosters and activities.
We are listening and looking at the OCBA for any and all views – misperceptions or otherwise – about the organization that seem to be impediments to involvement. If you see or hear anything that doesn’t ring true or that concerns you, please let us know so that we can continue to strive to maximize the professional and personal enjoyment that active participation in the OCBA brings.
————————
Thomas H. Howlett, of The Googasian Firm PC, is the 82nd president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Share your thoughts about the OCBA or anything else: direct line 248-502-0862; or e-mail thowlett@googasian.com.