To state the obvious, we are inundated with information and messaging every single day. Whether you are checking your phone for the latest stock data, viewing last night’s sports results on your computer while grabbing a bite to eat, or (gasp!) reading a paper copy of a newspaper, you are receiving information in a form intended to reach masses of people. In other words, media.
As your professional association, CBABC needs to reach all 7,200 members to invite participation in consultations about law and professional reform, share information about current professional development, and account to you about how your membership dollars are used. You’ve told us that email is the best way to get this information to you but, you’ve also asked us not to send too much email. For every person who reluctantly admits that they delete emails from us, there is another person who takes action after reading our email and gets something more out of their CBABC membership.
So what to do? First of all, while members of the CBA share common values about being a professional, each one is comfortable using different tools for different purposes. That’s why CBABC has BarTalk, Twitter, eblasts, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If you want bite-size, quick information, connect there. If you want to see more, cbabc.org is undergoing a refresh, and you can always find the detailed submissions members make to government and the Law Society to delve deeper.
Even better than those online tools, however, are good, old personal gatherings and one-to-one conversations. I say “even better” because you also tell us that you crave in-person connections with your colleagues. It is much more satisfying. You learn more. You might even relax a bit. At CBABC, we believe in community engagement to support your professional and personal well-being.
That’s why all your elected representatives and Section chairs are ready to talk to you about CBABC. They can connect you to people who can answer your questions and forward your ideas to the people who can turn them into action. These members make sure they are keeping up with developments in the law and changes in the profession and they want to hear from you. You can find them at every Section meeting (online or in person), local Bar association meetings, and on the other end of your phone.
This year, we have renewed our commitment to meet you in the communities where you work. We have in-person professional development in Prince George, Parksville, Nelson, Kamloops, Duncan, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Surrey, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Kelowna, with more to come.
Roadtrippin’ with the President will bring Ken Armstrong to Smithers, Terrace, Prince Rupert, Courtenay, Comox and Campbell River. He wants to know what you think about the shortage of lawyers in your communities and the addition of non-lawyers providing some legal services. Get ready to tell him what works and what doesn’t, and what resources you need.
With all of your incredible support we matched lawyers with more than 350 law students this fall in mentorship programs. This personal contact will again make a difference in preparing students for practice. CBABC will be back at the law schools in the new year with tips to help law students use the benefit of membership to secure articles and on how to succeed during their articling year.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to connect with your CBABC colleagues, but I need your help to make sure you are getting exactly what you need. Your membership includes unlimited enrollment in Sections, but only if you keep your enrollment up to date. Go to cbabc.org/sections/enroll to make those changes so you know when to get to the Section meetings that are most relevant for you.