DEPARTMENT MEASUREMENTS FY 2016 Motto: Lawyers Render Service GOALS • Assume the highest standards of bar admission, professional conduct, professional compe- tence and service. • Advance improvements in the administration of justice. • Maintain effective state bar organization and structure. MISSION • Service members needs while The Alabama State Bar is dedicated to enhancing the use of bar tech- promoting the professional responsibility, nology and communications. competence and satisfaction of its • Advance the principles of members; improving the administration of diversity. justice; and increasing the public understanding and respect for the law. VALUES OF THE TRUST • INTEGRITY • SERVICE ALABAMA STATE BAR Alabama State Bar Department Measurements FY 20161 Significant Accomplishments for 2015-2016 1. The 12th Leadership Forum (2016) was conducted and 30 attorneys completed all sessions. The Leadership Forum now has over 300 graduates. Members for the 13th Leadership class were approved. 14 hours of MCLE credit, including two hours of professionalism/ethics, was given for the first time. 2. The 12th Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame induction ceremony and luncheon was held celebrating the induction of Abe Berkowitz, Reuben Chapman, Martin Leigh Harrison, Holland McTyeire Smith and Frank Edward Spain. 3. Casemaker has been a member benefit for over 10 years. Statewide visits to the site were 83,618, down slightly for the third year in a row, from 85,122 last year. Decreased sessions could reflect fewer searches as members become more familiar with use of the system or methods of saving often-used research outside of the system. Seventeen percent of visits were new visits (first time users). Average pages per session were 7.22, and average session time was 12 minutes. Highest use of the system was in Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville, followed by Hoover, Tuscaloosa, Decatur and Dothan. 4. An orientation session was conducted for new members of the Board of Bar Commissioners. 5. A lawyer legislator breakfast was hosted at the start of the 2016 legislative session. 6. The 14th edition of the Presidents and Leaders Manual was prepared. 7. The OGC Dept. had a total of 13 Roadshows and a total of 82 Ethics Training Sessions for 2016. 8. The eighth annual statewide recognition and celebration of pro bono month (October) was conducted resulting in numerous pro bono related celebratory events across the state as well as supporting resolutions from every judicial circuit and the Governor of Alabama. The program was recognized by the American Bar Association as the best program in the nation in 2015. 9. The 139th annual Alabama State Bar meeting was planned and held at the Sandestin Resort, June 22-25, 2016. 10. In 2016, 8,493 paid for licenses and special memberships on-line by either credit card or e-check and 986 used the new hybrid voucher procedure. This was a 6% increase over last year, not including the voucher procedure. 1 Departmental facts and figures are based on the state bar’s fiscal year – October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016, except as otherwise noted, e.g., MCLE operates on a calendar year – January 1 to December 31. 1 11. A strong legislative presence continued during the 2016 legislative session. ASB leadership assisted with the mediation of pending legislation as requested by Senate and House leadership and helped maintain level funding for the court system. 12. The Policies and Procedures handbook, annotating Board of Bar Commissioners’ policies since 1986, was updated. 13. The Board of Commissioners increased the occupational license fee beginning October 1, 2016. 14. For the third year, the consolidated fee invoice promoted the purchase of bar fees, CSF fees, section membership fees and voluntary contributions for the Alabama Law Foundation. 15. The presentations of the Award of Merit, Judicial Award of Merit, Scruggs Award, the Tony McLain Professionalism Award, and Maud McLure Kelly Award were approved and presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting. 16. Election of three at-large commissioners. 17. Six new commissioners were elected. 18. Approved the budget for FY2018. 19. New accounting system (Abila) fully implemented. 20. New notification policy for full-time state bar staff members working part-time jobs not interfering with bar employment. 21. Approved three nominations which were sent to the State Finance Director for the position of director of the Office of Legal Defense Services. 22. The Non-Resident Members Section was approved March 11, 2016 BBC meeting and is now active section with $20.00 annual dues collected. 23. Women’s Section opted in to state bar management. Young Lawyers Section increased membership with dues paying members instead of automatic membership based on age. 24. Coordinated efforts with state bar President and Young Lawyers Section to serve as contribution center for Louisiana Bar Foundation for flood assistance. Delivery efforts conducted for money and items collected. 2 Staffing – ASB Staff The Alabama State Bar has 45 staff members. The staff has 11 lawyers and 34 non- lawyers. Of this number, 66 percent are female, 34 percent male and 7 percent African- American. The bar continues to perform a broad range of licensing and regulatory functions generally with a smaller staff than comparably-sized bar association that have fewer regulatory functions.2 Volunteer Service Component As a volunteer service agency, participation by members in the bar’s licensing and regulation and related functions is critical to self-regulation of the legal profession in Alabama. The high level of participation which the state bar enjoys in this regard increases the amount of work accomplished by leveraging the resources of the bar’s experienced staff. It is estimated that more than 8,278 hours of volunteer service were rendered specifically in the licensing and regulatory areas as well as in the oversight of bar programs last year. This is an important component to be considered when measuring the bar’s overall performance. DEPARTMENTS Administrative/Finance Staff – 8 Executive Director3 Director of Personnel and Operations (also Executive Assistant to Executive Director) Director of Finance Senior Financial Assistant Financial Assistant ASB Foundation Assistant Receptionist Graphic Arts Director and Building Superintendent Outline of Major Departmental Responsibilities Board of Bar Commissioners, Officers and Executive Council Bar Elections Accounting/ Finance Annual Budget Personnel Facilities 2 The Alabama State Bar has 18,000 members. By comparison with other comparable integrated (mandatory) southern bar associations, the Kentucky Bar Association has 18,500 members and 45 staff; the Oklahoma Bar Association has 17,400 and 44 staff and the South Carolina Bar has 15,800 with 48 staff. 3 Licensed Attorney 3 ASB Foundation ASB Foundation Board of Trustees Print Shop Legislative Matters4 Intra-Governmental Relations Outcomes and Evaluations of Intra-Departmental Functions Director of Personnel & Operations The Director of Personnel & Operations functions in the bar environment as the office manager. Besides handling all correspondence and communications of the executive director, the Director of Personnel & Operations handles arrangements for the commission, prepares the minutes of the commission, assists with commission and president-elect elections, and handles human resource issues, staff payroll through the state comptroller's office, as well as employee records. In addition, the EAD gathers information for preparation of the annual budget, as well as the quarterly and other reports required by the Department of Finance. Finance The Finance department maintains records and manages cash flow for eight bar accounts. In FY 2016, the Finance Director and financial assistants processed 1,936 checks and vouchers for a total of $7,230,000 in expenditures. Deposits totaling $8,500,000 were processed by the department. The Finance Director prepares analytical reports as needed by other departments and quarterly and annual reports for the commission’s review as well as preparing financial reports to the State Finance Department. The staff works with the bar’s investment group to track over $7 million of invested funds. The department is also responsible to the Examiner of Public Accounts and must provide all records for their audits of the Bar. The financial assistant also processes out-of-state travel authorization and reimbursement for the agency. Print Shop The print shop continues to handle most of the agency’s printing needs. The print shop handles all of the bar’s printing needs including all bar stationery, envelopes, brochures and convention materials. Previously, these materials were printed by private printers or the state print shop. Alabama State Bar Foundation (ASBF) The Foundation assistant supervises the day-to-day operation of the foundation. The assistant manages the foundation accounts and tracks foundation investments totaling more than $2,200,000. In addition, the assistant processes the foundation payroll, pays all monthly operating expenses, receives and deposits all money due the foundation and 4 Handled by Legislative Counsel as a part-time contract employee 4 oversees the building and equipment maintenance and repair. The assistant serves as the foundation’s property clerk, both purchasing equipment and supplies and maintaining the foundation’s 1,800-item inventory of furniture, equipment and art. The assistant also prepares all required reports for the foundation,