Know the latest trends and information . Subscribe to Behind Bars - The DBS Blog of all things bar-related from the latest in bar programming news to reflections on leadership and management. Read The Bridge - The bi-monthly newsletter featuring resources from throughout the ABA that serve your association and your members. Read Bar Leader Magazine - Quarterly magazine of in depth stories on bar management, programming, leadership and technology. Follow us on Twitter @ABABarServices and “Like” us on Facebook. You’ll get the latest in late breaking bar news, interesting analysis and a picture or two. Order a Customized Bar Activities Inventory. Gain an outside perspective . Call our staff team. We’re is happy to give you a reality check on a program, governance issue or management dilemma. We’ll point you to the right person with the right expertise. We’ll keep your confidence. Develop your board . Access sample policies from our clearinghouse and on our web resource pages focus on better practices in association governance. As an example: Social Media IRS 990 Read and forward BoardLink - The quarterly e-newsletter designed to educate bar board members about their fiduciary responsibilities and make the most of their board experience. Purchase The New Bar President and Members of the Board - A guide to good leadership and good governance written specifically for bar associations. Consider our customized board training and development for retreats and orientations. Engage us for strategic planning process design and facilitation. Attend the ABA Bar Leadership Institute Ensure program success Access our clearinghouse which has thousands of program sample, references and “how to” documents. Email: [email protected] Assess and enrich your Lawyer Referral Service with a PAR visit or through the resources of the Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Services. Request assistance from the Center for Pro Bono for program development, technical assistance and peer-to-peer consulting. Get the latest and greatest information and resources for your Law Day and civics education initiatives from the ABA Division for Public Education. Understand strategies for increasing diversity in your association and the professions, the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Inspire young lawyers, the ABA Young Lawyers Division facilitates the exchange of information and best practices among young lawyer groups from around the country. Optimize your use of technology Visit the social media resource page on the DBS website. Attend Bar School, a monthly series of hour-long webinars designed to train you and your staff to make the most of what’s on your desktop. Call the Legal Technology Resource Center about a technology or website audit or to discuss the pros and cons of software and hardware. Serve your members Install the ABA Journal’s widget on your website. Link to the resources available from the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section, Legal Technology Resource Center and Smart Soloing Center. Provide a resource for ethics questions by directing members to the ABA’s ETHICSearch service. ETHICSearch is an excellent (and typically free) way for lawyers to find the right resources to understand and resolve ethics questions that come up in practice. Reprint articles in your bar journal or newsletter from one of the hundreds of ABA publications. Email: [email protected] Understand how your association’s benefits compare with those of other bars, purchase the State & Local Bar Dues, Fees and Member Benefits Survey or a Customized Dues Survey Contact us: [email protected] or phone: 312.988.5343 Visit us at: www.ambar.org/barservices www.ambar.org/barservices The Division for Bar Services Connects your bar to the American Bar Association and the more than 1,000 state, local, minority, women's, and special-focus bar associations and foundations in the United States. DBS staff are dedicated to helping bars further their mission and accomplish their goals. Every Division service is versatile, progressive, and direct - tailored to help every type of bar meet the needs of every type of member: Consulting & Information Services The Field Service Program Establishing your connection to the ABA and more than 1,000 bars across the country OUR commitment to your bar and its mission begins with the Field Service Program. Field Service Representatives visit on-site with bars of every size and in every location, establishing relationships with executive staff and officers and learning firsthand about their bar’s activities, challenges, and goals. The Field Service Program is designed to use a minimal amount of your time to return you multiple and lasting benefits. Following the visit, we begin promoting your strengths by using your successful programs as a model for other bars to follow and addressing your needs by connecting you to solutions and resources needed to build a stronger association. For more on Field Service, visit http://www.americanbar.org/groups/bar_services/services/field_service_program.html To schedule a visit, contact Karyn Linn at (312) 988-5350 or [email protected]. The Consulting Services Program Helping your bar create and pursue its vision EACH of our Consulting Services is specially designed to help you examine and advance your bar. Whether you want to define your focus or increase productivity, there’s a Consulting Service to meet your every need: . Strategic Planning helps your bar set a course for the future . Board Development helps the board work together as an effective leadership team . Mission Statement Development helps clarify your bar’s purpose . Bar Association Operational Surveys help your bar assess and make change . Membership Surveys help your bar hear from members about their needs. Consulting Services are personalized and affordably priced. To schedule a consulting visit to your bar, contact Jennifer Lewin at (312) 988-5361 or [email protected]. For more, visit http://www.americanbar.org/groups/bar_services/services.html The Information Clearinghouse Comprehensive information on every issue that affects your bar THE Information Clearinghouse is the bar community’s definitive source for information on association issues, a 16,000-piece collection of resources by and for bar leaders unavailable anywhere else. Look to the Clearinghouse for insight and advice on any topic affecting your bar. Reports, samples, journal articles and, surveys can help you resolve issues both complex and obscure. Division staff assists further by quickly referring specialized inquiries to the appropriate ABA entity, officer, or staff member. The DBS Website: ambar.org/barservices Connecting your bar to every Division resource - instantly THE DBS website brings DBS services closer to you than ever. Use it to register for meetings, research questions, request materials, and review publications. Visit today to accelerate your connection to our core services and access information and features available exclusively online: . The Bridge (http://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/bridge_home.html) - Monthly updates featuring breaking news on relevant ABA activities and services, innovative bar-sponsored programs, and important upcoming events. Behind Bars (http://www2.americanbar.org/barservices/behindbars/Pages/default.aspx) – A blog written by DBS staff dedicated to topics, happenings, and trends in the bar association world For more on the Clearinghouse and website, contact Molly Flood at (312) 988-5362 or [email protected]. Publications DBS publications cover a wide variety of topics to assist bar leaders in creating and implementing programs, activities, and services that meet their members’ needs. Following are brief descriptions of a few of our best-selling titles: On Leadership BAR LEADER MAGAZINE This is the essential periodical for bar executives and officers. Bar Leader, published quarterly, covers the issues, trends, and activities that affect volunteer and staff leaders of state, local, and special-focus bar associations. NEW BAR PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD This publication is a succinct yet comprehensive guide to bar leadership. It covers topics of both internal importance--such as governance and sound financial management--to the bar's relations with its members, the public and the news media. It is the only handbook of its kind geared specifically to bar associations and bar leaders. BOARD LINK A quarterly e-newsletter focused on good governance practices geared toward board members and officers of bar associations. The focus is on best practices and building the capacity of bar associations to serve their members and the public interest. http://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/boardlink_home.htm On Administration & Management 2009 BAR ACTIVITIES INVENTORY More than 50,000 indexed facts on the organization and programs of state and local bars. Quick answers to questions on bars’ leadership and governance structure, membership benefits, CLE and public relations programs, and much more. BAR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: A BASIC GUIDE Practical, simple advice on every management topic from accounting procedures to zero-based budgeting, written specifically for bar directors, board members, and staff. 2011 STATE AND LOCAL BAR MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE SURVEY A report on the membership dues, administration and finances of 181 responding state and local bars. Includes data on total cost to practice in each state,