Welcome to this month’s edition of the NCADA’s monthly newsletter The Resource. Thanks to the hard work of our Communications committee, Lynette, and our leadership on the Board and in the Practice Groups, The Resource has been a welcome addition to the In-Boxes of lawyers and judges all over North Carolina. As current President of the organization, I want you folks not only to enjoy and learn from what you read, but also be inspired to become more involved in the activities of the NCADA. We welcome your submissions for future issues. We welcome your attendance at our upcoming Fall Seminar in Greensboro (details available elsewhere in this issue.) We welcome your involvement in our Practice Groups, our Committees, and the Forums on our newly-redesigned NCADA website.
This month, though, I want to specifically welcome you to join me in the recruitment of new members for our organization. If you attended the Annual Meeting this past June and heard my little speech upon taking office, you already know that my main focus this year is to revitalize our membership initiatives. I call it “Broadening Our Base.” NCADA membership is a wonderful thing, but there are plenty of lawyers out there who have not yet heard the good news. It’s time for a little evangelism.
Tracy Tomlin at the Charlotte office of the Nelson Mullins firm is chair of a reconstituted Membership Committee, along with members from other geographic areas of our state – Allan Tarlton (Asheville), Kevin Williams (Winston-Salem), Justin Howard (Raleigh) and Dan Morton (Wilmington). While they are going to take the lead in certain membership initiatives this year, they cannot do this job by themselves. So what can the involved and committed NCADA member do to help this effort? Three things.
1) While-You’re-At-It. Many of you are handling at least one case right now in which a lawyer representing another party in the case would be a good member of the NCADA but has not yet taken the plunge. Identify that person, verify with Lynette or otherwise whether that person is already a member, and if not then mention it to them, in person or otherwise. We have a little flyer you can email that person, along with a membership application. Don’t be tellin’ me you can’t do this – you can. It’s not hard. If each of us were able to find one new member this year just from this one initiative, we would more than meet our growth goal for the whole year.
2) Be-An-Ambassador. You may well be in a firm right now with a number of folks who practice in the areas NCADA serves, but those lawyers are not members of the NCADA. You joined because you thought it was good for your practice to be a member of our organization. You were right. Now it’s time to share that story with someone else in your firm. Be the Prometheus who brings Fire to that person.
3) Consider-Your-Clients. Many of us work with in-house lawyers on a regular basis. The NCADA can be a nice home for that person as well. If you have a prospect, ask Lynette about how we handle membership for in-house lawyers, and y’all figure out the best way to make the pitch. The benefits to us are obvious. The benefits to them are quality CLE, networking, and engagement on issues of mutual importance to NCADA members and our clients.
Won’t you join with me and take action on Membership? You’ll be glad you did.
