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ABA YLD Update

ABA YLD Spring Conference Report
By:  Jobe Rodgers

          There’s nothing like spring in the South.  I cannot begin to describe how beautiful it was in Nashville at the ABA YLD’s Spring Conference.  Then again, I am comparing it to Lubbock, so the bar is pretty low.  But what I can tell you is how great programming and networking opportunities were at the conference. 

          The event started off with CLE offerings that are relevant to any attorney in a litigation practice.  Some of the top attorneys in the country provided a wealth of experience and knowledge on topics such as witness preparation, direct examination, attorney-client privilege, and work product.

          Immediately following the CLE activities was the ever-famous first timers’ reception.  If you have never been to an ABA event, this is the spot for you.  It offers a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the top leaders in the ABA, many of the speakers for the conference, and colleagues from around the country.  After a nice dinner on the town, attendees then joined the YLD council at the Welcome Reception at the world-famous Wild Horse Saloon.  The Welcome Reception was entertaining to say the least as young lawyers, solicitors, and barristers from around the world joined up for a line dance or two.  Brits in ten gallon hats doing the Achy Breaky Heart was quite the site to see. 

          The next morning, we officially opened the Spring Conference with a Town Hall Meeting on Gender Equality.  The session featured the ABA President Elect-Laurel Bellows, YLD Chair Michael Bergman, Katherine Larkin-Wong and Latanisha Waters.  It was incredibly informative and insightful and brought many of the concerns for gender equality in the profession to the forefront.  The session also focused on expectations that young lawyers have as they enter the profession versus what practice is actually like.

          As the CLE activities continued throughout the day, it was highlighted by a special panel discussion featuring our very own first female president of the State Bar of Texas, Harriet Miers.  Ms. Miers’ other panel members included Dr. Walter Sutton Jr., Associate General Counsel for Walmart, I.S. Leevy Johnson, Chair of the ABA Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, George “Citizen” Barrett, and Hazel O’Leary, Fisk University President and former U.S. Secretary of Energy.  The discussion centered around the progress of diversity in the legal profession.  Ms. Miers discussed her early struggles to find a job in Dallas out of law school because law firms did not hire women.  The panel also discussed the importance of education as we move forward.  All members agreed that education should be a priority for the United States if it wants to continue to be a world leader.  They also agreed that young people having mentors and role models are key to our success.  Ms. Miers encouraged all in attendance to join Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide that mentoring relationship for so many children that need it today.

          The Spring Conference was one of the best CLE activities I have ever attended.  As we get deeper into our careers, we tend to primarily focus on our particular practice areas and often forget about the wealth of opportunity we have as lawyers to make a difference in our country.  This conference helped bring some of the attention back to the issues we should be passionate about.  When I was a prosecutor, we relished in the fact that our job was to “see that justice is done.”  There is no reason why that can’t be the motto of every attorney in Texas.