Why did you originally join the King County Bar Association? Why did you choose to renew your membership after the first and subsequent years? What do you think of our various programs? Do you know we have diversity initiatives? Have you attended a KCBA CLE? How does the Bar Bulletin serve your needs? Should the bar take public policy positions? How can we serve you better?
These were just some of the dozens of questions that were asked of a group of 20 KCBA members I invited in April to spend their lunch hour at our bar office. Participants included young lawyers and seasoned lawyers, solo practitioners and big-firm partners, downtown-Eastside-southside attorneys, litigators and in-house counsel, and a good mix of gender and diverse ethnic heritage.
We broke into three small focus groups, each working through a series of questions designed to facilitate a dialogue about members’ general impressions about their bar association. Staff and KCBA Membership Committee representatives guided each group, working hard to listen only and not respond to the feedback being received. Our purpose was not to educate or defend, but rather to accept all comments offered as valid from the perspective of the participant. We knew that correcting any false understandings would be an activity for the future.
Why Are You a Member?
The first area of discussion centered on why attorneys first chose to join our voluntary bar. Interestingly, several of the focus group participants offered the reason that “it’s something you’re supposed to do” to be part of the local legal community in which one practices. Other reasons cited included a desire to “get involved” in the profession, a financial incentive of receiving discounts for CLEs and access to group health benefits, and one person even admitted to being a “bar junkie” who belongs to numerous bar groups.
We explored further the financial aspect of joining and found that newer practitioners appreciated the low membership fee during the first year of practice. We also learned that when an employer offers to pay for voluntary bar memberships, attorneys are quick to join KCBA. But when faced with no employer subsidy or a limit of one voluntary bar, KCBA members must sometimes choose between KCBA and a specialty or minority bar that might provide more detailed practice information or connection to one’s heritage.
Bar Bulletin Gets High Marks
Each focus group spent time reviewing specific bar programs. The Bar Bulletin received high remarks. Focus group participants liked the tabloid-style format versus a more glossy magazine-style format and frequently cited the Bar Talk column as one of their favorite monthly features. Common suggestions from the groups included a desire to see more photos of bar members at legal events, plus a desire for additional substantive legal content.
Our Washington Lawyers Practice Manual received mixed reviews. While those familiar with it found it an “in-depth” and “comprehensive” publication, others still rarely used it or knew what content was available within it. Our continuing legal education programs were generally well received, though some felt that instructors could sometimes use more training in presentation skills. Suggestions also were made about offering more half-day versus full-day programs, as well as making programs more accessible outside of downtown through the use of videoconferencing, webinars and conference-call programs.
The participants also talked about KCBA’s public policy work. While there was general agreement that the bar should not be “involved in politics,” many felt that KCBA’s efforts in standing up for access to justice was an important reflection of why a bar association is formed. As one participant said, “If we only focus on the nuts and bolts of the law, we forget about the broader community in which we practice.”
That said, more than one focus group member commented that they didn’t understand how the organization takes positions, including what issues are being advocated for at any given time. Questions also were raised about whether the bar takes into account the specific views of its members before advocating on public policy issues, including whether or not member polling should be done.
How Much Should Dues Be?
Finally, we spent some time discussing the cost of membership in KCBA. We explored the “Goldilocks” factor: Are the current dues priced too high, too low or just right? Interestingly, the overwhelming sense of participants was that KCBA’s dues level was correct. In particular, KCBA’s dues were cited as lower than those for other local groups, such as the Washington Association of Trial Lawyers and the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association, as well as lower than that of specialty bars, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association or even that of the Washington State Bar Association.
Several participants noted that they found KCBA’s section dues well worth the price for the valuable information received, some offering that they felt section dues were underpriced.
Next Steps
While the comments made during the focus groups may not be fully reflective of what the average member or even a majority of the membership believes, they are nonetheless very enlightening to me as I continue to review the bar’s many programs and activities as I approach my six-month anniversary as your new executive director. My next step is to use this feedback to develop an all-member survey. In this survey, we’ll explore how widespread some of the focus group impressions are, as well as a more comprehensive rating of KCBA’s performance for its members.
The survey data will be used to inform the work of a new Membership Task Force that the Board of Trustees has formed. That group is developing recommendations for improving the value of KCBA membership. To clarify, that doesn’t mean enhancing our “extra” benefits, such as member discounts to Mariners games, but rather a broader look at the value KCBA can bring to the profession in our community.
My goal is that through this process we will one day get to the point where all members can respond to the question — “Why do I belong to KCBA?” — with one main answer: “Because I practice law in King County — don’t you belong, too?”
Andrew Prazuch is executive director of the King County Bar Association. He can be reached by email (AndrewP@KCBA.org) or phone (206-267-7100 ext. 7061).
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