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The Legal Assistant Division (“LAD”) needs you! The LAD and our profession are facing significant challenges in the areas of licensing, independent practice, the unauthorized practice of
law, compensation, liability insurance, benefits, and the like. This is your profession, and these challenges and the changes wrought thereby will affect you and your career. I urge your
participation in the business and leadership of the LAD. There are numerous director positions open this year. There is a lot of work to be done on both new and on-going projects. Perhaps
the position as Chair of the LAD is not something you envision for yourself; however, there are many other opportunities to serve on the Board of the LAD and, as a member of the Board, to
actively participate in the development of plans to deal with the various projects and challenges of the LAD and our profession. Not only that, it is an excellent opportunity to meet
other members of our profession.
You will shortly receive in the mail nomination forms for the upcoming elections. The voting will take place at the LAD annual meeting that is tentatively set for June 7, 2002. There are
six director positions open including: Region II Director (SLC area), Region III Director (Central Utah area), and Region IV Director (Southern Utah area), plus three "at-large"
positions.
Nominations must be in writing, signed by three active members of the LAD, and in the case of a regional director, the nominating members and the nominee must be from the region for which
the nomination is being made. All candidates must meet the qualifications for membership in the LAD and must be a LAD member in good standing. The nomination form requires the signatures
of three active members of the LAD. If you don't have three members close at hand, feel free to contact one of the current officers or directors. Any of them will be pleased to aid in
securing a nomination.
Leadership qualities include: vision, an open mind, sound judgment, knowledge, enthusiasm, creative thinking, a thick skin, good interpersonal relations, empathy, etc. Different types of
leaders are needed for different situations. The charismatic leader, for example, will be vital when the industry or profession is facing a crisis and strong and influential leadership is
needed to build a unified voice for the association. The peacemaker may serve the organization better when it is healing from internal wounds among members. The diplomat may be the answer
when the primary mission is to achieve a goal in concert with other groups.
All of these qualities and attributes should be kept in mind when looking for future leaders. No one person will have all of the qualities. That is why a good mixture of various forms of
leadership is critical for maintaining a well balanced board of directors.
Under strong leadership, the LAD will remain a respected presence at the Bar. The leadership of an organization cannot be stagnant. There must be a constant flow of new blood into the
leadership ranks. I have no doubt there are many LAD members who have the qualities, background, education and experience to make great leaders. I strongly encourage you to nominate
somebody (yourself included) as a director.
And, while we're on the subject of participation, by now you will have received your invitation/information from the Utah State Bar for the mid-year meetings to be held March 21-23, 2002,
in St. George. LAD is again sponsoring a full-track of CLE that will be beneficial for both legal assistants and attorneys alike. The LAD sponsored CLE will include Kathy Berg, Director
of the Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Corporations, regarding recent statutory changes that affect filings with that department; Attorney Brian Florence, who will discuss
Collaborative Lawyering; and Lane Swainston of Swainston Consulting Group, who will discuss Laying the Foundation of a Construction Law Case.
This year, too, we will again have our annual legal assistants' luncheon on Friday afternoon, March 22. If you register for the entire Bar meeting, the cost is only $10; otherwise, it is
$15 for only the luncheon or at the door. Our panel topic will concern licensing and the unauthorized practice of law. Our lunch is an excellent opportunity to participate in this very
important dialogue and get some additional CLE credit. I hope to see you there.
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