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Join in the YLD
by Nate Alder, Young Lawyer Division President
The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Utah State Bar is doing great things. The success of the YLD is the result of many volunteers who participate in Ð and direct Ð our Division. It is
also a tribute to our history of strong leadership, as well as continued support from the Bar. For a young lawyer, one of the best ways to improve your skills, network, experience
leadership, and generally develop as a lawyer is to participate in the YLD.
If you are in your first three years of practice, or until you are 36 years of age (whichever is longer), you are a young lawyer, and are automatically a member of the YLD. There is no fee
to join. The YLD is the largest and one of the most active sections of the Utah Bar. Our members plan and organize CLEs and social events, as well as outreach to the community. We are
involved in many Bar committees, and represent young lawyer interests to the Bar Commission. Our YLD Council is an energetic group of leaders. I encourage you to become an active member
and join in this effort.
There are many ways you can get involved. Here are some of them:
Join a YLD Committee.
Choose from any one of the committees listed below, call or write the committee leader, and get involved. My first involvement in the YLD was showing up on a Saturday afternoon to paint houses for low-income residents. I quickly became friends with a number of other attorneys whom I would not have met otherwise. That experience led to a committee position where I helped organize CLEs.
Volunteer for Pro Bono Service. One of the YLD's most important activities is the Tuesday Night Bar. This service allows members of the public to come talk to a lawyer for 20
minutes about a legal problem, at no charge, and receive some basic guidance. If you are in the Salt Lake area, come help out at the Utah Law and Justice Center where the YLD serves
hundreds of people in need each month. If you are interested, please call our Tuesday Night Bar leaders, Wade Budge or Jason Perry, to volunteer. Also, you can contact Charles Stewart at
the Bar for more information about pro bono opportunities in general.
Join Us This Year. The 2001-2002 year will include many big events, and offer many ways to get involved, including:
- 2002 ABA/AOP.
From March 7-10, 2002, the Utah YLD will host the ABA Associate Outreach Program (AOP) Conference. Representatives from the ABA/YLD and numerous state and affiliate YLDs from around the nation will come to Salt Lake for an educational and professional program at the Grand America Hotel. If you would like to serve on our host committee, please let us know. It will be a one-of-a-kind event, with opportunities to rub shoulders with colleagues from around the country.
- Law Day. We will again host the annual Law Day Luncheon on May 1, 2002.
- Community Service Projects. The YLD helps with Òand Justice For AllÓ and outreach to public schools and the Children's Justice Center.
- Bar Conventions. The YLD is involved in significant ways at both the Mid-Year and Annual Meetings of the Utah Bar.
- CLE. We help provide CLE opportunities throughout the year, especially those designed especially for young lawyers, at big Bar events as well as small brown bag seminars.
- Bar Journal.
We are involved in providing the Bar Journal with timely articles, particularly those of interest to young lawyers. If you are a writer and would like your law-related work considered for publication, please contact our Bar Journal committee.
- Professionalism. The YLD has taken a leadership role on the issue of professionalism, with a committee studying ways to improve the climate of our profession.
And there are many other areas and activities in which the YLD is involved.
I look forward to serving as your YLD president this year, and encourage you to become actively involved. Our YLD Council meets the first Wednesday of the month at noon at the Utah Law and
Justice Center. You are welcome to attend our meetings and provide input. The YLD is strong because our members are interested in and committed to our success. We invite you to join that
great tradition. Please feel free to reach me at (801) 323-5000 or nathan.alder@chrisjen.com to discuss the YLD.
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