Washington Lawyer - July/August 2019 - 6

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Follow Your Passion
and Lead!

T
Connect
with Susie:
shoffman@dcbar.org

"Lawyers are
indeed natural
leaders. In the
communities
where we grew
up, many of the
board members
and civic leaders
were attorneys."

WASHINGTON LAWYER

Lawyers are indeed natural leaders. In the communities where we grew up, many of the board
members and civic leaders were attorneys. And,
one hardly need mention that more than half of all
U.S. presidents had law degrees, and that lawyers
are disproportionately represented in all levels of
elected leadership.

JULY/AUGUST 2019

programs that will assist fellow practitioners in
improving their skills and knowledge base. In
addition, through service on a Community Steering
Committee, members can help shape their
Community's programs and policies.
John Payton Leadership Academy. Launched in
2013 to provide Bar members "an intensive training
program to develop and sharpen the necessary
skills to be successful leaders of the Bar and
throughout their careers," the John Payton
Leadership Academy will return in early 2020. This
year, with the assistance of a consultant, the Bar will
be giving the academy a "makeover," allowing more
flexibility in the training schedule, online programming, more interaction and personal reflection
among participants, additional opportunities to
apply the leadership skills acquired, and renewed
engagement with academy alumni.
Leadership CLE. The D.C. Bar hopes to replicate
at next year's Celebration of Leadership the onehour CLE course "Being a Leader Others Want
to Follow" that the Bar presented at this year's
celebration. The course explores different techniques leaders can use to inspire and support
their staff to become their very best.

Several law schools are beginning to develop leadership programs for their students to better prepare
them for future roles in the public and private
sectors. However, in her 2017 Stanford Law Review
article "Leadership in Law," professor Deborah L.
Rhode bemoaned the fact that "[al]though many
law schools claim to be producing leaders, only a
small minority even offer courses in the subject."

Voluntary Bars. The District of Columbia has
nearly 40 voluntary bar associations formed
out of a common purpose, interest, or practice
area (such as the Federal Communications Bar
Association), or through a common background
or identity (such as the Filipino American Lawyers
Association of Washington, D.C.). Leadership
openings in these associations are plentiful,
providing a training ground as well as potential
collaborations and networking with other
voluntary bars.

For those lawyers who have not benefited from
such a course, the D.C. Bar helps to fill this void by
offering hands-on, on-the-job training of sorts to
help Bar members develop their leadership skills.
Indeed, my term as D.C. Bar president-elect served
as a type of apprenticeship wherein I was able to
observe and emulate the skills of now past presidents Esther H. Lim and Pat McGlone, as well as
of the presidents of various voluntary bars. Few, if
any, bar associations in the country offer the range
of leadership activities available at the Bar. Here are
a few.

One piece of advice that leadership development
educators often give is to get involved with a group
that focuses on an issue you are passionate about.
For me, that issue is pro bono work, and so, as a
young lawyer, I first became a member of the
Washington Council of Lawyers (WCL), later joining
its board and then becoming president. The WCL is
a voluntary bar that promotes pro bono and public
interest work. This put me on the path to ultimately
becoming D.C. Bar president. So, follow your
passion and begin your leadership journey with
the help of the D.C. Bar!

D.C. Bar Communities. The Bar has 21 Communities
ranging from Taxation to Litigation that provide
members the chance to develop and lead

Photo: Joe Shymanski

he D.C. Bar recently celebrated
leadership at its annual awards
dinner, where it recognized the
many respected members of our Bar
who have contributed to the community and the profession through their
service. Some were attorneys who
have dedicated much of their careers
to government service, while others
were individual lawyers and law firms
that exemplify the pro bono ideal. We
also honored those who demonstrated
leadership through service with voluntary bars or through the D.C. Bar
Communities.

https://www.dcbar.org/

Washington Lawyer - July/August 2019

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