One of the first organizations I joined after I started practicing law in 1986 was the Santa Clara County Bar Association (SCCBA). Founded over 100 years ago, the SCCBA has been a critical part of our local community, and a valuable asset for its attorneys.
Today, this civic gem needs our help. Sherry Diamond, its CEO and General Counsel, has reported that the SCCBA needs to increase membership and involvement from the local legal community.
Membership (and donations) continue to decline steadily, according to a recent message from Sherry. This is caused by several factors:
- “The Retiring Boomer Effect”—More attorneys are retiring than new lawyers are joining.
- Statistically, fewer people are going to law school, and fewer law graduates are passing their respective bar exams. (There have been a couple of exceptions in recent years, but broadly, this has been the case.)
- There are many more voluntary bar associations than in the past, giving lawyers the option of joining a bar more closely aligned with their identity or practice area. (I can think of 10 other Bar associations in Santa Clara County alone.)
As a result, overall membership dues at SCCBA and its non-dues revenue, which varies wildly, have dropped off in recent months, necessitating staff cuts and salary reductions.
As a point of personal privilege, I write today to sing the praises of the SCCBA to encourage the support of this local jewel. For generations of attorneys, the SCCBA has been an invaluable resource. When I was a young lawyer, the SCCBA welcomed me into the legal community and gave me countless opportunities to grow and advance my practice through education, networking and service, and my experience with the county bar is by no means unique.
For that reason alone, the SCCBA is worthy of preservation and support, but wait—there is much more. Not only does the county bar help practicing attorneys, it also provides important benefits for the general public. The SCCBA Lawyer Referral Service offers low-cost access to lawyers to people in need of legal advice and assistance. The SCCBA also offers low-cost fee arbitration for those situations where lawyers and their clients are at odds.
Finally, the SCCBA serves a formal role along with the State Bar of California in the vetting of lawyers who seek appointment by the Governor to the Santa Clara County Superior Court bench. It is thus imperative that the SCCBA continue to serve this vital role, given the importance of having capable, impartial judges in our legal system.
Here are ways you can help:
- Support our events this fall in significant numbers. Buy sponsorships and tickets.
- Renew your membership right away when you receive your renewal invoice in November.
- Reach out to your colleagues, friends, and associates and ask them to join SCCBA! This is crucial to the future sustainability of our Bar. There is a Join Us button on our website.
- Donate Our website features a Donate button where you can give a gift to SCCBA or a donation to our Foundation. Please consider sending SCCBA a gift to help us through our 4th Quarter.
Here is SCCBA’s website for donations and membership info: https://www.sccba.com/
Thank you for indulging my efforts to promote the SCCBA; I hope you can help maintain the SCCBA as a vital organization in our legal community.
