Here is a list of the organizations to which I currently belong in my professional capacity (most requiring annual dues of varying amounts):
American Bar Association
ABA Litigation Section
ABA Young Lawyers Division
State Bar of North Carolina
North Carolina Bar Association
NCBA Litigation Section
NCBA Young Lawyers Division
28th Judicial District (Buncombe County, NC)
State Bar of California
Calif. State Bar Litigation Section
Calif. State Bar Business Law Section
Bar Association of San Francisco
BASF Litigation Section
BASF Barristers Club
Los Angeles Bar Association
This dizzying catalogue constitutes the bare minimum of professional groups to which I feel any self-respecting (and, fingers crossed, upwardly mobile) young attorney should belong. In fact, membership in several of them is required just to hang on to my NC and CA law licenses. Moreover, there are countless other similar groups who urge people like me to "Join Today!" Some are tempting . . . but most, not so much. Do professionals in other fields face a similar constant bombardment of associations and organizations clamoring for their membership?
It might not be a bad thing to belong to all these. Probably good, in fact. In their best sense, these organizations can be esteemed as a modern outgrowth of the ancient tradition of brotherhood and camaraderie in this profession. But . . . there are so many. I barely have the brain capacity to keep track of mine, let alone investigate new ones.
I wonder how best to keep these memberships meaningful, in the midst of a busy professional life.
