ABA Law Student Division 2009 Fall Leadership Summit for Circuits 1, 2, 3 and 11

By Jack L. Hobaugh Jr.
Blank Rome LLP

On Saturday, October 3, 2009, I attended the ABA Law Student Division 2009 Fall Leadership Summit for Circuits 1, 2, 3 and 11 at the Georgetown University Law Center. I participated in two events: “Lunch with Experience” and “The Role of the ABA in My Career” one-hour panel.

At the “Lunch with Experience” I found myself having lunch with several students. This was their opportunity to ask a practicing attorney questions. Of course, those questions covered a broad range from type of law practiced to pro bono work. But there was a reoccurring theme: “How can I get involved with organizations before I graduate from law school?” This was again the main question asked later in the day at the panel discussion. I was somewhat surprised by that question. Maybe that is because I was an evening law student working during the day as a software engineer at a startup company, going to law school in the evening and then reading, reading, reading, in what was supposed to be my spare time, i.e., weekends and Friday evenings.

So our task is apparent. We need to figure out as a bar association, how to involve law students in meaningful engagement in our organization. These are our future leaders. I should also mention that I did put in a plug for the FBA. I highlighted the FBA as a national organization that also has local chapters, thus providing the best of both worlds, national and local.