Recent News

September 8, 2006

Columbus Bar creates Leadership Academy

~ written by Michael Heintz, New Lawyers Advisory Committee

As part of its commitment to create opportunities for new lawyers to become active participants in the local legal community, the Columbus Bar is proud to announce the creation of the new Leadership Academy.

Designed primarily to help new attorneys create the relationships that will serve their growing careers, enrollment in the academy will be open to any Columbus Bar members wishing to build or strengthen their connections with the local bar, bench and community organizations.

Earning a Leadership Academy certificate by completing all four of the two-hour sessions offered throughout the year indicates a high level of commitment to leadership in the Columbus community. Each session will be offered twice to accommodate the busy and unpredictable schedules of new attorneys and address such topics as building professional relationships, using networks effectively and community involvement.

The Leadership Academy will serve both as a learning tool and networking opportunity for participants. Through the Leadership Academy, new attorneys will have opportunities to actively observe, discuss and practice a wide range of skills with peers, instructors and panel members, all while developing a valuable local professional network.

Participants in the predecessor program, Barrister Leader, provided positive feedback for both the program and the efforts the Columbus Bar is making in integrating new lawyers into the local legal community.

Like graduates of the Barrister Leader program, participants in the Leadership Academy will serve as future leaders of the Columbus Bar and the general legal community for years to come.

Graduates of the Barrister Leader program, including government attorneys, large firm associates, solo practitioners and in-house counsel, have gone on to become actively involved in the Columbus Bar through participation on committees, serving as committee chairs and taking part in volunteer efforts organized by the Columbus Bar. They have also become community leaders through their work with charitable and nonprofit organizations and boards.

The first session, “Getting to Know You,” will be offered on Oct. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. If you are interested in participating in the program, registration information is available on the Columbus Bar website, www.cbalaw.org.

Please contact Lara Bertsch with any questions or comments at lara@cbalaw.org, or 614/221.4112.

Leadership Academy sessions

Session 1: Getting to Know You. How to use introductions and initial conversations to build relationships with new people. Offered on Oct. 4 and March 7. Learn the techniques local leaders use to strike up conversations in a number of different situations, from Bar events to accidental meetings. Attendees will observe and participate in mock conversations and practice techniques with peers in an informal session designed to help attendees get to know one another.

Session 2: The People in your Neighborhood. The basics of the Columbus Bar and other important community organizations. Offered on Nov. 1 and April 4. Learn how local leaders make community involvement a part of their lives and careers, through a description of the Columbus Bar and other community organizations from an insider’s perspective. Attendees generate personal goals for their own involvement and share their interests with peers.

Session 3- Go fish. Setting goals and getting results from your networks. Offered on Dec. 6 and May 9. Hear how local leaders get the results they need from the relationships they have. Presenters and volunteers will demonstrate different approaches to asking for contacts, information, help or advice during conversations in different scenarios.

Session 4: Playing well with others. Utilizing relationships in an ethical, respectful and responsible manner to accomplish goals. Offered on Feb. 7 and June 6. Hear from an informal panel on the ethics of relationships within the profession, whether with clients, colleagues or acquaintances. Discussion on the different ethical theories that govern relationships with others. Attendees will generate a set of standards to govern their own practices.