As a young attorney, I thought that I didn’t have time to participate actively in legal associations and committees. After all, why volunteer my time (and pay for membership to organizations) when I had clients to serve?
As I have grown more experienced, I realize that I was mistaken. Participation in organizations is valuable for a variety of reasons that collectively allow me to serve my clients far better and provide them with even more value. For example, the participation provides:
- connections to other practitioners
- connections to government officials
- opportunities to speak
- opportunities to write
- keeping up on the latest industry developments and trends
- chances to learn from more experienced colleagues
- chances to mentor less experienced colleagues
- networking
- potential referrals
- opportunities to help shape policy
- learning about the latest technology, tips, and tools
- insights regarding trends in the law, and in advising clients
That said, not all organizations are created equal – some are far more valuable than others. I am active with the ABA, INTA, and AIPF, among others, and I have generally found them tremendously valuable to help build my career in trademarks.
I recently wrote about the questions business owners clients should ask of their potential trademark counsel; I would add to those questions to ask whether the attorney is active in industry organizations. Being active is, in my opinion, a tremendous plus.
Here are some of the organizations I support:
