Roadmap of the ABA A New Lawyer’s Guide Provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association

So what does it mean when I see these boxes in this presentation? You can click on these boxes to take you to key web links and places to find more information. Click here! “I just found out I passed the bar. What next?” Congratulations! The ABA welcomes you to the legal profession. For your first year, you will receive a free membership to the ABA. That’s right, nada, nuthin’. I said FREE. You get access to everything – the website, the magazines, the speakers, the opportunity to attend conferences and thousands of other resources for free. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

“Great. A free ABA membership! So what do I do next?” That’s a great question. Let me introduce you to your helpful guide through the process: Your Young Lawyer Ambassador! This is your guide, your answer key, your sherpa, and your connection into the ABA. What more could you ask for – someone to help you figure out how to get involved and take advantage of your free membership. CLICK HERE TO FIND AN AMBASSADOR

“A Young Lawyer Ambassador. How do I meet this person?” That’s easy… Each state has a Young Lawyer Ambassador coordinator – that person will connect you with your own Ambassador. Let’s say you live in Indiana and want to meet your Ambassador. Well, click here to find the list of states and select Indiana. Then, you’ll find the Ambassador coordinator. Simply send the Ambassador coordinator an , and “Walla!” they will find an Ambassador for you. CLICK HERE TO FIND AN AMBASSADOR

“What can a Young Lawyer Ambassador help me with?” Lots of things… Each of the Young Lawyer Ambassadors are leaders in the ABA Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD). So the Ambassadors know things like what committees to join, how to sign up for listservs, what meetings to attend, opportunities for writing, etc. They know ways you can get plugged in. In addition, the Ambassadors are also lawyers in your state, so they can help you learn about local events, meetups, and other local programs. CLICK HERE TO FIND AN AMBASSADOR

“Tell me a little more about the Young Lawyers Division.” Sure. The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is a part of the ABA that focuses on new lawyers -- those that have been practicing for less than five years or are under the age of 36. The YLD can help new lawyers get involved in the ABA and understand the opportunities. It also allows young lawyers to connect with other young lawyers. So if you are a new lawyer in Alaska or Alabama, you can find other lawyers in the ABA within your state through our Ambassador program. Or if you are a new lawyer looking to connect with other young lawyers practicing in a specific area such as business law or taxation or intellectual property or litigation, the YLD provides you the place to connect and network. The YLD is the home of young lawyers. CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT YLD

“What if I am interested in a particular practice area or industry?” Of course! Most lawyers (both new and experienced) want to connect with lawyers in their field, such as Antitrust, Business Law, Litigation or Tax. So join a YLD Committee. It’s always free and gives you instant access to hundreds of lawyers in your field – all of which are new lawyers and focused on your practice area. We have nearly 30 different practice areas and concentrations – and just by connecting with a YLD Committee, you can get connected with young lawyers just like you! It's a great way to connect.. CLICK HERE TO JOIN A COMMITTEE

“Tell me more about these YLD committees.” Let’s say you wanted to connect with other young lawyers interested in Antitrust? How should you do that? Simple. Just sign up for the Antitrust Committee -- which is a group of young lawyers all with similar practices or interest areas. Right now, there are over 200 young lawyers who are part of the Antitrust Committee and can share information via the website, listservs and conference calls. Let’s say you have a question about an Antitrust matter – you can reach out to the other committee members or use the information on the committee website. It is a terrific resource created just for you – a newer antitrust lawyer. CLICK HERE TO FIND A COMMITTEE

“What are the practice areas of the committees?” As we said, we have nearly 30 different committees for you to join. And you can join as many as you want. So, if you think you may be a corporate attorney, but are also interested in tax law – join them both! There are committees with hundreds of young lawyers in nearly every aspect of the Law including: Litigation Litigation Business Law Business Law Tax Tax Intellectual Property Intellectual Property Antitrust Antitrust Entertainment & Sports Law Entertainment & Sports Law So sign up for as many as you’d like – click on the link to the right! CLICK HERE TO FIND A COMMITTEE Employment Law Criminal Law Criminal Law Government Government International Law International Law Energy and Environmental Law Energy and Environmental Law And countless others… And countless others…

“What are all these Sections, Divisions and other ABA entities?” With nearly 400,000 lawyers as active members of the ABA, there are lots of various groups working on varied efforts with the ABA. But don’t be overwhelmed. The YLD, the YLD Ambassadors, and the YLD Committees can help get you plugged into the right places. There are TONS of opportunities to get involved in the ABA. And while it can seem overwhelming, that’s where we come in… The ABA has dozens of Sections, Committees and other entities. Each of these are groups that are focused on a particular practice area, a substantive area, an industry, a sector or another focused group. Lawyers of all vintages (from new to seasoned) can join these groups. CLICK HERE TO MEET THE YLD LIAISONS

“How do I get involved in Sections, Divisions and other ABA entities?” Again, we can help with that… Most young lawyers will also ultimately be involved in a Section – since it is a group of lawyers like you. For many new lawyers, the YLD Committees may be your first stop to get some more information about the various ABA entities. However, the YLD Committees can help you get plugged into the right place for you. If you are looking for how to get involved in a Section, Division or other ABA-entity, you should connect with one of the YLD Liaisons who can help guide you in that process. Each YLD Liaison is involved with the Section, Division or other ABA-entity and can help you learn how to get involved. CLICK HERE TO MEET THE YLD LIAISONS

“What opportunities do I have to interact with other young lawyers?” That is one of the greatest benefits of the YLD—networking on local and national levels… The YLD offers several opportunities throughout the year for a young lawyer to interact with other young lawyers both locally and nationally. Some of the events held include: ABA Mid-Year and Annual MeetingsABA Mid-Year and Annual Meetings YLD Fall and Spring ConferencesYLD Fall and Spring Conferences ABA DayABA Day Local ABA Networking EventsLocal ABA Networking Events These events offer opportunities for education, professional development, and, especially, networking. CLICK HERE FOR THE EVENTS CALENDAR

So what now? Well, it’s time for you to get plugged in… CLICK HERE TO MEET THE YLD LIAISONS CLICK HERE TO FIND AN AMBASSADOR CLICK HERE TO FIND A COMMITTEE

You are in good company! The American Bar Association is a great opportunity for all lawyers and the largest professional association in the country. Provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association