The Conference I Almost Didn't Attend - And The Support Networks Every Lawyer Can Benefit From

Ten insights from executives leading American bar associations that changed how I think about building sustainable legal careers.

As an introvert, I've always hated networking in large rooms. Give me a focused one-on-one conversation or a strategic email exchange any day over a room full of people making small talk with business cards.

That's probably why I've never been deeply engaged with traditional bar association events.

So it’ s understandable why attending the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) conference in Toronto last week wasn’t high on my priority list.

Walking into a room where I knew nobody felt genuinely intimidating.

But after years of thinking about and building frameworks to help lawyers navigate technology and wellness challenges, I also knew attending was the only way to get answers to a nagging question: are the challenges lawyers face in Canada the same as the challenges lawyers face outside Canada?

Curiosity won out over my discomfort with crowds.

What I discovered in the span of a couple of days changed how I think about professional development, revealing insights I never would have gained had I missed the event.

Here are ten insights I took away from attending - and why they matter for anyone working to help lawyers thrive in an AI-enhanced profession.

Some Insights Only Happen When You're In The Same Room

One bar executive talked about how they build membership by offering free continuing education instead of expensive referral services.

Another bar executive from Texas shared how their organization supports young lawyers starting entrepreneurial practices.

Both conversations happened in the moments between sessions - not during formal presentations.

This taught me something I couldn't learn over Zoom: when professionals share physical space, they're more willing to share creative solutions and honest challenges.

I’m not sure I’m completely converted to attending workshops in person versus attending virtually.

That said, I now better understand what I lose when I make this decision. The random conversations that happen between sessions - the kind virtual attendance can't replicate - often provide the most valuable insights.

Multiple Communities Create Stronger Support

American bar associations operate differently than what I'm used to in Canada.

State bars. City bars. County bars. Specialized associations for different practice areas.

These associations create multiple touchpoints for connection and development throughout a lawyer's career.

What impressed me most was the collaboration.

Bar executives from different states naturally shared successful strategies with each other.

Everyone focused on the same goal: serving their members effectively.

This collaborative spirit offers a valuable lesson for all professional communities. When organizations focus on shared challenges rather than competing for territory, they create more value for everyone involved.

Connection vs. Resources: Both Work

This collaborative approach extended to how associations think about member services. The American bar professionals I met prioritized connection-building: social events, networking opportunities, and programs that create natural mentorship relationships.

In contrast, my experience in Ontario focuses more on comprehensive resources: research services, library access, and structured professional development.

Both approaches work well, but they create completely different experiences of professional community.

The key insight isn't that one model is better, but that successful associations clearly understand what value they provide - and what they don't.

Understanding your professional community's strengths helps you leverage them fully while identifying where you might need additional support - whether that's joining a specialized group or developing informal mentorship relationships.

Value Drives Association Success

Many lawyers complain that bar associations just collect fees and provide little value.

What I witnessed was completely different.

Every bar executive I met was genuinely working to solve real problems their members face every day.

• Mental health support that goes beyond crisis intervention.

• Client development workshops that actually generate business.

• Career transition guidance for lawyers facing market changes.

• Technology training that saves time instead of creating more work.

They knew that their ability to grow as an organization depended on their ability to provide value to members who have choices about where to invest their time and money.

Smart Revenue Models Benefit Everyone

Many lawyers complain that bar associations just collect fees without providing real value in return.

Take referral services.

In Ontario, our lawyer referral service costs nothing for lawyers or clients. It serves the public well but generates no revenue for the association. Meanwhile, lawyers question paying some of the highest bar fees in North America.

Several American associations take a different approach. Their referral services charge 10-15% of referred matters. This creates revenue that keeps membership dues low while expanding services.

The math works for everyone.

• Clients get matched with qualified lawyers.

• Lawyers receive good referrals.

• Associations generate steady income.

When lawyers can measure the financial return on their association investment - whether through referral income, education savings, or partnership discounts - fee concerns transform into value recognition.

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Mental Health Needs Practice Integration

With so many lawyers struggling with their mental health, it wasn't surprising that this conference included dedicated discussion about the topic.

But something felt off about how we talked about these issues.

The conversation treated mental health as a separate service lawyers need, rather than something connected to how we actually practice law. That’s why so many bar associations focus on crisis intervention and support groups.

These resources are absolutely necessary. But I think a bigger need is being missed.

Consider what many lawyers face every day:

• Financial stress from unpredictable income

• Difficult clients who follow them home mentally

• Feeling isolated, even within their own firms

• Technology changes that make them question their value

These aren't personal failings requiring individual therapy. They're practice management challenges that affect lawyer wellbeing every single day.

When we treat mental health as something that happens outside the office, we miss the chance to help lawyers build careers that support both professional success and personal fulfillment from the start.

Financial Wellness Affects Professional Choices

American law graduates face financial challenges that Canadian lawyers might not fully appreciate.

Many carry $200,000+ in student debt while accepting positions paying $60,000 annually in rural areas.

When lawyers make career decisions primarily to service debt rather than serve clients effectively, both individual well-being and professional quality suffer.

Instead of treating financial stress as a problem faced by individual lawyers, the conference opened a space for the bar executives to not only recognize the challenges this debt created but also talked about ways to address them.

This proactive approach recognizes something crucial: financial wellness and professional wellness are interconnected, not separate challenges.

Mentorship Works When It's Structured, Not Forced

I've been part of mentorship programs that treat relationship-building like speed dating - one event, exchange contact information, hope for the best.

These programs didn't work for me - and now I understand why.

During one of the last sessions of the conference, two leaders from the American Bar Association shared how mentorship is a relationship that cannot be forced but it can be structured.

Some ideas they suggested:

• Pairing senior lawyers with newer professionals to write articles together.

• Moving from large annual events to smaller monthly gatherings where relationships develop naturally; and

• Encouraging firms to sponsor younger lawyers attending conference to create shared experiences.

What struck me was how these suggestions create natural reasons to collaborate rather than artificial networking opportunities. Mentorship happens organically when lawyers work together on real projects - writing articles, planning events, solving actual problems.

The insight here: meaningful professional relationships need ongoing opportunities to develop.

Bar associations are perfectly positioned to facilitate these relationships.

The Challenge Posed By Technology

During the same panel, I asked a question that had been on my mind all day:

How can bar associations help lawyers prepare for AI's impact on their legal careers?

The panelists - again, both accomplished lawyers serving on the American Bar Association board - gave thoughtful responses, acknowledging that they use ChatGPT regularly and noticing employers adjusting hiring patterns.

However, they felt widespread job displacement wasn't happening yet.

Their assessment is certainly accurate today. But preparation means getting ready for tomorrow's reality.

The economic shifts are already visible. Clients expect better value through technology. Firms seek efficiency improvements. These forces are quietly changing how legal work gets assigned.

Tasks that once required hours of junior lawyer time - like summarizing 200+ page transcripts - now take me 15 minutes with AI assistance.

Meanwhile, law schools continue operating largely as they have for decades. New graduates carry substantial debt but often lack the technology skills modern practices need.

This preparation gap represents exactly the kind of challenge that professional associations are perfectly positioned to lead - not react.

Connected Problems Need Connected Solutions

While I went into this conference without any expectations, this conference taught me something I couldn't have learned through virtual conversations: the true potential of thoughtful professional support.

The challenges I heard about aren't separate problems. They're all connected.

• Lawyers struggling with technology aren't just facing a tools problem - they're facing a confidence problem that affects client relationships and work-life balance.

• Financial stress isn't just about money - it's about career choices that impact professional satisfaction and personal wellbeing.

• Mental health isn't separate from practice management - it's directly connected to how lawyers structure their days, serve clients, and build sustainable careers.

My big takeaway: lawyers today will be best served by bar associations that understand how these challenges are related and create programs that help lawyers build practices that work both professionally and personally. Some ideas:

• Technology training paired with practice management support.

• Financial literacy connected to career planning.

• Mental health resources integrated with sustainable business practices.

This isn't about adding more services - it's about connecting the services that already exist in ways that actually help lawyers thrive.

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This conference reminded me of the valuable insights that emerge when different perspectives intersect.

I've known about the importance of intersections as I’ve developing the Thriving Solo Lawyer Model over the past few years.

The Thriving Lawyer Model: Where practice sustainability meets professional fulfillment

However the conference reinforced how these three interconnected elements - practice blueprint, client experience, and optimized workflows - become even more powerful when informed by institutional perspectives.

While I'm still thinking about how to integrate these conference insights into the model, I'd genuinely welcome continuing these discussions.