ABA must nurture and guide young lawyers, president-elect nominee says
ABA President-elect Nominee William C. Hubbard of South Carolina told the ABA House of Delegates on Monday that the association must reach out to younger members of the profession.
Speaking at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Hubbard told of his first ABA meeting when he felt lost in the huge hotel, then under different management. He recalled how leaders in the ABA Young Lawyers Division made him feel welcome and how he soon became involved in the association.
Today, Hubbard said, too many young lawyers are lost because they don’t have jobs, they face a mountain of debt and their future is uncertain. They are probably not ABA members, he said, and they may never become members unless things change.
He cited some statistics to illustrate the problem. Currently, only 17.3 percent of law students are ABA members. Fewer than 20 percent of young lawyers retain their membership in the association after a one-year membership following law school.
“We must nurture the next generation of lawyers,” Hubbard said. “The future of our association and our profession depends on it. The ABA must be the place where young lawyers can find the guidance and support they need to be successful.”
