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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    December 01, 1997

    Wisconsin Lawyer December 1997: President's Perspective

    President's Perspective

    Crafting a Mission:
    A Bottom-up Review of the State Bar

    By Steven R. Sorenson

    Steven R. SorensonLast spring the State Bar of Wisconsin embarked on a program of self-examination and strategic planning, which I have labeled "Project Vision." My goal is to develop a long-range, strategic plan that will meet the growing and changing needs of the membership into the 21st century. To date, more than 50 State Bar committees, sections and divisions participated in this grassroots effort, each developing its own mission statement, vision for the future and strategies for achieving its vision. The Project Vision Task Force used this collective work product to develop the State Bar's mission statement.

    After careful review, representatives of various State Bar entities refined the mission statement to personalize their commitment to the profession, to reaffirm the purpose of the State Bar and to enhance public understanding of the State Bar's mission.

    I ask each of you to review the proposed mission statement. Does it reflect your view of the purpose of your association? Does it represent the association's responsibility to the profession, its members and the public? If the State Bar's mission statement is truly a statement that represents these "grassroots" efforts, it must be based on the comments of the collective membership. I intend to keep my original commitment: Project Vision will be based on member input, not leadership directives. Please send your comments about the draft mission statement to Kaye O'Kearny at the State Bar.

    Draft State Bar Mission Statement:

    The State Bar of Wisconsin is the association of and for all persons licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. Our association's strength is derived from inclusiveness, collegiality and diversity in pursuit of a common cause.

    The mission of our association is to educate our members in the continuing development of the law; to improve the law and its practice; to aid in the effective administration and delivery of individual and social justice; to advance the interests of a profession dedicated to integrity, honesty and compassion; and to instill in the public an understanding and appreciation of its legal rights and responsibilities.

    We undertake this mission in association to better enable Wisconsin's lawyers to protect the rights and advance the interests of their clients and of the public, and to further secure to the people of Wisconsin the blessings of ordered liberty and equal justice under law.

    Interestingly, an issue that surfaced in strategic planning sessions of the State Bar's various committees, sections and divisions is the need for a facility that is conducive to member wants and needs, is flexible and allows staff to work efficiently. The Facilities Committee has concluded that it is time we do something about the shortcomings of our 40-year-old facility. Discussions about space limitations, resulting in inefficiencies and restricted member access, have been going on for 10 years. This committee has looked at various solutions to this space-crunch issue, from adding onto the current facility to splitting staff over multiple locations to exploring work-at-home options for employees to locating to a larger facility.

    I am pleased with the Facilities Committee's efforts to educate the membership about this issue and its interest in responding to member questions and concerns. This open dialog is reflected in the pro and con discussion in this issue. I encourage you to read this material and send your thoughts to committee chair Jerry O'Brien or other Facilities Committee members.

    The Facilities Committee will bring its recommendation to the Board of Governors in late January. Its recommendation will reflect the State Bar's commitment to the services it provides to our growing membership; to the requirements of our committees, sections and divisions; to our ever-evolving technology needs; to public education and service; and to our profession's future.

    As I travel throughout Wisconsin, I am impressed by members' support of our long-range planning efforts. While in Hudson a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to discuss with area lawyers the findings of Project Vision and the Facilities Committee. They universally talked of the need for the State Bar to grow, to meet the demands of a profession that has more demands placed on it, and our staff's ability to serve the membership. But Hudson lawyers are not alone. The same support was evident at recent local bar meetings, including the Winnebago, Green Lake and Marathon county bars, and other lawyer gatherings.

    I ask you to view the mission statement and the facilities situation keeping in mind our responsibility to the profession and the public.


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