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:


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