President's Message
S. Guy deLaup
67th LSBA President

It Was a Pretty Good Year
After being sworn in as President of the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA), I expressed to everyone present that it was the highest privilege and honor I could receive as an attorney in Louisiana. I also expected that leading our Association would be a welcome diversion from the everyday practice of law. Both of these sentiments have proven to be true. The great thing about being President of the LSBA is that you are exposed to the many skilled attorneys, dedicated judges, community leaders and volunteers that make up our profession. I think you also have to become President to fully appreciate the dedication and outstanding service of our hardworking staff. You also learn about the numerous attorneys around the state who give their time, talents and energies to the various Bar committees to accomplish the goals and complete the work of our Association. It was comforting to learn, after comparing notes with Bar Presidents around the southeast and the rest of the country, that the LSBA’s programs and member services are as comprehensive and successful as most other state Bar Associations.  

I would like to acknowledge and thank Bill Leary, director of the Lawyers Assistance Program, for his decades-long, confidential service to Bar members dealing with various types of addictions, for his work post-Katrina/Rita in helping Bar members secure mental health services and for his continued assistance to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel in investigating character and fitness issues prior to Bar admission.

I think it is also important to acknowledge and thank two other groups of attorneys. Those who grade bar exams for the Committee on Bar Admissions and those who volunteer their time to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board and its committees perform two important functions for our profession. They do so every year, without much notice or appreciation.

During this past year, the Board of Governors completed a long-range planning process. In the course of developing the plan, ideas were exchanged and opinions voiced about many issues facing the legal profession and the role our Bar Association can play in addressing those issues. Out of that process came a list of six goals, as well as some very specific strategies and activities to accomplish those goals in furtherance of the LSBA’s mission. Increased technology and Fastcase training and law office management services are among the strategies which would result in the delivery of new services to members. The goals were adopted by the Board of Governors at its meeting on April 5, 2008, and will be published in the Louisiana Bar Journal.

The work of the leadership, the Board of Governors and the staff also enabled us to accomplish several other things this year. After significant study, the Board of Governors voted to establish an Institute for the Profession which will develop a strategic plan for promoting our profession to the public. Included in the plan is a proposal for coordinating public outreach efforts, such as lobbying and public messaging, and partnering with the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education to promote civic education in Louisiana schools.

The LSBA sponsored its first ever Conclave on Diversity in New Orleans this past March where a very impressive and distinguished panel of speakers proposed and discussed a variety of issues impacting broadening diversity in the profession. Discussions ranged from possible diversity initiatives within law firms to the impact that clients can have on promoting diversity in private law firms. This program, which has been in development for a couple of years, was a great success, thanks to the time and efforts of our new minority and outreach coordinator. More than 100 attendees participated, representing lawyers from large firms, small firms, government and corporations. With the assistance of the Diversity Committee, the LSBA was one of the first states in the country to adopt a Diversity Statement to encourage lawyers to embrace diversity in their practice and to promote diverse participation within the Bar.

A Rule of Law Conference was held on May 1, 2008, the 50th anniversary of Law Day. Representatives of the legal and medical professions, members of the media, teachers, educators and business leaders met to discuss what the Rule of Law means to our society and how we might better advance and adhere to the Rule of Law in order to make life better for all of the citizens in our state and in our country.

A Lawyers in Transition Committee was established to develop policies and procedures to protect clients in the event of the death or disability of their lawyer and to sponsor retirement planning seminars, health screenings and other assistance for the aging attorney population in Louisiana. This project was the idea of Beth Foote, our very able President-Elect who will become President this June.

Attempts are continuing to formalize our relationship with the local Bars. These include a yearly meeting with local Bar presidents and executive directors, as well as a partnership with local Bars to schedule low-cost CLE programs around the state. The theme of my President’s Reception at the Annual Meeting this June will be a salute to the presidents of the local and specialty Bars around the state. 

The Professionalism and Quality of Life Committee expanded the professionalism programs of both first- and third-year law students in the four law schools in Louisiana. It also commenced a program to advise and educate first-year law students about the nature of the legal profession and the much stricter scrutiny concerning character and fitness as a possible obstacle to admission to the Bar. All of these programs were well received by the law schools and their students.

We have recently expanded the IT department at the LSBA in an effort to improve security and services. Video conferencing for committee and House of Delegates meetings as well as online networking are all ideas under consideration.

All of these initiatives would not have been accomplished without the hard work of the Board of Governors, our staff and the other leadership positions, all of whom I thank for their contributions.  I am proud of our Association and grateful to have had an opportunity to be involved.