I entered the field of legal marketing a little more eleven years ago. It was my first day on the job when my boss said to me, “I need you to attend an event for me, and I need you to take really good notes.”
There it was. My first assignment, and my very first LMA program. As I arrived, I found that there were barely any seats available in the crowded hotel ballroom. The place was absolutely packed, which I knew was a good sign, considering I arrived very early.
As the program began, I pulled out a pad and began taking notes, but I struggled to focus on the panel discussion that was taking place. All I could do was scan the room as if my head was on a swivel. I was stunned with the fact that there was an entire community of professionals that were all facing similar challenges that I would soon face. As the program continued, I was astonished by how open the panelists were. Each shared multiple concrete ideas and lessons. It was uncanny to me that competitors were openly sharing their ideas, tips, and tricks. It didn’t end there. Several people in the crowd also chimed insome with follow-up questions for the panel, others with ideas and suggestions of their own.
The program ended, but the conversations in the crowd continued. I was amazed at how welcoming the group was to me a legal marketing rookie. I walked away from the program with not only a better understanding of the day’s topic (PR best practices) but also a stack of business cards and offers to help “get me oriented” from several of the attendees.
Instantly, I found myself with a support group of peers to bounce ideas off of and many new friends which soon evolved into a network of informal mentors.
That was the beginning of the beginning for me. I went back to my firm with copious notes for my supervisor. Upon handing them over to my boss, I said, “the next program is on June 12th. Can I go? And, oh yeah, can I become a member?”
Without hesitation, she said yes. From there, I attended as many programs and networking events as I could. It wasn’t long before I volunteered for a position on the Communications Committee, where I got the chance to contribute multiple articles. Next, I joined the Programming Committee, where I had a seat at the table to shape our educational programs.
Needless to say, I kept raising my hand to get involved, and here I am the person lucky enough to be elected your 2014 Chapter President. I have never had any regrets about volunteering. In fact, far from it I have loved every minute of it.
Why am I telling you all of this? I’m telling you because the Chapter would not be able to operate without the help of our volunteers. And for those of you who have even the slightest desire to get involved, please do because this is your chapter.
Within the coming weeks, you will be hearing more about the 2015 Board of Directors Call for Nominations. If you or someone you know is interested, and you have questions or reservations about the responsibilities or time commitment, I encourage you to reach out to one of the current board members.
Download the 2015 Chapter Board of Directors Nominee Information Form
Get involved!
By Corey Garver, 2014 President of the Capital Chapter and Client Development Manager, Shulman Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker for the May/June 2014 Issue of the Capital Ideas Newsletter.