Did you go to law school and become a lawyer in hopes of making a difference?
One way to have a direct impact is to participate in BASF’s delegation to the California Conference of Bar Associations (CCBA).
The CCBA brings together attorneys of diverse backgrounds, experience, and expertise from local and specialty bar associations throughout the state, to devise, debate, and promote nonpartisan proposals for changes to California law. The CCBA has an impressive record of proposing legislation that is ultimately passed into law, and by this measure, today it is the most effective lobbying organization in Sacramento.
The work that goes into making a CCBA-sponsored law starts with an idea – an idea to change a portion of California’s codes – by someone like you. Individuals propose a resolution to make changes in the law to “fix” what they see as a problem.
Resolutions are gathered and considered by BASF’s delegation to the CCBA. Delegation members review and debate, not only BASF’s members ‘resolutions, but also resolutions from delegations throughout California. Ultimately, delegates converge at the CCBA’s Annual Conference to debate the resolutions. Resolutions passed at the conference are placed on the CCBA’s legislative agenda. Members take an active role in promoting this agenda, by going to Sacramento to lobby senators and assembly members. (The event is called “Legislative Day,” and, this year, it will be held on March 7, 2016.)
Participating in BASF’s Delegation to the CCBA is rewarding, and fun. It offers a means to become involved in the crafting of legislation. It offers exposure to new areas of the law. And it offers a great way to meet a diverse group of attorneys from within BASF and from throughout the state who, too, are interested in making a difference.
For more information about joining BASF’s Delegation to the CCBA, contact Matthew Mallet at 415-398-1082 or matthew@kbflaw.com, or Barbara Fanning at bfanning@sfbar.org.
About the author:
Matthew A. Mallet serves as the 2016 Chair for the BASF Delegation to the CCBA. He is Of Counsel at The Law Offices of Kirk B. Freeman where he handles an array of business and employment litigation cases.