Building More Than a Career: Leadership and Community in Law

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [01:55] Barbara Howard’s path from the ABA Young Lawyers Division to becoming President of the American Bar Association.
• [03:51] Laura Farber’s journey through the ABA and how long-term involvement helped shape her legal career and leadership.
• [04:20] How Laura’s experience immigrating from Argentina influenced her appreciation for opportunity, freedom, and constitutional rights.
• [05:00] Laura’s historic leadership as the first Latina president of the Tournament of Roses and her involvement with the Rose Bowl.
• [07:02] Why bar association involvement can become one of the most valuable professional networks an attorney can build.
• [08:19] How national legal organizations help young lawyers develop relationships, find mentors, and become valuable resources for their clients.
• [09:47] How ABA members have used collective advocacy to support access to legal services and influence public policy.
• [12:04] The ABA’s work surrounding judicial independence and judicial security.
• [12:52] How international attorneys can participate in the ABA and benefit from its professional community.
• [13:16] Why mentorship and introducing young people to legal careers remain important parts of the ABA’s mission.
• [15:29] Barbara and Laura’s advice for professionals pursuing ambitious goals: never sell yourself short, stay authentic, and don’t settle.

In this episode…

Recorded at the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., John Gomez and David Arreguin sit down with American Bar Association President Barbara Howard and President-Elect Laura Farber for a conversation about leadership, service, mentorship, and the power of professional community.

Barbara and Laura share how their involvement with the ABA began early in their careers and eventually led them to some of the organization’s highest leadership positions. They discuss the value of building relationships beyond your immediate practice, the ABA’s work involving access to justice and the legal profession, and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation of lawyers. Laura also reflects on immigrating from Argentina and her journey to becoming the first Latina president of the Tournament of Roses.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• • Gomez Trial Attorneys: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
  • John Gomez on LinkedIn 
  • David Arreguin on LinkedIn
  • American Bar Association
  • Barbara Howard 
  • Laura V. Farber

Quotable moments

• “We as lawyers have a whole lot to offer our community, our nation, and especially in these times.”
• “You can’t find a better network.”
• “I come away from every one of these conferences feeling like we are so lucky to be practicing law.”
• “You’re building relationships.”
• “You’re doing something meaningful that you care about that has impact.”
• “For me, it makes my practice more fulfilling.”
• “Don’t sell yourself short ever. Ever. You can do it.”
• “Be your authentic self and don’t settle.”
• “You can always achieve what you want to achieve, but you can do it with authenticity.”

Action steps

1. Get involved early. Joining professional organizations as a law student or young attorney can create relationships that continue throughout your career.
2. Build relationships outside your practice area. A broad professional network can help you find experts, generate referrals, and become a stronger resource for your clients.
3. Look beyond traditional networking. Bar associations can provide opportunities to participate in advocacy, public service, mentorship, and leadership.
4. Find meaningful ways to contribute. Get involved with issues or initiatives you genuinely care about, even when they fall outside your everyday practice.
5. Mentor the next generation. Help law students and aspiring attorneys see that there is a place for them in the profession.
6. Use your legal skills in service of others. Professional involvement can create opportunities to contribute to access to justice and the broader legal community.
7. Don’t sell yourself short. Pursue leadership opportunities even when they seem beyond where you currently are in your career.
8. Stay authentic. Professional success and leadership don’t require giving up the qualities and experiences that make you who you are.