The State Bar Association of North Dakota Fall 2014 Gavel Magazine | Page 30

WHAT WE’VE GOT HERE IS
FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
M AT T LU B A R O F F
ALPS Director of Client Services

Cool Hand Luke centers on the plight of Luke Jackson’s fight
against a broken system. Our current legal system may not be as
broken, but we are facing a communication barrier on the cusp
of leaving large swaths of rural America with no access to legal
services.
The most recent data about the law school graduating class of
2013 shows that the job market continues to be tough for new
lawyers. Not quite as dire as Paul Newman’s character’s plight,
but with only 57 percent of 2013 graduates being placed in longterm, full-time positions where bar passage was required, the
news isn’t exactly uplifting.
We also know, however, that over the next 10 years an estimated
400,000 attorneys will be looking to retire, and many of who are
solo attorneys with no succession or transition plans in place. In
communities where there are attorneys, many are of the Baby
Boomer, and while retirement may not be on the doorstep, that
knock will come sooner rather than later.
Mentorship is an important and vital step in the training of the
next generation of lawyers, as well as providing the opportunity
for experienced attorneys to find potential successors. The need to
connect our young lawyers with our retiring lawyers is significant
and in many cases, urgent. Mentorship helps young attorneys
learn the real life scenarios that may affect their practice while
forging relationships between the current and future leaders of
the legal industry. It also helps established lawyers give back to
the profession and makes it better as a result.
If the jobs are there, if retiring attorneys want and need to
connect with up and coming lawyers, if the practice of law
is substantive and rewarding, and if our system continues to
matriculate qualified and licensed attorneys, then where is the
breakdown?
30

THE GAVEL

It may come down to communication. In rural areas of the
country, it’s the challenge of communicating the benefits of living
and working on Main Street, USA and not chasing the highest
salary possible to help climb the mountain of debt faced by more
and more law school graduates. In these rural communities, the
prospect of building a law practice while enjoying the quality of
life that a smaller town can provide can be an appealing option.
Indeed the work being done by practicing attorneys in more rural
areas is impactful case work, work that an associate in a large firm
may not get to see for years.
Successful communication, as Cool Hand Luke learned,
requires not just the impact of sending a message, but also
another person willing and able to receive that message. To
help facilitate the communication is ALPS Attorney Match, a
free resource that brings together attorneys from every walk of
the profession. Designed by ALPS, this easy-to-use service is a
conduit for mentorship and clerkship opportunities throughout
the legal community. From a risk management perspective,
stronger communication among lawyers, whether in the form of
developing a mentorship relationship or working on a blueprint
for succession, helps mitigate risk through shared experiences
and proactive planning.
Whether you’re a young lawyer looking for a mentor or you’re
a seasoned attorney looking to transition your practice in a few
years, the time is now to establish your connections. Visit www.
alpsattorneymatch.com today and sign up to see how you can
make a match.