President's Page by Carolyn Steffl

As we ring in 2025, I challenge you to make annual resolutions related to your legal work, not just your waistline. Here are some suggestions. Please pick 2 or make your own goals. Post about your goals as comments on the BCBA Facebook page -- sharing goals is proven to increase the likelihood of achieving them.

1. Attend a course or webinar on AI in the legal profession to learn tools and ethical concerns and try to use AI on one project a month.

2. Learn more about the new workforce, by attending a webinar on Millennials, Gen Z, remote work trends, etc. Bonus you if learn enough to offer to write an article or conduct a webinar for your friends at the BCBA.

3. Take a self-assessment of your professional strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and analyze how they line up with your current role. Update your website’s profile to emphasize your strengths and target your marketing to the work you would LOVE to do in 2025.

4. Reflect on your billable hours from last year.Is your work-life balance where you want it? If not, what can you do to rebalance – hire a new employee, improve your delegating skills, say “no” when you need to carve out more time for yourself, take a class on how to improve efficiency.

5. Reflect on whether you are living your Attorney’s Oath, specifically: · I will use my knowledge of the law for the betterment of society and the improvement of the legal system · I will never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed. If you have room for improvement here, start by signing up for the BCBA legal clinic or reach out to another organization that you are passionate about to volunteer your time.

6. Commit to start learning a new topic of law in 2025. It may be a sub-set of your current practice that you don’t know well or an underserved area that can help you attract new clients. Then, sign up for a webinar, buy a book, schedule 30 minutes a week on your calendar to work on that area.

7. Start meditation. Find an App like Calm or Insight Timer. Start with a reasonable goal, like 10 minutes a day in the morning or before bed. Attend the free BCBA meditation session on Wednesday, January 15 (click here to RSVP).

8. Take CLEs throughout the year to avoid the December scrabble at the end of your 3-year cycle. (BCBA has LOTS of free CLEs available for members on our website).

9. Plan for the future of your firm. View the 2-part succession planning webinars by BCBA President-elect Jodi Martin. Work on attracting attorneys to fill gaps in practice areas.Lean into training and mentorship of newer attorneys at your firm to build the next generation of leaders.

10. Sign up to Mentor a young attorney or receive a Mentor, through Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program: CAMP, CU Law School, or many of Colorado’s diversity bars.

11. Work to make your firm a more welcoming place by educating yourself. See BCBA’s range of DEI webinars, as a start.

12. Strengthen your network – your best source of referrals. Make a goal to attend a bar networking event or take a colleague out to coffee/lunch once per month for 2025. Find a wing-person to commit to join you at these events. Then, follow-up with new contacts on Linked-In or with a follow-up coffee appointment.

13. Commit to support your local bar association by helping sponsor some of our great events. Laura Ruth and Kyle Mares can help you find the perfect event to sponsor for your personal and professional goals (click here to contact).

Wishing you all a healthy and joyful 2025.