President's Page by Carrie Frank

Wow! It’s hard to believe that my term as President is coming to an end. The timing is perfect, as I am also in the process of retiring and wrapping up my law practice.

It has been a busy year at the BCBA, and I’m happy to report that we did not have any terrible events this year like the Marshall fire. Still, we have been working diligently to meet the needs of our members and to continue to plan for the future of this wonderful organization.

This year, we held for the first time, membership wide voting for the new BCBA Board of Directors. Over 110 members voted for the new board, which will be announced at the annual meeting on June 8 at the BCBA office. Come join us for the meeting and meet the new board. If you have ideas for events or CLE programs for the upcoming year, please share them as quickly as possible as the board holds a planning session soon after the annual meeting.

We held the first ever “Chili Cook-Off” event to fill the bellies of the BCBA families, friends and anyone who drove by the venue. Each Board member was responsible for bringing their own time-tested batch of chili. Board member, Alison Gordon, won the coveted “boot” for the best chili. It was a rousing success and sure to become an annual event. The BCBA had a line-up of volunteer and fun activities so that members could ignite their personal interests outside of the law. From the Precious Child holiday gift program, to a Habitat For Humanities build, to First Fridays with your dog, and everything in between, the BCBA put together events partnering with local organizations. The BCBA also had a wide variety of CLE programs including the well-received Bench and Bar seminar held at C.U. Law School. And of course, other events such as the Justice for All Ball held by the Bounty County Bar Foundation to raise money to benefit the Boulder chapter of Colorado Legal Services and the Judges’ Dinner to thank the Boulder Bench for their tireless work, were very well attended.

This year, the BCBA made CLE webinars free for members and we have received a lot of positive feedback. The BCBA has continued to try to determine the best format for CLE programs in our “post-covid” world. Should the program be in person? Via Zoom? A hybrid? Fortunately, the staff at the BCBA can pivot on a dime so that the people who want to attend a program can do so easily. Wednesday morning Bagels with the Bar at the BCBA office continues to be a favorite. If you need CLE credits the upcoming programs include: Negotiating Wise Agreements (June 6), Reproductive Healthcare Post-Dobbs (June 12), Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (June 13), and Getting Your Firm’s Affairs in Order – Succession Planning for Solo and Small Firms (June 22). If you just want to have some fun, please join us for Boulder Area Rental Housing Association and BCBA happy hour (June 15),and the BCBA at Colorado Rockies Day Game (July 19) when the Rockies play the Houston Astros.

As the BCBA exists to serve its members, retaining members and bringing in new members is vital for the long-term success of this association. We conducted a membership drive to reach out to Boulder County attorneys who are not members of the BCBA. All of the new members received a BCBA-branded chamois cloth, personally delivered by Laura and Kyle, so hopefully there are a lot of clean eyeglasses and computer monitors in our legal community.

As my term comes to a close, I want to thank the board members for your thoughts, insight, candidness, and willingness to work together to reach a consensus on different matters that have come up during the year. It has been a pleasure getting to know you all better. I want to thank Laura and Kyle at the BCBA for your flexibility, camaraderie, listening to my occasional rants, and for putting the needs of the BCBA first and foremost. Of course, I want to thank the membership for entrusting me as the President during this past year. It has been my honor to serve in this role. I now pass the gavel into the capable hands of Emily Ellison.

I wish you all health, happiness, and success in wherever your dreams may take you.