Legal Secretary Association Members? Where Is Everybody?

Posted on 7/20/2007

Bueller?... Bueller?...
In the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, there is this classic scene of the high school teacher taking attendance and calling out the name, Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?... The snapshot is of bored students drooling from the mouth, staring at the clock, waiting for the classroom bell to ring. It's a perfect analogy of someone missing in action.

Legal Secretary Assocation Member?... Legal Secretary Assocation Member?...
Where is everybody? Where are all the Legal Secretary Association Members these days?

Wait a minute, wait a minute. The State Bar claims there are about 200,000 attorneys in California. Ok, 200,000! And in the Legal Secretaries Association (LSI) there are only about 2500 members. Two thousand five hundred. That's an 80 to 1 ratio. 80 attorneys for every one legal secretary.

Please raise your hand if you have 80 attorneys? Anybody? Please raise your hand if it feels like you have 80 attorneys. Anybody? Anybody?

So then back to my original question.

Where is everybody?

Earlier this year I was asked to write an article for LSI - the Legal Secretaries Inc Quarterly magazine.I have written for newspapers. And as a court reporter, I have written for national trade magazines like the JCR - the Journal of Court Reporting -- so I was honored and stoked to add your publication to my bibliography.

But I had no idea what I was going to write about. I only knew that the deadline was fast approaching and that it had to be about 1,500 words. So I did what any author would do under similar circumstances. I procrastinated. I waited until the week of the deadline to start. And that's the fun stage when procrastination turns into panic. Yeah, that's fun!

But I was able to get my hands on a few back issues of the LSI and I devoured them studying them for any angle I could come up with.And then I stumbled on it…

Where is everybody?

The theme that surfaced during my research - over and over - from different angles - but still the common thread throughout -- is the problem - no let me make that stronger - the crisis of the declining membership base of the LSI.

Again, let me ask the question…

Where is everybody?

And that is the question that I set out to write about. The article I wrote came out in May of this year and it was called, LSI: Marketing Forward.Over the next few blog posts, I will attempt to unpack the nuggets from my article and try to figure out where is Ferris Bueller, er, I mean Legal Secretary Association Members.Stay tuned...

Comment by LRH
8/1/2007

Todd, I’m not sure where the California legal secretaries are, but I can tell you I’m not a member of any professional organization because the cost is prohibitive. Lawyers get their professional organization dues paid by their firms, but secretaries usually must pay out of pocket. So we find other ways to do our networking.

Comment by Todd Olivas
8/1/2007

Thanks for writing. That’s a great point you make. I hadn’t thought about the cost factor as being a reason for the declining membership base here in California. BTW, I checked out your website…. it’s awesome. I’ve added you to my blogroll. Everybody needs to check out http://lawyersrighthand.com!

I’m Packing My Bags…Sacramento Is Calling… Again.

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