We were taught about the importance of joining bar associations and other organizations as early as law school.  For example, this article by Jill Backer, Associate Director for Employer Relations at Brooklyn Law School, emphasizes the importance of networking in your job search.  And, as this April 2010 post on Corporette suggests, many firms require their attorneys to join professional organizations.  And, then some of us just have the "student council" persona where involvement is a hobby.   Whether you are looking to network to find a job, obtain clients or have fun, joining organizations can help.     

But, not all organizations are created equally, and lawyers and law students don't have lots of extra free time to devote to every organization out there.  Lawyers and law students must think carefully about their individual goals and objectives and research specific organizations to determine which organizations will advance those goals.  I've outlined six factors I recommend considering.   

1. Number of non-attorneys in the organization.  I love that Backer suggested joining non-legal networking organizations in her article.  Backer's recommendation is a helpful suggestion for lawyers looking to develop business---look for organizations without a huge number of attorneys in your practice area so you become the "go to" attorney for that practice area. 
   
   Use social networking sites to find such organizations.  For example, one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter is Steven Dennis.  Steven is not a lawyer; he's the President of SageBerry Consulting and former SVP of Strategy & Marketing at Neiman Marcus.  By reading Steven's tweets such as the one below, I discovered a Dallas organization called the Dallas/Fort Worth Retail Executives Association. 
   
       
    I didn't find any lawyers in my quick review of the organization's leadership.  If I were a lawyer who represented retail organizations, I'd certainly join the group---or, at a minimum, attend an event.  Even if my membership didn't lead to clients immediately, I would gain more knowledge about the industry I represent, and that knowledge alone is a value to clients.            
2. Geographical influence.  The quality of national organizations varies among cities.  For example, the national organization for your practice area may have a strong chapter and presence in Denver but a weaker presence in Miami.  A  state or local organization may offer better programming in Miami.       
3. Referral sources.  Consider your referral sources - for example, are you gaining a significant amount of referrals from local lawyers as a result of conflicts or are you getting a significant amount of referrals from out-of-town lawyers on local counsel matters.   If local lawyers are a strong source, perhaps you should devote a significant amount of your time to local organizations.  If you receive more referrals for local counsel work, perhaps you need to devote more time to a national organization that has a strong referral network.    
4. Common connections in a new location.   Did you recently relocate to a new geographical market?  Join organizations with which you have some connection, and use those organizations to establish new contacts in your new community.  Examples include college alumni groups, law school alumni groups, and sorority/fraternity alumni chapters.   LinkedIn is a great tool for identifying and connecting with such organizations.       
5. Personal Interests.  Follow your passion.  I know many attorneys who developed business as a result of their involvement with local running clubs, animal rescue organizations, and musical groups.        
6. Reorganization.  Look for organizations that are in a rebuilding phase and jump in to help.  You will often find immediate opportunities for leadership roles in such organizations.

Once you determine which organizations are deserving of your time, then incorporate your involvement in your business plan by outlining your leadership goals and the steps required to achieve those goals.   

Finally, if you are in the New York City area, you may want to consider attending Being Strategic About 24/7: Assignments, Committees and Community presented by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum.   As the name implies, the program will address why a strategy is important in choosing your non-billable activities.   

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