Here is the text of a letter that MSBA President Tom Nelson recently shared with members who had not yet renewed their membership:
October 2019
Dear MSBA Member:
I'm hoping that you will continue your support for—and your membership in—the Minnesota State Bar Association, along with your membership in your district bar association. I'm also hoping that, if you have any questions or concerns along these lines, you'll give me a call or drop me a note.
As you probably know, I view our bar association as both a Great Idea and a Good Deal. It's a good deal, and a good investment, in light of the many benefits and "free stuff" that comes along with your membership. Let me know if you need a list or a reminder along these lines; it's pretty impressive. Robust practice tools, for example, and a constant stream of substantive resources and programs. It's a great idea because, together, we have the unique opportunity as an association to lead, speak for, support, and connect our profession and our communities. Put another way, there is value that you "get" as a result of being a member of the MSBA, and there are values that you support with your membership, participation, leadership, and (to put it candidly) your dues.
Those values, of course, include excellent and zealous client service, ethics, dignity, and decency—and also public service and citizenship. Along the way, we do our best to support and advance professionalism and civility, diversity and inclusion, and the passing along of our lawyerly legacy and heritage to the new and younger members of our profession. We are also in the midst of important initiatives relating to lawyer health; the practice of law in greater Minnesota; the support of public and private and corporate practitioners; and the support of and connection with our solo, small, and suburban colleagues. I've written a couple of columns along these lines recently, and I'm attaching them for your convenience.
We value your membership, and we will do all we can to make your membership worthwhile—whether in the Minnesota legislature, or in our Supreme Court’s committee conference rooms; whether in DC’s halls of Congress, or in our CLE conference center; whether in Bench & Bar, or on our website; whether relating to our pro bono opportunities and obligations, or our daunting challenges relating to access to justice and the rule of law. Be we can’t do what we do—and what we hope to do—without your membership.
If you have not already renewed your MSBA membership for 2019-2020, please do so by November 8th. I know it’s yet another cost or expense, but I hope that you’ll view your membership as worth it. You can log on to the MSBA website at www.mnbar.org, or you can call 612-333-1183.
Tom Nelson
MSBA President (2019-2020)
612-335-1457
tom.nelson@stinson.com