Good morning! 

I want to welcome each and every one of you to the DRI Annual Meeting. It is a great privilege to serve as DRI’s president. DRI has been an important influence in my life. It has helped me build my practice, it has taught me how to be a better leader, and it has enriched my personal life. 

DRI’s mission is a simple one: to ensure the professional success of all 22,000 of our members. We are a member service organization that educates, provides practical resources, and advocates for an even playing field in the civil justice system. 

I became involved in DRI back when the Young Lawyers Committee was first created in the early 90s. Created because DRI knew young lawyers were the future of the legal profession and it was committed to fostering their professional development. DRI empowered us to develop the committee in a way that met our needs and supported us along the way. That was 25 years ago, and the commitment that DRI showed to me then is the reason that I am here now. I benefited from this vision in many ways, as did a number of my peers who are also still meaningfully involved in DRI. I think it is fair to say that many of us would not have gotten involved – and stayed involved – but for DRI’s commitment to young lawyers. 

Today, much has changed. The practice of law is different. The needs of younger lawyers have evolved. And, make no mistake about it, these lawyers are a discerning group. They are selective about how they spend their time and to whom they pledge their loyalty. 

You have heard the saying that youth are 30% of the population and 100% of our future. That saying certainly applies here. Young lawyers are still the future of our profession, DRI is still uniquely positioned to support younger lawyers, and it is still critical to DRI that we meet their needs. 

Here are just a few of the things that we have in store for the coming year:

Networking is a critical aspect of professional development. Indeed, connecting for results is the theme of this meeting, and it is full of networking opportunities. But these days a great deal of networking is done on our handhelds and computers, not in person. So, in addition to traditional networking opportunities, DRI will be rolling out DRI circles in the near future. DRI circles is a networking app that allows DRI members to connect to each other by establishing personal networking circles. You can message each other, set up meetings, and easily refer business to each other. 
DRI is also continuing its commitment to being the leader in training young lawyers. We will continue to publish written training materials and provide our gold-standard seminars. But we will also greatly expand our on-demand and online CLE offerings so we can meet the needs of younger lawyers to learn in place.

The most important thing we will do is listen. Young lawyers must be a part of planning for the DRI of the future because they’re smart enough to realize that nothing about them, without them, is for them. We will empower our young lawyers and let them tell us what their needs are. We are creating a task force of young lawyers, led by young lawyers, to help us stay abreast of their evolving needs and ensure that we are providing excellent member service.  

Of course, these efforts are important to the entire legal community, not just young lawyers. The old law practice paradigm is not coming back. Therefore, we will provide you with best practices, best services, and best products that allow your firm to plan for the future by investing in your professional development. 

Twenty-five years ago, I joined DRI and it was the best move I ever made professionally. I have remained a member because of people like you. From my first meeting DRI was the right fit for me. Every step of the way since then, it has given me a sense of community and personal relationships that have lasted my entire professional life.  

That is what DRI means to me.

I am excited to enjoy the annual meeting with you, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year. 

Thank you.