By Peter H. Glade, Multnomah Bar Association President
Six months into my term as MBA president, I have spent most of my Multnomah Lawyer column space discussing ways that readers can become involved in issues and projects that will advance the mission of this organization and discharge our professional responsibilities as good stewards of the justice system in our community. I have urged you to join and provide financial support to the political challenges to the independence of our judiciary and the rule of law. I have suggested that each of us can make an important contribution to providing access to justice by dedicating relatively few hours and dollars to pro bono activities and causes. I have also lauded the opportunities the MBA provides for participation in the committees that serve to improve our legal system.
You should consider taking advantage of all those opportunities that the MBA provides its members. They truly are benefits of belonging to this organization. However, the MBA provides many other benefits of value to its members, and while you are making your community and world a better place by fighting injustice, helping the disadvantaged, and battling the forces of evil, you should definitely avail yourself of the many perks to which you are entitled by virtue of paying some of the lowest dues for a voluntary bar organization of our size.
If you have been in the market for health insurance lately, you have experienced the shock of escalating costs. Unless you are part of a large organization, you likely will be hampered by limiting buying capacity, and the confusing variety of available plans can be overwhelming. The MBA has a committee, and consultants will take on this task for you. Each year we negotiate with a group of carriers, taking advantage of the size of our membership, to get the best rates we can for our members. The health insurance plans available through the MBA are designed to accommodate a wide range of needs. In addition, we have added disability and long term care plans to those health benefits. I think you will likely find that you can easily recover your annual dues from the savings these plans offer.
The MBA can help you keep up with advancing digital technology. Through its affinity relationship with LexisNexis, the MBA can also save you money on legal research. (Does anyone go to the library and page through the Decennial Digest any more?) Small firms and solo practitioners can take advantage of special packages and pricing exclusively made available to MBA members by LexisNexis. The MBA also has an affinity relationship with Canon Business Solutions that can provide you with exclusive discounts on Canon document management systems as well as digital imaging and scanning hardware.
If you don’t know what “digital imaging hardware” is, or if your needs run to the more traditional (people, pens and paper), the MBA also offers its members opportunities for discounts and savings. MBA members receive a discount on placement fees, as well as a quality of service guarantee from Legal Northwest. If a staff person is placed and it doesn’t work out, MBA members are refunded a percentage of their fee, with the refund amount reduced relative to the amount of time the staff person was with the firm. And members receive up to a 40% discount from Office Depot on select office supplies.
If your practice involves litigation, you know that reliable court reporting services can be an expensive cost for you and your clients. The MBA has had a longstanding affinity relationship with Naegeli Reporting Corporation that can save you significant amounts, giving you a cost-effective access to advanced technology and a well established, multi-state network of reporters. MBA members receive a 15% discount on court reporting appearance fees, videographer appearance fees and videoconferencing hourly room rates. They also receive a 24 cent per page price reduction on original transcripts and a 10% discount off of Naegeli’s Trial Presentation Services.
With all those savings, you could probably use some good banking services. The Bank of the Cascades provides MBA members with a generous array of discounted and VIP banking services that are designed specifically for attorneys. Particularly if you appreciate the personal touch, you should check out this benefit. And if you use plastic from time to time, the MBA’s Bank of America MasterCard can provide you with a low annual percentage rate, purchase protection and travel agency services and the proceeds are donated to LASO.
As MBA members, you are also eligible for preferred room rates and a 50% discount on meeting rooms at all Kimpton Hotels, including the Hotel Vintage Plaza and 5th Avenue Suites in Portland. You can also get Portland Opera and Broadway Series Tickets and Oregon Ballet Tickets at a discount.
Additional information on all these benefits and privileges and contact information is available on the MBA Web site. Check it out. If you can’t save enough money to pay your annual dues, you must not be trying. I guess that means that with a little effort, you could say your membership in the MBA doesn’t cost you anything. So, now that you’ve saved all that money, you can use it to help save the world.
This column appeared in the February 2007 issue of Multnomah Lawyer, the monthly newsletter of the Multnomah Bar Association. Peter Glade was president of the association from 2006 to 2007. View this article on the MBA's Web site at http://www.mbabar.org/docs/newsletters/ml_feb2007.pdf
