This month, I want to introduce (or perhaps reintroduce) you all to the most important people at the Idaho State Bar. While I am honored to fill the role of President of the Idaho State Bar Commission, these are the talented individuals you all should know.

This team dedicates themselves day after day to fulfilling the ISB’s mission. Prior to joining the Board of Commissioners, I had met some of these folks, but I was not aware of the robust, skilled, and long-tenured team of individuals (many of whom wear multiple hats) working behind the scenes at the Bar. Please take a few minutes to get to know and celebrate this fantastic team with me.

Did You Know?

The Bar team has some unique skills…

• Maureen is a former Division I college athlete (women’s rowing).
• Diane doesn’t just lead the Bar, she sews too! She made many of her own clothes when she was young and a few prom dresses for her daughters.
• Craig has hit a hole in one in golf and has bowled a 300 (perfect game!) – he earned a scholarship in bowling!.
• Colleen was a Professional Organizer for seven years.

They like plants and animals…

• Nelda has a major green thumb and has 50 house plants.
• Kim has three kids, two dogs, two cats, a Leopard Gecko, and a toad at home.

They love to travel…

• Deanna has been to 26 countries.
• Teresa and her husband are trying to visit every state together along with each state’s capitol and as many baseball stadiums, local restaurants, landmarks, and historical sites as possible.
• Carissa traveled to Malaysia and Japan this summer and has been to four continents.
• Al completed a solo motorcycle trek from Central through Northwest Vietnam last winter.

They have cool stories to share…

• Lindsey hosted a morning radio show segment with her dad on News Talk 670 KBOI for two years when she was 8-10 years old.
• Joe once saw Rage Against the Machine play a concert inside the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.
• Annette has worked for the Bar for 41 years.

And…

• They are inspired by the work ISB members do to serve pro bono and paying clients and the public at large.

In 2025, the Idaho State Bar will celebrate its 100-year anniversary! We have accomplished a lot in those 100 years! Here’s what some members of the Bar team hope to see in the next 100 years:

• Preservation of the professionalism within our small bar , continuing to serve the citizens of Idaho with great lawyers, and the opportunity to learn more about the legal system and civics. – Teresa
• Further growth and advancement in the use of technology. – Nelda, Katherine & Kim
• The Bar continuing to be a resource for attorneys as they practice changes with AI and other technological developments. – Caralee
• A growing membership to meet the legal needs of all Idahoans! – Craig

And here are some projects on the horizon they are excited to share with our members:

• The new ISB member portal. – Everyone
• Continuing to advance processes at the Bar to make things easier for the members to get their information. – Carissa
• Finding new ways to serve our members through changes in the Annual Meeting. – Teresa & Colleen

The ISB team has a lot to be proud of…

• Joe is proud of his office’s grievance investigations – those investigations take a lot of work, and his team takes great pride in reaching the right outcome.
• Jennifer shared that following a statewide outreach, the number of attorneys with an Emeritus license has more than tripled and Emeritus attorneys have since provided legal services to numerous low-income Idahoans.
• The IVLP team has modernized their processes and expanded the services they are able to provide while maintaining the same number of staff.
• The Communications team has recently completed a full redesign & platform transition of the ISB and ILF websites and a full redesign of The Advocate magazine.
• Annette, Kim, and Carissa have all worked to streamline processes and go paperless.
• Teresa and Maureen found creative ways to serve members during the COVID-19 pandemic including successfully administering a safe, in-person bar exam in 2020.
• Julia has participated in three major overhauls of parts of the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct.

And they have a lot more they would like you to know…

• Many Idahoans are in need of pro bono services. The need for IVLP attorneys far outweighs the resources we have, and we’d love to work with more attorneys! – Jennifer & Jenni
• The Idaho Lawyer Assistance Program is a fantastic resource for attorneys in crisis. – Joe
• Bar Counsel’s Office is a great resource that provides assistance with ethics, grievances, client assistance fund claims, etc. – Deanna
• We are one of the few bars in the country that does not pay for editorial/article content for our magazine; every article in our magazine is purely volunteer –based. The discourse that happens in our magazine is incredibly important and we wish even more members would write for us! Especially on legal topics they are passionate about. – Lindsey
• We have a dedicated, professional staff that works hard to serve you! – Craig
• We are happy to help people and answer questions. The ISB team is one phone call or email away. – Maureen
• That there is an opportunity for all to be involved, no matter how busy your practice may be. It is vitally important to our profession to get to know other members of the Bar from across the state to keep our bar collegial and welcoming. – Teresa

Jillian H. Caires is an Idaho native and a proud Washington State University Cougar and Gonzaga Bulldog. After clerking for the Honorable Benjamin Simpson, Jillian spent several years in private practice in Coeur d’Alene before joining the in-house legal team of Avista Corporation. In her free time, Jillian enjoys baking, gardening, walking her standard poodle, and spending time with her family.