Resolve to Get Involved in 2025

Welcome to 2025! The Idaho State Bar hit a big milestone this year as it turns 100. This is the last of my columns as president of the Idaho State Bar. I have learned so much about the Bar over the last three years. The Bar is supported by an amazing team of employees and volunteers who care deeply about the members of the bar, the public, and our profession. To keep our Bar thriving for the next 100 years, WE NEED YOU! There are many ways to get involved in the Bar and I am confident that there is an opportunity for everyone to participate.

So, as we move into 2025 and the 100-year celebration of the Bar, I call upon each member of the Bar to resolve to get involved. Please consider trying out one of these ways that you can get involved in 2025:

1. Attend our 100-year anniversary celebration. 100 years is a reason to celebrate, and this one is going to be great! Keep your eyes open for more details!

2. Run for Commissioner. Go big! In 2025 we will have elections for new commissioners from the Second and Fourth Districts. (The First and Second Districts share a commissioner, alternating every three years and the Fourth District is represented by two commissioners). As a commissioner, you get a front row seat to all the amazing work of our Bar. If you are passionate about our profession and want to really get to know the bar, I strongly recommend that you consider running for commissioner.

3. Run for your local district’s leadership. If you aren’t ready to run for commissioner, or if there isn’t a seat open in your district, consider running for leadership in your local district. I spent three years as an officer of the First District. It was a great way to get to know the attorneys in my district and to get involved as an attorney early in my career. It takes a lot of work to plan CLEs and events for an engaging district bar and talented, dedicated attorneys are always needed!

4. Become a bar exam grader. Grading the bar exam takes a very dedicated group of volunteers, and it’s a great service to the Bar! 

5. Write an article for The Advocate. It is my understanding that The Advocate is one of the few bar publications in the country that is still comprised completely of content written by volunteer authors; we don’t rely on any paid content, and you won’t find any AI-written articles here. Each issue is sponsored by a different Practice Section of the bar, which brings me to my next suggestion…

6. Join a Practice Section of the Bar. Did you know there are 23 Practice Sections? There is something for everyone and every practice. Sections range from Agriculture Law to Young Lawyers and Appellate Practice to Health Law.

7. Volunteer at Lawyers in the Library. Through this program, lawyers in Coeur d’Alene, Boise, Nampa, Mountain Home, Garden City, and Meridian can offer pro bono services in an approachable, bite-sized manner. Some libraries even offer a virtual option, so you can volunteer without leaving the comfort of your office!

8. Take on a mentee. Sign up for a formal program, like one through the law school, or keep it informal. While on the Roadshow in November, we heard from a member of the bench that some young attorneys would benefit from more mentorship. One way that was suggested to reach out to mentees is simply to reach out to a judge in your community and offer to serve as a mentor for folks new to the practice.

9. Attend a CLE, or better yet, volunteer to lead one! My good friend Caitlin O’Brien and I led an ethics jeopardy CLE for several years in the First District. We always learned a lot in our preparation and had a great time presenting the CLE to our peers.

10. Judge a law school competition. I recently had the opportunity to serve as a judge for Gonzaga’s negotiation competition. It was so fun to spend some time with 1Ls and watch as they learned a little be about the art of negotiation.

11. Attend the Admissions Ceremony. The highlight of my time as President of the Bar was attending the Fall 2024 Admissions Ceremony. It was a great reminder of how blessed I am to practice as an attorney in Idaho. I was excited to share in the excitement of the day as the new admittees celebrated the great accomplishment of becoming an attorney. Your next chance for this celebratory pick-me-up is May 2, 2025.

12. Nominate an attorney for the Distinguished Jurist, Distinguished Lawyer, Outstanding Young Lawyer, Professionalism, or Pro Bono awards. You can make a nomination on the Bar’s website at any time.[1]

13. Put your fitness-related New Year’s resolutions to good use by training for the Access to Justice Fund Run. Fun fact, the Access to Justice Fund Run was Idaho State Bar Executive Director Maureen Braley’s Legacy Project for the Idaho Academy of Leadership, which brings us to…

14. Commit to growing your skills as a leader and apply for the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (“IALL”). Applications for this highly regarded leadership program will open in June 2025. The program is designed specifically for lawyers and gives participants the opportunity to hone their leadership skills while building lifelong relationships with practitioners from throughout the state.

15. Give back to those who have served. The Idaho Military Legal Alliance offers pro bono services to Idaho’s military population. Find out more and how you can get involved on their website.[2]

16. Get a laugh in to support democracy (and Attorneys for Civic Education (“ACE”)) by attending Hilarity for Charity. ACE members recognize that the key to a healthy, functioning democracy is a citizenry that is educated and knowledgeable about the U.S. Constitution and the importance of the rule of law to the continued health of our democracy. That is a mission we can all get behind! Learn more here on their website.[3]

The ideas listed here are by no means exhaustive of all the ways you can get involved with the Idaho State Bar in 2025, but I hope it inspires you to try something new, and I hope to see you around the Bar this year!

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.

[1] https://isb.idaho.gov/about-us/awards/award-nomination-form/.

[2] https://ilf.idaho.gov/imla/.

[3] https://www.attorneysforciviceducation.org/.