Building a Next Generation Bar: The Bar of Possibility

Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa is an instantly recognizable masterpiece. It depicts a huge wave engulfing fishing boats and threatening Edo (Tokyo) and even Mount Fuji. The iconic Great Wave has been interpreted to symbolize vast change, from environmental disasters to political and social change.

As bar leaders, we can’t help but consider the Great Wave’s symbolism for today’s challenges and opportunities. We’re experiencing singular threats to the rule of law. AI and technology are rapidly transforming the practice of law. We’re creating a cultural shift in the profession regarding well-being so we can flourish across all dimensions of our lives. Court decisions and intense polarization challenge us to find new ways to fulfill our commitment to inclusive excellence. We may ask, how do we create a profession where everyone belongs here? 

This year, NCBP has continued to deliver cutting-edge programming on all these issues so that bar leaders are empowered in this transformative moment. But we’re doing more than that. We’re building a next generation NCBP so we’re operationally ready to help you meet this moment.

What does a next generation NCBP look like? We’ve identified our “why” because, as Simon Sinek famously remarked, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” We launched a new website and held social media training sessions to enhance engagement, connection, and delivery of the best resources for our bar leaders. We’re continuously recreating NCBP as an organization where “everyone belongs here” and where difference is valued. As we listen to stories that are not our own, our humility and curiosity elevates how and what we deliver for our members. We create possibility.

What stands out from all the outstanding work by NCBP’s officers, council members, and staff this year is our unstoppable energy and commitment to supporting bar leaders. With ideas flying, building upon one another, with electricity and joy, NCBP is a place of possibility. It’s awe in action.

But what possibility? As we break out of legacy narratives and harvest new ones, consider author Ocean Vuong’s remarks: “We often tell our students, ‘The future is in your hands.’ But I think the future is actually in your mouth. You have to articulate the world you want to live in first.” John Waters, in his Rhode Island School of Design commencement speech, put it this way: "It’s your turn to make trouble! Make me nervous with your new ideas!"

It's been an honor to serve as NCBP President this year. Thank you to our officers and council members who, individually and collectively, bring exceptional leadership, energy, and enthusiasm to every meeting and task. Thank you to our staff, who do wonderous things to put ideas into action. Thank you all for accepting the risks and discomfort that go hand in hand with creativity and awe. As Dan Cotter takes the gavel, NCBP stands ready to serve our members against the backdrop of the Great Wave.

--Robin Wolpert, NCBP President, 2023-24