“[To] promote and maintain the Practice of Law as a
profession, that is, as a learned art pursued in the spirit of a public
service—in the spirit of a service of furthering the administration of justice
through and according to law.”
—Roscoe Pound, dean of Harvard Law School from 1916
to 1936
There are many different roles and functions of a bar
association. In Dauphin County, for example, there is our organization: the
aptly-named Dauphin County Bar Association. But what purpose does our bar
association serve, and how do we help the average citizen and the attorneys who
are part of our group?
A bar association promotes public service among its members.
It will encourage them to participate in charity events, such as fundraisers,
and it will also encourage them to do pro bono (free) work for citizens who are
in need of legal representation but cannot afford to pay attorney’s fees.
A bar association will also offer continuing education
courses for attorneys, generally in the form of seminars or publications. These
classes or published works will keep lawyers up-to-date on the latest in legal
developments and the law, so lawyers can be sure to stay on top of what has
changed.
Yet another function of a bar association is to encourage
ethical behavior and to set the standards for this behavior. That way, citizens
can be assured that a lawyer they hire is being held to high expectations when
it comes to behavior and how that citizen will be treated by his or her
attorney.
Most people are familiar with the American Bar Association
and/or the Federal Bar Association, but these organizations also exist on a
state and local level. A bar association can usually be found at law schools
too.
For more information about the Dauphin County Bar
Association, call us at 717-232-7536 or Browse Our Website.
