All Politics ARE Local, Part 2: “Six Degrees of Separation” Ken Goldsmith Senior Legislative Counsel American Bar Association Leah Johnson Assistant Executive Director The South Carolina National Conference of Bar Presidents 21st Century Lawyer Series April 19, 2017

RELATIONSHIPS (It’s really just 3-4 degrees, nationally) How, as a bar leader, can you promote public policy that furthers the interests of justice, promotes the legal profession, and establishes the rule of law? RELATIONSHIPS (It’s really just 3-4 degrees, nationally)

Family, friends, colleagues, and bar members Current Connections Family, friends, colleagues, and bar members Sister Organizations Shared Stakeholders Coalitions Experienced bar staff Governmental Affairs Media Relations

Current Connections Your Delegates, Representatives, Senators, Governors, Council Members, Executive, etc. They are neighbors They represent you They need your help LinkedIn Check

Create New Connections: Who? Key Players Assembly Leadership Key Committees Key Subcommittees Both Chambers Chair and Ranking Member Senior Members Key Staff

Creating New Ones: How? Personal meetings Creating opportunities: events, conferences, luncheons, recognition, media, sites Leveraging Others’: Hearings, roundtables, town halls, fundraisers, press and special events Telephone calls, email, websites, faxes, social media Feedback and follow-through

Creating New Ones: How? Advocacy Relationships are formed around Presence Shared Purpose or Goals Eliminate or Mitigate Reasons for Reluctance Conflicts among friends or purpose? Damaged reputation? Quality of work or follow through? You inherit and further the bar’s reputation

Putting It to Work Call your friends and your lobbyist Organize your allies and assess any opposition Develop or activate a grassroots network Deliver your message to legislators, both directly and indirectly Utilize media to reinforce the message

Allies and Opponents Coalitions enhance influence; strange bedfellows attract even more attention Understand or learn the political strengths of allies and potential opponents Can the legislation be crafted to enhance more allies and avoid powerful opponents? In politics, no permanent friends, no permanent enemies

Grassroots and Grass-tops Constituent support counts; stronger/broader constituent support counts even more Relationships matter, often for reaching the legislator, if not making the sale Lawyers are influential and connected, but so are clients and vendors Be systematic in developing and maintaining a grassroots relationship database

FIVE things to do, today Check LinkedIn, your “Rolodex,” and other networks for connections See what kind of relationship the bar has with lawyer-legislators and key leaders and committees Compare these, looking for gaps -=- Gaps are where to focus your cultivation efforts while maintaining existing connections Check your priorities against existing bar policy -=- will something need to be approved or can you interpret existing policy to say what needs to be said on a contemporary issue? Know your bar lobbyist and advocacy/grassroots capacity

What did we miss? What is YOUR best guidance for colleagues? Questions or comments? Thank you!!

Photo Credits Gerard Butler, 300, Warner Brothers (2006) Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, China Film Co- Production Corporation, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia (2000) Dorothy & Friends, Wizard of Oz, MGM (1939) Citizen Kane, RKO Radio Productions, Mercury Productions (1941) Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Lucasfilm (1980)