2025 Local Bar Leaders Conference

The 2025 Local Bar Leaders Conference, held on July 24-25 at the Westin Galleria in Houston, was organized by the State Bar of Texas Local Bar Services, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the Texas Access to Justice Commission. This annual event brought together 190 delegates from over 50 local bar associations across Texas for two days of networking, programming, and informative breakout sessions.

Key topics covered during the conference included strategies for growing membership, generating non-dues revenue, and increasing turnout at bar events. Attendees participated in sessions such as "Local Bars – Cessation of Practice and Succession Planning," which addressed the role of local bar leaders in managing unexpected practice cessations, and "TYLA 101," where the Texas Young Lawyers Association introduced tools designed to support affiliates and highlighted current projects.

The conference featured notable speakers, including keynote Vicki Clark of Clark & Sanchez Consulting, who emphasized the importance of working with a true spirit of service within bar associations and embracing transformation. Additionally, State Bar of Texas President Santos Vargas and Texas Young Lawyers Association President Alyson A. Martinez delivered remarks during the Friday luncheon, which also included the presentation of the Deborah G. Hankinson Awards by Texas Access to Justice Commissioner Terry O. Tottenham.

This conference was particularly beneficial for leadership from metropolitan, county, regional, specialty, and minority bar associations, as well as young lawyer affiliates. It provided a platform to exchange ideas, develop new strategies, and gain insights to enhance the effectiveness and reach of their respective organizations.