From the President...

TO ALL SAM CARY BAR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS:

             I am honored to have been selected as President of SCBA for the second time in its illustrious history. The year 2012 can be a watershed year for SCBA if members will recognize it as their own, and support it, both professionally and financially. Bar associations exist for the purpose of bringing together like-minded professionals in order to engage in a range of activities calculated to benefit them as lawyers and, as individuals who have similar qualities.

            When the seven true and active Founders of SCBA joined and created the first minority bar association in Colorado, they did so in recognition of the fact that other professional/social organizations did not welcome them to membership. Rather than stand by and miss out on the benefits of “association,” we joined together to create our own utilitarian organization that, now 41 years later, continues to allow Black attorneys to work together to strengthen each other in special ways and to improve the quality of our work and practice, and to provide needed mentoring to each other, as well as supporting and buttressing  Black law students.  And the best evidence of our success is that the profession as a whole supports us and recognizes the value we add to our profession. Let us all join together in a special bond to make 2012 a banner year for our members and students, and for our profession.

            We have started the year in a significant way. Through friendly persuasion and artful negotiation, I have been able to assist Colorado Bank and Trust to be the sole sponsor of the 2012 SCBA Homecoming, through a $2,500.00 gift to SCBA. Through that aegis, we had a grand Homecoming on March 9, 2012, at the Spire Hotel in downtown Denver, with no cost to our attorneys. Additional benefits accrued to those attorneys who found the Bank’s personal and professional services to their liking; it is a good day to test one’s needs against a very willing bank’s personnel who are anxious to show us their ability to assist us in our personal banking, and in our practice of law.

            Every one of us can benefit from the programs of SCBA, including our upcoming CLE presentation, and other traditional activities. I encourage all of you to not be on the outside; join us on the dark side. Thank you all and I’ll look forward to seeing you in the future.

Raymond Dean Jones
SCBA President - 2012