President's Message By: Kristi Smith

Well now, here we are at the end of another year.  I must say that 2005 has all but flown by once again as they all seem to do now that I'm an adult and live vicariously by the clock and calendar trying to meet deadlines and squeezing something in to every second of the day.  The beginning of a new year, a fresh start, is always a good time to reflect on the accomplishments and yes, the failures, of the past year. 

2005 was a memorable one for all of us and especially for those living in Florida and along the Gulf Coast regions of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.  Hurricane after hurricane seemed to make their way to landfall leaving nothing but destruction and despair behind.  I'm glad to say that we are a strong country with people who are generous with both their time and money to help those in need and who respond quickly to the need.  There is still a long way to go to rebuild and get affected lives back in order but progress has been made toward that end.  I was very proud to see all of the ALA chapters who stepped up to the challenge to be a part of the recovery effort by donating money, food, supplies, office equipment, office space and especially their time.  In the same way and in addition to making a donation to the Red Cross, the Atlanta chapter members have given of their time and money by making donations to My House at the annual Business Partnership Lunch in August and Operation Compassion at our annual Holiday Lunch in December.  Many of us gave our time and brute strength (and sweat!) to mulching away at Piedmont Park Conservancy's "Clean & Green Days" during October's Community Challenge Weekend.  It's weird to say that doing someone else's yard work is "fun" but it is rewarding to know that the work you are doing is improving the community in which you live and work.

I am proud to be a part of such a hard-working and determined group of people.  Our chapter has grown by leaps and bounds the last several years and has accomplished a lot making Atlanta one of the chapters other chapters looked to for guidance.  I encourage each of you to use the resources provided to you through both the National ALA and your local chapter to the fullest extent.  If you have a quick question or need a survey of how other area administrators handle a particular matter, post it on the chapter email listserve.  Of course when doing this, you must abide by ALA Anti-Trust Guidelines and AALA listserve rules so please review those on the chapter website before posting.  The Legal Management Resource Center (LMRC) is another excellent tool.  You can even email ALA national directly with your specific law firm management question (infocentral@alanet.org).  They will respond to you very quickly and usually with a list of resources to back up their answer to you.

Editor: Brian Gedeon (BHGedeon@duanemorris.com) (This publication is the property of the Atlanta Association of Legal Administrators. Reproduction or reprint without prior permission is strictly prohibited. Click here to request reprint permission.)

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