The Maryland State Bar Association has spent the past year listening carefully to our members, studying the changing needs of the profession, and preparing for the future. The result is a five-year strategic plan that gives MSBA a clear roadmap from July 2026 through June 2031. This plan is built around five pillars designed to increase member value, strengthen engagement, expand advocacy, modernize our operations, and support the well-being of Maryland lawyers.
This effort was not developed in a vacuum and began earnestly in late 2025 when I submitted to headquarters an outline of possible topics (which I termed pods) to explore, along with questions for each topic. We next outfitted our Strategic Planning Task Force with a team of 40 or so hardworking MSBA members and recruited Erek Barron, 2026 MSBA Secretary nominee, to co-chair the task force with me. Equally important, I reached out to a talented facilitator for the project, Steve Manekin of Vallit Advisors, with whom I had worked on other strategic plans, and we began developing the project’s road map in late 2025, during my president-elect year. We organized the plan through four focused pods—membership, advocacy, intellectual property, and governance—using member survey data, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, bimonthly meetings, and analysis of similar organizations and other trade associations, among other things. An MSBA Executive Committee member and MSBA staff liaison shepherded each pod. The pods’ hard work culminated in a final report with recommendations, which were presented at an in-person retreat. The group spent half a day refining each pod’s recommendations and ultimately developed a plan with five separate pillars, as discussed further below. On May 8, 2026, the Board of Governors officially approved and adopted the 2026-2031 strategic plan. The process and the finished work product reflect an intentional commitment to building strategy from the ground up, with member needs at the center. This was a labor of love for all involved, and the final product reflects that. Keep reading for an overview of our five-year success plan.
Delivering Member Value
The first pillar focuses on delivering tailored, high-value professional resources. Members told us they value practical references and learning opportunities, but they also need a better way to find and use MSBA’s content without feeling overwhelmed by too much information. In response, MSBA will work to position itself as Maryland’s premier CLE destination by expanding virtual and on-demand offerings, using local experts, and repackaging long-form content into more accessible, immediate-use formats such as checklists, concise summaries, and audio-only programs.
This pillar also recognizes that different members need different kinds of support. The plan calls for tailored value propositions for underrepresented and specialized practice groups, leadership development for attorneys at every stage of their careers, and a stronger MSBA role in helping members navigate emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, ethics, and legal technology competence.
Growing Engagement
The second pillar addresses one of the most persistent challenges facing the profession: sustaining meaningful engagement over time. Like many organizations, MSBA has seen an engagement gap after the Young Lawyers Section years, especially among mid-career attorneys. To address this, the plan emphasizes a more intentional membership journey from law school through leadership, along with expanded membership models, updated tiers, and better pathways into service.
Equally important, the plan calls for more robust in-person experiences that focus on practical learning, mentorship, and networking. It also strengthens collaboration between Section Councils and the Board of Governors through clearer liaison roles, shared retreats and training, and communications that make leadership pathways easier to understand. In short, we want more members to see themselves not only as participants in MSBA but as future leaders of it.
Expanding Influence
The third pillar is about strengthening MSBA’s voice, influence, and impact. We know members want to understand the return on their investment in this association, especially when it comes to advocacy. That is why the plan calls for a clearer way to quantify and communicate MSBA’s advocacy successes, including the real-world value of legislative wins and process improvements for our members and the public.
The plan also encourages earlier and stronger alignment with legislative leadership, greater support for sections that draft legislation and testify on behalf of members, and heightened awareness of the Access to Justice Commission’s work and related initiatives. This is an opportunity for MSBA to show how thoughtful advocacy can improve access, reduce barriers, and strengthen the justice system across Maryland.
Modernizing Operations
The fourth pillar focuses on modernization, data, governance, and financial sustainability. Members expect a streamlined digital experience, and the plan responds by reimagining MSBA’s website as a set of audience-specific resource hubs supported by an AI-powered assistant and better navigation. It also calls for recurring website and technology reviews, along with regular member feedback loops, so that MSBA can continue to adapt in real time.
Just as important, this pillar recognizes that a strong strategy requires a strong operating model. The plan contemplates a multi-year financial framework, reserve growth, recurring technology investment, and a more disciplined approach to governance review and policy manual modernization. These steps are not simply administrative; they are essential to ensuring that MSBA can continue delivering value well into the future.
Supporting Lawyer Wellbeing
The fifth pillar reflects a growing reality that we cannot ignore: professional excellence depends on personal well-being. The plan strengthens MSBA’s Lawyer Assistance Program by moving it beyond crisis response and toward a more proactive wellness framework. It also emphasizes reducing stigma, clarifying the program’s relationship to disciplinary processes, and building earlier intervention pathways where appropriate.
The plan further recognizes the importance of sustained support for treatment assistance through the Bates Vincent Fund, as well as ongoing education and research about the challenges lawyers face throughout their careers. By focusing on prevention, support, and resilience, MSBA is making clear that lawyer well-being is not a side issue; it is central to the health of the profession.
Looking Ahead
This strategic plan is ambitious, but it is also practical. It includes specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for FY27 and beyond, such as expanding CLE content, piloting enterprise membership, publishing an advocacy impact report, reviewing the policy manual, and creating more structured support for attorney wellness. Those are the kinds of concrete actions that move an organization from aspiration to execution.
More broadly, the plan helps position MSBA as Maryland’s indispensable professional home and a reliable source of truth for lawyers across the state. By focusing on member needs, measurable outcomes, and long-term sustainability, we are building not just a better association but a stronger legal profession for the future.