New York City Bar Association, 42 W 44th St.7-22-2016. Photo: Monika Kozak/NYLJ

It's no secret that national, state and local bar associations are struggling for membership. The Law Journal's series on the future of bar associations and their relevance to millennials is a timely reminder that such organizations must take creative and meaningful steps to support the next generation. At the New York City Bar Association, we are doing just that. I serve as chair of the City Bar's New Lawyer Institute ("NLI"), a program aimed at comprehensively supporting brand new law school graduates. In this piece, I wish to explain how the program works, and encourage bar leaders in other major cities to emulate our model.

NLI was born from the fallout of the Great Recession. In 2012, the City Bar convened a task force to study the shifting nature of the profession. Among the recommendations, memorialized in a 147-page report entitled, "Developing Legal Careers and Delivering Justice in the 21st Century," was the creation of "post-graduate law school development programs." The idea was to have dedicated programming to support the needs of new graduates unable to find work, providing specific skills to enhance their marketability during the recession.

But even after the economy strengthened, the program's benefits have remained compelling. Each year, we organize dozens of events for this specific demographic. For example, we have résumé and cover letter workshops. We have panel discussions on obtaining employment in substantive practice areas. We have a session dedicated to demystifying the process for getting admitted to the First and Second departments. We have multiple mentoring circles focused on different topics. We coordinate one-on-one mentor assignments with senior lawyers in different practice areas. We have a speakers' series where new graduates can hear from leading members of the bar in intimate environments. And we even have a special holiday party just for those new graduates.

Additionally, all CLEs under four hours in length (including Bridge the Gap programs) are free to all City Bar members who are admitted two years or less.

None of this is easy. NLI relies on the tireless support of the City Bar's staff—particularly Martha Harris (Senior Director Programs & Committee Engagement), Arlene Bein (Senior Director Membership and Customer Relations), and Bret Parker (Executive Director). Giving "free" CLEs to new attorneys also represents an enormous investment, given the theoretical missed revenue.

Why go through all this trouble? Surely these new lawyers could just join the City Bar like everyone else without this special attention. The answer is simple: the needs of new lawyers are different. Moreover, many lack a sense of connection to austere and imposing bar associations—particularly first-generation lawyers or lawyers from disadvantaged backgrounds without family members or colleagues to guide them towards networking opportunities.

The participants aren't the only winners. NLI systematically injects new energy into the City Bar each year by giving recent graduates the chance to learn about the organization, assume leadership roles on committees and become known to senior-level volunteers.

Too often, membership organizations try to attract younger folks simply by lowering their prices. That step may be necessary, but to truly win hearts and minds, it's not sufficient. Bar associations need to demonstrate their value and make themselves intentionally relevant to new generations of lawyers.

NLI is advised by a committee of about a dozen attorneys and staff, which I chair. That committee includes litigators, law school career advisors, court executives, recruiters, and other professionals with important perspectives on the legal landscape. Diversity of age and experience is key; we have committee members who have been active in the City Bar for decades, and committee members who recently "graduated" from NLI themselves. This richness of perspectives allows us to create an engaging and relevant curriculum.

Here's the best part: NLI can be replicated. This is particularly true in large cities with regular influxes of new lawyers. We would encourage bar leaders in other major cities to contact us to hear more. After all, we aren't competitors. We all want the same outcome: a well-supported bar that is prepared to serve its clients and uphold the integrity of the legal system.

The Law Journal's series paints a somewhat gloomy picture of the future of membership. But the New York City Bar Association is not on its heels. Since NLI began, it has been at the forefront of creative thinking on ways to support new lawyers in meaningful ways and integrate them into the profession. The City Bar will win their membership, as it has done with 20-30-somethings for nearly 150 years. I wouldn't bet against us.

Brian Farkas is the chair of the New Lawyer Institute Committee and a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.