Using "Hub of Boston Law" as its theme, the Boston Bar Association today
announced that following nearly a year of work and a process that involved
extensive input from member volunteers, the BBA will go live with a new website
in early September.
"Underlying the new design is a commitment to providing members and the
broader community with easy access to information about our public policy
activities, and our pro bono and public service initiatives," said BBA President
Donald R. Frederico. "Just as important, the new site -- like our front
door at 16 Beacon Street -- will give lawyers entree to a wealth of
leadership, professional networking, and formal and informal continuing legal
education opportunities on any given day."
Planning for the BBA website -- from developing a budget, a request for
proposals, meeting with prospective web designers, selecting a final candidate,
and then meeting with the designer to fine tune the final product -- was
driven primarily by the BBA Work Group on Strategic, Marketing and Policy
Communications, co-chaired by the BBA's incoming President, Lisa Goodheart, and
President-Elect J.D. Smeallie.
The new website will transcend traditional section and department boundaries,
providing easy navigability and quick access to all BBA opportunities, events,
and resources. BBA amicus briefs, research reports produced by BBA task forces,
as well as the Boston Bar Journal, news releases, blogs and section publications
will be accessible. Other features will include a new and improved search
function and the BBA's Twitter stream, along with access to its Facebook and
LinkedIn accounts.
The BBA launched its first website in 1995, at a time when bar associations
were talking about putting themselves on "the information highway." Eleven years
ago, that site underwent "remodeling," with incremental changes in the interim.
The website going live next month will be a major benefit for members,
synchronizing the BBA's online presence with the vitality of a major
metropolitan bar association.