Leadership starts with raising your hand.
ALA Golden Gate Chapter leaders at the 2026 Chapter Leadership Institute in Tempe, Arizona.

“If you've ever sat through a chapter event and thought, I wonder what it would be like to help plan this, this article is your nudge to say yes.”

Every year, the Golden Gate Chapter runs on the energy of members who decide to step up onto the Board of Directors as a member of the Executive Committee (VP, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) or onto one of our committees (Business Partnering, Membership, DEIA, Finance, Ops & Tech, and more).

It's easy to assume that kind of involvement is reserved for people with more time, more seniority, or more confidence than you have right now. I want to make the case that it isn't and that the payoff, both personally and professionally, is bigger than most people expect.

It's Fulfilling in a Way Your Day Job Often Isn't

As legal administrators, most of our work happens behind the scenes—keeping the firm running so attorneys can focus on their clients. Serving on the board or a committee flips that. You get to build something visible: an education session that fills a real knowledge gap, a mixer that turns acquaintances into real professional friendships, or a budget process that keeps the chapter healthy for the next generation of members.

The work is tangible, the feedback loop is fast, and you get to see the direct impact of your effort on people you actually know.

There's also a quieter benefit: perspective. Sitting on the “other side” of chapter programming, figuring out what members need instead of just consuming what's offered, makes you a sharper strategic thinker in your day job, too.

Annual ALA Chapter Leadership Institute

Every year chapter leaders from nationwide chapters of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) have the opportunity to attend the ALA Chapter Leadership Institute (CLI). CLI's focus is on chapter management, recruiting and engaging members, and other strategies to help with chapter leadership.

This past summer I had the opportunity to attend ALA CLI in Tempe, Arizona with my fellow board members. It reinforced everything previously described, plus it provided concrete tools to bring back to our chapter. A few highlights:

Chapter Education Topics

This one was directly practical in learning how to improve survey design and timing, and how to turn raw member feedback into an actual education calendar. If you've ever wondered how the topics for our education sessions and lunch-and-learns get chosen, this is exactly the kind of thinking behind it and it's a great example of how committee volunteers directly shape what you get out of your membership.

Personality Intelligence

This session focused on understanding different communication and working styles and how much smoother committee work and board collaboration become when you can recognize and adapt to those differences. This information is genuinely useful even outside of chapter leadership and can be applied to any situation.

Chapter Finances

A demystifying session on chapter budgeting and financial sustainability useful for anyone curious about how membership dues, event pricing, and sponsorships actually keep a chapter like ours running year after year.

Creating Sustainable Committee Playbooks

This session hit close to home for anyone who has ever taken over a committee role and had to reconstruct institutional knowledge from scratch. It focused on building simple, living “playbooks” for each committee role—documenting processes, timelines, and vendor contacts so that when leadership changes hands, momentum doesn't get lost with it. It's a small investment of time that pays off for years, and it's exactly the kind of practical improvement a new committee volunteer could help us build.

You Don't Need to Start on the Executive Committee

Committee work is the natural on-ramp. It's a lower-commitment way to get involved, meet other engaged members, and figure out where your skills and interests actually fit, whether that's programming, sponsorship relationships, finance, or communications.

Many of our current board members started exactly this way by helping on a single event or committee before stepping into a larger leadership role.

The Ask

If any part of this resonates (even a little), reach out! Talk to a current board member about what the time commitment actually looks like (it's usually more manageable than people assume).

GGALA is stronger every time a member decides their chapter is worth investing in, and I can say from experience it gives back far more than it asks for.

READY TO GET INVOLVED?

Raise your hand.

Contact a current board member or watch for the next call for volunteers in an upcoming chapter email.

Please join the Membership Committee in welcoming our newest members to the ALA Golden Gate Chapter. We are excited to have each of them join our community and look forward to seeing them at upcoming chapter events and programs.

WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN GATE CHAPTER

We are thrilled you are here!

We look forward to connecting, collaborating and celebrating with you throughout the year.

Our Business Partners play an essential role in supporting the programs, education and connections that strengthen the ALA Golden Gate Chapter. This month, we are proud to recognize three outstanding organizations and the professionals who help support our legal community.

THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS

Your support helps our chapter connect, educate and grow.

Together, we are building a stronger legal community.

August offers several meaningful opportunities to strengthen workplace culture, learn from different communities and reconnect with our own well-being. This month’s spotlight highlights a focused selection of dates and resources that legal-management professionals can share with their teams or explore personally.

ALL MONTH LONG

DATES TO RECOGNIZE

AUGUST INTENTION

Lead with respect. Stay curious. Make room for every voice.

The CLM designation is the gold standard for legal-management professionals, demonstrating mastery across the core competencies required to lead and support modern law firms effectively.

Make the most of your membership by joining this month’s professional-development programs, roundtables and networking opportunities. August offers plenty of ways to learn something new, reconnect with colleagues and strengthen your chapter relationships.

SAVE THE DATES

There is something for everyone this August.

Whether you are considering your next career move or know someone who may be a great fit, explore the latest opportunities shared through the ALA Golden Gate Chapter Job Bank.

NEWEST OPPORTUNITIES

MORE CURRENT OPENINGS

California HR Manager

MG+M The Law Firm

Operations & Insights Partner

Buehler Trapani LLP (BTLLP)

Legal Administrative Assistant, Litigation

Ballard Spahr LLP

Office Administrator – San Francisco

Ballard Spahr LLP

EXPLORE THE CAREER CENTER

Your next professional opportunity may be one click away.

The ALA Code of Ethics serves as a practical guide for how legal-management professionals show up—with integrity, competence, respect and accountability.

Explore recent highlights from Legal Management Magazine, featuring practical insights on marketing, digital visibility, law firm growth, artificial intelligence and leadership.

KEEP READING

More practical insight is waiting in every issue.

Explore the latest articles, columns and industry updates from Legal Management Magazine.

Our Business Partners provide valuable expertise, services and support to the Golden Gate Chapter and the broader legal community. This month, we are pleased to recognize eight organizations serving law firms across technology, staffing, legal services, practice management and retirement planning.

EXPLORE ALL CHAPTER BUSINESS PARTNERS

Discover trusted providers serving the legal-management community.