Community Leadership: A Win-Win-Win for Your Cause, Your Career, and Your Firm

Community leadership is a career development and well-being tool sometimes overlooked by attorneys, especially during early career stages. Meanwhile, many senior leaders at firms and corporations display nonprofit board and civic leadership positions on their resumes, showcasing growth in community responsibility and visibility throughout their careers. Exploring causes and nonprofits to engage with through volunteering and board service early on can support a lifelong legal career of achievement and purpose.

Katie Bailey, Professor of Work and Employment at King's College London, recently wrote, “Many people want more from their work than simply pay – they want to find a sense of meaning and purpose. ... Research has shown that people who find their work meaningful tend to perform better, are less likely to quit, are more engaged and enjoy higher levels of well-being. It seems that meaningfulness is beneficial for both employers and employees. Yet, a sense that our work matters and is meaningful is surprisingly hard to come by.” [i]

Taking on community leadership roles is one way attorneys can cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose. As law firms continue to seek ways to increase attorney engagement and as nonprofits continue to face staffing and resource constraints, skills-based opportunities to serve in the community can produce dividends for attorneys seeking purposeful engagement, their firms, and the nonprofits they support.

Volunteering and board service are complementary to, yet distinct from pro bono service.

First, it’s important to quickly note the difference between pro bono work and volunteerism or board service.

Many firms require their attorneys and paralegals to participate in pro bono work and usually provide billable credit for pro bono time. Pro bono is one of an attorney's most valuable ways to make an impact in the community, as it leverages legal skills earned through education and experience and valued by clients. Pro bono also provides an opportunity to deeply understand a cause, practice new legal skills, and collaborate with other attorneys who might not be part of your daily team.

Volunteering and board service complement pro bono but are different in that they leverage your other business skills and knowledge not specific to the legal profession. While pro bono work addresses a specific legal matter or question, volunteering typically engages with the nonprofit’s programs and operations, and board service supports the overall strategy and leadership of the nonprofit.

Volunteering and nonprofit board service are both selfless and selfish… and that’s ok.

Attorneys and other legal professionals are particularly well positioned to offer valuable skills, insights, and connections to support meaningful causes, beyond traditional pro bono experiences. By volunteering with a nonprofit you care about or serving on its board of directors, you can use your skills and talents to support a meaningful cause while also developing leadership skills, expanding your network outside of your firm, and connecting with new and existing clients beyond the boardroom. The cause benefits from your support, you benefit professionally and personally, and your firm benefits from your engagement and leadership growth.

A win for your cause. Nonprofits and other civic organizations frequently face shrinking budgets, inflation costs, and staff shortages, and they value volunteers and board members for several reasons. Volunteers offer diverse perspectives, expand team capacity, and sometimes provide expertise that nonprofits might not be able to afford within their budgets. Attorneys and legal professionals bring transferrable skills such as negotiating, convening, making industry connections, writing, planning, finance, budgeting, mentoring, training, marketing, social media, and IT, among others. Board members provide leadership, oversight, and network connections to ensure the organization operates effectively and continues to be able to fund itself. Additionally, volunteers and board members make the organization’s needs and efforts visible to their networks.

A win for you and your career. Engagement in the community is an opportunity to find purpose and live out your values in support of causes and organizations you care about. For attorneys, serving as a nonprofit volunteer or board member can provide opportunities to grow and flourish both personally and professionally, including:

1. Developing and practicing leadership skills, such as executive communications, strategic planning, project management, leading others, and fundraising. Seeing how other organizations and business professionals tackle these disciplines complements your internal learning at your firm.
2. Growing your professional and personal network by collaborating with the nonprofit’s staff, clients, volunteers, and donors. You never know where you might find your next client, career opportunity, mentor, or good friend.
3. Building your community visibility and leadership platform. Being known outside of your firm is valuable as you continue to develop in your career. If the cause resonates with you, develop knowledge and insights and talk about the issues. Continue to take on additional responsibilities at the nonprofit as your schedule and other commitments allow.
4. Expanding your worldview. Engaging in the community can expose volunteers to different lived experiences and diverse perspectives, and a 2023 study published in the American Psychologist found that even brief contact between different social groups can reduce prejudice and increase social connection.[ii]
5. Supporting your well-being. Dedicating your time and effort to a cause that matters to you can provide meaning, instill civic responsibility, and inspire confidence and optimism in the future. Collaborating with others who share your cause expands your sense of community and belonging.[iii]

A win for your firm. Your community leadership creates value for your firm as well. Indeed, colleagues who are engaged in volunteering say they feel more motivated at work.[iv]

According to a 2021 article in the MIT Sloan Management Review, almost one-third of all professionals include opportunities for growth and personal development in their performance self-reviews[v], and a 2023 study by Ares Management found that more than 70% of colleagues who volunteer credit their community engagement with helping them grow professionally and develop new business skills.[vi] Your firm values your ongoing professional growth and skill development.

Also, you represent your firm as you serve nonprofit and civic organizations, and your good work reflects well on the brand and reputation of your firm.[vii]

How to get involved

Volunteering with a nonprofit should be an intentional choice. Some practical steps to find the right community opportunity include the following:

1. Identify causes or nonprofits that are meaningful to you. Perhaps you care about homelessness, food security, the environment, your child’s school, a health condition that has affected your family, criminal justice, or immigration. If a cause does not immediately come to mind, some ways to explore local organizations doing work you admire include the following:
   • Participate in your firm’s volunteer opportunities that interest you and introduce yourself to the beneficiary nonprofit’s team.
   • Consider nonprofits you have served through pro bono and if you would like to engage deeper in their programs or operations.
   • Explore Points of Light and VolunteerMatch’s search platforms dedicated to connecting volunteers with nonprofits that can leverage their skills. Some U.S. state governments also offer volunteer search sites.
2. Reach out to organizations that resonate with you or challenge your thinking. Visit their websites and social media. What are their challenges and needs? Are your skills, knowledge, and lived experience a good match?
3. Consider how much time you can give. If now is not the right time in your life to commit long-term, can you participate on a committee? Is there a short-term project or volunteer opportunity you can support?
4. Be patient. Many nonprofits are understaffed, and it might take time for them to respond to you. Registration or training might be required before you start. Also, nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations, such as children or domestic violence survivors, have background checks that take time to process.

Additionally, nonprofit board service has special considerations:

• Typically, nonprofits have defined expectations of their board members. Common requirements include a personal financial commitment, committee participation, fundraising, attendance at events, and willingness to attend quarterly or monthly board meetings. Consider your time and ability to live up to these expectations.
• Have conversations with the organization’s leadership and board members. Nonprofits have various needs and serve different purposes, and not everyone will be a match for every organization. What are their challenges and struggles, and have they identified skill gaps on their board or staff team? How can you help? Consider your legal expertise and pro bono experience, and also think about your transferrable leadership skills, business acumen, and lived experience.
• Many firms offer nonprofit board matching programs. Ask your firm’s community engagement/corporate social responsibility leader, pro bono leader, or HR team to connect you with the right person.
• Review any potential conflicts of interest for yourself and your firm.

Conclusion

Volunteering and board service are powerful growth tools – for your own well-being and your legal career, for the causes and nonprofits you support, and for your firm. It is important to take time and care to evaluate causes that matter to you and organizations that can benefit from your commitment of time and expertise, making your contribution more meaningful and impactful for everyone involved.