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.
