Jan. 19, 2002 – A key element in the V.I. Bar Association's new strategic plan calls for public education and community outreach, with emphasis on service to individuals rather than solely to nonprofit organizations.
The Board of Governors of the association, at its annual retreat on St. Croix, adopted a "Strategic and Operating Plan" for the Territory's organization of attorneys and judges. A key element in the plan calls for public education and community outreach.
"The Virgin Islands Bar Association has not spent enough time and effort reaching out to our Virgin Islands community," recently elected association president Tom Bolt said in a release.
"For too long, the attorneys in the Virgin Islands have allowed other public service organizations to take the lead. While many of our members have and are currently assisting various local nonprofit agencies, the Virgin Islands Bar, as an organization, has not done as much as it should to assist Virgin Islanders," Bolt said.
In 2002, Bolt noted, the association and its members will have more interaction with a wider cross-section of the community, including social workers, business leaders, educators, and government employees.
The Vision for the Bar as adopted by the board is that "all people shall have access to and full benefit of the rule of law and the system of justice in the United States Virgin Islands."
This vision will be accomplished, Bolt said, through informational and educational programs throughout the Territory; through working to promote professional responsibility and competence of association members; and through assisting the membership in providing high-quality legal services.
The V.I. Bar Association, which is the organized membership of attorneys in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has almost 1,000 members.