Right now, a trove of valuable data exists on ACC.com, waiting for you to exploit it.
This is my last piece for ACC Docket. These are also my last days to serve as chairman of the board for ACC.
Very soon I will be designated a “past chair” and then a “prior board member.” This essentially means I get a special ribbon to stick on my name badge at the ACC Annual Meeting. If I really push it, I can ask for a chain of ribbons, dangling from my chest as if I were a Cold War general on parade.
And we all know, at the Annual Meeting, it’s all about the ribbons.
But I am not dropping away completely. There are too many exciting things happening at ACC to retire quite yet.
First, there is ACC’s “seat at the table” initiative. This is a global, cross-industry effort to make sure that in-house counsel are supported, recognized, and heard by their clients. In some industries — like pharmaceuticals, defense, and natural resources — lawyers occupy a central, pivotal role in their companies. In other industries, and in some backwater C-suite offices, in-house counsel are relegated to the role of scrivener and clerk.
ACC is leading the way to help educate business leaders and regulators about the importance of having sound, experienced, and accessible legal advice. We are teaching others about the role of in-house counsel, and how a close legal perspective can be both a moral and competitive advantage.
Second, there are the upcoming improvements to the ACC website. The current ACC site is not bad, but wait until you experience the new version.
ACC.com will be fully responsive, meaning it will be optimized for all viewing platforms, including tablets, computers, mobile devices, and any other future screen. Further, plans are underway to make your experience on the site more customized, for example, to your location and interests. And it will be easier to find the information you need. Right now, a trove of valuable data exists on ACC.com, waiting for you to exploit it. The new website will make access easier, faster, and more convenient.
And data is everything. Which lead to the third reason I am not ready to drift away from ACC: data resources.
If you are a general counsel or a senior leader on a company’s legal team, you’ve heard this pitch before from outside vendors: Hire us and we’ll tell you about the latest trends, current art, and modern benchmarks for in-house legal departments.
Many of these vendors offer valuable, useful information. But do you realize that you already belong to the world’s largest in-house bar association? Wouldn’t it be nice to access the data you already have?
And that’s the objective of the ACC data resources initiative: To capture, organize, and package some of the most relevant and useful data from our members. Whether its best-in-class policies or benchmark salaries, the global ACC family sits on an ocean of information, waiting to be used.
All three of these initiatives — seat at the table, website development, and data resources — are part of the ACC strategic plan. And they are three of the top reasons why I am not quite ready to ride off into the sunset. Although, I do leave you in the very capable hands of Simon Fish, executive vice president and general counsel of Bank of Montreal — and your new chair. I am confident that Simon will lead ACC toward even more success, continuing to advance the strategic plan and in turn the global in-house community as a whole.
