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4 The Reporter — September 2015 Message from the International Justice We have passed the midpoint in the 2014- 16 biennium. I pause to examine and reflect. In this biennium we have launched the Society of Scholars, created the Executive Office position of Director of Development, conducted a review of the Fraternity's governing documents and made substantial progress towards updating those documents, inaugurated the Leadership Summit as an off-Convention year event, and begun the process of reviewing our Convention structure and financing. All of this activity is on top of the last biennium when, among other things, we moved our headquarters to superior accommodations in world-famous Towson, MD. It has been a stated goal both of myself and this Board to provide more opportunities for our members to develop their leadership and professional skills. The Leadership Summit, c o n d u c t e d o n J u l y 1 8 t h i n A r l i n g t o n , V A , was designed to help meet this goal. It was a one-day, lowcost event that brought together 2 1 l a w s t u d e n t s , 3 5 p r e - l a w s t u d e n t s , a n d approximately 30 alumni (including 17 District Justices) for workshops and speakers on various leadership topics. Other than an unfortunate reference to flood control in the Netherlands by yours truly during my opening remarks, the speakers and workshops were all on topic and well-received. It is my hope that in the future the Leadership Summit will grow into an even larger off-convention year event, serving as a worthy complement to our biennial convention. And lest we forget that we are a "Fraternity", the Leadership Summit also provided an opportunity f o r f r a t e r n a l i s m . W e held an opening night reception on Friday, and the D.C.-based Robert E . R e d d i n g A l u m n i Chapter hosted a social event at the conclusion of business on Saturday. It is vital that this organization conduct in-person events such as the Leadership Summit, Convention, and District Conferences to bring our members together from diverse geographic and professional backgrounds a n d t o p r o m o t e t h e b o n d s o f f r a t e r n a l i s m . Fraternalism found me at dollar beer night in a bar near DuPont Circle, but we each have our own stories to tell... For many of our members, Convention is the consummate fraternal event. It is not too early to register for the 2016 Convention taking place August 3-6, 2016 in Arlington, VA (just a short metro ride from downtown Washington, DC). As of the writing of this article, 197 folks already have registered, thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of past International Justice John Weitkamp and his Take-the-Pledge Committee. I encourage all of you to attend P.A.D. events in your locality, whether it be upcoming District Conferences or local chapter events. There's a whole lotta P.A.D. to go around. Fraternally, Stephen T. King, International Justice, Wythe Chapter More lawyers are more focused on job fulfillment and work-life balance at law firms. Traditional factors including firm reputation and earning potential is no longer a top priority.