President's Podium

A key word remains at the heart of growing Primerus™ community

Admittedly, I’m a fan of good quotes, particularly those of the inspirational variety that have stood the test of time and in some respects get better with age.

One of those treasures was a timeless gift from the late Zig Ziglar, the famed author and motivational speaker who was a veritable quote machine over the course of a career that spanned six decades.

In one of his speeches – which was simply titled, “Friends,” – Ziglar offered this pearl of wisdom:

“If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”

That quote reflects much of what Primerus™ is all about, which can be observed at every meeting, seminar, conference, and convocation we offer throughout the year. At each gathering, we see an opportunity to build relationships that serve as the fabric that knits us together as a vibrant and vital organization.

When Primerus™ was founded more than 30 years ago, it was done with a primary purpose in mind – to advance the legal profession in the eyes of the public.

The need was particularly great at the time, as lawyers – and the legal profession in general – were suffering from an identity crisis. The problem, as longtime Primerus™ member Joel Collins once commented, was that “lawyers had a tendency to think all the bad things being said about them were unfair, while the public was of the belief that all those bad stories were true.”

There, in stark terms, was the “rub” in the need to change public perception, which is a task that we soon discovered can’t be accomplished overnight. Instead, the process is long, arduous, and demanding of an infinite amount of patience for those accustomed to seeing quick results.

The work involved in changing minds is not a one-time assignment either. It can only happen over a matter of time after a sense of trust develops, where honesty and integrity serve as the cornerstones of the newfound connection.

As we embark on a new year, which to a degree figures to still be influenced by the lessons learned from COVID, our watchword will be “relationships.”

That, in essence, is our product. Members join and remain in Primerus™ primarily because we facilitate important relationships that help them become better people, better lawyers, and more successful in their personal and professional lives.

Primerus™ was built on the team concept, framed by the belief that being part of an extended global family can significantly enhance each member’s life experience. The proof can be seen in our continued growth, as we now include more than 150 law firms, more than 40 countries, and more than 2,500 lawyers. In comparison, when we were founded in 1992, Primerus™ was a one-city and one-state entity with but a handful of firms.

Our organization, of course, is bound together by the message of “Good People Who Happen to Be Good Lawyers™.” That phrase serves as our trademark and has been cemented by a belief in the Six Pillars, which are Integrity, Excellent Work Product,

Reasonable Fees, Continuing Legal Education, Civility, and Community Service. Those qualities have helped countless clients find the right lawyer, with the right skills, in the right location, and at the right cost.

If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.

A commitment to developing lasting relationships also will be a hallmark of the new Primerus™ Foundation, our philanthropic organization that was launched last year. Its mission is to help elevate the standards of the public service profession by promoting the concepts of civility, integrity, kindness, and concern for others.

Now, as 2023 begins to unfold, we can derive special satisfaction about being part of a legal community that shares a likeminded approach to relationship building, perhaps best expressed by Academy Awardwinning British actress Audrey Hepburn when she said, “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

Best regards, Jack Buchanan, President