MORGANTOWN – The Association of Legal Administrators announced that Michael T. Bumgarner has been elected to its board of directors. Bumgarner will serve as an at-large director for a three-year term beginning this year.
The announcement was made earlier this month and the Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso chief operating officer is excited to get started.
“The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) is the undisputed leader in the business of law,” Bumgarner told The West Virginia Record. “As the legal management field continues to develop, I’m most excited about providing my perspective as an independent member of the association and continuing to build relationships with my peers.”
Bumgarner is one of 400 Certified Legal Managers worldwide and was the first in West Virginia. Before accepting this position, he served six years on the ALA Certification Committee and currently serves a two-year stint as a Region 3 Representative. He hopes his experience with ALA will serve him well in the new position.
“I have found my membership and volunteer experiences with ALA to be invaluable both professionally and personally,” Bumgarner said. “Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC has been incredibly supportive of me in my volunteer efforts as the firm has received a great deal of benefits from my participation.”
The new board member will be working very closely with the regional directors to establish frequent communication with independent members, such as himself. Bumgarner will provide support and guidance and encourage input him from fellow members. As a member of the board, it is the board's job to promote the overall need and responsibilities of the ALA.
He is also the first independent member elected to the board. Approximately 20 percent of the ALA membership is independent, according to Bumgarner.
“Independent members do not belong to a particular chapter,” Bumgarner said. “There are 95 chapters throughout the membership. West Virginia does not have a chapter, even though there are currently 15 members in the state.”
With these new responsibilities on Bumgarner’s plate, he hopes he can manage his new position and still make time for the things most important.
“My only reservation is being able to balance my time commitments between work, family and ALA,” Bumgarner said. “It’s important to me to continue being a reliable and trusted professional leader at work as well as being there for my family.”
During his term, Bumgarner’s main priorities are to continue strengthening ALA’s network and reputation, meet the needs of its members, and provide resources to law firm management professionals so they can meet expectations.
“I want to be part of finding ways to help engage members and make sure that they are receiving what they see as a benefit of participating in the association,” Bumgarner said.
The ALA serves more than 9,000 management professionals worldwide and is known as the leader of business law. To learn more about the Association of Legal Administrators, visit its website.