April 22, 2024 – June 17, 2024
Applications Due: March 26, 2024
Why Participate Who Should Apply What to Expect Apply Now
Inspire. Educate. Lead.
The D.C. Bar John Payton Leadership Academy is an intensive training program designed to help D.C. Bar members hone their leadership skills and develop pathways of professional leadership through involvement with the Bar and other organizations.
The John Payton Leadership Academy Experience
The Leadership Academy experience is designed for any D.C. Bar member interested in enhancing their leadership skills, from new associates to veteran attorneys. Watch this video to learn more about the program and hear from academy alumni.
Program Schedule
Your Leadership Journey
- April 22, 2024: Leading Self (Understanding Oneself, Self-Awareness, Values and Social Identities) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
- April 24, 2024: Attend Oral Argument at DC Court of Appeals and meeting with Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby (In-Person)
- May 20, 2024: Leading Teams (Leadership skills essentials and Team Building) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
- June 17, 2024: Leading Through Change (Leading through a new work environment or other challenges) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
In addition, Leadership Academy participants will commit to a Pro Bono Service activity with their fellow participants sometime during the three-month period. Moreover, Academy participants will meet with District of Columbia judges and DC Bar Board of Governors during the Academy. Finally, participants will be grouped in home teams and will meet regularly to provide peer counseling and guidance during the three-month period. There will be a 3.5-hour virtual presentation on Friday, May 3, 2024, as well as group exercises, as part of the Academy.
Tuition & Scholarships
Tuition for each participant is $1,500. Tuition for accepted participants is due by April 22, 2024. Tuition is nonrefundable after attendance at the first session.
Limited scholarships and/or a reduced fee may be available to public-interest attorneys or those with demonstrated need.
Sponsorship Opportunities
For sponsorship opportunities for the Leadership Academy or future D.C. Bar programs and events, contact Ben Anderson at 410-584-1951 or [email protected].
Social Media Toolkit
Have a personal testimonial about the John Payton Leadership Academy? Share it on social media and tag the D.C. Bar – personal accounts are always the most powerful!
- The D.C. Bar is looking to train a new class of inspiring legal leaders with its re-envisioned John Payton Leadership Academy, which begins on April 22, 2024. Applications are due March 26, 2024. Learn more and apply: www.dcbar.org/leadershipacademy.
- The 2024 D.C. Bar John Payton Leadership Academy will cover a variety of leadership skills such as inspiring others, creating a vision, defining success, setting goals, building trust, communicating effectively, building relationships, and working with others to bring out the best in people and organizations. Apply March 26, 2024. www.dcbar.org/leadershipacademy
- The John Payton Leadership Academy experience is designed for any D.C. Bar member interested in enhancing their leadership skills, from new associates to veteran attorneys. Watch this video to learn more about the program and hear from academy alumni. www.dcbar.org/leadershipacademy
- The D.C. Bar John Payton Leadership Academy provides members with an intensive training program to develop and sharpen the necessary skills to be successful leaders of the Bar and other organizations throughout their careers. Applications are due March 26,2024. www.dcbar.org/leadershipacademy
- Apply by March 26! The D.C. Bar John Payton Leadership Academy is not your average seminar. Throughout the three classroom sessions, participants meet with both D.C. Bar and community leaders, who inspire the group with their leadership insights and life experiences. www.dcbar.org/leadershipacademy
Contact Us
Any questions about the Leadership Academy or the application process should be directed to Dennis Cuevas at [email protected]
Why Participate
- Increase self-awareness of your leadership style and skillsets and use your strengths to jumpstart future success
- Develop and finetune your leadership skills, including how to inspire others, create a vision, build trust, and communicate effectively.
- Learn how to work with others in a way that brings out the best in people and organizations
- Use your leadership skills to make a difference in your community and deepen your engagement with the D.C. Bar and other organization you serve.
- Network with other emerging leaders in the D.C. Bar community in an intimate learning environment.
Who Should Apply
The Leadership Academy experience is designed for any D.C. Bar member interested in enhancing their leadership skills, including everyone from new associates to veteran attorneys.
The 2024 class will be limited to 24 participants representing diverse backgrounds, practice settings, and practice areas.
You should consider applying if you are:
- A current D.C. Bar Member
- Interested in developing your leadership skills
- Interested in getting more involved as a leader within the D.C. Bar, other organizations, or the D.C. legal community
- Can commit to participating fully in the program, including 3 all-day in-person sessions and two webinars.
What to Expect
The Leadership Academy is an intensive and interactive learning experience designed and taught by lawyers, focusing on the essential leadership skills that resonate in the legal profession.
The program will cover a variety of leadership skills such as inspiring others, creating a vision, defining success, setting goals, building trust, communicating effectively, building relationships, and working with others to bring out the best in people and organizations.
The Leadership Academy is not your average seminar. Swaths of paper line the walls as students engage in brainstorming and strategy sessions to determine their leadership techniques. How can you lead with integrity? How do you run an effective meeting? How do you use everyone’s strengths to create a quality team? Team-building exercises get competitive as students work collaboratively in small groups. Throughout the three classroom sessions, participants meet with both D.C. Bar and community leaders, who inspire the group with their leadership insights and life experiences.
In addition, participants of the Leadership Academy spend half a day gaining hands-on experience working at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center’s Advice and Referral Clinic, which helps low-income District of Columbia residents navigate the legal system.
Leadership Academy 2024 Schedule
- April 22, 2024: Leading Self (Understanding Oneself, Self-Awareness, Values and Social Identities) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
- April 24, 2024: Attend Oral Argument at DC Court of Appeals and meeting with Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby (In-Person)
- May 20, 2024: Leading Teams (Leadership skills essentials and Team Building) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
- June 17, 2024: Leading Through Change (Leading through a new work environment or other challenges) On-site, full-day Program (In-Person)
