Washington Lawyer May/June 2026
By Sadina Montani
A confession: I'm a bar nerd. Always have been. From the first time I attended a Women's Bar Association (WBA) event as a 3L at the George Washington University Law School, I've been hooked.
I've been drawn to the community, the camaraderie, and the shared commitment to this profession that bar associations represent. So perhaps it shouldn't have surprised me that the most rewarding aspect of my presidency has been the opportunity to represent the D.C. Bar in the international legal community, and in doing so, finding community with fellow bar nerds the whole world over.
What has struck me most about these experiences is this: While the challenges facing lawyers and bar associations may differ in their particulars, we share a universal, fundamental commitment to upholding our oaths and protecting the institutions critical to the rule of law. And the power of building relationships — of finding common ground and learning from one another — is just as essential across borders as it is across the hallway. Bar nerds speak the same language.
Let me take you on a bit of my journey.
Shared Aspirations & Commitment
Last fall, I had the privilege of representing the D.C. Bar at the Opening of the Legal Year in London, hosted by the Law Society of England and Wales. The pomp and circumstance were, as you might imagine, unmatched. But beyond the ceremony, what drew me in most were the thoughtful discussions — in large groups and small — about the role and importance of lawyers and our legal institutions globally. Challenges to the profession are everywhere, although they may not be the same everywhere. But what it means to be a lawyer? That was universal.
During that trip, I also had the pleasure of visiting the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple on two occasions. On my first visit, Christa Richmond, Middle Temple's director of education, took me through the centuries-old institution's stunning history, including the Founding Fathers who studied there and the support of the American Bar Association in repairing its great hall after WWII. That connection between American and British legal communities, forged through mutual aid during a time of crisis, resonated deeply.
On my second visit, I attended an open, communal lunch typically held four times weekly, a tradition dating back hundreds of years. We broke bread, laughed, and commiserated with current and former bar leaders and barristers over everything from the impact of AI to the challenges of leading a bar in good times and bad. The conversations just as easily could have been happening at the D.C. Bar building. The concerns, the aspirations, and the commitment to our members and to justice were all familiar.
More recently, my time in Hong Kong for its Opening of the Legal Year was a whirlwind but equally rewarding. The Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association welcomed me warmly, and I was honored to be part of a presidents' roundtable unpacking our common challenges: How do we train the next generation of lawyers? How do we integrate technology responsibly? How do we protect our professional independence while serving our communities? (Plus, the sightseeing tram tour was a delightful way to see that beautiful city with other bar leaders.)
Building Bridges Across Continents
Earlier in my term, I traveled to New Delhi for an event hosted by the Bar Association of India. The discussions there centered on the importance of tending to, respecting, and protecting the rule of law and the institutions critical to it. In a country with a legal system shaped by British common law but adapted to serve the world's largest democracy, the parallels to our own challenges were striking. We talked about access to justice — ensuring that marginalized communities have meaningful representation — and about the role of bar associations in preserving judicial independence.
My experiences with the French legal community have been particularly rich. In late November, I had the honor of speaking about harassment and discrimination issues at an international conference hosted by the Paris Bar Association. Later, I spoke on behalf of the D.C. Bar at the Embassy of France here in Washington, D.C., in an event focused on fostering dialogue and building relationships among legal practitioners from the private and public sectors. The conversations spanned jurisdictional differences but revealed shared values and purpose.
In Paris I celebrated the first anniversary of Bâtonnières du Monde (Women Bar Presidents of the World), an organization I'm honored to have joined. Forty women bar leaders from countries including Belgium, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Madagascar, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered for thought-provoking discussions on gender bias in AI, leadership, and the continuing fight for gender equality in the enforcement of law. What makes this sisterhood particularly powerful is the recognition that while our contexts may differ, the fundamental challenges women face in legal leadership — and the solutions we can create together — are universal.
What We Share, What We Learn
More locally, I've had equally inspiring experiences meeting with D.C. Bar leaders and Bar members in Phoenix, Chicago, Toronto, Wilmington, and New York. I've been part of countless discussions with American bar leaders, sharing best practices and grappling with common challenges, from declining membership in voluntary associations to the transformative impact of technology.
What I've learned from these experiences is that finding common ground across different legal communities isn't just about formal partnerships or ceremonial exchanges. It's also about recognizing that we're all contending with variations of the same fundamental questions: How do we preserve the integrity of our profession while adapting to rapid change? How do we ensure that our bar associations remain relevant and valuable to members at all stages of their careers? How do we protect the rule of law when it faces unprecedented pressures? How do we make sure that the doors we've worked so hard to open remain open for the next generation — even when that next generation of lawyers may not look, or practice, exactly like us?
The answers may differ based on our legal systems and cultural contexts, as well as the particular challenges those circumstances create. But the conversations themselves — about our willingness to learn from one another, to share what has worked and what hasn't, to build relationships that transcend borders — make us all stronger.
I often talk about how welcoming, open, and supportive I have found the D.C. Bar and our legal community. It has been remarkable to feel that same welcomeness, openness, and support within the global legal community.
Our position as the largest unified bar serving more than 123,000 members in all 50 states and more than 80 countries gives us both a responsibility and an opportunity to engage meaningfully with our counterparts around the world.
These international connections aren't just ceremonial. They're practical. They help us understand how other jurisdictions are addressing AI ethics, how other bar associations are supporting access to justice initiatives, and how other legal communities are modernizing the apprenticeship model. They remind us that we're part of a global profession with shared values and shared challenges.
Stronger Together
As my presidency draws to a close, I'm grateful for every conversation, every handshake, every shared meal with bar leaders from around the world. These experiences have reinforced my conviction that while our profession is facing critical issues — from technological disruption to threats to judicial independence — we are not facing them alone.
The relationships I've built, the lessons I've learned, and the common ground I've found have enriched my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer and a bar leader. They've reminded me that our commitment to justice, to competence, and to ethical practice transcends borders. And they've shown me that when we come together — whether across the table or across an ocean — we can learn from one another in ways that make each of our communities stronger.
To borrow from my theme as WBA president during the pandemic: The importance of allies and friends extends well beyond our local communities. In this interconnected world, the allies and friends we find in the international legal community strengthen not just our individual practices, but also the profession as a whole and the justice systems we all serve.
So yes, I'm a bar nerd, quite proudly, because these connections, these conversations, and these relationships matter. They've certainly mattered to me, and I hope they'll continue to matter to this Bar long after my presidency ends.
Thank you for the honor of representing you around the world.
