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Public: Recent News

The new NCBA Forums are a Web-based communication tool designed to encourage members to conduct open and active online discussions in a dynamic and inviting Web environment. The new forums provide typical thread-based discussions in which a topic is posted and replies can be made online that are public or anonymous, as well as privately to the topic’s originator.

NCBA Forums (click here to access the NCBA Forums launch page) provide a centralized communication tool that is available 24 hours a day for each of the NCBA’s 28 sections and four divisions, and new categories can be easily created for other areas of interest to legal professionals.

Each forum category includes separate discussion forums that are restricted to members assigned to that group (e.g., section, division) as well as others that can be used by any NCBA member or even viewed by the public. Therefore, this powerful communication tool can be used to provide valuable information to anyone with Internet access, providing an excellent compliment the NCBA’s LISTSERVs which are restricted to LISTSERV participants only.

The forums also have a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (Click here to access FAQs) that contain user-friendly information on how to use them.

The NCBA forums use the standard format of most Web-based forums and some of the new user-friendly features are:

1. Centralized location for any topic of interest to legal professionals. The new NCBA Forums format allows us to quickly add new forum categories (e.g., Technology, Diversity, etc.) to provide online discussions for any area of interest to the NCBA's members. Therefore, the NCBA Forums should not be viewed as service to our sections and divisions only.

2. Three types of forums available to each forum category (e.g., section, division, technology, diversity, etc.). Of note, the different types of forums can be used or not used, as desired (e.g., delete the Open Forums for a specific section/division):

a. Section/Division Members Only: only section/division members can view these forums, post new threads and/or add comments.

b. All NCBA Members: Any NCBA member can view these forums, post new threads and/or add comments.

c. Open Forums: Anyone even the public can view these forums, however only section/division members can post new threads and/or add comments.

3 Access to:

a. All forums from one central location.

 b. Selected/member-specific forums that can be accessed from the new myNCBar/myMembership (click here to access) forums area to restrict the number of forums to the ones users are most interested in (e.g., based on section membership and forum participation).

4. User-friendly interface for viewing, creating and posting comments on forums with a built-in spell checker, emoticons, attachment capability and formatting tools

5. User-selectable automated email notifications that include links to user-selected forum discussions

6. Improved Web-based polls that members can create online

7. Member-specific icons that identify NCBA staff & members, section/division membership and leadership positions

8. Automated forum usage statistics for individuals and overall

9. Three options for replying to posts: online forum comment visible to all forum participants or email to the originator with or without (private) the senders e-mail address displayed.

10. Personalized account information where members determine what type of personal information they want to share.

11. Private forum aliases so members can remain anonymous.

12. Searchable forums to help members locate specific information. 

13. Extensive FAQs (Click here to access). If you have questions about using the forums please check the NCBA Forums FAQs, which are available online 24 hours a day.