Sick of meetings that go off the rails? Robert’s Rules of Order can help

It’s no secret that lawyers are asked to attend or preside over many kinds and types of meetings. From attending a professional association’s annual meeting with hundreds of fellow attorneys (as the ABA just held in August) to being asked to chair a non-profit board or preside at an HOA meeting, lawyers are often looked to for guidance. But not everyone has formal training in running a meeting, and there are huge differences between a small firm’s partner meeting with six lawyers in a board room and a Zoom meeting with 3,000 attendees.

The good news–according to author, attorney and parliamentarian Jim Slaughter–is that no matter the size or composition of a meeting, Robert’s Rules of Order has advice for that. But you find the 816-page Robert’s Rules of Order, 12th Edition daunting, Slaughter has written Robert’s Rules of Order Fast Track to give people a slim and accessible guide, and will soon be releasing Notes and Comments on ‘Robert’s Rules,’ Fifth Edition.

Rather than hindering or slowing down a meeting, Robert’s Rules of Order can provide a structure that heads off potential problems at the pass. In his fast track guide, Slaughter brings up common problem areas and how to deal with them. He and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss the viral videos of city council or school board meetings that have gone off the rails with attendees who are deliberately being disruptive. But Slaughter points out that sometimes a meeting participant derails a meeting by virtue of a talkative personality, and that, too, can be addressed by a chair who has a good command ofRobert’s Rules. Abiding by Robert’s Rules can also help groups avoid legal jeopardy.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Slaughter and Rawles discuss why a book first written in the 19th century is useful today; best practices for running Zoom or hybrid meetings; the common mistakes Slaughter sees most often; and the misconceptions people have about meeting minutes.