STARTING A NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

The North Dallas Bar Association (NDBA) is the newest member of the area’s legal organizations. Its founders say that the organization isn’t an offshoot or rebel group of any other area bar association; its members just like the convenience of being able to meet on their side of tow

Attorney Mary Ann Beaty had the idea to start the NDBA. Out of about 32 members, she is one of four women. The NDBA expects its membership to grow rapidly, since there are nearly 2.000 attorneys practicing in North Dallas, the Metro-crest cities, Lewisville, Grapevine and Richardson.

One NDBA member, attorney Bill Rice, likes the idea of a local bar association, since it gives him the chance to meet other attorneys and to use them as a sounding board to discuss legal issues and unusual case situations.

Legal assistant Samantha Arthur is currently taking calls from attorneys who are interested in joining the association, which has an annual fee of $50. She’s also heading the lawyer referral service, which, she says, is already getting about 20 calls a day. But Arthur says that neither she nor the attorneys listed with the service will give free legal advice on the telephone. The referral service is free, but each attorney charges $25 for a 30-minute consultatio

For information about joining the new bar association or to get help from the referral service, call 980-0472.