It's always interesting to build a website that has a few disparate goals. In the case of the Napa County Bar Association, the site had three very different audiences: lawyers, people who need lawyers, and people who are very upset with their lawyers.
The Bar Association exists to provide the attorneys in Napa County with a network of colleagues, as well as continuing legal education and resources for research and advice. The Bar also acts as a referral service for its member lawyers -- if you need an attorney who is well-versed in California's Wine Laws (and, really, who doesn't?), the Bar Association can direct you to attorneys who specialize in that area. Lastly, part of the Bar's mandate is to provide fee arbitration services on behalf of its members -- so if you and your lawyer are having a dispute over fees, the Bar Association provides an alternative going to Small Claims, District, or Superior court.
The Bar Association's website needed to serve all of those needs in the same space. Their new website displays all of the information they needed, in a layout that's simple and easy use. Additionally, the back-end interface allows the Bar officers to update member information easily. Adding a new member, or editing an existing member record (to reflect a change in address or practice specialty) is as easy as filling out a web form. The site updates automatically, and you can search for a lawyer by City, Specialty, Firm name, and more! There is also a Bar Calendar, which is updated regularly to display meetings and other events.
The Bar Association provided us with some great pictures of the historic Napa County Courthouse. The Courthouse has classic architecture, as well as an amazing stained glass dome and artwork from local painters. My personal favorites are the pictures of the Hall of Records. The top banner rotates each time you visit a new page -- click around to see all the different shots!
