{"product_id":"9780871546869","title":"From Patrician to Professional Elite: The Transformation of the New York City Bar Association","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Association of the Bar of the City of New York (ABCNY) is no ordinary professional organization. Formed in 1870 and housed in an imposing mid-town edifice, it was the first modern bar association, nationally known for its eminent membership, its reformist stance—and its intimidating selectivity. During much of its history, the ABCNY appeared to be more an upper-class, WASP legal club than an open, collegial association.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow did such an organization fare in the face of post-war pressures for inclusiveness? \u003ci\u003eFrom Patrician to Professional Elite\u003c\/i\u003e offers a rare view of the internal dynamics of an institution adapting to a changed environment. The ABCNY maintained its elite identity by adopting a meritocratic organizational model in place of a class-based model. By shedding its overt exclusivity, the ABCNY asserted its legitimacy; by embracing an \"open elite\" or meritocratic model, the associate retained its high standing and relative homogeneity. In fact, the ABCNY today is dominated by the same functional group of lawyers as before, the corporate legal elite.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis fascinating study of organizational change prompts a re-examination of fundamental questions about the class basis of modern professionalism and the dominance of elites within professions, in addition to illuminating the larger question of the role of elite institutions in democratic societies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Russell Sage Foundation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47018912350448,"sku":"9780871546869","price":44.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780871546869_p0.jpg?v=1763837775","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780871546869","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}