Who Is Going to Protect Your Profession?

Why professional associations struggle for participation—and who pays the price when everyone waits for someone else to lead.

One of the greatest challenges facing professional associations is not always the opposition they face from outside. Sometimes it is the lack of participation from the very people whose livelihoods they represent. This is certainly true in the bail profession, but it is not unique to bail. Professional and trade organizations across America confront what researchers call the “free-rider problem”: people receive the benefits of legislative advocacy whether they contributed the money, time, or effort required to achieve those benefits. When an organization defeats damaging legislation or improves a regulation, the victory generally protects everyone in that profession. That makes it easy to believe somebody else will carry the responsibility.

There is another explanation that deserves more attention. Some people may believe they do not have the knowledge or skills necessary to contribute. They may not understand legislation, know how to speak with an elected official, feel comfortable serving on a committee, or believe they have enough experience to sit on a board. I understand that feeling. When I first began serving on a board of directors, experienced members took the time to explain the history and reasoning behind earlier decisions. I had a vote, but for several years I did far more listening than speaking. That was part of my education. I learned by showing up, listening, asking questions, and accepting greater responsibility as I became prepared for it.

Today, I serve as president of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, but that did not happen overnight. My experience demonstrates something associations should communicate more effectively: you do not need to be an expert before becoming involved. Participation is one of the ways expertise is developed. Experienced leaders also have a responsibility to welcome new people, share institutional knowledge, explain the process, and provide opportunities for them to grow. That is how organizations develop future board members, officers, advocates, and leaders instead of depending indefinitely on the same small group.

That makes something I observed recently while speaking at a bail conference particularly concerning. I asked how many people followed their own state association’s social-media page. Very few hands went up. I asked the same question about the national PBUS page, with essentially the same response. Following these pages costs nothing and takes little effort, yet it provides access to legislative developments and issues that can directly affect a person’s livelihood. Reading, commenting, and sharing also help carry the profession’s message beyond those already connected to it. If we struggle with this basic level of engagement, mobilizing people when a serious legislative fight begins becomes much more difficult.

The question should not simply be, “Why aren’t more people involved?” Associations must provide an understandable path into participation, and professionals must be willing to take the first step. Follow the association. Read what it publishes. Attend a meeting. Join a committee. Make a legislative phone call. Attend a Capitol Day. Listen to people who have been doing the work and learn from them. Eventually, become one of the people teaching someone else. Your livelihood may depend on laws written by people you have never met, regulations developed in meetings you never attended, and political decisions made while you were busy working. If you are not willing to participate in protecting your profession, who exactly are you expecting to do it for you?

About the Author

Mike Morrison is the 2026 PBUS National Bail Agent of the Year, President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, and a nationally recognized bail educator, speaker, and criminal justice commentator. With more than 35 years of hands-on experience as a licensed Professional Bail Agent and owner of Mike Morrison Bail Bonding Company in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he brings a practical, real-world perspective to discussions involving American legal history, institutional accountability, constitutional rights, public safety, technology, and public policy.

Morrison is recognized as a bail trainer by the Mississippi Judicial College and is a sought-after guest speaker for judicial, prosecutorial, and industry conferences across the country. He has presented before state judges, justice court clerks, prosecutors, attorneys general staff, and bail professionals nationwide. He also leads professional education and ethics programs for bail agents through the Master Class Bail Agent Series and other national training initiatives.

He has published nearly 200 articles examining the institutions, policies, and decisions that affect working Americans. His writing is grounded in decades spent inside courtrooms, jails, communities, and the criminal justice system, and his commentary has surpassed 1.75 million views across social media in 2026.

Independent, plain-spoken, and focused on accountability, Morrison writes and speaks about the intersection of government, liberty, public safety, professional responsibility, and the real-world consequences of public policy in Mississippi and across the nation.

© 2026 Mike Morrison. All rights reserved.