Meet President-Elect Candidate Hardeep Grover
March 25, 2024
The D.C. Bar’s 2024 general and Communities elections will run from April 29 to June 4. Eligible voters will receive an email link to their ballots via Survey & Ballot Systems, an independent vendor administering the elections. Voting will be held exclusively online.
Results of the elections will be announced on the Bar’s website and during the 2024 Celebration of Leadership on June 20.
Here, get to know Hardeep Grover, one of two candidates running for D.C. Bar president-elect for the 2024–2025 term. The president-elect serves for one year before becoming president, and then continues in office a third year as immediate past president.
If elected president-elect of the D.C. Bar, Hardeep Grover, principal counsel at CapEx Legal, would make training and resources for new attorneys a top focus, especially in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in the law. “This includes educating them in the thoughtful use of AI,” Grover says.
At CapEx Legal, where he provides business law and strategic services to a wide range of companies and organizations focused on growth, Grover employs AI on a daily basis. If given the opportunity to lead the Bar, Grover says he will make it a priority to help the next generation of attorneys leverage technology in providing services that align with the needs and financial capabilities of their potential clients.
“We are arriving at a paradigm shift in the practice of law, and it’s crucial that we ensure the new generation of attorneys is adept in not only utilizing AI and the significant benefits it brings, but also in developing business in a scenario where our competition is technology rather than alternate counsel,” Grover says.
Grover sees opportunities for the D.C. Bar to firmly establish itself as a leader in the use of AI by leveraging preexisting assets and member expertise. “I practice in California, New York, the District, Maryland, and Virginia, and the D.C. Bar has resources like none other,” Grover says. “It’s important to inform our members what resources are available and to make sure those resources are up to date, and that includes the practice of law using AI. The D.C. Bar should be a significant part of the conversation, and we should be a part of training young attorneys to come into what is, effectively, going to be a new profession in the way that we practice.”
Grover credits his own development as an attorney to his involvement in bar organizations as well as pro bono programs. At the D.C. Bar, Grover has cochaired the Arts, Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Community and was part of the 2020–2025 Strategic Planning Committee. A graduate of the D.C. Bar’s John Payton Leadership Academy, Grover currently serves on the Pro Bono, Leadership Development, and Communities Committees at the Bar.
In addition, Grover is a board member of the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts and a past president of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C. (SABA-DC). He is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School.
Grover has a broad view of access to justice, another platform of his campaign for president-elect of the D.C. Bar. Grover believes that pro bono service is a matter of public safety, critical to addressing the needs of many in the District. “It’s vital for our community, and the community needs us to be a resource for them, but we also cannot ignore that the practice of law is a business,” he says.
Grover finds it remarkable that in a city with so many attorneys, many Washingtonians still struggle to find suitable counsel even when they’re financially able to hire one. “We need to bridge this gap, making it easier for residents to connect with the right legal expertise for their unique situations,” says Grover, citing DC Refers as an example of a program that responds to this need by providing low bono services.
He proposes a system of resources that will make it easier for District residents find appropriate legal counsel, whether pro bono, low bono, or full priced. “That’s why I frame it as access to counsel,” he says. “I want to increase access to justice, without question, but I want to ensure that all Washingtonians are able to access counsel, whatever their needs.”
Grover is also seeking to encourage greater member participation at the D.C. Bar. “As president of SABA-DC, I focused my efforts on elevating member engagement and providing exceptional programming. My leadership saw a dramatic increase in member engagement as we introduced a diverse array of about 30 events covering critical and contemporary issues, including the #MeToo movement, cryptocurrency regulation, the treatment of Guantanamo detainees, and insider tips from seasoned Supreme Court practitioners.”
At SABA-DC, Grover says his leadership approach was fundamentally about empowering board members and volunteers. “I fostered an environment of inclusive decision making, encouraging them to initiate and lead projects aligned with our vision. This empowerment led to a thriving, proactive organization that increased member value,” he says.
“I have many ideas about how the Bar can enhance what it’s already doing right now,” Grover says, “but I’m also cognizant of the fact that this is a membership-based organization, and what the members want, in the end, matters most. So, I’d like to hear from [and] … engage with members so that I focus on tackling what they actually want and need from their bar.”
Grover is inviting D.C. Bar members to engage with him through his campaign website at hardeepgrover.com, which includes a survey soliciting perspectives on potential issues or programs, or by email at [email protected].
