The Section will commit financial resources and participation opportunities to the Diplomat. These commitments include the following:

1. The reimbursement of expenses, consistent with normal Section reimbursement policies, for attendance at the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as at any one stand-alone meeting of the Committee to which the Diplomat has been appointed.
2. The Chair of the Committee to which the Diplomat has been appointed will commit to provide specific tasks and speaking assignments for the Diplomat. The Chair will also assign a member of the Committee to be a "mentor" for the Diplomat in order to maximize the opportunity for participation and leadership growth.

A critical feature of the Program is a commitment by those chosen to be a Business Law Diplomat to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them to become active participants in Section activities. Their commitments include the following:

1. To attend the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as any stand-alone meeting of their Committee.
2. To continue to be involved in the activities of the association or organizations for lawyers with disabilities and to identify substantive areas of common interest in which members and committees lawyers with disabilities can coordinate with, and participate in, the work of the Section.
3. To coordinate with the Section's liaison to the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law efforts to provide broader exposure of the benefits of Section membership to the members of the Association and other organizations for lawyers with disabilities.
4. To report to the Council of the Section on a bi-annual basis their experience as a Business Law Diplomat.
5. To act as mentors to new Business Law Diplomat and other lawyers with disabilities who join the Section.

To be considered for selection as a Diplomat, a person must be a member of the American Bar Association and a lawyer with a physical, mental or sensory disability who has demonstrated a significant interest or contribution in an area of business law. Selection as a Business Law Diplomat is intended to be an honor, which carries a prestige and distinction reflecting the substantive contributions of a business lawyer with disabilities. The Diplomat will be nominated by the Section's Committee on Diversity Chairs, and selected by the Section Officers. The Program will select one Diplomat for a two year term every two years and will fund his/her expenses during that period. After two years, a Diplomat may continue to be eligible for expense reimbursement under normal Section policies but would not be reappointed an Diplomat, absent extraordinary circumstances.

Applications are no longer being accepted for the Diplomat Program. Please check back soon for the 2010 Application. If you have any questions, please contact Maggie Hajduk at 312-988-5698 or by e-mail at hajdukm@staff.abanet.org.