It is our pleasure to appoint you as a 2008-2009 ABA Law Student Division Liaison. A list of 2008-2009 Liaison appointments is available online for your convenience.  Your appointment was based on your excellent qualifications and your interest in becoming a national representative of the Division. As a Liaison, you will represent the Division’s over 55,000 members to your assigned entity. 

The Liaison appointment process is very competitive due to the high volume of exceptionally qualified applications received by the Division.  Far more applications were received than were available positions for placement.   We hope you realize the honor and obligations associated with your appointment.  This is also a special recognition to your school.  Please review the information in this email and reflect on what your service as a Liaison means to the Division.

Appointment Materials
Links to essential Liaison materials can be found is provided below:

• Liaison Appointments
• Accept/Decline Data Form (pdf or html formats)
• Orientation Conference Call Instructions
• Entity Funding Chart
• Entity Contact List
• Required Communications Complimentary Copy List
• Sample Liaison Entity Reporting (due: October, March and May)
• Liaison Handbook
• Entity Profiles

Dual Capacities and Obligations
As a Liaison, you serve in dual capacities; first, as a voice of the Law Student Division to the ABA entity, and second, as a voice of the ABA entity to the Law Student Division.  Similarly, the Law Student Division and the ABA entity will require you to submit reports that summarize what you have done to promote the Division and the ABA entity. The Law Student Division will require reports that keep the Division leadership apprised of your involvement with students, and the ABA entity.  It is important that you meet your reporting deadlines in a timely manner.  Sample reports submitted by previous liaisons can be found online .

Additionally, whenever the Law Student Division has resolutions or policy interests that will be voted on in the ABA House of Delegates, you may be asked to lobby your ABA entity to ensure Law Student Division efforts are successful.  As a Division Liaison, we will call on you for suggestions and will seek your assistance in helping us increase student involvement and membership.  Because you are being appointed to a leadership position, it is important that you make every effort to attend circuit meetings and the ABA Annual Meeting – we will be depending on you to be an ambassador of the Division’s Liaison Program as well as your ABA entity.  Please be sure to keep these responsibilities and obligations in mind while you are in office.

Term of Office
Your term as Liaison, subject to satisfactory performance, extends from August 2008 to August 2009.  The length of your term will enable you to work with the current entity Liaison, as well as to pass on Liaison materials at the end of the next school year to your successor.

Division and ABA Policy
The ABA Directory (better known as the “Redbook”) provides the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of ABA leaders, as well as a comprehensive listing of all ABA entities and affiliated organizations and is available online. The Law Student Division Board of Governors Directory containing contact information for the Division’s leadership is available online.

As a Division Liaison, it is essential that you have a working knowledge of major Division and ABA policy.  Please take the time to review the Liaison Handbook that can be found online. Please note the 2008-2009 edition of the handbook will be released during the Liaison Training Session at the August Annual Meeting.

Communication
It is imperative that you communicate with the Division leadership about your entity’s activities and your work as a Division Liaison (see list of required complimentary copies for communication).  The Law Student Division Board of Governors Directory and the online Redbook contain the necessary contact information to communicate with the appropriate individuals.

One important method of communication is the Liaison Reports that you will be required to file with the Division.  Liaison reports can be submitted online, in which case they will be automatically transmitted to the appropriate Division leaders, or via email.  A preview of the reporting forms are available online as well as an overview of reports submitted by past Liaisons.

Conference Calls
You must participate on one of the following scheduled telephone conference calls with Division leadership to discuss the specifics of your role as a Division Liaison on either:

Wednesday, June 11 - 9:00 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time
U.S. and Canada Dial-In:  888-209-3801
Pass Code:  7524499  –  Host:  Daniel Suvor

Saturday, June 14 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
U.S. and Canada Dial-In:  888-209-3801
Pass Code:  7524499  –  Host:  Daniel Suvor

Several minutes prior to the call, please dial in to the ABA’s Conference Center and input the Pass Code indicated above when prompted.  You will then be connected to the call hosted by Daniel Suvor, Law Student Division Chair.

Failure to participate in one of these calls and not contacting Daniel Suvor prior to the call to notify him of your unavailability will result in the termination of your Liaison position.

Each of these conference calls will be fairly brief, but will serve as an opportunity for the Division leadership to introduce themselves to you and provide you with further information on your position as a Division Liaison.

Annual Meeting
We encourage you to make plans to attend the ABA Annual Meeting to be convened in New York City over the dates of August 7-12, 2008.  The Law Student Division meets at the Annual Meeting August 7-10 and will kick-off our portion of the meeting with the 2nd Annual Career Fair and Resume Review.  This one-day event provides an opportunity for law students to meet with hiring representatives from some of the country's most prominent law firms, government legal departments, and public interest organizations to discuss their future careers and prospects for summer and associate positions

Also, most ABA entities conduct business at the Annual Meeting and attending the Annual Meeting will provide you with your first opportunity to meet your entity’s leaders and commence your duties as a Division Liaison. You should contact your entity directly to learn about their plans and activities during the Annual Meeting.  A list of entity staff contacts is available online for your convenience.

In addition to the Career Fair and Resume Review, the Law Student Division has scheduled an orientation session for Liaisons attending the Annual Meeting. The Division’s portion of the Annual Meeting will also provide the opportunity for you to meet other Division leaders in person, participate in the Division’s substantive programs, attend the Division Assembly, meetings and participate in the Division’s social events. 

Circuit Meetings and Local Activities
As a national Division leader, you are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in your circuit meetings.  Further, you are encouraged to remain involved in your student bar association, law student division chapter, local bar association and any other organized bar association of which you are a member.  Please make a point to contact your Circuit Governor to obtain the date and location of the next circuit meeting.

Financial Support
Since Liaison funding varies among entities, please contact your entity directly to learn more about your entity’s specific funding procedure.  Keep in mind that many entities are unable to fund Liaisons to the Annual Meeting due to ABA policy.  In the past, many Division Liaisons have secured funding from their law school deans and student bar associations.  However, if travel funds are not available through your entity or law school, by accepting this appointment, you affirm that you will secure on your own the necessary travel funds to ensure the Division is represented at the appropriate meetings. For an overview of funding available to Liaisons from various entities, please refer to the Entity Funding Chart provided online for your convenience.

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter and acceptance of your appointment by completing and returning the Acceptance/Decline Data Form:

• Data Form in HTML format (to be submitted electronically)
• Data Form in PDF Format (to be faxed or mailed via US Postal Service) 

Please note that even if you are declining the position you have been offered, you must complete the data form in order to make your appointment or decline of your appointment official.

Again, congratulations on your appointment!  If you have any further questions about the Division’s Liaison Program or the Division in general, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We look forward to seeing you in New York and working with you during the coming year.

Sincerely,
                                                           
Daniel Suvor
Chair, Law Student Division
The George Washington University School of Law          

Chris Sprowls
Chair-Elect, Law Student Division
Stetson University College of Law

You must participate on one of the following scheduled telephone conference calls with Division leadership to discuss the specifics of your role as a Division Liaison on either:

Wednesday, June 11 - 9:00 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time
U.S. and Canada Dial-In:  888-209-3801
Pass Code:  7524499  –  Host:  Daniel Suvor

Saturday, June 14 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
U.S. and Canada Dial-In:  888-209-3801
Pass Code:  7524499  –  Host:  Daniel Suvor

Several minutes prior to the conference call, please dial in to the ABA’s Conference Center and input the Pass Code above when prompted.

• Sample Reporting Forms
• March 2008 Liaison Reports >>>
• October 2007 Liaison Reports >>>>

• Liaison Handbook
• Entity Profiles
• Entity Funding Chart
• Entity Staff Contact Chart
• Liaison Homepage

Please be sure to copy the following individuals on all communication:

Daniel R. Suvor, Division Chair
The George Washington Univ. School of Law
Washington, DC

Chris Sprowls, Division Chair-Elect
Stetson University College of Law
Gulfport, FL

Your Circuit Governor
Show me what Circuit I'm in

Patricia A. Brennan, Director
American Bar Association
Law Student Division
(312) 988-5623

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