ABA Law Student Division
SBA Presidents
Making Your Case to Attending the Annual Meeting
Dear SBA Presidents:
A letter was forwarded to law school deans from the ABA President and Law Student Division Chair in an effort to help make the case to your law school administration to support your attendance at the ABA Annual Meeting. Please feel free to use this letter to make your case to your law school dean.
The Law Student Division’s policy-making body, the Assembly, convenes once a year at the ABA Annual Meeting to review and vote on policy issues affecting law students, legal education and the legal profession. Each ABA-approved law school has two official voting delegates in the Assembly – the SBA President and the ABA Law Student Division Representative, or their proxies.
In addition to representing your school in the Assembly, the SBA Presidents and ABA Law Student Division Representatives may attend training and leadership workshops designed to meet your needs and develop your skills as well as numerous opportunities to exchange best practices with other law school leaders.
For example, the SBA and Representative training programs will include sessions on how to communicate effectively and to build relationships with administration, faculty and other students, how to work within the community, and how to plan and develop programs and activities for your law school student body.
Similarly, ABA Law Student Division Representatives will meet with representatives from the ABA Membership Department, as well as nationally recognized companies that serve as the member benefit providers to the ABA Law Student Division. These providers include BARBRI, Kaplan PMBR and United Healthcare Student Resources Health Insurance, to name a few. The ABA Law Student Division Representatives will also convene with their SBA counterparts to develop partnership opportunities.
In addition, you will be able to attend programs that address topics such as professionalism, ethics, technology, business, litigation, alternative dispute resolution, solo and small firm management, as well as a variety of career development programs. The ABA Annual Meeting also offers the opportunity to meet and network with attorneys new to the practice of law, as well as those accomplished in a wide range of practice areas and settings.
We look forward to seeing you in Chicago.
Wells Griffith
Vice Chair – SBA
Mississippi College School of Law
Attention -- New SBA Presidents
Be sure to report your election to the ABA using our fast and easy electronic reporting form.
- Election/Appointment Reporting Form
- Listing of SBA Presidents & ABA Representatives
- 200 Innovative Ideas for America's Law Schools
- Fundraising Ideas (provided by Joe Kraus, SBA President, University of Oregon)
- Address Change Form
- Law Student Division Monthly e-Newsletter
Law students can join the ABA Law Student Division for only $25 by completing an on-line application or by calling 1-800-285-2221.
Communications
- Division eNewsletter
- SBA Presidents Webboard (New and Improved coming soon)
- SBA Presidents List Serve (unsubscribe)
- LegallyMinded, an ABA online community serving the legal profession
- ABA Economic Recovery Resources
2009 Annual Meeting and Career Fair
July 29-August 4, 2009
Chicago Marriott Hotel Downtown
Career Fair: July 30, 2009
Law Student Division Activities: July 29-August 2, 2009
- Tell me more about ABA Law Student Division Activities during the Annual Meeting
- ABA Law Student Division Preliminary Program Brochure
- ABA Law Student Division PRELIMINARY Schedule of Events
- Career Fair details
- July 7, 2009 - Advance Registration and Housing Deadline:
$75 LSD Members/$100 ABA Non-Member law students
Registration fee includes admittance to the Career Fair and a Law Student "all access to CLE" meeting badge. ABA Annual Meeting Registration and Housing Forms
Annual Meeting Voting, Elections and Assembly
- Slate of Candidates
- Position Information - Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates
- Position Information - Vice Chair-Student Bar Associations
- Guide to Election Regulations
- Code of Election Regulations
- Delegate Certification Procedures and Proxies
- Listing of ABA Representatives and SBA Presidents
- SBA Presidents Reporting Form
- 2008 Annual Meeting Assembly Resolution Procedures (2009 edition to be released shortly)
- Current Division Leaders
Resources for SBA Presidents
Law Student Division Activities
ABA Law Student Division Membership Materials
Handout Materials
- Benefits of Membership
- Role/Responsibilities of ABA Representative
- Frequently Asked Questions
- List of SBA Presidents & ABA Representatives
- Talking Points
- Making Your Case for Membership
Posters and Flyers
Other Resources
- ABA Representatives Page
- ABA Representatives Rewards Program
- Representatives Training Manual
- Monthly
Membership Reports (MMRs)
Membership statistics for each of the ABA-approved law schools
Vice Chair-Student Bar Associations

Wells Griffith, Vice Chair-SBA
Mississippi College School of Law
Jackson, MS
Welcome 2009-2010 SBA Presidents!
Congratulations to each of you on your election as SBA President! You are now part of an elite group of law school leaders across this country who have the unique ability to impact and lead your student body like no one else. This coming year will no doubt be a busy one for you. As a former SBA President myself, I know the challenges and great opportunity that each of you will be facing come the fall.
Check out the List of Resources that will help you as an SBA President. Many of these resources will be discussed in details and distributed during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. There you will find information on:
- How to reach America's Law School Presidents through the SBA Listserve.
- Online Resources for SBA Presidents.
- Why you should attend the Annual Meeting
- Why you should attend your Circuit's Fall Leadership Summit and Spring Meeting
- How to get involved with law school leaders in your state and region.
- Law Student Advocacy/Lobbying Efforts.
- How to Join the ABA Law Student Division.
As a law school Student Bar Association President, you have the ability to make an impact on your student body in a profound way. I encourage you to get involved in the ABA and network with other SBA Presidents from across the country. As the new school year approaches, we will be distributing more information and resources that will help you be a successful SBA President and give you the tools to make your year as President truly remarkable and memorable.
If there is anything the ABA Law Student Division can do to assist you or your SBA, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Funding Sources
Grant
Program
The ABA Law Student Division Grant
Program provides financial and program support each year to student
organizations of ABA-approved law schools to establish programs/activities
which emphasize diversity, ethics, professionalism training and public
interest/service activities.
Representatives
and Membership Funds
A limited amount of funding is available to ABA Representatives
through the ABA Law Student Division Representative
Fund and Membership
Fund.
From Around the ABA
Contact Us
- Questions for the Vice Chair-SBA
- Questions for other Law Student Division leaders
- Questions for the ABA Law Student Division
- Question for the general ABA
- Question about your ABA Membership (800/285-2221)
- Question about Law School Accreditation (312/988-6738)
