The Voice of Students

Run for Student Leader as Circuit Governor

Representing more than 40,000 law student members from 183 ABA-accredited law schools across the country, the Law Student Division needs dedicated and committed individuals to serve as the voice for those constituents. Each year, law students elect 15 regional representatives to act as circuit governors, promoting student interests.

Fifteen new governors will be elected in February, when each of the Division’s circuits convenes for its spring conference. While every circuit meeting affords an opportunity to meet students from other schools throughout the region to discuss issues of mutual interest, the spring conference is special. During this gathering, students have a chance to meet candidates for governor or seek office as governor. The only requirements are ABA membership and a desire to serve.

Why seek office as governor? "I wanted to continue the great work the ABA does on my campus and in my circuit," says 8th Circuit governor Jason Kohlmeyer, a third-year student at Hamline University School of Law. "I wanted to involve all of the schools in my circuit and take on the challenge of bringing on new schools."

After completing the nomination form on page 55, candidates journey to their circuit’s spring conference site. There, candidates meet with law students from throughout the circuit to discuss their plans for the coming year. Each law school has two votes, cast by the student bar association president and ABA representative.

After the spring conference, governors provide their elected successor with a crash course in ABA programs, culminating in the Board of Governor’s April meeting. There, in addition to receiving extensive training and their Board committee assignments, the governors-elect are sworn in for a one-year term.

"Working with the Board, and meeting people from all over the country, is definitely the best part of the job," Kohlmeyer says.

Governors enjoy only a brief respite after the April meeting. Each governor must organize three circuit meetings each year. In addition, many governors are hard at work by mid-summer, planning Division programming for the coming academic year through Board committees. They must also travel to three Board of Governors meetings each year.

To apply for a position as circuit governor, fill out the form on page 55 and mail it to your circuit governor and to the Law Student Division, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611. Applications must be postmarked no later than 21 days before the Spring Conference. Further information and applications are also available on the Division’s web site at www.abanet.org/lsd. •

Brandon Bigelow

What Circuit Are You In?

Circuit governors are responsible to all of the American Bar Association-accredited law schools in their circuit. The circuits are:

First Circuit: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

Second Circuit: New York

Third Circuit: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Fourth Circuit: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia—except George Mason University—and West Virginia

Fifth Circuit: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee

Sixth Circuit: Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio

Seventh Circuit: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin

Eighth Circuit: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota

Ninth Circuit: Southern California and Hawaii

Tenth Circuit: Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma

Eleventh Circuit: District of Columbia and George Mason University

Twelfth Circuit: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

Thirteenth Circuit: Louisiana and Texas

Fourteenth Circuit: Northern California and Nevada

Fifteenth Circuit: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

Note: LSDcircuits do not exactly parallel the circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals.