Young Lawyers Division 2000-2001

 

The AFFILIATE

November/December 2000

ABA Business Law Section Announces Newest Class of Fellows

The American Bar Association Section of Business Law has announced the newest members of its Business Law Fellowship Program. The program, now in its third year, aims to give active members of the ABA Young Lawyers Division an opportunity to become involved in the substantive work of the Business Law Section, and to develop future leaders of the Section.

Members of the fellows class of 2000-2002 are LaRonda Barnes of Atlanta, Georgia; Joseph Beach of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Patrick Clendenen of Boston, Massachusetts; David Gemunder of Tampa, Florida; and Dale Weppner of St. Louis, Missouri.

Each fellow has been assigned a Section committee and a mentor to work with during his or her years as a fellow, and the Section has committed to provide funding so fellows may attend Section meetings. Section leaders are charged with involving fellows in the substantive work of the committees, and the mentors will work to maximize the opportunities for participation and professional development on the part of their fellows.

"The Business Law Section is committed to increasing the participation of young lawyers in Section activities," said Amy Boss, Chair of the Section. "We have identified two major reasons why we continue to have fewer young lawyers who are meaningful participants in Section activities than we would like: the cost of attending Section meetings and a perceived lack of opportunity to be an active participant in the substantive work of the Section.

"The goal of the Fellowship Program is to address these challenges by investing dollars in young lawyers who are expected to participate actively in the work of the Section and eventually grow into future leaders of the Section."

The Fellowship appointment is for two years. Five new fellows are selected each year. To be considered for selection, a person must be a member of the Business Law Section and an active member of the YLD, or an active member of the Division who has aged out within the last three years, and must demonstrate significant interest and achievement in an area of business law that coincides with the work of a substantive Section committee.

The selection of fellows is a three-stage process. First, the candidate must be nominated by a member of the YLD or the Section. Second, the candidate must complete an application describing his or her practice, involvement in the YLD, professional goals, and plans for the Business Law Fellows Program. Finally, applications are reviewed by the co-chairs of the Fellows Program, who then make recommendations to the Section Chair, who makes the final selections.

For more information about the Fellows Program or nominations for the 2001- 2003 fellows class, please contact Fellows Program Co-Chairs Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier at 602-382-6366, or e-mail hstaudenmaier@swlaw.com, or Barbara Mendel Mayden at 615/742-6208 or bmayden@bassberry.com.