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Deadline to File Nominations for 2009-2010The ABA Young Lawyers Division will elect its officers and other representatives at the annual meeting on August 1, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The officers and representatives being elected include the Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Speaker, Clerk, and one delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. The deadline
for nominations is the Assembly’s
adjournment at the Midyear meeting on February
14, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. Petitions
to run for the above positions should be filed
with the Secretary-Treasurer, Staff Director
and Speaker. For more information, please
contact the Secretary-Treasurer, David B.
Wolfe at dwolfe@skoloffwolfe.com or
973-232-2987. |
Freguently Asked QuestionsClick on the links below to see the answer to the questions. What are the available titles? |
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Young Lawyers Division Policy Election GuideClick on the link below to learn more about
the election guidelines. |
| Frequently Asked Questions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What are the available titles? The YLD Assembly elects four officers (Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Speaker, and Clerk) and five constitutional representatives (four delegates to the ABA House of Delegates, and a representative to the ABA Nominating Committee), and nominates the two young-lawyer members-at-large on the ABA Board of Governors: |
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Am
I eligible?
No person is eligible for election unless he or she (1) has been a member
since the preceding annual meeting; (2) registered for and attended
the preceding annual or midyear meeting or at least one national conference
since the preceding annual meeting; and (3) attends the election, unless
excused.
Officers. No person is eligible as an officer unless he or she can and does continue as a member throughout his or her term (including, in the case of the Chair-Elect, the ensuing term of the Chair).
Constitutional Representatives. No person shall be eligible as a constitutional representative unless he or she is a member and young lawyer when his or her term begins, or otherwise satisfies the constitutional qualifications. For the ABA Board of Governors, the term does not begin until the annual meeting after the Division "elects" its nominee.
Am
I a "young lawyer"?
A "young lawyer" means a lawyer who has been admitted to practice in
his or her first bar within the past five years, or is less than thirty-six
years old. A young lawyer's membership continues until and through the
annual meeting ending any year for at least part of which the member
is a young lawyer. The Division consists of those young lawyers who
are members in good standing of the Association.
What
are the rules?
The Division's bylaws govern nominations and elections; the provisions
that relate to the eligibility for office, nominations, and elections appear in articles VI-VIII. The Division has also adopted election guidelines.
Division Bylaws
Election Guidelines
Are
there other requirements or rules?
There are no other formal requirements or rules. However, there are
some informal but longstanding customs.
Tracks. Some of the offices and titles customarily follow certain "tracks" within the YLD leadership. The Chair is customarily elected to the ABA House of Delegates. The Secretary-Treasurer customarily succeeds the Chair-Elect. The Clerk customarily succeeds the Speaker.
What
experience do I need?
The candidates for the "entry-level" offices and titles --- Secretary-Treasurer,
Assembly Clerk, ABA Board, ABA Nominating Committee, and the "open"
delegateship to the ABA House (elected every third year) --- have typically
held one or more nationally elected offices or titles, or several senior
appointments at the national level, before seeking election. However,
these customs are merely customs, not rules, and any eligible person
can run for any available office or title.
How
do I file?
Any eligible person can become a candidate by filing a petition of
candidacy with the Secretary-Treasurer, the Speaker, with
a copy to the Staff Director. The petitions must reach the Secretary-Treasurer
before the Assembly adjourns at the midyear meeting on February 14,
2009 in Boston, MA. The petition must specify a single office
that the candidate seeks. There is no special form. It is suggested
that the petition simply identify the candidate (by name, address,
and telephone number) and say, "Please accept this letter as my petition
of candidacy for [office or title]."
What
other opportunities are available?
The notice that appears in The Young Lawyer newsletter lists
only the nationally elected offices and titles. There are many other
ways of getting involved in the Division besides those listed in the
notice:
Appointments. There are literally hundreds of appointments at the national level, ranging from committee membership (flexible time commitment) to committee planning boards (a few hours monthly) to directors (significant time commitment). A guide to the appointments process is available for download on the appointments website.
Affiliates. The Division consists of more than three hundred affiliated state, local and specialty young lawyer bar organizations, each of which also affords opportunities for young-lawyer leadership at the state or local level. Many (probably most) YLD leaders come from the ranks of affiliate leaders.
How
do I get more information?
The "official" sources of information about nominations and elections
are the Secretary-Treasurer who receives petitions of candidacy; and
the Speaker, who interprets and enforces the election guidelines.
The Staff Director, Jill
Eckert McCall
(ph. 312-988-5614), any other member of the YLD
staff, or any YLD
leader can also offer helpful information.
