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:

Title	Term	Next Vote	Incumbent
Chair-Elect	One year, then one year as Chair	2008	Lizz Acee
Secretary-Treasurer	One Year	2008	A.J. Schaeffer
Speaker	One Year	2008	Deborah A. Smith
Clerk	One Year	2008	Chauntis Jenkins
ABA Board of Governors (2)	Three years, after year as nominee	2008	Matthew Nelson
		2007*	Suzanne Gilbert
ABA Nominating Committee	Three Years	2008	David Sterling
ABA House of Delegates (4)	Three Years	2008	Benes Z. Aldana
		2009	Christina Plum
		2010	Jay Ray
		2010	Daniel Van Horn
* Election took place at 2007 Annual meeting. Jonathan Wolfe will begin term of service in 2008.

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 7-9, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA. 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 website.

Affiliates. The Division consists of more than three hundred state and local affiliates, 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.