ABA Announcements
2016 BOARD OF GOVERNORS ELECTION
At the 2016 Midyear Meeting, the Nominating Committee will announce nominations for district and at-large positions on the ABA Board of Governors for terms beginning at the conclusion of the 2016 Annual Meeting and ending at the conclusion of the 2019 Annual Meeting. Pursuant to S 2.1 of the Association’s Constitution, the Committee will nominate individuals from the following states to represent the districts noted: Illinois (District 7), Florida (District 8), Nebraska (District 10), Arizona (District 11), Alaska (District 13), and Washington (District 18).
The Nominating Committee also will nominate members from the Section of State and Local Government Law, and the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division as Section Members-at-Large, and one Goal III member-at-large, who is a woman, to serve for three-year terms.
In addition, based on the action taken by the House of Delegates at the 2015 Annual Meeting, the Nominating Committee will nominate three additional Section members-at-large to serve on the Board of Governors as follows: Criminal Justice Section for a one-year term, Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law for a two-year term, and the Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law for a three-year term; and one Goal III member-at-large who self identifies as having a disability for a three-year term. At the end of those respective terms, and in each succeeding third year, the Section and Goal III members-at-large shall be elected for three-year terms.
Nominations for Goal III Members-at-Large will be made notwithstanding that Goal III members may be nominated for the district and at-large positions on the Board of Governors.
PETITIONS
To be eligible for nomination as a member of the Board of Governors by the Nominating Committee, a person must file a petition signed by 25 Association members. Nominating petitions must be filed with the Secretary at Association headquarters not later than Friday, January 8, 2016. Nominees for district representatives must be accredited to the state for which the nomination is being made and 25 Association members from the states within that district must sign the petition. While it is desirable that more than the required minimum of 25 names of members of the Association appear on the nominating petitions, only 25 names of signers of any petition will be included in the material provided to the Nominating Committee. Only signatures of lawyer members of the Association will be counted. Each nominating petition must be accompanied by a typewritten list of names, ABA member ID’s, and addresses of the signers in the order in which they appear on the petition. Petitions for nominations must specify which position the petitioner seeks; no person may petition for more than one position.
A 100-word biographical sketch of the nominee and a signed acknowledgement of the Role of a Member of the Board Governors also must accompany the petition. Forms for this purpose will be provided. The biographical sketch and a list of 25 signers from the nominating petitions will be sent to the members of the Nominating Committee prior to their meeting in February.
Nominating petitions may be obtained from the Secretary at the headquarters office of the American Bar Association, c/o Leticia D. Spencer, ([email protected]; 312/988-5160), 321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60654-7598.
Mary T. Torres
ABA Secretary
NOTICE BY THE SECRETARY
At the 1996 Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates approved an amendment to the Constitution to provide that at least 40-day notice shall be given to Association members of the time and place of the meeting of the Nominating Committee at which nominations for officers and members of the Board of Governors will be considered. Accordingly, notice is hereby given that the Nominating Committee will meet in conjunction with the 2016 Midyear Meeting in San Diego, California on Sunday, February 7, 2016, beginning with the business session at 9:00 a.m. Immediately following the business session, the Nominating Committee will hear from candidates seeking nomination at the 2017 Midyear Meeting. This portion of the meeting is open to Association members. Following the candidate’s forum, the Nominating Committee will vote on nominations for officers and members of the Board of Governors of the Association for terms beginning at the close of the 2016 Annual Meeting.
If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please contact Leticia D. Spencer at 312/988-5160 or [email protected].
Mary T. Torres
ABA Secretary
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
The Constitution and Bylaws of the American Bar Association may be amended only at the ABA Annual Meeting upon action of the House of Delegates. The next Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates will be held August 8-9, 2016, in San Francisco, California.
Proposals to amend either the Constitution or Bylaws may be submitted by any ABA member. It is preferable that proposals be submitted in the form of a memorandum that details the purpose and effect of the proposal.
In order to be considered at the 2016 Annual Meeting, a proposed amendment must be received by the Division for Policy Administration at the American Bar Center on or before Friday, March 11, 2016. This deadline is essential in order to allow time for proposed amendments to be considered by the Standing Committee on Constitution and Bylaws.
Exact language will be drafted by the Standing Committee on Constitution and Bylaws and submitted to the sponsors for approval. This procedure will ensure that all amendments that are approved conform to style required by the rules.
Articles 12 and 13 of the Constitution require that notice of proposed amendments must be given to all ABA members at least 30 days in advance of the meeting at which the amendments are to be considered. Therefore, proposed amendments will be published in the July 2016 issue of the ABA Journal. The proponent or his or her designee must be in attendance to present the amendment for debate by the House of Delegates at the meeting at which the proposal will be considered.
Copies of Article 12, concerning amendment of the Bylaws, and Article 13, concerning amendment of the Constitution, will be provided to any member upon request to the Division for Policy Administration at the American Bar Center, 321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60654.
Mary T. Torres
ABA Secretary
