ABA Announcements
2016 REGULAR STATE DELEGATE ELECTION
The following jurisdictions will elect a State Delegate for a three-year term beginning at the adjournment of the 2016 Annual Meeting:
Alabama
Alaska
California
Florida
Hawaii
Kansas
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
Wisconsin
PETITIONS
Nominating petitions for State Delegates to be elected in 2016 must be filed with the Board of Elections at Association headquarters not later than Tuesday, December 8, 2015. For each state in which more than one valid nominating petition is filed, the Board of Elections shall have the name of each nominee and the names of 25 signers of the nominating petition published in the February 2016 issue of the ABA Journal.
While it is desirable that more than the required minimum of twenty-five names of members of the Association appear on the nominating petitions, only twenty-five names of signers of any petition will be published as provided by § 6.3(b) of the Association’s Constitution. Only signatures of lawyer members of the Association will be counted. Each nominating petition must be accompanied by a typewritten list of names, addresses, and ABA member ID’s of the signers in the order in which they appear on the petition. A one-hundred-word biographical sketch of the nominee and a signed Statement of Expectations must also accompany the petitions. Forms for this purpose will be provided. The biographical sketch will be included in the ballot material sent to each Association member in the state in which the nominee is a candidate for the office of State Delegate.
A candidate for nominee and all signers must be lawyer members of the Association whose membership is accredited to the state where the election is being held. There is no limit to the number of candidates who may be nominated in any state, and the nominations are made only on the initiative of members themselves.
Each nominee in a contested State Delegate election is entitled to receive one list of the names and addresses of the Association members in his/her state. The list is to be made available only after the proper filing of nominating petitions, after the filing deadline, and upon written request. The nominee should allow up to fourteen days from receipt of the request until delivery of the list. In addition, ABA staff will send one email on behalf of the candidate to the ABA lawyer members in his/her contested state.
Nominating petitions may be obtained from the Board of Elections at the headquarters office of the American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60654 and must be filed before the close of business at 5:00 p.m. (Central), Tuesday, December 8, 2015.
Ballots will be sent to lawyer members in good standing, accredited to the state in which elections are to be held, no later than Friday, January 15, 2016.
In accordance with § 6.3(e) of the constitution, no ballots will be sent to members when a State Delegate election is uncontested. If only one valid nominating petition is filed, the Board of Elections will certify that the sole nominee is elected.
2015 DELEGATE-AT-LARGE AND VACANCY ELECTION RESULTS
The following persons were elected to three-year terms as Delegates-at-Large to the House of Delegates at the 2015 Annual Meeting: Tom Bolt (U.S. Virgin Islands); Michael H. Byowitz (New York); C. Elisia Frazier (Georgia); Leslie Miller (Arizona); Llewelyn G. Pritchard (Washington) and Saul A. Wolfe (New Jersey). The following person was elected to a two-year term as Delegate-at-Large to the House of Delegates at the 2015 Annual Meeting due to the resignation of Barbara Mendel Mayden: Pauline A. Schneider (District of Columbia).
NOTICE BY MARY T. TORRES, ABA SECRETARY
Goal III Members-at-Large Seats on the Nominating Committee
At its 2015 Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates adopted a proposal amending Section 9.2 (a) and (b) of the Association’s Constitution to provide that all member-at-large seats on the Nominating Committee be referred to as Goal III members-at-large and that the number of Goal III members-at-large be increased from six (6) to eight (8) to include one self-identified LGBT member-at-large for a three-year term and one member-at-large identified as having a disability initially for a two-year term. The amendment further provides that the ABA President shall appoint the Goal III members-at-large from broadly solicited nominations from the diversity commissions, sections, divisions and forums, state and local bar associations, and the membership at large. If you are interested in submitting a nomination for the two newly created Goal III members-at-large, or if you have any questions, please contact Leticia Spencer ([email protected]; 312.988.5160) c/o Office of the Secretary, no later than October 30, 2015.
Mary T. Torres
ABA Secretary
