Due to in-state membership in the State Bar rising above 14,000, the State Bar Board of Governors will elect a fifth delegate to the American Bar Association's (ABA) House of Delegates. The delegate will be elected at the Nov. 5 board meeting in Madison.
October 2004
State Bar seeks ABA delegate, petitions due Oct. 25
Due to in-state membership in the State Bar
rising above 14,000, the State Bar Board of Governors will elect a fifth
delegate to the American Bar Association's (ABA) House of Delegates. The
delegate will be elected at the Nov. 5 board meeting in Madison.
The delegate's responsibilities include: establishing ABA association
policy and defining the ABA's position on professional and public
issues; electing the ABA's officers and Board of Governors after
receiving nominations from the ABA Nominating Committee; amending the
ABA's bylaws and constitution (jointly with the ABA Assembly of
Members); creating or disbanding association committees and sections;
and setting membership dues after conferring with the ABA Board of
Governors.
During the two-year term, delegates attend each House meeting,
participate in its proceedings, and discharge the House's
responsibilities. Delegates also keep their constituencies apprised of
House actions and, to the extent possible, of matters pending before the
House. They also assist constituent entities in presenting issues of
concern for debate and action by the House.
In July, the State Bar Board of Governors unanimously approved
applying to the ABA for the fifth delegate. Gov. John Macy chaired a
committee that studied the funding, selection process, and reporting
requirements of State Bar delegates. The board approved the position at
its September meeting.
The two-year term for the fifth position began at the end of the
ABA's 2004 Annual Convention in August. The first ABA House of Delegates
meeting for this delegate's term will be in February 2005.
Members interested in representing the State Bar in this capacity
should review the State Bar Bylaws,
article III, section 11, for election qualifications and procedure (see
page 651 of the 2004 Wisconsin Lawyer Directory). Nomination
petitions, which must be endorsed by at least 10 members of the Board of
Governors, must be filed with State Bar Executive Director George Brown
by Oct. 25. Petitions filed after this date will be considered but
cannot be mailed to the board before the Nov. 5 meeting.
Print a petition or contact Jan Marks at (800)
444-9404, ext. 6106, (608) 250-6106, or email jmarks@wisbar.org.
