Communications Committee Description

The Communications committee is responsible for developing, updating and monitoring the Section's communications policies, social networking accounts, and electronic discussion groups, as well as recommending new ways for the Section to communicate with its members and other interested parties through alternative media.

The committee is also responsible for regularly updating and marketing information about Section activities, Council Meetings, ABA Family Law Section outreach, news updates on the ABA Family Law Section and its officers, and other updates on current national and world events impacting family law, as well as monitoring and moderating the ABA Family Law Section ESQ Listserv, all in coordination with ABA Family Law Section Staff and the Section Chair.

The Communications committee is a Standing Committee. Standing committees are established and authorized by Council or by the Chair with the advice and consent of Council and are responsible to Council.

The Communications Committee Chair is appointed by the Chair Elect, upon consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary of the section, to serve during the upcoming year. The appointment is to be made by June 1^st. The Chair’s term begins at the conclusion of the annual meeting and continues for one year.

The committee chair has the following responsibilities which can be accomplished by working with a Vice-Chair or Co-Chair:

1. Have a good working knowledge of social networking, Section Marketing focuses, appropriate outreach to members and non-members, and an awareness of good social networking protocols.
2. Assist Staff with the Section’s eNewsletter in terms of creating new substantive content areas as well as developing procedures for obtaining and/or vetting substantive contributions from Section Members.
3. Facilitate the submission of CLE proposals from committee members and to produce CLE programs when a topic relevant to the committee is selected by the CLE Committee for inclusion in an upcoming CLE conference, and when directed to do so by the CLE Committee Chair or Co-Chairs. This may include working with the CLE Committee to suggest speakers and finalize titles, descriptions, and educational materials.
4. Coordinating committee members to post materials on the Committee’s webpage which serves as a home for all substantive area knowledge sharing.
5. Writing and submitting a column for the Committee Corner section of the E-Newsletter when requested.
6. Using the committee list serve to communicate with the committee regarding upcoming meetings, CLE proposals, special projects and other topics relevant to the committee.
7. When a committee project requires financing, the committee chair is responsible for making a formal budget request to the Finance Officer in a timely manner.
8. Communicating with the committee’s council liaison to facilitate communication with section leadership.
9. The Chair of the Committee is required to submit a status report to the Section’s Council to be included in the Fall, Spring, and Annual Meeting Agenda books.
10. Be prepared to give an oral report at council upon request.

Committee Features

• The Communication Committee is a Standing Committee.
• Chair is appointed by the Chair Elect for the upcoming year.
• The committee meets mostly via e-mail and telephone.
• Status reports are submitted to Council for the Fall, Spring & Annual Meeting Agenda books.
• Committee is open to membership by any active member of the section.
• The Chair of the Section will appoint a Vice-Chair to facilitate leadership transition.