Elections

    Election Notice

    The Division meets annually to elect Assembly Clerk, Secretary, Treasurer, one (1) nominee to the ABA Board of Governors, one (1) representative to the Nominating Committee and one (1) representatives to the ABA House of Delegates. The next election will take place during the ABA Annual Meeting in August, 2021.

    The ABA Young Lawyers Division will elect its officers and other representatives at the 2021 Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held in Toronto, Ont., from August 4 to 10, 2021.  The officers and representatives being elected include the Secretary, Clerk, and one Division delegate to the ABA House of Delegates.  The deadline for nominations by written notice to the Secretary is the Assembly’s adjournment at the Midyear Meeting, currently scheduled for February 20, 2021. The applicable bylaws and guidelines relating to eligibility and nomination are available from the Secretary, or on the Division’s website.  For more information, please contact the Secretary, Josephine Bahn, josephine.bahn@gmail.com.

    Declared Candidates for YLD Election 2021-22

    Included are links to the candidates' election statements.

    Secretary
    Mathew Kerbis (IL)
    Tamara Nash (SD)

    Clerk
    Shasta Inman (NM)
    Rich Rivera (FL) 

    Representative to ABA House of Delegates
    Rene Morency (MO)
    Casey Payton (USVI)

    Treasurer 
    The next Treasurer election will take place at the 2022 Annual Meeting.

    ABA Board of Governors Nominee
    The next Board of Governors Nominee election will take place at the 2022 Annual Meeting. 

    Representative to the ABA Nominating Committee
    The next Representative to the ABA Nominating Committee will take place at the 2023 Annual Meeting. 

    2021 Candidates Forum

    2021-2022 Election Rules

    At the Fall 2020 YLD Conference, the YLD Council Amended the Election Guidelines. The amended guidelines, effective for anyone seeking election at the Annual 2022 meeting and acting as a candidate during the 2021-22 election cycle, can be located here. These changes are effective on September 1, 2021, but will be enforced beginning at the end of the Annual 2021 Assembly. As such, any candidates may not declare their candidacy until the end of the Midyear 2022 meeting. Any candidacies must be declared by no later than 90 days after the Midyear 2022 meeting. Questions or concerns can be directed to the Speaker (Chris Jennison through the Annual 2021 Assembly, Abre' Conner thereafter), who will share any questions or concerns with the Elections Committee.

    Elections-Related Resources

    Elections Committee Interpretations

    Under the Elections Guidelines, the Division's Elections Committee interprets the guidelines and shall respond with written  interpretations when questions are asked. In an effort to be transparent with decisions of the Elections Committee and start a collection of decisions to better inform both candidates and the Division's leaders as they consider future Elections Guideline changes, the Committee shall provide a brief synopsis of each question asked and the response, in an anonymous manner. Each of these interpretations will be available here.

    Running for Office

    Am I eligible? No person is eligible for candidacy unless he or she (1) has been a member of the Division 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 Division 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 Division member 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 member of the Division? Membership is open to American Bar Association members under 36 years old or admitted to practice for five years or less.

    What experience do I need? The candidates for the "entry-level" positions—Secretary, Treasurer, Assembly Clerk, ABA Board, ABA Nominating Committee, and Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates—have typically held one or more nationally elected positions 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 position.

    Who do I contact with questions? Contact Staff Director Sara Stretch.