BE A PART OF THE NEW ARKBAR LEADERSHIP

Petitions due March 31!

The Association’s recent adoption of the new Constitution has resulted in some important changes to how our leadership is elected. The new Board of Trustees will be elected this spring. The election of the President-Elect Designee and Secretary will be included in the spring 2021 election cycle. The election of the Association’s Delegate to the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates remains unchanged as does that of the Young Lawyers Section’s leadership. See page 8 for the YLS positions. Contact Karen Hutchins for information on the Secretary, Treasurer and ABA Delegate positions.

Board of Trustees

The Association’s membership voted to approve the governance restructure proposal, part of which merges the existing Board of Governors and House of Delegates into a single governing body made up of 60 trustees. The body will consist of 15 Trustee Districts, with four Trustees elected from each Trustee District. Each of the initial positions are available for election. Article IV of the newly adopted Constitution outlines the responsibilities of the Trustees.

Trustees’ terms shall be staggered and at least one (1) Trustee shall be elected from each Trustee District each year. Members elected to the Board shall serve for a term of three years and shall assume office at the end of the Association’s Annual Meeting held following their election. The term will end at the conclusion of the Association’s Annual Meeting three years later (except for the 2020-2021 positions which will vary in terms of length from one to three years). A member of the Association who serves six years

18 The Arkansas Lawyer www.arkbar.com as a member of the Board of Trustees shall be given the status of Tenured Trustee. Tenured Trustees will be ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees with the right to participate in all proceedings but without the right to vote.

Officers

The new Constitution’s Article III outlines the procedure for electing the Association’s Officers. The President, PresidentElect, President-Elect Designee and Secretary shall be elected by the membership of the Association and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Board of Trustees. The President shall appoint the Parliamentarian subject to ratification by the Board of Trustees.

Nomination petitions for these positions can be found at https:// www.arkbar.com/for-attorneys/elections. The deadline for filing a nomination petition is March 31, 2020.

NOMINATING PETITIONS OPEN

FINAL BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING

BALLOTS DUE FOLLOWED BY ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED

NOW

APRIL 3-4

MAY 18 MARCH 31

APRIL 15- MAY 18

JUNE 10

FIRST BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING WITH ORIENTATION ON FRIDAY OF ANNUAL MEETING JUNE 12 NOMINATING PETITIONS DUE FOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES & YLS

ELECTIONS —VOTING • TRUSTEE • CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

FINAL HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETING WEDNESDAY OF ANNUAL MEETING

Arkansas Bar Association’s Governance Restructuring Proposal Passed with 90% Approval.

The Association’s membership voted to approve the governance restructure proposal, which includes incorporation as a non-profit. The proposal includes the adoption of a revised, clear mission and merges the existing Board of Governors and House of Delegates into a single governing body made up of 60 Trustees. This Board of Trustees will consist of 15 districts. District boundaries will be established every six years and the Board of Trustees will meet four times per year, including at the Annual Meeting.

The House of Delegates met February 8, 2020, at the Mid-Year meeting in Little Rock and approved the creation of 15 Trustee Districts for this Spring’s election to the Inaugural Board of Trustees.

The House of Delegates also noted that Article V § 3 of the Association’s current constitution is inconsistent with the Association’s established practice of electing the president elect from the three Bar Districts. In an effort to preserve the rotation of the President elect and allow equitable representation for all members, the House of Delegates recommended that the membership vote on a constitutional amendment that allows more than five trustee districts to be included in a bar district. The membership will vote on this amendment in the spring 2020 election. Candidates must file for a Trustee seat by March 31, 2020. The election for the Board of Trustees will occur between April 15 and May 18, 2020. The Board of Trustees will first meet at the 2020 Annual Meeting. Newly elected Trustees must plan to attend orientation scheduled at 2:00 pm on Friday, June 12, 2020, at the conclusion of the Association’s Annual Meeting.

The current Board of Governors will hold its final meeting in Fayetteville on April 3-4, 2020. The current House of Delegates will hold its final meeting in Hot Springs on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, during the Annual Meeting.

“Many thanks to all of the volunteers who have helped us coordinate this important transition to keep the association responsive to our members and relevant to the legal profession as we face the future,” said Executive Diretor Karen K. Hutchins. For any questions, please contact Karen Hutchins at khutchins@arkbar.com.

Karen K. Hutchins, J.D., CAE, is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Bar Association.