(2013 2014 plenary report) 4 by National Black

Officer Plenary Report 2 013- 14

National Black Law Students Association

National Officer Plenary Reports

March 12th - 16th, 2014 46th National Convention | Milwaukee, WI

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General Executive 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

National Chair National Vice Chair National External Chief of Staff National Internal Chief of Staff National Secretary National Parliamentarian

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Victoria Walker, National Chair

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Lay groundwork for a more permanent infrastructure for NBLSA that will allow

the organization to get the structural support it needs to continue to grow 2. Establish and maintain partnerships that will further the mission of the organization 3. Centralize and standardize recordkeeping across the pre-law and alumni divisions 4. Continue to enhance the value of membership in the organization for law student, pre-law and alumni members 5. Implement a proactive advocacy strategy that embraces education, partnerships, agenda-setting and grassroots activity (advocacy in action) 6 Ensure efficient national programming that encompasses intra-organizational partnerships to reduce repetition 7. Produce a “Road to 50” plan that lays out benchmarks for the organization for the next 4-5 years and produce a NBLSA Transition Guide to minimize the yearly transition period and lag time 8. Ensure short-term and long-term financial sustainability by minimizing spending, diversifying revenue streams and identifying 501(c)(3)-compliant investment opportunities 9. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of communications 10. Increase the profile of, and participation in, all of the advocacy competitions

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OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES

1. In progress; The Articles of Incorporation for the NBLSA Foundation should be filed by the commencement of Convention 2. In progress; Have maintained communication with National Latino Law Students Association, Black Law Students of Canada, Congressional Black Caucus, National Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Black Pre-Law Conference 3. Completed 4. In progress; Had partnership discussions with JD Match and Northwestern Mutual 5. Completed 6. Completed 7. On hold; Identified areas to focus on as we move forward but was unable to complete 8. In progress; The Articles of Incorporation for the NBLSA Foundation should be established by the start of convention and there will be an amendment presented limiting convention spending 9. Completed 10. In progress; Communicated details about the competitions to school administrators and will send information about national winners in a postconvention recap

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Completed appointments for vacant elected and appointed positions 2. Collected outstanding sponsorship funds from previous term and settled outstanding invoices 3. Oversaw the planning and execution of the 2013 Joint Board Retreat 4. Created budget for 2014 convention & assisted in the budget-making process for other areas of programming 5. Participated in National Bar Association meetings and committees and met with contact regarding NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advocacy activities 4

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6. Transitioned to new membership system 7. Started alumni fundraising campaign

8. Oversaw the planning and execution of the 2013 NBLSA CBC-ALC programming and Charles Hamilton Leadership Retreat 9. Oversaw the execution of the NBLSA Job Fairs 10. Oversaw the planning and execution of the 2014 NBLSA Convention including vetting planners and other vendors for the NBLSA Convention 11. Implemented NBLSA/NBA Fellowship program 12. Oversaw fundraising efforts 13. Oversaw and assisted in the administration and execution of the oral advocacy competitions 14. Created NBLSA Blog and increased NBLSA social media profile 15. Finalized and filed 990 tax filing 16. Oversaw the production of the Legal Pad 17. Worked with National Advisory Board to determine the feasibility of future convention commitments 18. Oversaw planning and execution of NBLSA C.A.R.E.S. Service Trip

19. Determined plan for moving forward with the formation of the NBLSA Foundation 20. Filled National Advisory Board vacancies and completed National Advisory Board assignments 21. Oversaw the planning and execution of the National Founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day of Service activity 22. Oversaw planning and execution of NBLSA Hill Days 23. Engaged in discussion with GoodDeeds Wireless about potential partnership to bring in revenue 24. Attended the National Black Pre-Law Conference

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. Reach out to school administrators, BLSA advisors and moot court/trial ad/ADR teams/boards to promote the competitions 2. Implement biweekly/weekly calls for Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition 3. Begin working on NBLSA History Project (collecting and archiving NBLSA history) 4. Continue to build regular content on NBLSA blog 5. Create NBLSA membership promotional video 6. Continue to be pro-active with advocacyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;join coalitions, form a coalition, set the agenda for a particular issue; continue state-level advocacy 7. Create ongoing social media/social action campaign to support and reinforce advocacy activities 8. Pursue formal partnerships with organizations that handle appellate work for causes that align with NBLSA mission 9. Revamp Joint Board Retreat so that it educates board members on the history, structure and operations of the organization 10. Revamp Charles Hamilton Houston to an online webinar format and raffle off cash prizes for chapters that are represented 11. Leverage partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters to create nationwide, ongoing community service activities 12. Create formal pathways to international law program 13. Maintain domestic NBLSA C.A.R.E.S. Service Trip 14. Continue to actively collect outlines for the NBLSA outline bank 15. Create Road to 50 fundraising committee to work with the Foundation 16. Begin recruiting employers for summer job fairs immediately after the job fairs wrap up 17. Reformat NBLSA/NBA Fellowship Program

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18. Have mandatory training for Regional Directors of Membership, Regional Convention Coordinators and Regional Chairs for membership platform 19. Maintain consistent outreach/communication to pre-law advisors and pre-law student organizations on large undergraduate campuses 20. Work with BLSA chapters to begin building alumni database 21. Continue Weekly Wednesday emails

22. Create campaign/competition/etc. to get chapter presidents to check NBLSA email accounts 23. Create and implement document retention process across the organization (regional & national boards) 24. Regulate use of NBLSA tax id and close bank accounts using NBLSA tax id without NBLSA permission 25. Receive advice on feasibility of budget based on historical performance (financial advisor, accountant, etc.) 26. Create monthly mailings for corporate relations outreach that highlight successful programming 27. Reformat budget so that each program has its own budget and a designated source of income 28. Perform quarterly reviews of national and regional budgets to ensure that spending and revenue are on-track 29. Do not sign a 2019 convention contract 30. Do not recreate the wheel MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as the 2013-2014 National Chair. It has been an absolute pleasure serving the members of this organization for 3 years. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see the amazing things that you all will do in the legal profession and beyond. Good luck to all of the candidates for the 2014-2015 board! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always happy to serve in whatever capacity you may need.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Tiffany Fountaine Boykin, National Vice-Chair

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. To assist the National Chair in executing and implementing the National Theme, Road To 50: An Evolving Legacy, in all National foci and programming. 2. In concert with Chair, to appoint National Officers and Specialists for the 2013-2014 team. 3. To maintain efficient and productive National Executive Board operations through engagement, guidance, evaluations, and recommendations. 4. To effectively and efficiently facilitate the development and productivity, and serve as an immediate support to the Advocacy, Competitions, Communications, Programming and Membership teams. 5. To revise the National Grievance Policy and subsequently manage all dispute resolution efforts. 6. To revise the national policy for inter/intra-board communications and operation and subsequently manage personnel changes and inter/intra-board communications. MODIFICATIONS TO OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 7. To ensure consistent, national presence and support at regional and local events and initiatives. 8. To assist, short-term, with the responsibilities of the National Secretary; to assist, short-term, with the responsibilities of the National Director of International Relations; to assist, long-term, in the leadership, planning and execution of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1.

Implementing the National Theme.The National Chairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision was effectively implemented into the 2013-14 national programming and foci, beginning with the selection of appointed NBLSA officers and the dissemination of 8

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the year’s agenda at the Joint Board Retreat in Dallas, TX. All subsequent programming, board meeting, advocacy events, competition activities, and regional conventions added to, and further clarified the national theme. The culmination our efforts, particularly those with fiscal implications to ensure sustainment of NBLSA’s legacy, will be illustrated at NBLSA’s 46th Annual National Convention in Milwaukee, MN. 2.

Appointment of Officers and Specialists. At the beginning of the term, the National Chair and I actively recruited, recommended, and subsequently filled all officer and specialist positions. We were unable to retain officers in the National Historian, National Director of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition, National Director of Corporate Relations, and the National Director of International Relations positions, due in large part to the personal commitments and individual competing priorities of persons in the positions. Notwithstanding, we appropriately and effectively modified functions and responsibilities of the National Chair, National Director of Programming and National Vice-Chair to further support these vacant roles and to fill any gaps caused by these vacancies.

Communication, Policies and Procedures. Each National Executive Board member was provided with resources and support to achieve their individual objectives. I drafted and recommended a revised policy, and procedures which were later adopted and implemented to help better facilitate effective communication, dispute resolution, and to reinforce national and regional inter/intra-relations. The 2013-14 National Executive Board clarified the objectives and responsibilities for National board members and regional counterparts. I revised the National Grievance policy and clarified the dispute resolution process. Specifically, changes were made to better preserve Regional Chairs’ autonomy, as well as to distinguish between competition-related grievances and all other grievances. Language was also added to reflect the appropriate role of the Parliamentarian in the dispute resolution process to ensure consistency with the National Constitution and Bylaws. This year, no grievances were submitted to the National Grievance Committee; the number of competition-related grievances was minimal, and each was resolved efficiently and effectively.

Team Oversight and Productivity. I effectively and efficiently facilitated the development and productivity of the Advocacy, Competitions, Communications, Programming and Membership teams. I served as an immediate support to each team helping to streamline processes, provide cross-training, and develop appropriate and practical work flow models and templates for future executive boards. 9

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This year we expanded NBLSA’s judicial and legislative advocacy efforts. Highlights include but are not limited to: “Decision Day”, a response to the Supreme Court’s Fisher decision; a joint amicus brief with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action; national responses to the Supreme Court’s decisions in Fisher and Shelby County that were widely praised by our members for being issued on the day the decisions were handed down; promotion and participation in rallies and vigils in the wake of George Zimmerman jury verdict; social media campaigns on affirmative action in higher education; Congressional Black Caucus weekend events, which included a panel focused on confronting schooltoprison pipeline and student debt issues. Our National Competitions met a majority of the revised benchmarks outlined by Competition Directors, particularly with recruitment of teams. Communication efforts between national and regional directors were increased and enhanced. Regional competition directors played a more prominent role in judge and volunteer recruitment. Overall participation of first-time competitors increased for both the international negotiations and mock trial competitions.

In order to improve the functionality of the process for reviewing and preparing NBLSA's internal and external documents for dissemination, we restructured the tasks and responsibilities of the Communications Team. Executive and regional board memberships enjoyed prompt and accurate response times to communications requests, assistance with crafting the NBLSA brand and image, and NBLSA-wide awareness campaigns for various national programs, initiatives and opportunities. Because of intentional cross-training among the Communications Team, National Chair and National Vice-Chair, the Communications Team was able to produce a more informative and user-friendly NBLSA website, as well as increase NBLSA’s e-visibility through various social media and the NBLSA blog. National programming efforts effectively assisted members and the communities we serve by increasing awareness about human trafficking and the HIV/AIDS impact on minority communities. The Director of Programming and I coordinated to provide members with quality events for professional development and networking such as the Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Retreat’s dynamic panel presentation on identifying and marketing leadership skills to legal employers and ways to effectively recruit and retain membership. The Director of Community Service and I coordinated to strengthen the pipeline through community service. Efforts included, but were not limited to, presenting a lesson on voting rights to high school students at six DC-area schools, and working with pre-law high school students in Newark, NJ. Regional job fairs were a success; I 10

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supported the Director of Education and Career Development and the National Job Fair Specialist by reviewing and approving registrants and documents for regional job fairs. I also authored a blog article on the increasing popularity of LL.M. programs among recruiters, and submitted writing competition and internship opportunities for posting.

Member relations showed marked improvement this year. Chapter leaders were provided with resources and support to meet national objectives. This was actualized prominently at the Joint Board Retreat, and subsequently at CBC weekend programming and at regional conventions. National board members served as expert advisors to regional and local executive leaderships. Members, via personal communication, commented on what they saw as improved team management, communication, collaboration, and reporting. We implemented a new membership platform and effectively improved communication for local chapters, pre-law students, and alumni. 5.

Board Relations and Performance Evaluation. I effectively managed interboard relationships and team building. I employed strength-based development strategies to empower and recognize board members. I, and the National Chair, developed and administered a mid-term evaluation to learn more about our (Chair and Vice Chair) areas of strengths, as well as opportunities for improvement. In addition, board members had the opportunity to reflect on their strengths, as well as identify areas where additional support was needed. The majority of board members expressed positives about board synergy and the overall ability to work well together. Areas for improvement included clarity on goals and shared responsibility for tasks and projects. We successfully reorganized and restructured teams where appropriate, in an effort to address those identified areas for improvement.

National Presence at Regional Events. In an effort to support regional membership and ensure a national presence at regional events, I attended RMBLSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academic retreat in Houston, TX, and WRBLSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academic retreat in Las, Vegas, NV. At each event, I was able to engage with regional and local membership, especially 1Ls. I also attended the regional conventions for the Northeast (Albany, NY), Mid-Atlantic (Portsmouth, VA), Southern (Jacksonville, FL), and Rocky Mountain (Austin, TX) regions. In those instances, I helped to support regional executive boards with executing plenary sessions, assisting with Chapter of the Year interviews and scoring, and serving as a point of contact for the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition.

17. Additional Support. From July to September, I, along with the Internal Chief of Staff, assumed some of the National Secretary responsibilities. I prepared board meeting materials, compiled national officer board reports, recorded meeting 11

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minutes, documented attendance and absences, prepared absence reports for the executive boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review and archived documents into One-Hub.

From October to January, I assumed some of the duties of the Director of International Relations. In November, I coordinated and managed the International Book Drive, including the shipping grant process. Five chapters were awarded shipping grants. I also served as the chief point of contact for NBLSA C.A.R.E.S service trip inquiries. I worked with the Director of Alumni Affairs and Development to organize the service trip application and selection process. I worked with the National Chair to coordinate volunteer opportunities for service trip attendees.

From September to March, I assumed the administrative duties of the TMMTC Director. I held meetings with regional TMMTC directors and with the TMMTC Problem Writer. I facilitated the administrative tasks of the competition including, but not limited to, fielding competition inquiries, reviewing and revising rules and deadlines, recruiting teams, processing team registrations and payments, reviewing and granting waivers, recruiting National judges, and assisting with the recruitment of regional judges. I developed templates to ensure accurate documentation of registration data and to improve the efficiency of all related recruitment and registration processes. I also worked closely with the Director of Membership to verify membership of all competitors. I submitted and received feedback for all problem Q&As, revised bailiff instructions and judge orientation packets, and prepared scoring sheets. I worked with the Director of Communications to establish the TMMTC tab on the NBLSA website, and worked independently to update online TMMTC materials. I also served as an immediate TMMTC on-site resource at four regional competitions (NEBLSA, MABLSA, SRBLSA, RMBLSA), and an off-site point of contact at the MWBLSA regional competition, particularly for review and management of dispute resolution related issues. ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED RESPONSIBILITY

WITHIN

AREA

Implementation of National Theme: The Road to 50: An Evolving Legacy Provided the National Chair with assistance and advice on National Executive Board appointments, operations, performance, and concerns. Board Operations and Communications Conducted interviews with the National Chair and provided appointment recommendations for the 2013-14 National Executive Board; revised the National Grievance policy and subsequently managed all dispute resolution efforts; revised 12

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the Inter/Intra-board Communications and Operations Protocol; conducted monthly team meetings with the Advocacy, Competitions, Programming, Communications, and Membership teams to review team goals and ensure team leads met goals, objectives, and deadlines; developed and administered a mid-term performance evaluation; restructured key functions for Communications Team; prepared plenary and transition reports.

Committees Created and disseminated 2013-2014 Committee Guide; served as an ex-officio member for all NBLSA committees; served as Chair of National Grievance Committee and submitted periodic reports to National Chair. National Executive Board Presence Attended Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern and Rocky Mountain Regional Conventions; attended Western and Rocky Mountain academic retreats. Perform and Exercise Other Duties As Assigned by National Chair Created the 2013-2014 “Call to Serve”; assisted in organizing, promoting, and mobilizing NBLSA members for CBC weekend; assisted with registration and check-in for CBC alumni networking event; coordinated International Book Drive, including the shipping grant application and awarding process; prepared Convention marketing materials; executed plans of action to increase competition registration for NMINC and TMMTC; administered TMMTC to include processing registration and payment, and judge recruitment; interviewed and calculated scores for regional Chapter of the Year; communicated and responded, on behalf of the National Chair, to sponsorship inquiries; assisted with Convention planning; researched and coordinated volunteer opportunities for domestic service trip; assisted with Region of the Year (ROY) communication to Regional Chairs and ROY Committee Chair RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD 1. Invest more time in preparing the “Call to Serve” materials; reach out to the 2013-2014 executive board to update appointed officer and specialist positions to truly reflect the practical, yet unwritten, functions, responsibilities and time commitments (actual hours per week) for each position. 2. Joint Retreat provides an excellent opportunity to establish the character, trust and desired synergy that the National Executive Board will operate under for the duration of the year. Include team building and professional development activities that help board members identify their leadership and learning styles. 3. Hire an Executive Director to provide operational support, guidance, and 13

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continuity for the National Executive Board.

4. Think strategically and creatively about the long-term stability of NBLSA. Organize your branding, planning, spending and fundraising considering the implications for your successors 3-5 years from your term.

5. Establish a hype team by June. This team should be dedicated to “hyping” the 47th Annual Convention in Portland. 6. Provide continued support and structure for division leaders to empower and motivate their team members; establish a recognition and accountability structure. Establish and develop more partnerships with similarly situated minority student organizations. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS NBLSA Family, I am honored to have served as your National Vice Chair. This year has been absolutely amazing, both personally and professionally. I had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented individuals and the privilege of serving under an outstanding National Chair. I have to extend my sincerest thanks to the entire National Executive Board for their dedication and hard work. I know that I have served amongst what will be some of the finest leaders and change agents in the legal profession. My experience as Vice-Chair was marked with challenging highs and lows. In the past year, I married my best friend, gave birth to my son, and unfortunately lost a dear loved one. I am so grateful to our National Chair, my fellow board members, the NBLSA membership, and the University of Baltimore School of Law for supporting me in those incredible and life-changing moments. I am so proud of our collective accomplishments this year. It’s amazing what a group of committed, intelligent, and passionate law students can do. I look forward to the continued success of my beloved NBLSA! All my best, Tiffany

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Roosevelt J. Donat, Chief of Staff-External

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014

1. Establish pipeline project and fellowship project with the NBA 2. Manage and keep the Advisory Board apprised of NBLSA happenings 3. Establish NBLSA partner relationship.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES

Pipeline project is established

The Advisory Board is in the process of transitioning

NBLSA has established new relationships (e.g., Big Brother Big Sister and Habitat for Humanity)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS& LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Supported creation of Pipeline program 2. Assisted in the NAB nominee selection process 3. Reach out to new natural partners for NBLSA RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. Be in touch with Advisory Board early about expectations 2.Establish the tone for how the Board will function early 3.Get work done and have fun MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

LieAnn Van-Tull, Internal Chief of Staff

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014

1. Implement the NBLSA Pre-Law Fellows Program 2. Provide support to the Chair in any area needed. 3. Provide support with Convention planning.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES

2. Completed 3. In progress - Continuous. 4. In progress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Interviewed and placed pre-law fellows. Stress the importance of the time commitment. 2. The Chair needs support in any area. It is a collaborative effort to complete tasks. 3. I learned that Convention planning requires all the National Executive Board members to work together. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

1.While interviewing Pre-Law fellows, stress the time commitment needed to serve on the board. Also, try to implement a mentorship program between the pre-law fellows and board members.

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2.Continue to ask the chair weekly if she needs any help. 3.Keep a meticulous record of all duties that needs to completed for Convention. Remember to periodically check on your teams. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Network! Network! Have fun. You will create lasting bonds between board members and members that you meet.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Shawn Greene, National Secretary

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Facilitate effective internal communication: Identify the most efficient means to communicate with the board 2. Develop best practices: Find out what is the best practice for setting deadlines, getting board members to send their documentation, and submitting reports in a timely fashion. 3. Maintain consistent institutional legacy through document retention and development of detailed reporting standards: Continue to maintain the standard for institutional records and meeting minutes. Maintaining meeting efficiency by improving comprehensiveness of officer reporting, and making it easy to locate and obtain all documentation. 4. Actively Participate: Through team building exercises, board bonding, regional support, and be a resource to members at all levels of the organization. 5. Provide timely responses: Both to website inquiries, board member emails, and request sent to info@nblsa.org. 6. Provide board support: Provide proofreading services, and edit documents as requested. 7. Maintain Templates: Update and maintain all NBLSA templates and letterhead. 8. Eliminate redundant and confusing records keeping: Streamline one hub and Google docs to make the process of file sharing, database forms, and applications easy to locate and utilize.

MODIFICATIONS TO 2013-2014 OBJECTIVES No modifications at this time. OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY & ACTION ITEMS 18

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STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Facilitate effective internal communication: This is going to be a continuing objective for any secretary. Survey board members for the best method regarding internal communications. What works for some board members, does not work for others. It seems to work best to send emails to everyone and calendar updates to everyone. However, some board members seem to respond better to individual follow up emails and text messages. Perhaps, create a group text for the board as a secondary resource to send meeting updates, board report reminders, etc. 2. Develop best practices: Analyze the survey instrument in order to determine best practices. Also, review all plenary reports to get a sense of historical data that will ensure board support is seamless. 3. Maintain consistent institutional legacy through document retention and development of detailed reporting standards: Meeting minutes are all available on one hub. They are accurate and up to date. All reporting from each meeting and the relevant documents for those meetings are also available on one hub. Some board reports are not available online, as some board members did not submit board reports every month. 4. Actively Participate: Be a resource to the Regional and Local Secretarys

5. Provide timely responses: All inquiries and request to date have been answered. All board emails are responded to with in 24 hours. Usual response time is between 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 hours. 6. Provide board support: Support has been provided as requested. 7. Maintain Templates: All templates are up to date and maintained on one hub. Ready to hand over all documentation to the subsequent National Secretary. The Letterhead is up to date and also on one hub. 8. Eliminate redundant and confusing records keeping: Streamlined onehub and google docs. ACTION ITEMS 1. None at this time. ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Facilitate effective internal communication: Sent emails, Google calendar reminders, text messages and an official calendar with important dates. Responded

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to time-sensitive emails. Check email regularly in order to listen to voicemail and respond to daily inquiries. Ensure the appropriate point of contact is copied on the email.

2. Maintain consistent institutional legacy through document retention and development of detailed reporting standards: Meeting minutes are all available on one hub. They are accurate and up to date. All reporting from each meeting and the relevant documents for those meetings are also available on one hub. Some board reports are not available online, as some board members did not submit board reports every month. 3. Provide timely responses: Answer website inquires with in 24 to 48 hours. Respond to board member emails with in 24 hours. 4. Provide board support: Support has been provided as requested.

5. Maintain Templates: All templates are up to date and maintained on one hub. Ready to hand over all documentation to the subsequent National Secretary. The Letterhead is up to date and also on one hub. SUPPORT NEEDED FROM TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH OBJECTIVES 1. Responsive Communication: The National Secretary’s job is made infinitely easier when all members are responsive to email communication. Strive to reply, if only to say you’re unable to address my inquiry, within 24-48 hours. 2. Speak more slowly! Sometimes it’s difficult to capture all that takes place in a board meeting. Keep that in mind. 3. Timely submission of information requested. 4. Development of internal communication standards (document format, etc.). 5. Incorporate use of One Hub, email, and Google apps as part of transition training and reviewable performance. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2013-2014 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD 1. Intraboard Relations is critical. In order for the organizational work to get done seamlessly a collaborative board that is collegial and congenial is paramount. A disjointed board or one that have isolated-like social pockets really retract from a board that’s high performing. 2. Human Capital Development—It is important to buy-in to your board members with emotional empathy. Board members are law school students and perform the leadership duties as service and ultimately want to feel like you care about them and not just the work. You have to establish this particularly the top of the organization if you want board members to get the work done with high quality. 3. Learn the Bylaws, Constitution, and Robert’s Rules of Order early. Meetings can 20

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go wrong and get out of hand very quickly if you don’t know proper procedure. 4. Review the documents on one hub. Especially those relevant to your position. Having your predecessor’s perspective on your position will make it infinitely easier to do your job. 5. Ensure board reports and meeting agenda are sent out to the board in 72 hours so that a thorough reading of the meeting documents is understood well in advance particularly if an important decision is to be voted on. 6. We are all here for a common goal. The advancement of African American Law 7. Ensure that board members are substantively completing board reports. 8. Consider revamping the board report form. 9. Consider new ideas around virtual in-person meetings MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS I had a quite interesting term this year in NBLSA with the transition from the National Director of Corporate Relations and the National Secretary. Looking back over the year, I have served the organization without seeking any recognition. From designing and streamlining the Corporate Relations Guide that is presently linked to the external website, tracking down major financial commitments, negotiating the Member of the Month Contract with President Sims for our membership, initial outreach with over 300 law firms within the Milwaukee-Chicago connection solely, serving as the foundation for new sponsors like MillerCoors Inc, Quarles & Brady LLP, and Gonzagio & Harlan etc., and drafting the deployment of resource letter for Microsoft in order to receive sponsorship again. Then, seeing another need, I transitioned into the role of National Secretary. I hit the ground running ensuring that corporate board governance was in tact, fielding time sensitive emails, intercepting business calls, and responding to emails within a timely fashion.

Overall, both positions gave me a deeper sense of institutional knowledge and what’s needed to forge the organization ahead. It has been a pleasure serving with you all. Collegiality and human capital development are important attributes and serve as the key ingredients for a successful board. Thank you for appointing me to the respective positions above. I wish you the best in your legal careers and to NBLSA! Best, SFG

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Nicole Morgan, National Parliamentarian

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Ensure NBLSA is run in compliance with our national governing documents (National Constitution, National Bylaws, National Executive Board Policies) 2. Ensure all competitions are run in compliance with the National Constitution National and Bylaws. 3. Ensure all NBLSA meetings and conventions effectively use parliamentary procedure during their proceedings.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. On-going 2. Completed 3. On-going

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. I provided guidance and interpretation of our governing documents to national, regional, and local chapter leadership in order to resolve issues in accordance with our governing documents. 2. All competition rules were vetted to ensure our competitions were being administered in accordance with the National Bylaws.

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3. Each regional parliamentarian held a parliamentary procedure workshop for local chapter parliamentarians and presidents. Also, there was a mini-workshop or motions cheat sheet was distributed to regional delegates to facilitate the proper use of parliamentary procedure. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. There needs to be a meeting with all levels of leadership (national, regional, local) to explain our structure of governance and our national documents. 2. There should a training offered to local chapters regarding how to use Robertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RRONR) in their chapter meetings.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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Regional Leadership 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Mid-Atlantic Region Chair (MABLSA) Midwest Region Chair (MWBLSA) Northeast Region Chair (NEBLSA) Rocky Mountain Region Chair (RMBLSA) Southern Region Chair (SRBLSA) Western Region Chair (WRBLSA)

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

LATOSHA ELLIS, MID-ATLANTIC CHAIR

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Increased member engagement, including membership numbers. 2. Tell the MABLSA story. 3. Provide members with opportunities to take advantage of tangible opportunities to improve grades, become better advocates, and enhance their resumes. 4. Educate chapters about the importance of advocacy at local, state, and national levels 5. Increase participation in competitions. 6. Increase attendance and participation of non-competitors at convention.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Complete. Membership numbers across the country were down, but do believe we managed to keep members engaged throughout the year. 2. Complete. Was successful telling the MABLSA story to members, but do believe there is opportunity for improvement with sharing the story with sponsors or prospective sponsors. 3. Complete. Provided several opportunities, even at regional convention, for members to gain hands on legal experience and knowledge. 4. Complete. Similar to last year, provided chapters with the social action toolkit. This year we leveraged social media to educate members about advocacy and opportunities for advocacy as well. 5. Complete. Increased the numbers overall, however at the last minute several teams for both competitions dropped out which left us with mock trial numbers less than we had last year. 6. Complete. Convention numbers, similar to membership, was down across the country. 25

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However, we did provide opportunities for increased engagement at convention by not having plenary overlap with workshops and even allowing competitors to run for positions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED

SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Was successful at integrating technology (e.g., social media, Google Docs, etc.) into board administration and the execution of convention to improve efficiency and document retention. 2. Operated at or under budget for programming. 3. Increased attendance and thus membership engagement at the majority of events RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Start fundraising early. Attempt to find a way to integrate job fair sponsorships with convention sponsorship.

Thoroughly vet all applicants for the board to ensure candidates truly have the skillet required to be successful in their desired positions. Be sure that key roles (e.g., Corporate Relations, Communications, Competitions) are absolutely filled by candidates with proven experience.

Utilize the Leadership Retreat to train chapter leaders on YourMembership and other administrative tools they need to know to be successful during the year.

Continue to seek ways to tell the MABLSA story to stakeholders: members, sponsors, schools, etc.

Increase emphasis on Pre-Law Advisors as conduits to the Pre-Law students.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to do things differently to continue to adapt to the changing needs of members. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Kevin Waklatsi – MWBLSA Chair

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Increase Attendance at MWBLSA Events 2. Rebrand the Organization to be more relevant to members 3. Have at least 20 schools take the MWBLSA Challenge 4. Foster relationships between BLSA Chapters that are close in proximity 5. Solidify corporate relations strategy that engages firms and organizations from each state in the Region on a consistent basis 6. Increase MWBLSA’s presence in the community through community service, advocacy and social action initiatives 7. Crate an effective alumni database and provide members with opportunities for networking and professional development through collaboration with other professional organizations 8. Restructure outreach to local chapters and members to better communicate Regional Membership benefits

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed – This year we focused on increasing attendance at MWBLSA events. We had a better turnout at the Academic Retreats this year than we did in previous years. Because of the lessons learned by previous boards, we did not have as many Region-wide events 2. In Progress – This was a challenge for the organization and will continue to be a challenge moving forward. Members often question MWBLSA and NBLSA as a whole and it has been a struggle attempting to be relevant to all members. Each school is situated very differently and they each utilize MWBLSA in accordance with their needs and goals. The PowerPoint about membership benefits helped, but many members felt liked the 27

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organization did not do enough for them. (Both regionally and nationally) 3. Completed – The MWBLSA Challenge was the big program for the year and it was a success. We had about 30 chapters agree to take the challenge and many of those schools engaged in very successful community service programs and initiatives. 4. Completed – MWBLSA really strived to do less overall programming and instead encourage schools that were within close proximity to work together to do their own programming. We helped to foster these relationships in addition to allowing each “program” to submit a proposal to receive funding. 5. In Progress – Our Corporate relation’s strategy is in flux and will definitely change for the following board. With the NBLSA convention being in our region and the Convention being in Minneapolis there were a number of issues that our Corporate Relations team ran into. Our convention location was too far out of the way for many of the firms that we had come to depend on. In addition, Chicago was off limits to us because of the NBLSA convention in Milwaukee and that hurt our fundraising efforts as well. Next year, Convention will be in Indianapolis and that should afford the board many more opportunities to develop relationships with firms across the Midwest. 6. Completed – Community service programming and social action initiatives were a focus for MWBLSA this year. The MWBLSA Challenge was construed broad enough that many programs could fit into the program and we were able to make an impact in various Midwest communities. 7. In Progress – The efforts of our Alumni Director in creating a workable alumni database have been stalled by the sheer size and record keeping habits of each of our chapters and it is a project that will need to continue into the foreseeable future. 8. Completed – Our director of membership did a wonderful job with communicating with all of the different chapters in our region. We held monthly chapter president calls and they were effective at getting the word about MWBLSA programming.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Exercised general executive authority over the business and activities of the Midwest Region 2.Disseminated National and Regional information throughout the Midwest Region 3. Oversaw planning and successful implementation of national mandated projects and regional initiatives, including but not limited to:

Academic Retreat – Chicago, IL Academic Retreat – Minneapolis, MN Academic Retreat – Indianapolis, IN Academic Retreat – Columbus, OH MWBLSA Community Service Challenge – Region-wide Pre-Law Initiatives – Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN MWBLSA Regional Convention - Minneapolis, MN Midwest Journal of Law and Policy Symposium – Chicago, IL Job Fair Collaborations – Region-Wide MWBLSA Chapter Grant Program – Region-Wide

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4. Ensured the receipt of funds from the National Executive Board and corporate sponsors in order to finance Regional programs and operations 5. Advised Local Chapters regarding programming, fundraising, and management as necessary 6. Conducted site visits as necessary for regional events and the 2016 MWBLSA Convention Contract RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD Make more efficient use of technology to develop effective alternatives to in-person meetings and events Avoid region-wide events and instead focus more on state-specific and local collaborative events between local chapters, as well as assisting active chapters with obtaining the resources to plan their own events Reconsider and refine MWBLSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corporate relations policy Conduct a more thorough interviewing process for the BLSA MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS It has been a tremendous honor to serve NBLSA and the Mighty Midwest Region this year. Thank you for the opportunity.

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TO: FROM: DATE: BIG PICTURE 1 2 3 4 5

National Plenary Clais Daniels-Edwards; Northeast Regional Chair National Convention, March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI) Goals & Objectives for 2013-2014 Term

Increase professionalism among members throughout the region, through workshops and events targeted at increasing professionalism Increase academic preparedness through targeted academic retreats that fully meet the needs of all NEBLSA members Increase community amongst members and chapters in the region Create a long-term savings plan that ensures the financial stability of NEBLSA for years and decades to come Strengthen relationships with alumni and provide members with opportunities for networking and professional development through collaboration with other professional organizations in addition to NBLSA and NEBLSA alumni

Status of Objectives (on hold, abandoned, in progress, completed). Please provide an explanation for any objectives that are ‘on hold’ or ‘abandoned’. 1 Job Fair & panels on professionalism 2

Academic Retreats

Chapter & Regional programming widely distributed to chapters

NEBLSA Trust was created

This year at the Regional Convention, we hosted an Alumni Reception and had the inaugural meeting of the NEBLSA Advisory Board.

SMALL PICTURE Explain what you have accomplished since our last meeting (completed programs/executed events, planning developments, committee meetings, attendance at events, etc.) 1 This year, our job fair brought in 64 employers and raised about $45,000 for the region. This marks a decrease from last year, which is due to the fact that many of our employers who had previously registered for two sessions only registered for one this year. The day after the Job Fair we hosted our Leadership Retreat, which the majority of our chapter presidents attended. At this year’s retreat, we 30

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discussed our plans and programming for the year, discussed tips to efficiently run a chapter, and had a street law seminar on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Know Your Rights.â&#x20AC;?

2 3

4 5

This year, our professionalism goals were not as on target as we had hoped they would be, as we were not able to complete the Professional Development series. However, at our Regional Convention, we did have panels on both how to increase your professionalism, your personal brand, and networking opportunities to help students. This year we hosted two academic retreats. One was hosted at Harvard, and the other at Syracuse. This year, we were able to increase the community amongst members and chapters in the region through having chapter leaders send in information about their chapter events and have them included on our monthly blasts that went out. At the events I was able to attend, I saw numerous people from various chapters at each chapter event.

For the first time, this year we instituted chapter presidents calls. While the calls did not always have the greatest attendance, they were a great way o have chapter presidents talk with each other, discuss upcoming events and challenges they were having, and ask any questions regarding the region that they may have. This year, the NEBSLA Trust was created, which is our long-term savings account. This account allows us to stay fiscally sound, while ensuring that our success for years to come is able to happen. We hosted an alumni reception at the Regional Convention whic gave students the opportunity to meet and mingle with alumni from the greater NY region. This year, the NEBLSA Advisory Board was created, and the inaugural meeting was held at the Regional Convention. The goal of the NEBLSA Advisory Board is that it can serve not just as a basis of institutional knowledge on NEBLSA, but also help the board make financial and programmatic decision that will have a long-term effect on the region. Additionally, the NEBLSA Advisory Board will serve as a platform or base for students on the NEBLSA Board to build their alumni network, as each board member will have a mentor on the advisory board.

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Major Regional Events

1 NEBLSA Job Fair Overview: The NEBLSA Job Fair facilitated 64 employers interviewing students throughout the day. Overall, we received over 3,200 bids from students, with 182 students in attendance at the Job Fair. At the conclusion of the job fair, we hosted an alumni retreat, where many employers stayed to meet and mingle with students who interviewed throughout the day. 2 NEBLSA Academic Retreats Overview: There were two NEBLSA Academic Retreats. We had over 20 students at each academic retreat, as well as a pre-law law component at each. Our Harvard Academic Retreat featured professors from numerous schools in the Boston area, and our Syracuse Academic retreat featured professors from Syracuse and associates and partners from Bond, Schenock and King. 3 NEBLSA Convention Overview: The NEBLSA Regional Convention was January 22-26, 2014 at the Hilton Albany in Albany, NY. Competitions: We had twenty-three teams competing in the FDMC Competition, ten teams competed in the TMMT Competition, and five schools participated in the COY Process.

Community Service & Lobby Day: Our community service event was a clothing drive to benefit men and women in the Equinox program. This year, NEBLSA participated in the regional lobby days by meeting with various NY state senators, presenting the NBLSA White paper and discussing the dismantling of the school to prison pipeline. Panels & Speakers: NEBLSA hosted panels on professionalism and various legal employment opportunities. Our Leadership Luncheon speaker was Teneka FrostAmusa, our Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lumcheon speaker was Dean Penny Andrews from Albany Law School, and our Awards Gala keynote was Rev. Al Sharpton. Lessons Learned 1

Have back-up plans for every planned event that has a co-sponsor. This way, even if an event does not happen as planned, there is still a way to ensure that the event happens.

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Secure dates, times & locations for the academic retreats shortly after the job fair.

3 4

Create a calendar for chapter presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calls, and have it be a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job to update the calendar so that students are better able to know what events are happening in the region. n/a

n/a

Recommendations for 2014-2015 National Executive Board 1 2

Finances: Have a system created for reimbursements to regions ASAP that is clear and efficient so that all board members whose roles are effected by finances are able to plan accordingly. Communication: Communicate often and as much notification as possible so that as many members can attend local, regional and national events. Miscellaneous/Additional Comments

Thank you for the amazing opportunity to serve. It has been a sincere pleasure and delight serving such an amazing region with such wonderful chapter members, regional board members, and great national counterparts. I wish you continued success!

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Ruth L. Tisdale, Southern Region

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. To increase the activity of the local chapter’s efforts in social and community service initiatives. 2. To increase the exposure of SRBLSA members to legal employers by increasing the amount of exposure at job fairs and symposium. 3. To increase the outreach to local pre-law chapters and students through innovative programming.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed. More local chapters were involved in the regional initiatives which were geared toward activity within the local community. 2. In addition to the SRBLSA Job Fair, SRBLSA partnered with the Southeastern Minority Job Fair as well as with the National Black Prosecutor’s Job Fair to increase the number of minority participants. 3. We increased the number of pre-law camps and workshops this year and had seven camps and workshops geared toward pre-law students.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Communication and advertising is key. The monthly chapter leaders call allowed the local leaders to know what the regional board had planned, which in turn increased the participation at regional events. We also increased our social media exposure. All of our social media outlets received a big spike and people were more informed. 2. 3. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Engage the local chapter more. The local chapter has a wealth of knowledge of

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what is going on in their local areas and what programs would be beneficial in serving them. In order to continue to get people engaged and to increase membership, it is important to engage the local chapter so that they feel invested in the work of the national organization.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Johali Muzaliwa, Rocky Mountain Regional Chair

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014

2013-2014 RMBLSA Theme: Daring. Dedicated. Driven. Vision: Equip RMBLSA members to attain to the highest levels of their professional and economic careers while effecting tangible change in their communities. Mission: Maintain an open flow of communication between the regional board and the local chapters so that that local chapters are kept abreast of what is going on at the regional level and vice versa; target organizations and small and medium firms for the job fair so that more RMBLSA members are able to participate; provide community service events that tangibly affect the community; increase participation in regional events, including the job fair, leadership and academic retreat, community service events, and the regional convention. 1. Maintaining an Open Flow of Communication a. Call each chapter president every month to let them know the plans we have at the regional level and to keep abreast of what is going on at the local level, including any concerns that the chapter presidents may have b. Send out a fall, winter, and spring newsletter recapping events that have happened at the regional level and highlighting upcoming events c. Email the chapters relevant information, including job opportunities d. Reply quickly and effectively to all correspondence from RMBLSA members 2. Increase Variety of Employers at Job Fair a. Reach out to solo and small firms to be part of the job fair b. Reach out to organizations such as district attorney offices 3. Provide Tangibly Effective Community Service Events a. Provide community service that tangibly affect the black community b. Coordinate community service events among the local chapters c. Do a joint community service with attorneys so RMBLSA members are afforded networking opportunities while doing good 4. Increase Participation in Regional Events a. Constantly communicate with chapter leaders so they are aware of RMBLSA events b. Sent out e-mails and regional blasts to RMBLSA members c. Tailor events so that they will appeal to RMBLSA members 36

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MODIFICATIONS TO 2012-2013 OBJECTIVES None OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY & ACTION ITEMS STATUS OF OBJECTIVES (Completed)

1. Maintaining an Open Flow of Communication a. Kept in Contact with Chapter Presidents and RMBLSA Members i. Called each chapter leader once a month during the fall ii. Promptly responded to any questions or concerns from chapter presidents iii. Worked on increasing the number of members on RMBLSA’s facebook page and constantly posted on the page to keep members updated on events that are taking place and issues affecting our communities. iv. Set up a Facebook page exclusively for RMBLSA regional board members and chapter presidents v. Sent out a newsletter in the fall and the spring recapping the events that took place in the regional level and highlighting upcoming events. 2. Increase a Variety of Employers at the Job Fair a. Job Fair i. Job fair was held in Austin, Texas ii. Has 10 employers for the job fair iii. All the employers were big firms or corporations, i.e. Shell, Andrews Kurth, Jones Day, etc. iv. We were able to get Harris County District Attorney’s office, but they actually ended up registering and going to the wrong job fair (Rocky Mountain Job Fair in Denver) v. Despite all our efforts, we could not get solo or small firms to commit to the job fair vi. Student registration also was not very high- I think we had about 15 students total apply for the jobs through symplicity 3. Provide Tangibly Effective Community Service Events a. Community Service i. First community service in September was volunteering with an after school group serving refugee children ii. In October, about 15 RMBLSA members volunteered with the Dream Academy at Foster’ Elementary in the third ward. The Dream Academy tutors low- income students whose parents are incarcerated. iii. In November, RMBLSA partnered with the Houston Bar’s Association’s Lawyers Against Waste to remove debris from an arboretum. The community service gave RMBLSA members an 37

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opportunity to network with Houston lawyers while beautifying the city. iv. Also in November, RMBLSA volunteered with the Wade Smith foundation during Thanksgiving day to provide thanksgiving meals to low-income families. v. During the Regional Convention, RMBLSA made 100 test kits for low income and at-risk middle school children who were about to take the Texas STAAR test. The kits included encouraging hand-written notes penned by RMBLSA members. 4. Increase Participation in Regional Events a. Sent out regional blasts and emails letting members know of upcoming events b. Set up a Mailchimp account to facilitate sending out emails and regional blasts c. Set up a linked-in account to use to promote the job fair d. Kept in contact with chapter presidents to keep them abreast of upcoming events e. Participation for our job fair was about the same as the previous year; for our academic and leadership event, the networking event on Friday night was about the same in terms of numbers. However, although we had about 25 1Ls sign up for the academic portion of the retreat, only 2 actually showed up. f. For our community service events, the average number of people who showed up was about 10. g. We had about 80 people sign up and show up for the Regional Convention. 5. RMBLSA Regional Convention a. RMBLSA planned and executed a five-day convention running concurrently with the RMBLSA competition schedule. The convention featured a numbers of panels, networking and alumni receptions and inspiring luncheons. The convention culminated in an awards Gala on Saturday evening with the Honorable Judge George C. Hanks as the keynote speaker. b. Competitions: i. Moot Court: We had 8 teams participate in the Moot Court Competition. ii. Mock Trial: We had 6 teams sign up for the Mock Trial Competition, but one dropped out because a participant got into a car accident. c. Convention Programming: i. Panels - We had four panels during the Convention. On Thursday we had a sports and entertainment panel and a career panel. On Friday, we had a corporate law panel and a political law panel, which included Senator Royce West. ii. Plenary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Our plenary was held on Saturday. The proposal to make Regional Conventions optional was defeated. The Body voted to introduce at the national convention a proposal to set up a committee to look into redistricting the regions. The Body also voted on doing away with the rule that members on the regional board cannot participate in the moot and mock trial competitions. iii. Reception â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We had a Welcome to Austin Reception on Thursday

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evening at the hotel, a networking mixer on Friday evening at Gloria’s Latin Cuisine, and a pre-gala reception on Saturday evening. iv. Luncheons- we had two luncheons this year. The University of Houston Law Center and Shook Hardy and Bacon sponsored the luncheon on Thursday. Dean Tennessee from the University of Houston gave an incredible speech centered around RMBLSA’s theme. Friday’s luncheon was sponsored by the University of Texas. v. Awards Gala- The Keynote Speaker at the Awards Gala was the Honorable Judge George C. Hanks of the Southern District of Texas. Judge Hanks spoke on being ethical lawyers who advance the cause of our people with honor and integrity. vi. For a full recap of the Convention, please visit the RMBLSA regional page.

None

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Managed and worked with an effective regional board. 2. Executed all three constitutionally required events: Job Fair, Academic Retreat, and

the Regional Convention.

3. Created a Fall and Spring Newsletter. 4. Most of the goals set forth at the beginning of taking term were executed and

achieved. 5. Communicated regularly with chapter officers about Regional Initiatives and National initiatives. SUPPORT NEEDED FROM TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH OBJECTIVES

A whole lot. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2013-2014 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

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Start reaching out to job fair employees as soon as possible; continue to try to get public employers and solo and small firms. I believe doing so is one way to increase participation fro students in our job fairs.

Start seeking sponsorships as soon as possible, by early summer if possible. Make sure that you constantly keep contacting the employers until you get a response.

For the Leadership and Academic Retreat, make attendance by chapter presidents mandatory. Doing so would make the presidents feel more connected at the regional level and encourage them to be more invested on what is going on in the regional and national level. I would also suggest that you make chapter presidents part of the Regional Executive Board.

Also, for the Leadership and Academic Retreat, I would suggest that you just make it a one day affair. The problem that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve encountered the past two years is that a lot of people would show up to the networking mixer on Friday night and then go out afterwards, and then few people would show up for the academic portion on Saturday. I think the best way would be to have the academic and leadership portion on Saturday during the morning and day, and then have the mixer that Saturday night.

Always evaluate the effectiveness of your programming and decide what could be better and keep a log of your suggestions for future events.

Make every effort to connect with the members and maintain an open flow of communication.

7. 8.

Think of new ways to build and strengthen bridges with employers and partners.

A suggestion that was made to me by one of the panelists at the Convention and a former RMBLSA Vice Chair was that one way to increase participation at the Regional Convention is to require that chapters who applied for a Chapter of the Year award have a certain percentage of their members attend the convention (50%, 60%, etc.), in order to be considered for the award and make it mandatory for all those members to attend the panels. This is what her board had done and it increased attendance at the Convention and the panels. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Adrienne Holland, RC, NBLSA West

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1

4 Job Fairs: LA, San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix – increase revenue

Convention – secure keynote speakers and sponsorship early

Academic retreat – high 1L participation

Increase regional participation in competitions

Increase membership

Increased social activity in each sub-region

Establish Alumni Relations

Pre-Law – one event in each subregion

Provide support to individual chapters

10 Set location for 2016 and 2017

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1

2 3

2/4 Job fairs were accomplished. San Diego and Phoenix were cancelled. San Diego is not a viable site for a job fair due to lacksadaisical response from local firms. Phoenix was not accomplished because the Desert SRD did not believe in the project. Viability of this location is unclear. Los Angeles went well. Low turn out from students was disappointing. No amount of communication seems to be enough to bring people out. San Francisco fair was extremely well organized and executed. (Special thanks to Anthony Caruthers) Student turn out was disappointingly low here as well. Secured Eva Paterson of the Equal Justice Society very early. Her speech was on point and short. She was a dream to work with. Academic retreat was very well organized and executed. (Special thanks to Sherrie Fields and Tyre Gray) The Las Vegas Black legal community is very welcoming. Event was reasonably well attended -- apx 50 students – however, 1L attendance was 41

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4 5

predictably low. No clear remedy or recommendation on how to draw out 1L participants. Group block on hotel rooms at the LUXOR worked out very well. In future years start the block at 15 and increase as needed. Highly recommend returning to UNLV for future academic retreats. 5/6 team split btw Moot and Mock. Competition scheduling was problematic at best. Poor judge turn out from the Sacramento community. Strongly recommend merging with RMBLSA for competitions as soon as possible. Membership increased to 320. Lots of issues with the enrollment process. Individual members must create their accounts on their own before payment is made. Communicate the start and end dates of the membership period. Push members to give us their best contact information. Require chapter presidents to give us their distribution lists. Consider a txt campaign. Have discussions/training with local chapter leadership during transitions, especially Bay Area, about their lack of involvement within the Western Region. Also quick note, we got up to 320 members. Not accomplished. Recommend putting chapter presidents on committees by subregion and supervising coordination calls to foster collaboration between the chapters. However, there were pockets of excellent social activity in Seattle and Phoenix. Abandoned due to lack of implementable programing from National Director and vacant position on the regional board. Recommend that SRDs should implement one event each in their SRs where they host a mixer of the BLSA alumni in that SR and invite each chapter in the SR to it for mentorship. Other things where alumni could get involved that would entice students to attend: local scholarships awarded, prizes raffled off at the alumni mixer, etc. Pre-law events were accomplished in the North West, Northern California, and Desert sub-regions. However, very few pre-law students participated – 1 to 3 students at each event. Recommend merging pre-law and community service initiatives. Attempted but not successful. Implemented private facebook group and chapter leader conference calls. Very little participation on group conference calls. Must impress the duties that come with leadership positions in NBLSA West. Recommend implementation of chapter leadership training seminars. See suggested programing from Seattle University chapter president. 2016 – Pan Pacific Hotel in Seattle. Contract signed with small room block and low food and beverage minimum. Recommend combining the 2016 Gala with the annual SU awards banquet. 2017 contract – abandoned. Inappropriate to sign Ks more than 1 year in advance. Recommend that next chair does not sign a K for 2017 in favor of merging competition/convention with RMBLSA and or region day at NBLSA convention.

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS& LESSONS LEARNED

SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Implemented Western Executive Board handbook to clarify responsibilities and expectations of Western Executive Board members 2. Passed new Constitution and Bylaws modeled after NBLSA constitution and bylaws. 3. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Find a way to offer compensation to regional chairs and other key national board members. Consider ending member of the month and using Barbri courses as rewards for exemplary board members.

Hire a graphic designer to do the flyers and imagery for all major national and

Consolidate orders for national and regional paraphernalia. Add a store to the your membership site where members and supporters can buy items like: t-shirts, mugs, portfolios, pens, graduation stoles, etc.

Delegate more treasurer tasks to the accountant or one of the advisory board members.

5. 6.

Streamline and automate the membership enrollment process.

7. 8. 9.

Reduce the number of items that need to be voted on at NEB meetings.

Create a way for prospective members to be added to the communications distribution lists without paying dues. Revoke charters of inactive chapters. Require more information on the new charter application.

10.

Develop a handbook for each NEB Board Position that reviews the major planning components of each major event.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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Finance Team 1. 2. 3.

National Treasurer National Financial Secretary National Director of Corporate Relations

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Yvonne Elosiebo, National Treasurer

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Create a national budget that reigns in expenses yet delivers on program priorities 2. Create a spending practice and policy that minimizes unnecessary expenditures. 3. Keep national executive board updated at all times on financial health of NBLSA 4. Put NBLSA in a better financial position for future years.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Achieved. We cut our budget by over $100,000. Last year we spent $564,770. This year our budget totaled $408,400. We spent smarter and more efficiently. 2. I revised the finance policy to include a spending policy that mandates that expenditures be reduced when it is apparent that NBLSA will not raise all the money needed to meet its financial obligations. 3. From Day 1, the board was privy to and involved in the decision-making process dealing with NBLSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial health and ways to hedge against fundraising shocks. 4. NBLSA now has a more robust finance and spending policy. NBLSA has allocated funds fundraised during FY2013 for the FY2014 national board. NBLSA created the NBLSA Foundation, which will create long-term financial stability for NBLSA by working on establishing an endowment for NBLSA through investing.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Worked with Regional Treasurers and Regional Chairs to ensure timely financial reporting (for monthly reconciliations and quarterly financial statements). The implementation this year was effective but it could have been more timely and more consistent. 2. It is important to include the NEB in the discussions leading up to major financial decisions, such as decisions to cut the budget, rather than only on the final vote. This creates buy-in and protects board members. 3. The Finance Team is working on securing tax exemption in all 50 states. Tax exemption will help NBLSA with unnecessary spending. Tax exemption is not possible in many states 45

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and a spreadsheet has been created detailing the status of each stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tax exemption application or an explanation as to why NBLSA is not eligible for tax exemption in that state. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Study your predecessorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transition report and budget to understand the items and events money is usually spent on.

Create a budget that is detailed by line-item (i.e., the price of one award). This will make it much easier to make spending cuts in the right places if it becomes necessary, rather than general budget cuts.

Build a good working relationship with your accountant because you will work very closely with him/her to provide financial data to the organization.

Get a report from your accountant at the beginning of the fiscal year on national (excluding regional) income so that you know when and how much to expect in sponsorship income.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 1.

Get the phone numbers of your regional treasurers on the first day of office because you will work closely with them throughout the year and will need to contact them at odd times.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Ja’net Miles, Financial Secretary

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Ensure all funds received are deposited and reported in a timely manner 2. Collaborate with the National Finance Team to ensure efficient management of the organization’s finances 3. Set up a new P.O. Box address for funds to be received during the 2013-2014 term.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. In progress – Majority of payments processed but P.O. box monitoring is on going. 2. In progress - Continuous. Ending after the National Convention. 3. Completed

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. Coordinated with Chair, Director of Membership, and Treasurer for effective membership bulk check payment processing. 2. Conducted due diligence for reimbursements. 3. I learned how an organization of this size operates and experienced firsthand the importance of collaborative efforts. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Set up a process in the beginning for bulk membership check payments. Be sure to coordinate with the Director of Membership, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary.

Reach out to your predecessors when you have questions so that you don’t have to re-create the wheel. Stand on their shoulders to ensure your position becomes more efficient each year. Transition reports will be a great resource but there will be other questions that they do not answer.

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Take advantage of your time on the board to build your network. Your fellow board members are invaluable resources and future leaders in our field. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Have fun! This is an amazing opportunity to contribute to an organization that impacts the world.

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Advocacy Team 1. National Attorney General 2. National Director of Social Action

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Jonathan Evans, National Attorney General

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

GOALS & OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1.

Submit at least two amicus briefs in cases of national importance that affect

the Black community, including at least one before the United States Supreme Court. 2. Foster stronger partnerships with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL). 3. Successfully partner with a member of Congress for programming during CBC Annual Legislative Conference (CBC-ALC). 4. Conduct nationwide legislative outreach, including a Lobby Day to be simultaneously held in at least three state capitals and on Capitol Hill. 5. Produce at least two webinars aimed at encouraging Black law students to pursue careers in the judiciary. 6. Participate in regional hearings of American Bar Association’s National Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws. 7. Continue involvement in voter protection efforts. 8. Encourage local and regional efforts aimed at ending the school-to-prison pipeline and increasing the student-to-professional pipeline. MODIFICATIONS TO 2013-2014 OBJECTIVES Objective 6 was modified because ABA hearings were mostly held before fall classes began for our members.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY & ACTION ITEMS STATUS OF GOALS & OBJECTIVES

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1. Goal 1 was not met, but NBLSA did sign on to an amicus brief in the case of Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action.

2. Objective 2 is complete. NBLSA worked with several Congressional and state legislative offices and committees throughout the year to further our initiatives. 3. Goal 3 was accomplished. CBC feedback from sponsors and attendees exceeded my expectations. Our partners included members of Congress, Dream Defenders, and the Advancement Project. 4. Goal 4 was accomplished. Legislative Advocacy Specialist Ashley Hodges coordinated three Hill Days in Sacramento, Albany, and Washington, D.C., confronting issues such as the school-to-prison pipeline and student debt.

5. Goal 5 was accomplished. NBLSA produced two webinars during the 2013-14 term: one commemorating the 59th anniversary of Brown v. BOE and the other previewing the upcoming Supreme Court term. 6. Goal 6 was modified because ABA hearings were mostly held before fall classes began for our members. However, the NBLSA Advocacy team participated in other dialogue in the wake of the Zimmerman verdict. Evans attended the #NoJusticeNoSleep call organized by IMPACT and spoke at the London rally in support of Trayvonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family. In addition, Evans is working with the Advancement Project on a series of SYG townhalls to be held this spring on law school campuses. 7. Objective 7 is ongoing. NBLSA remains active in the fight against voter ID laws and other efforts to restrict voting rights. 8. Objective 8 is complete. Judicial Advocacy Specialist Brandon Hicks authored a white paper on ending the school-to-prison pipeline that included legislative proposals that the advocacy team took to legislatures on Hill Day. ACTION ITEMS 1. Secure space in W.E. Washington Convention Center for CBC 2014

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2. Propose legislation in California calling for implicit bias training for educators 3. Plan for and publicize SYG townhalls with Advancement Project

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY NBLSA worked with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) to coordinate “Decision Day” response to the Supreme Court’s Fisher decision. NBLSA partnered with LDF for "Six Decades After Brown: The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall and the Current Fight over Judicial Nominations,” a webinar discussing Justice Marshall's path to the Court, the number of African-American jurists on the bench today, and the ongoing battles over today's judicial nominees. NBLSA joined the amicus brief of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, in which the Supreme Court examines whether a state can amend its constitution to prohibit the use of race or sex in public university admissions decisions. National Attorney General Jonathan Evans drafted responses to the Supreme Court’s decisions in Fisher and Shelby County that were widely praised by our members for being issued on the day the decisions were handed down. Evans and other members of the advocacy team attended rallies and vigils in the wake of the jury verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. Members of the NBLSA advocacy team were seen all over social media with the hashtag #WhatDiversityLooksLike, as the Supreme Court again took up consideration of affirmative action in higher education. Members from around the country converged on Washington, D.C. for our Congressional Black Caucus weekend events, which included a star-studded panel coordinated by Congressional Liaison LaVita Tuff, featuring Congressman Hank Johnson, Phillip Agnew of the Dream Defenders, and Representative Bakari Sellers. Judicial Advocacy Specialist Brandon Hicks led a webinar that previewed Supreme Court cases from the upcoming term. Hicks also authored a white paper on ending the school-to-prison pipeline that included legislative proposals. Legislative Advocacy Specialist Ashley Hodges coordinated three Hill Days in Sacramento, Albany, and Washington, D.C., confronting issues such as the school-to-prison pipeline and student debt. SUPPORT NEEDED FROM TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH OBJECTIVES

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NBLSA advocacy events are some of the highlights of the year for our

membership. The advocacy team is chosen for their skill and expertise in

working on legislation, scholarly writing, and awareness of issues. However, the advocacy and communications teams must continue to work hand in hand to ensure the best promotion and publicity for advocacy events. RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2013-2014 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD Book the CBC weekend space before the end of April. Have a meeting of the advocacy teams and communications teams at JBR to devise a strategy for the year. Start working on amicus briefs for the fall term in June. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Working with NBLSA was an experience I will never forget. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Thank you to Victoria and Tiffany for their seemingly never-ending patience. Thank you to my hard-working specialists Ashley, Brandon, LaVita, and Nia. Thank you NBLSA for your hard work and for protecting the dreams and hard-fought gains of our ancestors.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Nia Duggins, Director of Social Action

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Work to develop new organization partnerships with other advocacy organizations, while enhancing current partnerships. 2. Work on the following advocacy initiatives: school-to-prison pipeline, student loan issues, and voter protection. 3. Work to strengthen relationships between NBLSA regions/chapters and state legislators and legislative caucuses.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1.

This year we partnered with the following organizations: the National Bar Association, Congressional Black Caucus, Maryland Advocates for Children and Youth Organization(ACY), Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. 2. This year, we worked to implement mentorships programs with children in grades 3,6, and 9 in an effort to combat the school-to-prison pipeline. Regional social action directors and attorney generals worked within their regions to foster mentorship between students and NBLSA members. 3. At each of the regional conventions, there were state hill days where NBLSA members engaged in lobbying efforts by offering legislators recommendations on how to effectively combat the school-to-prison pipeline.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. I was able to connect with some regions in assisting with organizing school-to-prison pipeline mentorship programs within their respective regions. 2. I was also able to connect with many organizations surrounding key issues including criminal reform, restorative justice programs, voting rights, and student loan issues.

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3. I also supported and assisted the AG with all social advocacy initiatives.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Board needs to continuously work to further the advocacy initiatives of this needs to work closely with other minority legal organizations (APALSA, LLSA, etc.) to issues. The NEB needs to organize its agenda around issues where it can garner greater er advocacy organizations. The organization also needs to continue its work on the schoolg rights, and student loans issues.

The NEB needs to work to build rapport among board members. There should be more bonding opportunities among members.

It is also important that the NEB works diligently to fill any and all positions, so that members are not over worked. The NEB also needs to work hard to get regional positions filled because it is hard to implement national initiatives without regional support. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It is important for the NEB to handle organization business, but the board needs to be more cohesive, cooperative, and unified. There needs to be a greater rapport among NEB members and greater engagement.

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Communications Team 1. Director of Communications 2. Director of Public Relations 3. Director of Membership

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Halimah Najieb-Locke, National Director of Communications

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. To streamline the communications process so it is more interactive and responsive to the needs of the board by timely responding to their requests to the best of my ability 2. To update the website to reflect the needs of the membership 3. To facilitate great relationships between the local, regional, and national communications directors and ensure everyone is aware of advantageous opportunities

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed. I believe I was successful in responding to the needs of the board by expediting certain things and still providing a good formal structure for request to be sent to. Most importantly, I responded to the direction of the chair in prioritizing tasks to achieve the necessary end goal for the organization. 2. Completed yet still in progress. I think there can be more developments digitally with our website that enables a greater level of interaction with our members, but the biggest change would need to be actual design and format of the website. 3. Still in progress. More can certainly be done in an effort to increase the communication between all levels of the organization. I believe I was successful in providing information to the board by using the designated email addresses as well as disseminating information to the members using our mass emailing platform, but the effectiveness only goes so far and can be improved upon.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 57

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Production of the first issue of the Legal Pad, with the second forthcoming.

Successful email campaigns and website updates when information became available from responsible parties and good effort to take the lead in supplementing information when necessary. Constant communication with general members when questions or issues arose that they contacted me about, whether it was in my sector or not. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Create more supporting specialists for this sector of NBLSA because there are so many developments in the communications world that the need is great for different people to handle different platforms. Then the Director of Communications can successfully perform the constitutional duties of navigating and directing these efforts with a broader and objective view instead of accomplishing the tasks themselves.

Establish a rulebook for press releases and other public statements to ensure uniformity of some sort that can be easily disseminated to the board and applied. Things as simple as only say â&#x20AC;&#x153;I, NBLSA, or Weâ&#x20AC;? 8 times per page and use active voice in press releases but passive voice in recaps. This will ensure a stronger system for the relevant board members to use when conducting Communications Checks to increase the level of objectivity when correcting things so the piece still retains the voice of the author but reflects the brand of the organization.

Establish different specialized twitter handles/ facebook pages for the relevant sectors to target audiences when providing information and build a larger base for responses when the time calls for it.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS There is a need to solicit more submissions of material, be it from chapters, regions, or different national sectors and partners, that can be used in the different communications avenues like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the website.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Chloe Woods, Director of Public Relations

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Consistent Social Media Activity 2. Effective Content Delivery via the website 3. Timely (and increased number of) Press Releases 4. Coordinating with other teams (Advocacy, Programming, and Community Service) to highlight the work that the organization is doing

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed (see below) 2. Completed (see below) 3. Completed (see below) 4. Completed (see below)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. By enlisting the help of the regional Directors of Communications, we were able to keep consistent social media updates. We’ve been mindful to utilize each social media platform to its strength (i.e. short breaking news updates via twitter, photos and videos shared via Facebook, and professional development information/discussions/announcements via LinkedIn). Although the content is similar and within NBLSA’s brand, we crafted the delivery of the messages for the medium. 2. This objective was fulfilled not only through the efforts of the Communications team, but through the increased communication (objective #4) and the press release template (#3) being utilized by the various teams.

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3. I created a Press Release template that has streamlined the creation of Press Releases for multiple teams. Each Director received a copy of the template and was able to draft the initial press release highlighting their team’s programming – in the correct format – which made the communications check, review, and approval process more efficient. 4. By fulfilling this objective, we were able to successfully complete 1, 2, and 3 above. The increased communication and collaboration between teams allowed for additional content for tweets and posts, as well as opportunities for press releases and to create new links and pages on the website. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. 2. 3.

Ensure that the Communications team receives at least one pre-law fellow Having a 2nd web content specialist may not be a bad idea.

We started the process, but regrettably, we did not fully turnover to the platform. I hope next year’s board can do so to make the website a more ing experience for users.

I will implement this starting at 2014 National Convention, but we should be doing LSA events (Hill Day, CBC Weekend, etc) and uploading this footage to our YouTube MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS We were able to increase the visibility of the Facebook page and reach more followers than we were previously. We increased the number of Twitter followers and increased the number of members in our group on LinkedIn (we were under 1,000 at the start of this term and are now over 2,300). We revamped some of the communications team responsibilities and put website update requests under the Director of PR. I think this change worked well and gave Halimah time to coordinate the eblast and other internal communication efforts. I would suggest retaining this structure for next year. We were able to accomplish all of this without a pre-law fellow. I definitely think the social media updates could be easily delegated to a fellow and would have a valuable and visible impact for both the Communications team and the organization as a whole.

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Brittne Ballenger; National Director of Membership

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Keep track of membership numbers 2. Transition into the new membership software 3. Continue the Member of the Month program, Chapter Highlight Program, and the Alumni/Law Student/Pre law mentor program 4. Assist with processing dues payments. 5. Complete other administrative task ie. Chapter Grant Committee, Chapter of the Year Committee

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. I have kept track of membership number. However, enrollment for law school is down across the country and this have negatively impacted our membership numbers for the year. Here is the breakdown by region as of 2/24/14: MABLSA 770 RMBLSA 216 MWBLSA 853 SRBLSA 1277 NEBLSA 776 WRBLSA 324 2. I was successful in moving the information from our prior membership platform to our new membership platform; YourMembership. I have assisted members in accessing their accounts, paying dues, and registering for events. 3. The Member of the Month program was successful and we selected a winner from each of the six regions. The Chapter Highlight Program started off strong but then we stopped receiving submissions for it. I assisted the Director of the Pre-Law Division and the Alumni Division in keeping planning the mentor program.

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I worked with the National Treasurer and the National Financial Secretary with processing dues payments. 4. Fulfilled my duties on both committees.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

Members need to be reminded of due dates. The membership brochure needs to be continually updated but in order to do so requires input from members and possibly pass this to another person who has time to substantially reach out and maintain relationship with the organizations giving discounts. Accomplished objectives from above section. Successfully oversaw the Membership committee which included the pre-law division, and the alumni division. Created an updated Membership Benefit Brochure Created an updated Membership Handbook

Successfully assisted Regional Directors of Membership with their conventions. Worked with the National Parliamentarian and National Secretary to coordinate plenary for National Convention. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Make sure the chapters know how important it is to check their official NBLSA email account. They have the option to forward the emails that come into this account to their personal account. When they leave office they will want to take the forwarding off.

The next National Director of Membership needs to be comfortable with using a computer; having a slight technical/troubleshooting background helps.

Know that the National Director of Membership is the go-to person and lead on Membership issues; too many hands in one pot causes problems.

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MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS •

I want to thank all of the Regional Directors of Memberships for assisting me in helping make this a successful 2013-2014 year for the Membership Team. MABLSA- Courtney Thomas SRBLSA- Mark St. Vil MWBLSA-Betty Gentle WRBLSA-Erin McIntire NEBLSA- Jonathan Palmer

•

I want to thank the National Chapter Relations Specialist; Erika Evans; for assisting me throughout the year.

•

I want to thank the members of NBLSA for letting me serve as your 2013-2014 National Director of Membership.

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Programming Team

1.National Director of Programming 2.National Director of Community Service 3.National Director of Pre-Law Division 4.National Director of Alumni Affairs & Development 5.National Director of Education & Career Development

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

DARRYL WILSON, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Provide effective programming that reflects the theme of the Chair, Road to 50: An Evolving Legacy 2. Increase participation at national programming events 3. Provide a stronger sense of communication with the Programming Team and with programming counterparts. 4. Work to increase the knowledge of the general body as it pertains to programming initiatives 5. Joint Board Retreat 6. Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Retreat 7. National Convention Planning

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Programming events throughout the year were planned to fall in line with the Chairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme. I was able to provide effective programming panels at various events throughout the 2013-2014 term. 2. I worked to make programming exciting throughout the year to motivate the members to attend the national programming events. NBLSA had a large number of members at each of the programming events, which helped to promote for the National Convention this year. 3. I worked with my Programming Team to learn all their goals for this year. We were able to do most of what we set out to do. I also reached out to my regional counterparts to provide assistance when needed. 4. I was able to present the programming goals and initiatives to the national and regional executive boards so that they would pass the information along to their members of their 65

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regions or their counterparts. Information was submitted to the National Handbook, which was published on the national website for members to access. 5. Joint Board Retreat (JBR) was a success. The event was held in Dallas, Texas at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Based on the feedback surveys, everyone was pleased with the programming event overall. Members of the national and regional boards were sworn into their positions. The panel was also a success to allow students to know what to expect and what their duties are within the road to 50. We also worked to build teamwork and communication skills in the breakout sessions. 6. Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Retreat (CHH) was also another successful event. The event was held in Washington, D.C. at George Washington University Law School. Everyone seemed to have been pleased with the event. The panels were very successful and members were able to gain a networking opportunity with the panelists. 7. The convention coordinators and sponsors played an integral role in planning for the programming at convention. They were able to work to fill the panels and provide a wonderful networking opportunity for all convention attendees.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. I successfully planned the Joint Board Retreat in Dallas, Texas and the Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Retreat in Washington, D.C. I began to work on National Convention planning, but that programming was later assigned to the convention coordinators, as I became the Interim Director of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. 2. Communications was pushed through the National Communications Team to make sure that members were aware of the different events. I also reached out to Regional Chairs to make sure that their members were aware of the programming events. 3. Programming goals were discussed at both JBR and CBC by each party of the programming team. I will discuss these events later in more detail in the report. 4. Please see numbers 5-7. 5. JBR was a huge success. It took place June 14-16, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. There were over 100 registrants. The weekend started with a kick-off Icebreaker lead by Tanya Johnson of Perkins Coie. Each member of the board engaged each other and gave background history. JBR is the first time that everyone gets to meet each other in person on the national and regional boards. Saturday kicked off with a series of panels which helped the members to learn the goals and initiatives of the national board. Each counterpart was given an opportunity to break into focus groups lead by members of the National Advisory Board to learn about the different duties of their respective roles and also obstacles they may face along the way. After lunch each national board member was given an opportunity to meet with their regional counterparts in a breakout session to discuss the national goals and objectives. 6. CHH was also a successful event. It took place September 21, 2013. At the advice of my successor, I made CHH a shorter event, which seemed to have been generously accepted. We started with an early morning breakfast that lead into a National Overview of the goals and objectives from the Chair and various team leads of the National Board. There were 2 panels that taught members how to use their marketing skills to land the job they want and also a panel to create outstanding leadership skills for the attendees. The participants were able to speak with members of the National Board about membership, fundraising, and chapter 66

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development.. 7. As previously stated, National Convention Programming was subsequently assigned to the convention coordinators after I became the Interim Director of TMMTC in late December 2013. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

If possible, get in contact with the National Bar Association as soon as you take office to try to see if the possibility of holding the Cora T. Walker breakfast is available as the July Board Meeting at the National Bar Association Meeting.

JBR: Once you know the location of JBR, start to locate space and speakers for your panel. Begin to work with your board members early to make sure that they get their slideshow presentations in on time to make them readily available for attendees.

CHH: Keep the day as short as possible. Individuals begin to get bored after listening to lectures all day. Make sure you plan an adequate amount of fun activities during the day to keep the attendees engaged. Make sure that you get your agenda out early to the Chair and Communications team so they can make the membership aware. Make sure to secure more than enough panelists, just in case you have no-shows or late cancellations. Always be prepared and have back ups.

National Convention: Make sure to stay on top of the national convention programming. Be sure to include interactive panels so that your attendees will want to attend. Also have interactive panels that will give the attendees an opportunity to network.

Chapter Grant Program: Make sure you push for applicants for the Chapter Grant Program. Make sure you announce the program at every programming event you host. Please do not take advantage of the program as much as they should.

Legal Pad: Make sure the Chair keeps the position of Legal Pad Editor available. There should be at least two publications. 1 for the Fall Semester and 1 for the Spring Semester. The position has now been moved to the Communications team. However, you may still have to play a role for the Legal Pad.

MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Thank you to the membership for entrusting this position with me for the 2013-2014 Term. I was humbled by the opportunity to serve the membership. I thank you all for your participation and attendance at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming events.

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TO: FROM: DATE: WI)

2013-2014 NATIONAL TEAM Gobriella Davis 46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee,

BIG PICTURE Goals & Objectives for 2013-2014 Term 1 2 3 4

Continuously opening the lines of communication with undergraduate institutions to gauge interest of pre-law membership & increase membership numbers

Develop & implement more opportunities for pre-law students to be involved within the organization’s infrastructure Strengthen & build the network of resources that can be utilized to benefit the needs of prelaw members (i.e. Undergraduate Colleges, etc.) Maintain and strengthen the pipeline between pre-law, law student, & alumni membership

Status of Objectives (on hold, abandoned, in progress, completed). Please provide an explanation for any objectives that are ‘on hold’ or ‘abandoned’. 1 In Progress 2

In Progress

SMALL PICTURE Explain what you have accomplished since our last meeting (completed programs/executed events, planning developments, committee meetings, attendance at events, etc.) 1 Reached out to all undergraduate societies within a 150-mile radius from Milwaukee (individual students & associations, minority departments and organizations, and notable professors) to personally invite them to the Nat’l Convention; Encouraging all chartered PLD chapters & members at-large to register on YM - continuously working with Financial Secretary & Dir. Of Membership to reconcile YM records for accuracy of membership listings & payment updates; Sending a consistent monthly email blast to send to advisors to update them on current PLD & NBLSA happenings to pass along 2 Reached out to PLD members through monthly blast communications to inform them of volunteer opportunities at the national convention available to them IOT receive a reduced convention registration rate; Talked with PLD Committee & Nat’l Chair about travel, financial & monetary concerns of PLD members wanting to attend Nat’l convention; Worked with fellow to accomplish PLD tasks for the remainder of the year – primarily 68

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focusing on outreach for convention 3

3 4

In addition to monthly email blasts to student members & advisors, outreach to pre-law advisors and contacts at undergraduate institutions near convention site in Milwaukee (4050 schools); Established a contact with Harvard attorney & author to donate “Law School Lowdown” books as special prizes to PLD members attending convention; Reached out to Kaplan & Barbri representatives to establish in-person contacts at the Nat’l Convention as well as establish relationships for the future Collaborated with the National Director of Alumni Affairs and Director of Membership to develop a webinar for PLD students with questions about law school applications – hope to air in early April or be a head start for early fall next year; Followed up with Alumni Affairs Director in regards to the status of pairing PLD students with mentors; Mentor pairings have been established and sent out to PLD members – PLD members encouraged to connect with their alumni and/or law school mentors; Directed undergraduate school faculty to the pre-law advisor brochure in an effort to utilize undergraduate resources already established to connect PLD students with law students, alumni, etc.

Explain what you plan to accomplish between now and our next meeting (completed programs/executed events, planning developments, committee meetings, attendance at events, etc.) Follow up and connect with undergraduate schools located in the Midwest/Chicago to encourage attendance at the National Convention and get at least 20 students signed up for Nat’l Convention; Discuss monetary & travel concerns with schools & individual students to gauge how NBLSA can assist Reach out to PLD members through monthly blast communications to inform them of volunteer opportunities at the national convention available to them IOT receive a reduced convention registration rate; Work with PLD Fellow on substantial tasks I order to carry out goals of National Board & NBLSA; Work with the convention specialist, chief of staff & fellow in order to finalize workshops/panels for the National Convention targeting the needs of pre-law members Follow-up outside organization to confirm materials, gifts and/or appearances at National Convention – i.e. BARBRI, Kaplan, Authors (book donations) Further develop PLD webinar idea to answer PLD members question about law school; Continue to connect with pre-law student community through regular pre-law communication (blasts); Follow-up with PLD fellow as to the status of the mentorship program (are ppl making contact? Are the pairs a good match?)

Miscellaneous/Additional Comments (including any assistance that you need from the Board) Encourage a pre-law student to attend the national conventions. If finances are a concern please have them contact 2014convention@nblsa.org or prelaw@nblsa.org. Their interest is so high we 69

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do not want to leave any future Black lawyer behind!

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Simone Otenaike, National Director of Alumni Affairs

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Plan and implement a CLE for the National Convention. 2. Personally invite and contact alumni for participation in the budding mentorship program. 3. Develop and implement a searchable alumni database.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed. 2. Completed. 3. Completed/Work in Progress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

Building relationships with alumni and partnering with organizations like the ABA to facilitate CLE planning was extremely valuable. A strong working relationship with the communications team was also very valuable and ensured alumni received information in a timely manner. Creating the alumni database could not have been done without the help of my regional counterparts. The nature of this project is such that it will always be a work in progress. Additionally the project will need to include more chapter outreach next year. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Continue the CLE programming and consider additional programming/benefits for the alumni membership base. Start planning as early as possible.

Begin planning the mentorship programming as early as possible. If we want to continue the 3-tier mentorship program, it is more effective and efficient to have one person working on the project from start to finish, rather than everyone on the 71

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membership team collectively.

Continue to develop the alumni database. Use the new membership platform more effectively. Also, ensure that alumni have clear direction on the alumni membership process. Consider the possibility of asking alumni to renew membership each year to keep an up-to-date running list of alum. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Dalourny Nemorin, Director of Education & Career Development

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Have internship postings throughout the year on simplicity for Fall and Spring internship possibilities, and for permanent positions. 2. Begin the planning for summer 2014 regional job fairs by securing employers well in advance. 3. Create a NBLSA twen that will have a variety of outlines that our members can utilize. 4. Educate members of non-traditional career paths through our blog posting. 5. Increase the opportunities for our members to be published either on the NBLSA blog or the Legal Pad. And informing them on other options like the Midwest-BLSA or SrBLSA law review.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. I accomplished my goal of keeping students informed of opportunities available to them through simplicity. 2. I have not begun planning for next summer. However, I plan to assist with this matter during my transition period. 3. This goal was not accomplished because of lack of participation from the general member. 4. This goal was not accomplished because of lack of participation from the general member. 5. I accomplished my goal there has been students published on the NBLSA blog and the Legal Pad

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. I worked on education career development initiative programs, to increase opportunities for our general members. 2.

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RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR 2012-2013 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Start early job fairs are the first major event for general make sure the general

rmed.

I would work on making sure our members are aware of the opportunities available I do not believe are aware of those opportunities in spite of the advertisements.

3. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Simone Otenaike, National Director of Alumni Affairs

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014

1. Plan and implement a CLE for the National Convention. 2. Personally invite and contact alumni for participation in the budding mentorship program. 3. Develop and implement a searchable alumni database.

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed. 2. Completed. 3. Completed/Work in Progress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

Continue the CLE programming and consider additional programming/benefits for the alumni membership base. Start planning as early as possible.

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Competitions Team

1. National Director of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition 2. National Director of the International Negotiations Competition

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TO:

2013 - 2014 National Team

FROM:

Rashad Pendarvis, FDMCC National Director

DATE:

46th Annual National Convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI)

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES FOR 2013-2014 1. Increase parity in judging and scoring 2. Increase quality of judging 3. Increase competition logistics 4. Increase quality of problem

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF OBJECTIVES 1. Completed on the regional level; awaiting Nationals 2. Completed on the regional level; awaiting Nationals 3. Completed on the regional level; awaiting Nationals 4. Completed

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LESSONS LEARNED SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS ADDRESSED WITHIN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1. One of the biggest things we were able to accomplish this year was to be able to have enough judges for each round of the competitions. Timeliness of rounds has been a big issue in years passed, and that was due to not having enough judges. The RDs did a great job of recruiting early on and making sure we had judges. One thing I learned is that no matter how early and how hard you recruit, attorneys will be attorneys and the numbers will not look like how you want them to look until a few weeks out from the competition. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard to get judges confirmed in the fall. 2. Another thing we did well this year was making ourselves available to the competitors. Part of being successful is responsiveness to competitor needs and concerns. From August and throughout each regional competition, my team made sure we addressed any problems a competitor may have in a timely manner. 3. The biggest lesson I learned was that it is very difficult to recruit teams to compete. We were very ambitious coming into the competition. We had to recognize that we are in a financial climate that does not allow many schools to send teams like the want to or have 78

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done before. Talking to a lot of the teams early on, I saw that their schools were not funding them to compete. This was very apparent in the Western, Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014-2015 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

Briefs do not need to be mailed to the National Director. It’s a waste of resources and it would be more efficient to have them email the briefs to the ND with the cover color coded. This way, he can still look at them to determine any deductions, but will not have to deal with hundreds of briefs being mailed to him/her. The ND can then email the briefs to the different brief graders.

The FDMCC rules need to be thoroughly reviewed. While we did so over the summer, we did not account for a lot of the things we encountered over the year. A lot of things are not clear and still leave room for ambiguity. Many things in the rules can be stated more clearly and concisely.

The scoresheets need another review. There are two sections that have a max other 8. This has caused some judges to overlook those two sections and assume the max point value is 8 when it really isn’t. That forces us to find them and ask them what they would have put if they knew the max was 15 instead of 8 or 4 instead of 8. I think it may need to be pointed out in the orientations or just changes to where it’s consistent with other sections. MISCELLANEOUS/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS -Having good specialists is key. They are the ones who will guide the RDs in the right direction so that everyone is on the same page. The summer months will be very pivotal in setting a good foundation. -Don’t be afraid to reach out to the Advisory Board; they want to help

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TO: FROM: DATE:

2013-2014 NATIONAL TEAM Temitope Ojo/Director of INC

46th Annual National Convention – March 2014 (Milwaukee, WI) Goals & Objectives for 2013-2014 Term

Increase school participation

Ensure there are enough judges for each round.

Make sure competitors fully understand INC. rules

Revise INC. Rules

Status of Objectives (on hold, abandoned, in progress, completed). Please provide an explanation for any objectives that are ‘on hold’ or ‘abandoned’. 1 INC Rules revised (completed) 2

Emailing daily to answer questions about INC Rules. (in progress)

Still petitioning for judges (in progress)

Increase school participation (abandoned)

SMALL PICTURE Explain what you have accomplished since our last meeting (completed programs/executed events, planning developments, committee meetings, attendance at events, etc.) 1 Judges Packet 2

Established breakdowns of teams/rounds

Updated database (ongoing)