ABA YLD Update

Spring Conference Report
By: Chip Brooker and C.E. Rhodes

Las Vegas, Nevada, hosted more than 300 young lawyers, including many of our international affiliate friends, at the ABA YLD Spring Conference May 12-14, 2011 at Caesars Palace.

Spring Conference Council Meeting

The ABA YLD Council met on Thursday, May 12, 2011. The highlights of the Council meeting included:

Announcement of 2012-13 conference sites: Charleston, SC (Fall Conf., Oct 2012); Dallas, TX (Midyear, Feb. 2013); Minneapolis, MN (Spring Conf., TBD); Francisco, CA (Annual, Aug. 2013).
Secretary-Treasurer, Chris Rogers, reminded all council members to donate to the Fund for Justice and Education to continue the YLD council’s tradition of 100% participation.
Disaster Legal Services interim Director David Nguyen reported on current DLS efforts in the wake of devastating tornadoes in the south and preparedness efforts in response to flooding in many states.
The inaugural ABA YLD Law Day Video Contest award was presented to Bhargav Tarpara, a freshman from Belleville High School in Belleville, NJ. The winning video was an animated 3 minutes about The Legacy of John Adams, from Boston to Guantanamo. Hundreds of students entered this year’s competition, which will be continued as an on-going public education program. You can view this year’s winning video and learn more here.
This year’s pro bono public service initiative, Serving Our Seniors, continues to be implemented in different affiliates across the country, including Georgia, Utah, Minnesota and Chicago. For more information visit this web site.
Touch 10,000 hit its goal of 10,000 and conducted 25 meet and greets across the country this spring. For more information visit this web site.
The Division is launching a Bootcamp for young lawyers. Via free downloads, lawyers and judges will share their thoughts, ideas and tactics on choosing a career path, getting the most out of your first position, networking, being a superstar associate, trial skills, and starting your own practice For more information, click here.
The first New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference took place from February 25-26, with great success. This will become an annual event, with the next conference set for March 2012.
The ABA YLD’s publication The Young Lawyer and The Affiliate are finishing this fiscal year’s publications and are already starting the process for next year’s publications.
We are happy to report that Wal-Mart will sponsor the Division’s 2011-2012 Diversity initiatives. This year’s initiatives included outreach to high school students, the Midyear Meeting Diversity Dialogue, and the annual Scholarship Program.
The Speaker and Clerk are working hard on the resolutions and delegate credential issues for this year’s Annual Meeting in Toronto. Several resolutions are expected.
The Chair-Elect, Michael Bergmann, reported that 2011-2012 appointments have been finalized. For more information, click here.

Spring Conference Programming and Networking Events

Las Vegas offered a wide variety of conference and non-conference opportunities and entertainment. Highlights included:

An Opening session keynote address by the Nevada Secretary of State, Ross Miller of Carson City, NV. He is also fellow young lawyer and the youngest secretary of state in the nation’s history.
The ABA YLD's inaugural International Oratory Competition. Based on the Association du Jeune Barreau de Montreal/Young Bar Association of Montreal's (YBAM) English Oratory Competition, this contest aims to showcase the oratory skills of each contestant and to provide a valuable networking opportunity for lawyers from all over the world. Humor and satire were strongly encouraged in presentations! The winner of this year’s competition was David Freiheit of the Young Bar Association of Montreal and the runner up was Jason Sengheiser of the Missouri Bar Young Lawyers' Section. For more information, click here.
Great CLEs on such topics as trial and deposition skills, ethics: avoiding malpractice, forensic engineering, IP, gambling law, and law practice management.

Networking Events like the welcome reception on Thursday evening at the Ghost Bar (Palms Hotel) and a Friday Night Gala at Voodoo Rooftop Night Club (Rio Hotel).

The Affiliate Showcase where state and local affiliates could share information about successful and award-winning public and member service projects:
Oklahoma Bar Association YLD Senior Citizens Handbook: this 60+ booklet provides basic information about various legal issues impacting senior citizens, from benefits, to housing, to taxes. Contact information and resources for seniors and pro bono attorneys was also included.
Dade County Bar Association YLS Homeless Outreach Committee: this group partnered with homeless centers to help homeless families transition into self-sufficient living. They have monthly activities for the families’ children (arts and crafts, holiday toy drive, carnival, etc.).
Arkansas YLS 18 & Life to Go: this Legal Handbook was designed for Young Arkansans on the cusp of adulthood to teach them about the legal consequences of their actions and key legal issues.
Texas Young Lawyers Association The Little Voice: is a campaign to raise awareness about child abuse. TYLA developed public service announcements, TV ads, and other materials to create a massive public awareness campaign.
Washington State Bar YLD Moderate Means Program: this program is aimed at filling the justice gap for individuals just above the poverty level (don’t qualify for legal aid) who can’t afford legal services. Participating attorneys agree to provide reduced-fee services.
Oregon New Lawyers Division Practical Skills Through Public Service: this project encourages unemployed and under-employed young lawyers to volunteer for free legal service providers. This serves the dual goal of young lawyers gaining experience and improving access to justice.
New Jersey State Bar YLD Earth Day Project: the group celebrates Earth Day by conducting river and national park clean-ups and planting trees.
Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society in England and Wales: our UK counter-parts implemented an annual international project to send volunteers to developing nations. For example, in 2008, volunteers went to a village in Borneo to build a clean drinking water system.

If you want more information about these programs or other program highlighted at the showcase, contact me or Affiliates Director Kimber Gallo .

For more information, click here.

2011 YLD Events at the ABA Annual Meeting: Join us August 4-6, 2011 in Toronto, Canada. For the first time in several years, there is a contested election for the office of ABA YLD Secretary-Treasurer. Because of this, it is important that affiliates get their delegates properly registered on time.

Early Bird Registration ends May 31st.
June 1st – Local affiliates to submit delegate names to State Affiliates for the Annual Meeting
June 7th – Resolutions due for Annual Meeting Assembly
June 15th – State affiliates submit delegate names for 2011 Annual Meeting

For more information including registration and delegate certification. click here.

Other Upcoming Key Dates

July 1 – ABA YLD National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award nomination process Opens
July 15 – ABA YLD Awards of Achievement Nomination Deadline

For more information, click here.