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Young Lawyers Division

Bylaws

ARTICLE I | NAME AND PURPOSE

1.1 Name. The name of the Division shall be the Young Lawyers Division of the Oklahoma Bar Association (the “Division”).

1.2 Purpose. The purpose of the Division shall be:

  1. To stimulate the interest of members of the Division in the activities, objectives and purposes of the Oklahoma Bar Association.
  2. To encourage study and the interchange of thought and material among members of the Division pertaining to the problems, duties and responsibilities of members of the legal profession.
  3. To provide members of the Division with a more effective means to participate in activities directed toward improving the administration of justice and promoting involvement in public service activities.
  4. To promote cooperation and fellowship among members of the Division, to coordinate the activities of members of the Division in the Oklahoma Bar Association, and to provide an organization to further the interests of members of the Division.
  5. To assist law students in preparing for the practice of law and to assist new members of the Bar in establishing themselves in the practice of law.
  6. To perform and carry on such activities as may be assigned to the Division by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

ARTICLE II | MEMBERSHIP

2.1 Eligibility. All members of the Oklahoma Bar Association in good standing who were first admitted to the practice of law in any jurisdiction 10 years ago or less.

2.2 Termination of Membership. Membership in the Division shall terminate automatically on the latter of: (1) the end of any term of office or position of which a member is elected or appointed to while the member meets the eligibility requirements of Section 2.1; or (2) the end of the calendar year within which a member has been admitted to practice for ten years. Membership in the Division shall also terminate upon a member's ceasing, before that date, to be an active member of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

ARTICLE III | BOARD OF DIRECTORS

3.1 Composition. The Board of Directors shall be composed of a Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, immediate Past-Chairperson, twenty (20) voting Directors and the ex-officio members provided for in subparagraphs (c), (d) and (e). The Directors and ex-officio members are as follows:

  1. One (1) Representative from each Supreme Court Judicial District, with the districts containing Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties each having two (2) additional Representatives, and
  2. Seven (7) At-Large Representatives, five of whom are to be elected at large from the Division without regard to geographic residence and two of whom are to be elected from counties other than Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.
  3. One (1) ex-officio, non-voting member for each young lawyers' affiliate division or section of any county bar association in Oklahoma. This ex-officio member shall be the chairperson of the affiliate or his/her designee.
  4. One (1) ex-officio, non-voting member of the OBA Law Student Division, who will be either the Chair of the Division or his/her designee.
  5. One (1) ex-officio, non-voting member for the student bar association of each law school in Oklahoma. Said ex-officio member shall be the American Bar Association Law School Division representative of that law school or his/her designee.
  6. One (1) ex-officio, non-voting member for the American Bar Association/Young Lawyer Division District Representative for the district including the State of Oklahoma.

3.2 Duties of Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have general supervision and control of the affairs of the Division, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Board of Directors may adopt policies, rules and/or procedures to govern the administration of the Division.

3.3 Election and Terms of Directors. Directors shall be elected for a two (2) year term by the membership of the Division pursuant to the election procedures set forth in these Bylaws. In even numbered years, one (1) Director shall be elected from Judicial District Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, two (2) Directors shall be elected from District 6, and three (3) additional Directors shall be elected at-large (one of which is an at-large Rural seat). In odd numbered years, one (1) Director shall be elected from Judicial District Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 8, two (2) Directors shall be elected from District 3, and four (4) additional Directors shall be elected at-large (one of which is an at-large Rural seat). Any vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by interim appointment by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for the balance of the term vacated.

3.4 Eligibility of Directors.In order to be eligible for election to the Board of Directors, a person must be a member of the Division in good standing and must be eligible for membership in the Division for the full term for which elected.

3.5 Meetings of Board of Directors. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be at the call of the Chairperson, upon at least forty-eight (48) hours actual notice to the Directors.

3.6 Removal. The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its members, remove any Director from office if the Director so removed has failed to attend four meetings of the Board during any calendar year.

3. 7 Term. The term of each Director shall be the calendar year following his or her election.

ARTICLE IV | OFFICERS

4.1 Officers. The Officers of the Division shall be Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Past-Chairperson.

4.2 Election, Qualifications and Duties of Officers.

4.2.1 Chairperson. The Chairperson-Elect of the previous year shall automatically become the Chairperson of the Division for the calendar year following his or her term as Chairperson-Elect and shall serve for a term of one (1) year. In the event that the Chairperson-Elect for the previous year shall be unable to serve as Chairperson, then an election for a new Chairperson shall be held pursuant to the election procedures set forth in these Bylaws. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Division and the Board of Directors and shall perform such other duties and acts usually pertaining to this office. He/she shall, in addition, act as the Division's Representative to the Governing Board of Oklahoma Bar Association and shall prepare a report of the activities of the Division for the past year for presentation at the annual meeting of the Division and for submission to said Governing Board.

4.2.2 Chairperson-Elect. The Chairperson-Elect shall be elected for a one (1) year term by the membership of the Division pursuant to the procedures set forth in these Bylaws from any member of the Division having previously served for at least one (1) year on the Board of Directors of the Division. In the event that no previous members of the Division's Board of Directors shall desire to or be eligible for election as Chairperson-Elect, then any member of the Division shall be eligible for election as Chairperson-Elect. The Chairperson-Elect shall perform the duties of the Chairperson at any time the Chairperson is unable to perform such duties and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Chairperson. In addition, the Chairperson-Elect shall coordinate the activities of the committees of the Division with the committee Chairpersons, and Director liaisons and regularly report the activities of the committees to the Chair of the Division.

4.2.3 Secretary. The Secretary shall be elected for a one (1) year term by the membership of the Division pursuant to the election procedures set forth in these Bylaws from one of the Directors elected by the Division to serve on the Board of Directors for the next year. The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings, give notice of all meetings, make arrangements for all meetings of the Divisions and Board of Directors and shall be the custodian of all books, papers, documents and other property of the Division. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Chairperson.

4.2.4 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be elected for a one (1) year term by the membership of the Division pursuant to the election procedures set forth in these Bylaws from one of the Directors elected by the Division to serve on the Board of Directors for the next year. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of and safely keep all funds belonging to the Division.

4.2.5 Past-Chairperson. The immediate Past-Chairperson of the Division shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Division. The immediate Past-Chairperson shall act as Chair of the nominating committee and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Chairperson.

4.3 Vacancies. Any vacancy in office shall be filled by interim appointment by a majority vote of the Board of Directors until the next annual election of the Division, at which time new Officers shall be elected as provided by these Bylaws.

4.4 Term. The term of each Officer shall be the calendar year following his or her election EXCEPT the Chairperson-Elect which shall be as above set forth in 4.2.1.

4.5 Removal. The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its members, remove any Officer from his/her office if the Officer so removed has failed to attend four meetings of the Board during any calendar year.

ARTICLE V | ELECTIONS

5.1 Time and Place of Elections. All elections of Officers and Directors of the Division shall be held pursuant to the election procedures as set forth in Section 5.4.

5.2 Nominating Committee. It shall be the duty of the Chairperson of the Division to select a Nominating Committee at the mid-year meeting of the Division. The Nominating Committee shall include the Past-Chairperson and at least two (2) other members of the Board of Directors. All members of the Nominating Committee shall be serving their last year on the Board and will not be eligible for any office or position during the upcoming elections. The Past-Chairperson of the Division shall serve as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee.

5.3 Duties of the Nominating Committee. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to seek out qualified candidates for all positions that will become available during the annual meeting. The Nominating Committee shall publish a description of all available positions in the Oklahoma Bar Journal during the months of September and October. Each person wishing to be nominated for any position shall submit to the Nominating Committee a Petition containing the signatures of at least ten (10) members of the Young Lawyers Division of the Oklahoma Bar Association. A Petition must be submitted for each position each person seeks to be nominated for, except that a Petition for the position of Director will be valid for both District Directorships and At-Large Directorships. All Nominating Petitions must be submitted to the Nominating Committee at least forty-five (45) days prior to the annual meeting of the Division. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to publish in the Oklahoma Bar Journal a list of all persons submitting Nominating Petitions to the Committee. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of all qualified candidates who have submitted Nominating Petitions and submit this list to the Division pursuant to the election procedures in these Bylaws. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to conduct the election of Officers and Directors of the Division.

5.4 Election Procedure. The election of all Officers and Directors of the Young Lawyers Division shall be conducted by ballot prior to the annual meeting. At least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Bar Association the names of each candidate for any Directorship or Office shall be listed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal with the pictures and resumes of the candidates. The Nominating Committee shall have the authority to determine the space allotted for each candidate in the Oklahoma Bar Journal.

At least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Nominating Committee shall cause the official ballot to be distributed to each young lawyer electronically via the email address on file with the Oklahoma Bar Association and in the Oklahoma Bar Journal at the same address as he/she receives his/her Oklahoma Bar Journal, or by other means as determined by the Nominating Committee. All voting young lawyers will email or mail the ballot to the place designated at least one (1) week prior to the annual meeting. All ballots must be cast pursuant to the official election rules and prescribed by the Nominating Committee.

All members of the Division shall be eligible to vote for those individuals nominated to fill vacancies for the positions of Chairperson-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and At-Large Directors. With respect to the positions of Chairperson-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer, the person receiving the most votes will be declared the winner. The persons elected to serve as At-Large Directors shall be ranked according to the number of votes received. The terms of At-Large Directors shall be determined on the basis of the number of votes received. The person receiving the highest number of votes shall serve the longest term with the person receiving the next highest number of votes serving the longest term then available until all Directorships have been filled.

Only those members of the Division who reside in the Supreme Court Judicial District or County to be represented by a Director(s) other than At-Large Directors shall be eligible to vote for individuals nominated to fill a vacancy(ies) for Directors who will represent such Judicial Districts or Counties.

In the event an election for any Officer or Director shall result in a tie, the tie shall be broken by the members of the Nominating Committee casting their vote by secret ballot. In the event that the Nominating Committee's vote results in a tie, that tie shall be broken by the Chairperson of the Division casting his vote. The members of the Nominating Committee and the Chairperson of the Division shall not be entitled to vote unless there is a tie in the election for any Officer or Director.

Results of the elections of Officers and Directors as provided in this section shall be announced at the annual meeting of the Division.

5.5 Challenges. Challenges to nominations shall be presented by a person with standing to the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee in writing within three business days after the close of nominations. Challenges to elections shall be presented by a person with standing to the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee in writing within three business days after the results of the elections are announced at the annual meeting of the Division. A written response to a challenge shall be offered within three business days after a challenge is raised. Challenges shall be decided by the members of the Nominating Committee submitting their vote to the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee within three business days after the response is due. Decisions by the Nominating Committee are final.

ARTICLE VI | MEETINGS

6.1 Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Division shall be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Bar Association. At the meeting reports of Officers and committees shall be delivered. Notice of said meeting shall be published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal at least two (2) weeks prior thereto.

6.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or by a majority of the Board of Directors and shall be called by the Secretary on request of five (5) members in writing. The time and place of special meetings shall be announced at least one (1) week in advance by publication in the Oklahoma Bar Journal.

6.3 Quorum. At all properly called meetings of the Division, the members of the Division present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All meetings will substantially adhere to generally accepted parliamentary procedures.

ARTICLE VII | COMMITTEES

7.1 The Chairperson, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall designate the committees, define their duties and appoint the committee Chairperson and members.

ARTICLE VIII | AMENDMENTS

8.1 These Bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Division by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Board and the Division present and voting, provided that notice of the substance of the proposed amendments shall have been published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal at least two (2) weeks before the meeting.

  • APPROVED by majority vote of the Division on the 14th day of August, 1993.
  • APPROVED by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association on the 27th day of October, 1993.

2006 Amendments:

  • APPROVED by majority vote of the Division on November 16, 2006.
  • APPROVED by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association on the 8th day of December, 2006.

2010 Amendments:

  • APPROVED by a majority vote of the Division on August 28, 2010.
  • APPROVED by the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association on .