The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held on January 18, convened by KCBA President Tahmina Watson.
President Watson called the meeting to order, and the Board approved the minutes. The Board also approved by consent a resolution to add Membership Services Director Bridget Schuster as an authorized signatory on KCBA and KCBF bank accounts.
The New Lawyers Division Chair reported on NLD hosting a 4-hour hands-on litigation CLE and asked interested trustees to volunteer. He asked that trustees spread the word for nominations for Outstanding New Lawyer of the Year.
Treasurer Wang stated that KCBA is doing well overall. Numbers are strong, and membership numbers exceed budget projections.
President Watson remarked that the MLK Luncheon was wonderful. The speaker was great, and Judge Richard Jones, who has chaired the MLK Committee for 20 years, passed the position to Daniel Hsieh. President Watson added that she attended Diversity Race and Equity Committee Meeting in January, whose efforts help address race and equity issues in hiring practices and board recruitment. She reported that she would be attending the National Conference of Board Presidents in New Orleans in February and would report back.
Interim Executive Director Kathleen Jensen introduced Member Services Director Bridget Schuster to the Board. Jensen also highlighted that about 600 people attended the MLK Luncheon, raising $28,000 for the minority bar scholarship fund.
ABA Delegate Kathleen Hopkins discussed a KCBA Resolution in Support of a Code of Ethics for the Supreme Court of the United States to be presented to the ABA. The Board then unanimously voted to approve the KCBA Resolution in Support of a SCOTUS Code of Ethics, to appoint Neal Black as a substitute ABA Delegate for the midyear meeting, and to approve a proposed Resolution of the ABA and Report to the ABA House of Delegates (HOD) concerning adoption of a binding code of ethics for the justices of SCOTUS with such non-substantive technical edits as may be mandated by the ABA HOD Standing Committee on Rules and Calendar.
Matt Smith, a CPA at Greenwood Ohlund, presented a draft 2022 audit of KCBA’s financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2022. KCBA received a “clean audit” and no material modifications need be made. The Board will vote on the audit in February.
The Board then went into an executive session.
