Leadership Opportunities

Expectations for Trustees and Officers

The NLD Board of Trustees is composed of 16 members: 12 KCBA attorney members in good standing, 2 lay members and 2 law student members. Attorney trustees are elected to three-year terms, beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Officers serve for a term of one year beginning with the day of their election. The Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer are elected by the Board of Trustees at a meeting convened within 60 days of the general election. The Vice-Chair succeeds the Chair the following year. Lay members are elected to a staggered two-year term. One elected student representative from the University of Washington School of Law and Seattle University School of Law each serve a one-year term.

Chairperson

From the bylaws:

Chairperson shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Division, and shall, subject to the control of the Board, have general supervision, direction and control of the affairs of the Division. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Division and of the Board and shall be ex-officio member of all Division committees. The NLD Chair shall attend the KCBA Board of Trustee meetings and make a report on NLD activities. In addition to the foregoing, the Chairperson shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as usually pertain to this office or as may be prescribed by the Board.

These requirements have developed over the years into the following expectations of the Chair:

• attending monthly Board meetings and monthly Officers meetings, acting as chair for those meetings
• proposing agendas for Board meetings, which are reviewed and refined by the Officers;
• insuring follow-up on Board decisions, e.g. correspondence regarding a position taken;
• planning for and chairing the annual planning session; and developing a draft of the annual work plan for approval and use by the Board;
• attending other meetings or events of the Association, such as the Annual Awards Dinner, and Martin Luther King, Jr., Lunch;
• responding to members’ inquiries as needed;
• appointing all committee chairs in advance of committee sign-up in July;
• leading the Executive Committee in developing an annual budget for the following year for Board approval, in consultation with committee chairs;
• performing the usual duties of a Trustee.

Vice-Chair

From the bylaws:

The Vice-Chairperson shall act as Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Chairperson, the Board, or the Division.

Typically a Vice-Chair has been expected to:

• prepare him- or herself for future leadership and the role of Chair the following year;
• attend and participate in monthly Officers meetings, thinking through with other officers the Board agendas and problem-solving issues as they arise;
• assist the Executive Committee in developing an annual budget for the following year for Board approval;
• participate in the annual planning session; and comment on a draft of the annual work plan for approval and use by the Board;
• chair meetings in the absence of the Chair; and
• perform the usual duties of a Trustee.

Secretary/Trustee

From the bylaws:

The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Board or the Division, conduct the correspondence of the Division and have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Chairperson, or by the Board.

Typically we expect of a Secretary:

• taking minutes of Board meetings, formatting and providing them to the staff liaison one week prior to the next meeting for inclusion in the board packet;
• attending and participating in Executive Committee meetings, thinking through with other officers the Board agendas and problem-solving issues as they arise; and
• performing the usual duties of a trustee.

Treasurer

From the Bylaws:

The Treasurer shall supervise the keeping of the accounts of the Division in a thorough and proper manner and shall render statements of the financial affairs of the Division in such form and as often as required by the Board or the Chairperson. The Treasurer shall render to the Board and to the Association, within four (4) weeks after the close of the fiscal year of the Division, a statement of assets and liabilities of the Division as of the end of the preceding fiscal year and of receipts and disbursements for such preceding fiscal year. The treasurer shall perform all other duties commonly incident to his or her office and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board or Chairperson.

We have typically expected of the Treasurer that he or she:

• present monthly financial reports to the Board;
• advise the Board about the advisability of approving any requests for expenditures not authorized in the approved annual budget;
• attend and participate in Executive Committee meetings, thinking through with other officers the Board agendas and problem-solving issues as they arise; and
• perform the usual duties of a trustee.

Trustee

Trustees are expected to:

• Attend monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees or phone the NLD staff liaison in advance, requesting he/she be excused. (Bylaws state: Attendance at Regular Board Meetings. If any Trustee misses three regularly scheduled Board Meetings out of six consecutive meetings, the Board, by majority vote, may ask the Trustee to resign, after notice and opportunity to be heard has been provided. If the Board makes such a request, the request shall create a vacancy on the Board, and the Trustee shall be removed from the Board.)
• Be prepared to participate in Board meetings by reading the meeting materials sent with each meeting notice, and following up on tasks assigned at Board meetings;
• Ensure the financial integrity of the Association through receiving regular monthly reports from the Treasurer and acting responsibly on fiscal matters;
• Attend annual planning sessions and participate in developing the Board’s annual work plan;
• Serve as liaison to at least one committee, attending occasional meetings of the committee, keeping the Board apprised of their work and any problems they may be encountering; and keeping the committee aware of the Board’s work as it affects the committee.