Nominations are now being accepted for minority director for the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. Self nominations will not be accepted. Four appointed positions were created on the board in order to increase minority participation as well as to provide representation from varying professional, geographic, and social environments. One position will become vacant in 2014.
Nominees will be selected by an ad hoc committee comprised of members from the State Bar Board, Women in the Profession Committee, and the Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee. Nominees will be responsible for their own expenses related to the interview process. The ad hoc committee will submit two nominations for each vacant position to the president of the State Bar, and the president will appoint one of those nominees. The board of directors will consider the appointee for approval at its meeting on April 25, 2014. Minority directors serve threeyear terms, and the terms begin on June 25, 2014.
Criteria for selection:
Any minority lawyer in good standing with the State Bar is eligible to be nominated as a minority
member director, provided such lawyer has never served, or is not currently serving as a minority member director or as an elected director. To the fullest extent possible, the nominating committee shall only nominate persons who demonstrate the sensitivity and knowledge, gained from experiences in the profession and the community, necessary to represent the interests of minority lawyers.
A minority member of the State Bar is any lawyer who is female, African American, Hispanic American, Native American, or Asian American.
The nominating committee shall be guided, but not limited, by the following criteria in selecting its
nominees for minority member director:
• The minority population of the area in which the candidate resides and practices.
• The degree of minority representation already on the State Bar Board of Directors from a particular geographic area.
• Demonstration of leadership ability.
• Involvement in civic or political activities within the minority community.
• Participation in minority bar associations.
• Participation in local bar, State Bar, and American Bar Association committees and activities.
• Year of licensure.
• Number and content of recommendation letters.
• Ethnicity and gender.
Deadline for nominations is December 16, 2013. Persons interested in being nominated for the position should submit the following: a nomination letter from a third party, and a resume including information on bar participation, civic and political activities, ethnicity, gender, place of residence, and letters of recommendation (typically three to five).
Submit the information requested to:
Jaime Balli, Chair
Ad Hoc Committee to Select Minority Directors
c/o State Bar of Texas
1414 Colorado Street, Ste. 300
Austin, TX 78701-1627
Self-nominations will not be accepted. (Please note that applying to be a minority director does not preclude an applicant from running from a geographic area. Petitions for the elected board member positions must be received at the State Bar headquarters by March 1, 2014, in order to be considered.)