CBA Record March-April 2026

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

that are less specialized to the bar year than the Program Officer duties. The Recruit ment Officer now also serves on the CBA’s larger Membership Committee, serving in an advisory role for YLS-related member ship topics. The Philanthropy Officer, formerly known as the Public Service Manager, continues to supervise all charitable and philanthropic projects, including Pro Bono Week and the annual YLS Fund raiser. This new title aims to clarify the role’s responsibilities and mission. Previously, the Secretary-Treasurer's focus was primarily taking and distrib uting minutes for the Section’s executive council meetings. Now, the YLS Secre tary-Treasurer serves as the primary con tact for and develops relationships with sponsors, identifies appropriate timing for outreach to sponsors, and maintains records of sponsorship contributions in addition to taking minutes. Officers seek ing sponsors for events now begin with the Secretary-Treasurer The bylaws also added a new Inclu sion and Engagement Officer. This role is responsible for supervising Diversity Week and to maintain, foster and grow relationships with many of the bar asso ciations in the Chicagoland community. The Section now refers to Project Offi cers as Program Officers to align with ter minology commonly used by nonprofit organizations in Chicago. Their respon sibilities remain unchanged and include oversight of projects not specifically assigned to other officers. Program Offi cers now serve two-year terms, with stag gered appointments that create a senior and junior Program Officer to create a system that allows at least one Program Officer to coach and mentor the other. The Editors-in-Chief of the YLS Jour nal of the CBA Record and the Editors in-Chief of @theBar Blog, the Section’s online publication, continue to serve in the same capacity as before. Directors, who serve in their position

for two years, acted primarily as general assistants to the officers. Through the bylaw’s amendment, directors are now a part of a fellowship program that matches a director with an accompanying officer to assist the officer with accomplishing their priorities for the bar year. As most offi cer positions are one year terms, directors get the opportunity to shadow multiple officers over their tenure. This structure allows Directors to develop specialized skills throughout their term. YLS Committees While not included in the revisions to the bylaws, changes have also been made to improve communication between the Executive Committee and YLS Com mittee leaders. In addition to semian nual reports, each YLS committee now completes a brief survey that aims to increase transparency. This survey serves as a check-in for committees to share their progress on upcoming meetings and gives them an opportunity to request assistance on a regular basis. Support for commit tees is now at an all-time high, and feed back from committee chairs shows that the Section serves their needs more effec tively. YLS Committees serve as a fantas tic resource for members and committee chairs remain an integral part of advanc ing the goals and purposes of the YLS. As a result, it is an incredibly important undertaking to make sure that committee chairs have every opportunity to serve as effective leaders within the profession. Looking Forward It is my hope that these changes more clearly define roles, eliminate uncertainty about expectations, and foster a sense of ownership that will increase enthusiasm among Section leaders. I am encour aged by the progress the updates support and am eager to see how future leaders will continue to advance the success of the YLS.

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CBA RECORD 21