The Oklahoma Bar Journal March 2024

Y oung L awyers D ivision

Let’s Hear the Young Lawyer Votes

By Caroline Shaffer Siex

T HE YLD IS EXCITED TO start off its 2024 year. That includes getting a fast start on elections for 2025 YLD leader ship. As such, we encourage any dedicated young lawyer to partic ipate in YLD elections. As Vince Lombardi once stated, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” In the sidebar is a list of vacan cies for 2025. Nominating petitions will be accepted through April 1. Those offices that are contested will be set for voting, and ballots will be sent by email. Those offices that are not contested will be deemed elected by acclimation. NOMINATING PROCEDURE Article 5 of the division bylaws requires that any eligible member wishing to run for office must submit a nominating petition to the Nominating Committee. The petition must be signed by at least 10 members of the OBA YLD and must be submitted by Monday, April 1, at 5 p.m. A separate peti tion must be filed for each opening, except a petition for a directorship shall be valid for one-year and two year terms and at-large positions. A person must be eligible for division membership for the entire term for which elected.

ELIGIBILITY

TIPS FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR Visit https://bit.ly/42MgSiJ for a sample nominating petition. This will help give you an idea of the format and information required by OBA YLD bylaws (one is also available from the Nominating Committee). Email cshaffer@gablawyers.com to request a nominating petition. Obtain signatures (electronic signatures are permitted) on your nominating peti tion from at least 10 lawyers who were first admitted to practice law in the state of Oklahoma within the past 10 years. Signatures on the nominating petitions do not have to be from young law yers in your own district (the restriction on districts only applies to voting). Take your petition to local county bar meetings or the courthouse and introduce yourself to other young lawyers while asking them to sign – it’s a good way to start networking. You can have more than one petition for the same posi tion and add the total num ber of original signatures. Don’t wait until the last

All OBA members in good standing who were admitted to the practice of law 10 years ago or less are members of the OBA YLD. Membership is automatic – if you were first admitted to the practice of law in 2014 or later, you are a member of the OBA YLD! ELECTION PROCEDURE Article 5 of the division bylaws governs the election procedure. In May, a list of all eligible candidates will be published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal . Ballots will be emailed June 3 to all YLD members at the email address in the official OBA roster. All members of the division may vote for officers and at-large directorships. Only those members with OBA roster addresses within a subject judicial district may vote for that district’s director. The mem bers of the Nominating Committee shall only vote in the event of a tie. Please see OBA YLD bylaws for additional information at www.okbar.org/yld/bylaws. DEADLINE Nominating petitions, accompa nied by a photo and bio of 350 words or less for publication in the Oklahoma Bar Journal , must be forwarded to me at cshaffer@gablawyers.com no later than 5 p.m. Monday, April 1. Results of the election will be announced at the YLD meeting at the OBA Annual Meeting, July 9-12, at the Embassy Suites in Norman.

minute – petitions that are scanned and emailed after the deadline will not be accepted.

62 | MARCH 2024

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL