Alameda County Bar Association

“1. Classes. Membership shall be divided into five classes: Active; Non-Practicing; Judicial; Affiliate; Law Student.2. Active Members. A lawyer who is a member in good standing of the State Bar of California, or who is admitted to practice and in good standing in the Bar of any other state in the United States, and who resides in or maintains one or more law offices in any county in California or who is in-house counsel for a corporation or employed by a government entity located in California shall become an Active Member upon the approval of his or her application by the Chief Executive Officer or designee. 3. Non-Practicing Members. Any lawyer who ceases the active practice of law or any Judicial Member who retires from the judiciary without resuming the active practice of law, and is listed as inactive with the State Bar of California or the Bar of any other state in the United States, shall become a Non-Practicing Member upon the approval of his or her application by the Chief Executive Officer or designee. 4. Judicial Members. Any judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, or any judge or justice of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of the State of California or of any of the Courts of the United States, shall become a Judicial Member upon the approval of his or her application by the Chief Executive Officer or designee. 5. Affiliate Members. A legal administrator, legal assistant, law school graduate, paralegal, accountant employed by a lawyer or law firm, expert witness, investigator, trial consultant, real estate agent or other professional who resides in or maintains one or more offices in any county in California shall become an Affiliate Member upon the approval of his or her application by the Chief Executive Officer or designee. 6. Law Student Members. A person who is enrolled in a law school in the State of California located in any county shall become a Law Student Member upon the approval of his or her application by the Chief Executive Officer or designee.”

“1. Annual Election. Officers and Directors shall be elected by the Board of Directors during the month of October each year. 2. Nominating Committee. A Nominating Committee consisting of seven Active Members of the Association shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at its June meeting each year. The committee shall consist of the immediate Past-President, who shall serve as the committee chair, the President, the President-Elect, one member of the Barristers Section, one member of the Association who is also a member of an identity bar association, and two general members of the Association who shall not be members of the Board. In appointing the Nominating Committee, the Board shall also specify the particular, high, conceptual-level competencies that the Board feels will be important to govern ACBA and direct it effectively in the next few years. The Nominating Committee shall meet at the call of the Chief Executive Officer of the Association. It shall nominate one member of the Association for the office of President-Elect, one member of the Association for the office of Vice-President and one member for each Director whose term will expire on December 31st. The Nominating Committee shall forward names of the proposed candidates to the Chief Executive Officer not later than August 24th. Once the Board has approved a slate of officers and directors, the Chief Executive Officer shall cause the names of the candidates to be published in a legal newspaper in Alameda County and on the ACBA website not later than five business days after the September Board meeting and to be posted in a conspicuous place in the office of the Association. 3. Nomination Guidelines. In making its nominations, the Nominating Committee shall prioritize candidates who meet the particular competencies specified by the Board of Directors for the coming years. The Nominating Committee also shall evaluate each candidate, taking into consideration the following criteria: each candidate's personal abilities, judgment and leadership qualities; each candidate's years as a member of the Association; the duration, scope, quality and recentness of each candidate's participation in the activities and affairs of the Association; each candidate's history and quality of support for the programs and projects of the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation or similar organizations; and, candidates who demonstrate core competencies of diversity, inclusiveness, governance and leadership. 4. Additional Nominations. Additional nominations for the offices of President-Elect or of Vice-President or for the position of Director may be made only by filing with the Chief Executive Officer on or before 5:00 p.m. on the 15th calendar day after the posting of the slate in the legal publications per paragraph 2 above. A written nomination must be signed by at least thirty-five Active Members in good standing as certified by the Chief Executive Officer as of August 24th of that year. A report of any such additional nomination, or nominations, shall be posted on the ACBA website, posted in an e-mail blast to members, submitted for publication in a legal newspaper in Alameda County and shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the office of the Association within five business days following the Additional Nominations deadline. A. Voting. In the event of additional nominations, the elections may be conducted electronically or by mail ballot. Elections shall be conducted in a method that ensures confidentiality and one vote per active member. A plurality of votes cast shall be sufficient to elect any candidate for the office of President-Elect or of Vice-President. In any contest for the vacant seats on the Board of Directors, those nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected; to be a valid ballot, the number of candidates receiving votes must equal the number of vacant seats on the board. B. In the event of no additional nominations, the nominees proposed”

“No bylaws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the Board of Directors if such adoption, amendment, or repeal would materially and adversely affect the rights of Members as to voting, dissolution, redemption, or transfer.”

“Copies of the 990 are sent to all board members electronically, and they are asked to review them and contact staff if they have questions.”

“Officers, directors and key employees are required to disclose any interests that could give rise to conflicts as they arise. Each year the Board of Directors receives the ACBA Bylaws during board orientation. The conflicts of interest policy is discussed and officers and directors are asked if they are aware of any potential conflicts.”

“The ACBA board goes through this procedure, using a task force of the ACBA board. All members of the VLSC and ACBA boards are surveyed anonymously, as well as staff, and this feedback developed by the task force into a written evaluation for the CEO. Periodically, the task force also reviews the salaries of CEOs in comparable agencies.”

“Officers on the Board of Directors serve in a volunteer capacity. The Executives of California Law Association(ECLA) each year does a salary survey that assists in assessing comparable salary levels for other officers and key employees. See response to Line 15a for additional detail.”

“The ACBA Bylaws, which includes our conflicts of interest policy, are available on our website. The ACBA publishes an annual magazine, A Year in Review, which includes information from the financial statements. It is noted in A Year in Review and on our website that our financial statements and other governing documents are available upon reuqest and contact information for these are provided.”

“OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 4: Other Program Services included activities of the Community Projects Committee which acts as a forum for legal service providers to share knowledge and expertise and help improve the delivery of legal services in Alameda County as well as activities of the Judicial Appointments Evaluation Committee, the East Bay Diversity Bar Coalition and the Judicial Liaison Committee.”