2022 NLG-SFBA BOARD AND OFFICER ELECTION 
ANNOUNCEMENT AND OVERVIEW 

It’s time for the chapter to hold its annual elections for the Executive Board. You are receiving this notice because we believe either you are, or have recently been, a Guild member. You may also receive this notice because you are on our mailing list for other reasons. 

If you are or become a SFBA NLG chapter member, as explained below, you can vote and run for office in our upcoming election! 

Everyone who is currently a Guild member or becomes a member or renews their membership before, or on January 16, 2023, can participate. To run for a board or officer position, you must be a Guild member by December 9,2022. 

SFBA chapter membership is available to lawyers, legal workers, including legal observers, and law students; jailhouse lawyers are national members of the NLG. 

Friends of the Guild are not members for voting purposes, although we appreciate your support. Supporters who receive our newsletter alone aren’t necessarily members. 

Information about representation of law students is below. 

Membership dues are listed on the website. Dues waivers are available. If you want to join the Guild but need a waiver please contact our Executive Director: camilo@nlgsf.org 

For this upcoming election, a fuller explanation follows below, but briefly: 

13 at large seats are open for the election, as are the offices of President and Secretary. 

Timeline for the Election 

Here is a timeline for the election itself: 

• Election announcement sent out (Friday, November 18) 
• Nominations and proposed bylaws amendments to be submitted by Dec. 9 ● Nominations should be sent to Executive Director (camilo@nlgsf.org) ● Valid nominations will be posted online by Dec. 16
• Online voting available beginning Dec. 16, ends Jan. 16; absentee ballots can be requested via email (camilo@nlgsf.org) during this period, and should be mailed by Jan. 16
• In person voting 9:30 to 5:30 PM on January 16, 2023 at NLG-SFBA office, 558 Capp Street (2d floor), San Francisco 
• Eligibility — Any member may be nominated as long as they have paid their membership dues by December 9. To vote, you must be a paid up member as of January 16th. You can join or renew your dues by going to: 

https://nlgsf.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=13 If you have questions about your membership status, please send an email to camilo@nlgsf.org 

• Jailhouse lawyers 

Jailhouse lawyers have historically been members of the national NLG, where they are represented by a National Jailhouse Lawyer Vice President. They vote for the National Jailhouse Vice President and national resolutions. No chapter currently has jailhouse lawyer members. Our chapter is in support of the participation of jailhouse lawyers on a local level, and is considering options on how to best facilitate that. In furtherance of that goal we are holding a special Board session on December 6 at 4PM to discuss these options. We encourage all those interested to attend and share your ideas. 

Background Information on NLG elections and governance: According to the by-laws of the NLG SFBA Chapter: 

“The Executive Board shall appoint an Election Committee which shall establish procedures to run a fair election, and which shall conduct the election. The Election committee shall report to the Board, which shall have final authority to approve procedures for the election. A preliminary set of election procedures shall be publicized before the Executive Board meetings at which they are approved. A final and Board-approved set of election procedures shall be publicized before the election date. (d) The election shall be held at the annual membership meeting held in accordance with these Bylaws and the election procedures established by the Election Committee, as approved by the Executive Board.” (Art. 5, Section 6 c, d) 

The regular business and affairs of the Chapter shall be conducted by an Executive Board, Executive Committee and officers in the interim period between annual membership meetings, which business shall be subject to the action of the membership. The power to conduct the regular business and affairs of the Chapter includes the expending of all sums of money reasonably necessary therefore and the determining of programs and policies, which will tend to promote the objectives of the organization. Special and regular membership meetings may be called from time to time by the Executive Board at times and places designated by it. 

The members shall meet annually during September, October or November of each year for the purpose of electing this board. (In years past we have also held the meeting in December). 

The Executive Board shall be comprised of: the five officers (President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Student Vice-President); one representative member in good standing from each law school chapter within the geographic area of the Chapter and 16 at-large members. Members in good standing of the program committees are encouraged to run and represent those committees but shall be elected at-large. 

The NLGSF is committed to maintaining an Executive Board that reflects the full diversity and vibrancy of our membership, including age, gender, sexuality, legal status, race, ethnicity, national origin, and professional experience. Members who are active in NLGSF’s committees and are able to represent the work and interests of the committees are strongly encouraged to run. 

Anyone who is a current paid up member of the NLG is eligible to run for office and for the board. This includes all attorneys, students and legal workers.

Board members serve a two year term and can run for re-election. Election of at-large Executive Board members shall be staggered such that one-half shall be newly elected each year. Officers shall serve a two-year term, unless they are completing the term of a previous holder of the same position. 

Law Student Chapters and Elections 

Chapter’s Executive Board should include “one representative member in good standing from each law school chapter within the geographic area of the Chapter” (Art 5, Section 2, By-Laws) 

“The law student Vice-President shall be selected by all law student members in a manner to be determined by the law student members.” (Art 5, Section 6 a) 

“Each law student chapter representative to the Executive Board shall be selected in a manner to be determined by the student members of each law student chapter. The representative shall be a member in good standing of the Chapter or law school chapter, and shall serve at the pleasure [of the] law school chapter he or she represents for a one-year term on the Executive Board.” (Art 5, Section 6 e) 

Duties of the Board 

Duties of the Board include but are not limited to: 

1. Setting organizational policies 
2. Hiring and evaluating the Executive Director. The Executive Director reports to the Executive Board. The Executive Director hires and supervises staff, who report directly to the Executive Director. 
3. Liaison with the union and participate in negotiations 
4. Raise the public profile of NLGSF and awareness of its mission and programs. 5. The Board has fiduciary responsibility for the chapter. Therefore the board must both help develop and then approve the annual budget. During the year it must provide oversight to the chapter’s financial sustainability. As such, although it is not solely responsible for fundraising (which also is a requirement for the ED), it must

help in developing a fundraising plan and make sure that the chapter is in healthy financial shape. 

The Board meets at least once every month, and board members must be prepared to attend meetings in between regular meetings should the need arise. Currently the Board meets by Zoom. 

Board members must attend one annual retreat. 

Board members should not miss more than four meetings a year (unless there are specific circumstances approved by the rest of the board) 

Board members are expected to attend the annual testimonial gathering, the holiday auction and one other chapter function (such as People’s Law Day), as well as training sessions that will be scheduled from time to time regarding their duties and responsibilities. 

Executive Committee: is made up of the officers. It meets at least once a month in between board meetings along with the ED, plans the agendas, and takes up any business that has arisen in between board meetings 

Committee Representatives: “Members in good standing of the program committees are encouraged to run and represent those committees but shall be elected at-large” (Art 5, Section 2 of the By-Laws) 

Roles of the Officers: 

President 

The President represents the NLG (along with the ED) in public. They are also the liaison between the membership and the board, as well as between the ED and the membership, and serve as a bridge between the staff and the membership. 

The President also helps to set policies with the board and with the ED. The President also signs endorsements, official papers, etc.

The Vice President is particularly responsible for liasoning with the chapter’s committees, especially those that do not have representatives on the board. This liaison role is described in the bylaws. The VP is also a member of the Executive Committee 

The Treasurer is the Chief Financial Officer of the chapter. As such they are responsible for finalizing the budget, overseeing payroll with the bookkeeper, overseeing expenditures. They are the board representative on the finance committee, and are also a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. The

Secretary takes the minutes at board meetings and is responsible for both distributing them to the Board as well as making copies that are available to the membership. They are also members of the Executive Committee. 

Amendments to By-Laws 

Election time is also an opportunity to amend (change) the by-laws. If it concerns the officers, it will go into effect at the next year’s election. 

An example of this is the one submitted and voted on several years ago in which the terms of office for the board and officers was changed from one year to two years.