ABA Business Law Section

Young Lawyer Guide2009-2010

YOUR WORLD IS OUR WORLD

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Welcome to the ABA Business Law Section

With over 400,000 members, the American Bar Association (ABA) is

the largest professional voluntary membership association in the

world. The association is comprised of over 40 Sections, Divisions, and

Forums. In today’s global economy, business law is a global practice.

Serving nearly 60,000 business leaders, judges, law school professors,

deans, law students, and government officials from 67 countries, the

ABA Business Law Section addresses all aspects of business law from

a global perspective. The Section enjoys a well-deserved reputation

for strengths in fields such as mergers and acquisitions, securities law,

corporate governance, corporate compliance, legal opinion practice,

business and corporate litigation, and cyberspace law, to name a few.

You’ve probably heard your colleagues, the media, and others in the

legal community refer to the ABA Business Law Section. Yes, the

Section is large (second largest in the ABA) and its members are very

active, but there is a place for you in the organization. This is the

perfect time in your career to get involved in the Section and begin to

take advantage of the array of member benefits. Investing your time in

the Section now can deliver big returns throughout your career. Let us

show you the invaluable benefits of membership in the Business Law

Section and involvement in the Young Lawyer Forum.

This booklet is an introduction to our Section and its many offerings

to young lawyers. For more information about the Section, go to

www.ababusinesslaw.org. We hope to work with you for many

years to come!

What Does the Business Law Section Do?

The Business Law Section is involved in every area of professional, educational, and personal interest to business law practitioners at every stage of their career. The Section forms policies, improves existing laws, educates the profession and general public, facilitates professional development of all lawyers, and plans community service initiatives of interest to its members. We make substantial contributions to all areas affecting the practice of business law today. Most of the Section’s work is accomplished through its substantive committees (for a complete list of committees, see page 5). There is constant activity, and there are countless ways for you to get involved or to just be informed of the latest developments affecting your practice.

Membership Resources and Benefits• Networking—What better way to meet another lawyer who works in your area

of interest than by attending a Section event? Attending a Section meeting will give you the opportunity to meet lawyers with similar interests and practice areas, which will help you build a national network of contacts and business referrals.

• Monthly Section eNewsletter—eSource delivers the best of the Section’s resources to your desktop in an easy, click-through format.

• BLT Live Teleconferences—BLT Live is one of the most valuable member benefits of the Business Law Section. A series of six CLE teleconferences are produced on the second Wednesday of every other month. Topics correspond with an article(s) from the bi-monthly Business Law Today magazine and have showcased topics including corporate litigation, business ethics, lobbying laws and other complex business issues. These sessions are FREE for the first 250 Section members who enroll in each session.

• Discounts on Business Law Publications—The Section publishes hundreds of practice-specific books written by subject-matter experts. Members receive a 20 percent discount on all Section publications. For a listing of publications, go to www.ababooks.org.

• Committees—The Section’s substantive committees are on the cutting-edge of business law practice, issues, and concerns permeating today’s legal landscape. Young lawyers can become involved and make significant contributions to a committee(s), which offers educational and social opportunities, as well as the chance to work with business and government leaders. Also, committees organize educational and outreach programs, produce events and reports, draft publications and model statutes, and prepare comments on pending legislation.

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Opportunities for Young Lawyers

What Does the Section Provide for Young Lawyers?

Young Lawyer Forum

The Forum serves as a center of gravity for young lawyers to transition into the

Section while providing social and leadership opportunities for young lawyers.

The Forum’s primary goal is to engage young lawyers in the substantive work

of the Section and its committees. Every Section lawyer member who is under

the age of 40 or has been in practice for less than 10 years automatically will

be a member of the Forum. The Forum provides a “soft landing” for you in the

Section and assists you in finding a home in active Section work through the

Section’s committees.

Young Lawyer Forum Chair:

Sherwin P. Simmons, II, Carlton Fields, Tampa, FL

Institute for the Young Business Lawyer

Every year and in conjunction with the Section Spring Meeting, the Business

Law Section presents seven “Business Law Basics” CLE programs at a very

reasonable cost. Programs and a networking lunch make up this all-day

Institute where young and new lawyers have an incredible opportunity to

obtain quality, introductory CLE and to meet colleagues from across the U.S.

and around the world. The Institute also provides a wonderful introduction to

the benefits of participating in the Section.

Fellows Program

The Business Law Section is committed to increasing the participation of

young lawyers in Section activities. The cost of attending Section meetings

combined with a perceived lack of opportunity to be an active participant in

the substantive work of the Section have been identified as major reasons why,

despite a number of outreach efforts, the Section continues to have few young

lawyers who are meaningful participants in Section activities.

The goal of the Program is to address these challenges by investing dollars

in young lawyers who are expected to participate actively in the substantive

work of the Section and to grow into future leadership positions within the

Section. The Program is designed not only to develop future leaders of the

Section but also to enhance the image of the Section among members of the

Young Lawyers Division (“YLD”) in order to attract young lawyers into Section

membership. For more information about Section Fellows and how to apply,

visit www.ababusinesslaw.org.

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Opportunities to Get Involved

What Other Ways Can I Get Involved?

Committees — Professional Communities Open to All

These are practice-specific groups that produce Section programming, publications,

model statutes, reports, and comments on pending legislation. Opportunities

exist at all levels: leadership positions, speaking on a panel, or just simply being

informed of the latest developments in your area of practice through specialized

e-newsletters and discussion groups. Committee membership is FREE with your

Section membership. The Section’s substantive committees are listed on the next

page and more information can be found at www.ababusinesslaw.org.

Young Lawyer Forum - Subcommittees

Join one, two, or as many as you wish to address the many areas of interest and

concern for young lawyers. Subcommittees of the Young Lawyer Forum include:

Diversity

International Young Lawyers

Membership

Newsletter

Programming

Pro Bono/Public Service

Social

Solo/Small Firm

Technology

One way to get your name and your firm out to the nearly 10,000 young lawyers

of the Section is by submitting articles for the Young Lawyer Forum Newsletter

that’s delivered electronically about three times a year. The exposure is tremendous

and articles are always welcome. Feel free to contact the Chair of the Newsletter

Subcommittee of the YLF, Tracy A. Cinocca, Attorney at Law, Tulsa, OK, for more

information.

Substantive Committees:Antitrust Law

Audit Responses

Banking Law

Bankruptcy Court Structure and Insolvency Process

Business and Corporate Litigation

Business Bankruptcy

Business Financing

Business Law Education

Career and Practice Development

Commercial Finance

Community Economic Development

Consumer Bankruptcy

Consumer Financial Services

Corporate Compliance

Corporate Counsel

Corporate Documents and Process

Corporate General Counsel

Corporate Governance

Corporate Laws

Credit Unions

Cyberspace Law

Derivatives and Futures Law

Director and Officer Liability

Dispute Resolution

Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation

Energy Business

Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law

Federal Regulation of Securities

Gaming Law

Government Affairs Practice

Governmental Corporations

Health Law

Insider Trading Legislation

Institutional Investors

Intellectual Property Transactions

International Business Law

International Coordinating

Law and Accounting

Legal Opinions

LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities

Mergers and Acquisitions

Middle Market and Small Business

Nonprofit Corporations

Private Equity and Venture Capital

Pro Bono

Professional Responsibility

Project Finance

Securitization and Structured Finance

State Regulation of Securities

Taxation

Trust Indentures and Indenture Trustees

Uniform Commercial Code

White-Collar Crime

Choose to join as many that are of interest to you! Committee membership is FREE with Section membership.

Go to www.ababusinesslaw.org or log into “myABA”.

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Section Meetings and Events

How Often Does the Section Meet?

Most ABA entities meet twice annually—at the ABA Midyear Meeting and

ABA Annual Meeting. The Business Law Section gathers together at the ABA

Annual Meeting and on its own for a Spring Meeting. We encourage you to

attend our next meeting. For information on future meetings, go to

www.ababusinesslaw.org/calendar/.

• Spring Meeting Denver, CO April 22-24, 2010

• ABA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA August 6-9, 2010

• Spring Meeting Boston, MA April 14-16, 2011

• ABA Annual Meeting Toronto, ON August 5-8, 2011

If I Can’t Travel to Meetings, Can I Be Involved in Section Activities?

Absolutely! Long-distance involvement is easy via the Section’s Web site, committee

membership, and other traditional means of communication. In fact, most

committee work occurs outside meeting locations. However, nothing replaces the

many networking, professional, and educational opportunities only available by

attending meetings in person.

Online Program Library – A valuable member benefit! The Business Law Program

Library contains practitioner-developed educational materials and audio from 1999

to present. It’s quick, easy, and right at your fingertips. Search the Section’s program

library for past and current meeting materials. You can search by title, keyword,

committee, topic, or meeting and year. Go to www.ababusinesslaw.org.

My Free Time Is Scarce—Should I Be Involved In the Section as a Young Lawyer?

Almost everyone in the Section is pressured by time constraints, so we understand

that you have little free time. The time commitment requested of any member is

minimal and the amount of time you give is completely up to you. The Section’s

various programs will provide you with a great deal of knowledge to carry with you as

you progress in your law career. Remember, there are significant, tangible benefits to

be gained by your Section involvement. Simply put, let the Section help you become

a better lawyer.

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Section Leadership

Section Officers:

Chair: Nathaniel L. Doliner, Carlton Fields, Tampa, FL

Chair-Elect: Lynne B. Barr, Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, MA

Vice-Chair: Linda J. Rusch, Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, WA

Secretary: Martin E. Lybecker, WilmerHale, Washington, DC

Budget Officer: Renie Y. Grohl, Warren, OH

Immediate Past Chair: Karl J. Ege, Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, WA

Section Delegates to the House of Delegates:

Mary Beth M. Clary, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, Naples, FL

Barbara Mendel Mayden, Young Mayden LLC, Nashville, TN

Maury B. Poscover, Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP, St. Louis, MO

Elizabeth S. Stong, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn, NY

Young Lawyer Forum Chair:

Sherwin P. Simmons II, Carlton Fields, Tampa, FL

Get Involved Today

How Do I Get Started?

There are 3 Simple Ways:

1. Bookmark the Section’s Web Site.

You can find all Section-related news, publications, and committee information at

www.ababusinesslaw.org. If you are not a member of the ABA, you can join at

www.abanet.org/join/ or call the ABA Service Center at 312-988-5522 or

1-800-285-2221.

2. Join as many substantive committees that are of interest to you.

To join a committee and for more information on the substantive work of the

committees, go to www.ababusineslaw.org or log into “myABA”. FREE with

Section membership.

3. Engage in Young Lawyer Forum activities.

The leaders of the Young Lawyer Forum invite your involvement and participation

to address the many areas of interest and concern for young lawyers. Join a

subcommittee of interest. The Young Lawyer Forum meets during the Section

Spring Meeting.

ABA Contact Information:

ABA Web site: www.abanet.org

ABA Service Center:

312-988-5522 or 1-800-285-2221

Call the Service Center to join the ABA and Sections, report an address change,

check your membership status, and order ABA publications and products.

ABA Business Law Section:

321 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60654

312-988-5588 or businesslaw@abanet.org

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American Bar AssociationBusiness Law Section

321 N. Clark StreetChicago, IL 60654

312-988-5588www.ababusinesslaw.org