The Young Lawyers Division of the Tennessee Bar Association is excited to formally announce the opening of the 2022-2023 leadership appointment process. We are pleased that you are considering an application for an appointed position as we seek to engage in an unprecedented number of public service and public education activities while delivering excellent programming to young lawyers across the state of Tennessee and beyond.

How to Apply:

1. Familiarize yourself with the 2022-2023 YLD programming initiatives and available appointed positions.  
2. Confirm your eligibility (information below) for an appointment.
3. Complete an online application by the Feb. 28, 2022, deadline.

Eligibility: 

You must be a TBA member to receive an appointment. Most TBA YLD appointments are reserved for “young lawyers,” meaning lawyers admitted to practice within the past 10 years or who will be younger than 36 years old as of June 2022. 

Funding: 

If you are selected to serve in an appointed position, you will be reimbursed for your attendance at all YLD events/activities, subject to the TBA YLD Reimbursement Policy.

 

Available Appointed Positions

• Access to Justice Coordinator
• Diversity Committee Co-Chair (2)
• Diversity Law Week (3)
• Diversity Leadership Institute Coordinator (2)
• Editor of Tennessee Young Lawyer
• Essential Documents for Essential Workers Coordinator
• Health & Wellness Coordinator
• Law School Outreach Coordinator (2)
• Meetings & Awards Coordinator
• Member Services Committee Chair
• Mock Trial Vice Chair
• Mock Trial Long Range Planning Coordinator
• New Attorney Liaison CLE Co-Chair (3) (West, Middle, East)
• Public Service Committee & Disaster Relief Co-Chair (2)
• Publications Committee Chair
• Publications Committee Vice Chair
• Sections Liaison
• Sponsorship & Grants Chair 
• Welcome to Tennessee Chair

Appointed Position Descriptions

The following positions will be appointed to the 2022–2023 YLD Board. The accompanying descriptions are meant to acquaint applicants with the expectations of the jobs; however, each position contemplates that the individual appointed will develop his/her own agenda for the year, consistent with the articulated expectations. The appointee’s responsibilities may be modified by the president. Throughout the year, appointees are expected to collaborate with other board members to execute their responsibilities more effectively.

In addition to the descriptions, there are estimates about the time commitment of each position included. These estimates were determined based on consultation with prior board members; however, they are merely estimates designed to give you an idea about the commitment for which you are applying. You should be prepared to invest whatever time is ultimately required to execute the job appropriately and completely. Moreover, each position comes with unique commitments, which may mean the time investment may vary throughout the year.

You may wish to speak with the members of the current board regarding their experiences. Further, you may contact 2022–2023 president, Brittany Faith Thompson with any questions.

Practice Services Committee - "The Welcoming Committee"

Welcome to Tennessee Chair — (5 hours per month) The chair will be responsible for working with the president to execute the “Welcome to Tennessee” project. This project touches on every committee, but mostly fits under the Practice Services description. The project breaks down to three prongs:

1. Provide members with practical resources to increase their membership value and integrate them into the TBA aka “The Welcome Basket”
2. Provide quality public service aimed to make Tennessee a more welcoming place
3. Work within existing TBA infrastructure to help YLD members find their home in the Big Bar and create a more welcoming bar

Member Services Committee Chair — (3 hours per month) The chair will oversee the division’s programs to serve and recruit members, including law school members. The chair will plan events throughout the state that are designed to educate young lawyers about the TBA and the benefits of membership including creating content for the “The Welcome Basket.” Further, the chair will coordinate events with Tennessee law schools to recruit law student members. An effective chair will plan a variety of membership events during the year that target diverse groups and areas across Tennessee.

The chair will assist in establishing programs focused on health and wellness for members in conjunction with the health and wellness coordinator.

The chair will also oversee the new attorney liaison and his/her efforts to provide resources to newly admitted members of the bar. Additionally, the chair will work with the disaster relief coordinator to develop disaster contingency plans focused on assisting attorneys whose practice has been impacted by a disaster.

New Attorney Liaison/ CLE Co-Chair — Three positions available, one each for East, Middle and West division of the state (5 hours per month). The continuing legal education so-chair will be responsible for planning the YLD’s CLE catalogue. This position will be responsible for planning and executing programs — both in person and internet-based — throughout the year and specifically within each region to benefit and serve all young lawyers with a specific focus on new attorneys.

Additionally, the liaison will be responsible for collaborating with the TBA to ensure that the TBA’s CLE programming remains pertinent to young lawyers. The position also will be the primary point of contact for new attorneys seeking answers and information as they begin their careers. The liaison’s goal is to make new lawyers' transition to the practice of law seamless by connecting them with answers and resources during the first years of practice.

New attorneys typically submit questions via an online portal, and the chair will receive an email with contact information and the applicable question or resource the person wants more information about. You do not need to have all the answers. Rather, you just need to be willing to seek out the necessary information and supply a response.

Health & Wellness Coordinator — (5–7 hours per month) The health and wellness coordinator is to be tasked with developing programs in collaboration with other relevant entities that address lawyer well-being. Recent studies have shown that attorneys within the first 10 years of practice demonstrate extremely high instances of substance abuse and mental health challenges. These stark realities mean that attorneys are leaving the practice of law, and are generally not happy in the practice. Coupled with attrition rates of minority lawyers that will be the subject of the Diversity Committee’s work, there is a significant need for programs and resources that promote lawyer well-being.

The coordinator should be prepared to review literature and other media addressing these problems with an eye toward developing a year-long complement of programs and resources for Tennessee’s young lawyers. The coordinator will serve as a liaison for the YLD on the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee, and he/she will work to develop relevant programming implementing the recommendations contained in the November 1, 2017, memorandum from Lucian Pera, past president of the TBA. The coordinator will also seek opportunities to collaborate with the Tennessee Lawyers’ Assistance Program.

A successful coordinator will seek out opportunities to collaborate with board members to develop public policy initiatives addressing substance abuse and mental health. Further, the coordinator should work with the meetings coordinator to plan beneficial programs and exercises for division meetings.

Sections Liaison — (3 hours per month) This position will work to represent the YLD’s interests in TBA sections, divisions, or forums and collaborate with those entities to provide content to YLD members. The liaison will also help advance YLD members into the “Big Bar” by creating speaker banks to advertise YLD talent to the Big Bar and cross-marketing YLD and Big Bar programming to ensure greater participation. The liaison will also:

• Identify participation opportunities for young lawyers within the entity, particularly to accommodate those aging out of the YLD
• Encourage entities to co-sponsor events or programs with the YLD
• Communicate the stance or opinion of the YLD

Law School Outreach Coordinator — (2 hours per month) This year, our approach will be focused on outreach to all law schools located within the state and beyond, liaising with all new attorneys as they transition from law school into practice in a concierge-type manner, and planning member networking events across the state for young attorneys.

Diversity Committee

Diversity Committee Diversity Committee Co-Chair — Two Positions (3 hours per month) The Diversity Committee co-chairs will be responsible for developing diversity initiatives to effectuate the division’s Long Range Plan and Diversity Plan. The co-chairs will be responsible for preparing, disseminating, and collecting the 2024 Diversity Survey and Statewide Lawyer Survey. The co-chairs will also be asked to convene a task force during the 2023–2024 bar year to examine attrition rates in the practice, which are disproportionately higher among minority lawyers, as well as how to advance DEI initiatives into all TBA YLD programming and policies. This task force will be asked to generate an action plan to be included as an amendment to the division’s Diversity Plan. The co-chairs also oversee the Diversity Leadership Institute Coordinators and the Diversity Law Week Coordinators.

Diversity Leadership Institute Coordinator — Two Positions - The time commitment varies, particularly between December and June. The coordinator should expect a commitment of between three and five hours per month, not including attendance at the three DLI meetings.) The DLI coordinator is in charge of planning and producing the Diversity Leadership Institute. DLI is a six-month leadership and mentoring program for Tennessee law students in their second, third, or fourth years of study. DLI meets in January in conjunction with the YLD's winter meeting, March (during the High School Mock Trial Championship), and June (during the TBA Convention). The coordinator is in charge of planning, coordinating and leading the programming for each of the three in-person sessions. Committee members may assist in the planning.

Diversity Law Week Coordinator - Three Positions - This year, the TBA YLD will work with high schools across the state for one week to expose as many minority high school students as possible to the legal profession. The goal would be for high schoolers to have a mini-internship with a judge, law firm, government agency,  or any other type of organization that regularly practices law. The coordinators will be responsible for creating this program and organizing it from start to finish. This includes but is not limited to determining program dates, soliciting work places, requesting sponsorship, planning activities for the students, and much more. In addition to the internship, each area of the state should have some sort of concluding activity for all participants.

Mock Trial Committee

Mock Trial Committee Chair — (It is expected that this position will take a minimum of three hours per month. The Mock Trial Committee chair is also expected to advance to the Mock Trial Long Range Planning chair.) During the fall when the competition materials are drafted and, in the spring, when the local and state competitions occur, the chair will have significant time commitments.

The Tennessee Bar Association High School Mock Trial program is the division’s largest public service project. The chair will be responsible for overseeing the competition, which will occur in March 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to the competition, the chair will be responsible for drafting — in conjunction with the other Mock Trial Committee members — the competition materials. These materials will are typically released in late November.

The chair will be responsible for appointing a committee of volunteers (in conjunction with the vice chair) to assist in producing the competition, as well as coordinating periodic meetings and conference calls. Additionally, the chair and vice chair are responsible for appointing district mock trial coordinators to plan the various local competitions throughout the state. While the local district coordinators are responsible for producing the local competitions, the chair and vice chair must remain ready to interpret rules and make decisions regarding eligibility.

After the release of the problem, the chair assists with fielding inquiries related to the problem and logistics for the state competition. The bulk of the commitment for the position occurs in February and March leading up to the state competition, and the chair should plan on being in Nashville from Thursday evening through Sunday morning the weekend of the competition. For more information review the competition website.

Mock Trial Committee Vice Chair — (It is expected that this position will take a minimum of two hours per month. The Mock Trial vice chair is expected to advance to Mock Trial chair position.) During the fall when the competition materials are drafted and, in the spring, when the local and state competitions occur, the chair will have significant time commitments. The vice chair’s responsibilities are co-terminus with the chair’s. The vice chair may be given direction from the chair regarding tasks; however, the vice chair should be prepared to exercise independent judgment to assist in producing the competition. 

Mock Trial Long Range Planning Coordinator — (2 hours per month) The coordinator works to develop the mock trial competition for long term sustainability and success. The coordinator works with the TBA to secure venues, including the competition hotels. The coordinator should review tournament rules and guidelines and consider — with direction from the chair and vice chair — any modifications for future years. The coordinator should function as the competition’s historian to ensure the collection and use of historic competition information and data aimed at the improvement of subsequent competitions. The coordinator should also consider any multi-year initiatives to improve the TBA Mock Trial competition. By virtue of the position, the coordinator assists the chair and vice chair as needed.

In previous years, the coordinator has worked to make the local competitions more efficient by implementing redistricting efforts that better suited the state by adhering to population shifts.

In addition to the chair, vice chair and long range planning coordinator, the Mock Trial Committee will consist of approximately eight individuals who will assist with producing the competition. Committee members will have funding available to reimburse for costs associated with attending the competition. Unlike other committees, the Mock Trial chair and vice chair will directly appoint the committee, likely in late summer.

Publications Committee

Publications Committee Chair — (5 hours per month) The Publications Committee chair will oversee the work of the committee. The chair also will ensure that YLD content is being pushed up to the big bar and being shared on social media by working together with TBA staff, on a frequent basis. The chair will be expected to develop relationships with all board members in an effort to effectively advertise the division’s programs. The chair should also endeavor to use the division’s social media and publications to bring attention to individual division members and their work.

Editor of the Tennessee Young Lawyer — (5 hours per month) The position will serve as the editor of the division’s biweekly publication, the Tennessee Young Lawyer, and will work with the vice chair to develop content to publish in this publication.

Publications Committee Vice Chair — (5 hours per month) The vice chair will be responsible for curating content for the Tennessee Young Lawyer. This work must include recruiting division members to author longform and shorter written content on germane, substantive legal topics. Whereas the chair will serve in a traditional editorial role, the vice chair will be responsible for making and leveraging contacts among division members to locate relevant, interesting content for the Tennessee Young Lawyer.

The vice chair will also serve as a liaison to the Tennessee Bar Journal, and will make efforts to recruit young lawyers to submit ideas for TBJ content.

Finally, the vice chair will work with the press and social media coordinator to identify and recruit young lawyers to author content to feature in traditional media.

Public Service Committee

Public Service & Disaster Relief Committee Co-Chair — Two Positions (3 hours per month) The chair will oversee the work of the committee, including the public service projects of the district representatives. The committee will consist of the chair, the access to justice coordinator, disaster relief coordinator and the elected district representatives.

The chair will work to standardize the division’s clinics, including clinics offering powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives, expungement services, and domestic powers of attorney. The chair will also be responsible for providing district representatives and affiliate leaders with resources to produce current and former division public service events.

In the event of a natural disaster the chairs will be charged with coordinating the division's response to disasters. Prior examples of events prompting a response include the 2010 Nashville floods and the 2016 Sevier County wildfires. The chairs should be prepared to review the disaster relief plans executed in the past and develop a presumptive plan to follow during future occurrences. The chairs should cultivate relationships with the larger TBA and with the division's district representatives to open lines of communication in preparation for a disaster. 

The chairs will also be responsible for developing evaluation mechanisms for all public service projects the division undertakes during the bar year.

Access to Justice Coordinator — (4–5 hours per month) The coordinator will be responsible for executing pro bono and related initiatives aimed at increasing Tennesseans’ access to the court system. The coordinator will be asked to engage the Administrative Office of the Courts and pro bono organizations like the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services.

The coordinator will also work directly with the president and public policy chair to develop programs that assist individuals with felony convictions with reintegrating into society.

The coordinator will also be responsible for advising the division of pro bono opportunities across the state.

Additional Board Positions

Meetings & Awards Coordinator —  Two positions - (3 hours per month)  The coordinator is responsible for planning the four in-person division meetings in conjunction with the president and division staff coordinator. This includes planning optional social events at in-person meetings and coordinating logistics for each meeting. The coordinator will also conduct division meetings pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised together with the president, and will act as the division’s parliamentarian.

Essential Documents for Essential Workers Coordinator - (3 hours per month) The Essential documents program allows our organization to host and partner with others across the state to ensure essential workers have essential documents such as a will, power of attorney and advanced health directive. The coordinator is also responsible for assisting district reps with local Essential Documents Clinics. The coordinator should be extremely knowledgeable about the essential documents software and should research best practices when running these types of clinics. Some estate planning experience is also preferred.

Sponsorship / Grants Chair — (2 hours per month) The coordinator will work with TBA staff to secure sponsorships for YLD events. This responsibility will require collaboration with the president, treasurer and staff to determine division activities that could be funded through outside sponsorships. The coordinator will develop materials to provide to potential sponsors outlining opportunities. An effective coordinator will also look to affiliate entities, such as the ABA, for grant opportunities to supplement the programs and mission of the Division. This person should have previous fundraising experience with other boards or organizations.

The coordinator will also be responsible for all efforts to nominate the division for outside recognition. This will include compiling information for the annual ABA YLD Awards of Achievement.