The Nominating Committee of the Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD) of the New Jersey State Bar Association is soliciting nominations for the YLD Executive Committee for the May 2025 to May 2026 term. The deadline for submitting nominations or letters of interest is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Interviews for contested positions will be scheduled on dates to be determined during the week of March 3 and March 10.
The YLD is accepting nominations for the following positions:
Officers: Secretary, Treasurer, and Chair-Elect.
District Representatives: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties. Representatives must live or work in the county they wish to represent.
Other Voting: Representative to the Council of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, three (3) diverse YLD Members (must self-identify as a person from an underrepresented segment of the legal profession, as defined by the Association, which is presently Hispanic/Latino/a/x, Asian/Pacific American, Black/African American, LGBT[Q+], women, lawyers over the age of 70, attorneys with disabilities/differing abilities, and attorneys who are members of a diversity bar association listed in the NJSBA Policy Manual*), Editor-in-Chief of the YLD newsletter, and nine (9) At-Large Members.
The NJSBA Policy Manual provides: When used in the NJSBA Bylaws, the term, “Diversity Bar Associations” shall refer to: Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ), Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey (ABWL-NJ), Association of Portuguese Speaking Attorneys of New Jersey (APSA), Caribbean Bar Association of New Jersey (CBA), Garden State Bar Association (GSBA), Haitian American Lawyers of New Jersey (HALA-NJ), Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ), Korean Bar Association of New Jersey (KBA-NJ), New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA), New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association (NJMLA) and South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABA-NJ).
Eligibility:
● Candidates may nominate themselves.
● There is no limit on the number of positions a candidate may be nominated for, and candidates are encouraged to nominate themselves for all positions for which they are eligible.
● To be eligible, a candidate must have been a member of the YLD in good standing for at least three (3) months prior to the Annual Meeting of the Association.
● All candidates must be prepared to attend all regular monthly YLD meetings and report the business of their districts to the Committee.
Nominations:
● A letter of nomination, or if it is a self-nomination, a letter of interest, must be submitted to the YLD Nominating Committee via e-mail to the address provided below.
● The letter must include the nominator’s contact information and the contact information of the candidate being nominated, including a phone number and email address.
● Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Feb. 26 at the email address below.
● Late submissions will NOT be considered absent a showing of good cause.
● PLEASE NOTE: EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HOLD AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POSITION, IF YOU WISH TO SERVE AN ADDITIONAL TERM ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE A NOMINATION OR LETTER OF INTEREST MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE BY THE ABOVE DEADLINE.
Considerations:
Prior to drafting its recommended slate, the YLD Nominating Committee shall consider every eligible potential candidate in each of the following areas:
(1) service to young lawyers of New Jersey, both within and outside of the YLD,
(2) service to the NJSBA and any other bar association,
(3) service within the county bar association of the district they would represent,
(4) service to the community, and
(5) any such other criteria the Nomination Committee deems just and proper which reflect upon the potential candidate’s concern for and ongoing interest in the good of young lawyers.
Additionally, in an effort to provide full transparency, the YLD Nominating Committee advises that it will not consider future eligibility – age and/or years of practice – in evaluating Secretary and Treasurer candidates. The YLD Nominating Committee will consider such factors in evaluating Chair-Elect candidates.
Submissions:
Nominations and questions should be directed to YLD Nominating Committee Chair, Deirdre Laws:
Deirdre Laws, Esq.
Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
4997 Unami Blvd, Suite 2
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
609-909-7800