MORE PROFILE THAN POWER
In February 1995, by vote of the general membership, Article III, Sections 1.c., 3, and 6 c. of the bylaws of the Division were amended to change the offices of Chair and Chair Pro Tem to President and President-Elect. These amended bylaws went into effect June 1, 1995. The Bylaws were amended to provide a means of training and transition for the top Division leadership role. Prior to the amendment, the offices of Chair and Chair Pro Tem were held for one-year terms, with the Chair Pro Tem being the officer to serve in the stead of the Chair, should an absence occur. The office of Chair Pro Tem was not a ''step-up'' position, and therefore would not necessarily succeed the Chair. In fact, few Chair Pro Tems actually became Chair during the first 14 years of the Division's history. The Board of Directors recognized the need for a training period, or internship, for the Division's chief executive officer. Thus the by-law amendment was proposed by the Board and adopted by the general membership. The resulting change in the Division's organizational structure also made that structure more closely aligned with that of the Bar's.
A person being installed as the President of the Legal Assistants Division takes the following oath:
''You have been designated as the chosen leader and spokesperson of the Division. In conferring upon you this highest honor, the Directors have expressed their confidence in your ability and integrity as an executive and in your devotion to the Division. As President, it is your duty to administer impartially and impersonally the affairs of the Division, all incident to the accomplishment of its purposes and goals.''
Neither the President nor the President-Elect is a voting office. Policy made by the Board is made by its 16 Directors, with no voting privilege by either the President or President-Elect. Thus, the real ''power'' on the Board lies in its 16 Directors, not with its two top executives.
So, if the office of President is not one of power, then what is it? The answer is profile. The President serves as the Division's official spokesperson. The President presides over all Board meetings, and is the liaison to the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas.
As the presiding officer of the Board meetings, the President prepares the agenda for each meeting; invites special guests to the meetings, and presents written quarterly President's Reports. While the Board adopts the annual goals of the Division at the beginning of each fiscal year, it is the President who proposes those goals.
The President also presides over the Executive Committee, consisting of the President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and the Executive Director (as an ex-officio member). The Executive Committee meets periodically to discuss and investigate matters to be brought before the entire Board, and to formulate recommendations to be made to the Board for its consideration.
The President is the liaison to the Texas Alliance of Paralegal Associations (''TAPA''), which meets twice a year. TAPA membership consists of local legal assistant associations across the state (approximately 20), and its biannual meetings are designed for sharing ideas, accomplishments, and problems. By attending TAPA meetings, the President is able to network one-on-one with local association leadership, thus gauging the progress of Division goals, and determining the course to be taken by the Division in promoting the profession throughout Texas.
The President is also the liaison to the Bar's Legal Assistant Committee, which also meets twice a year. This Committee, which was created in 1977, is composed of attorneys, legal assistants, legal administrators, and legal educators. Its purpose is ''to concern itself with the gathering of information on the services of legal assistants under the direction and supervision of licensed attorneys and the evaluation and development of appropriate policies and programs for use and services of legal assistants (for the benefit and education of Texas attorneys in the interest of enhancing legal services), in coordination with the Legal Assistants Division of the State Bar of Texas.''
During Bar President David Beck's term in office, he instituted a Council of Chairs, which consisted of the chairs of all Bar sections and divisions, who met to discuss Bar goals and to gather information and ideas. The Division President was invited and participated in those meetings. This year's Bar President, Colleen McHugh, will continue meeting with the Council of Chairs, who generally meet three times per year.
The President also has various other ministerial duties, such as mailing certificates of appreciation, preparing the Annual Division Report for submission to the State Bar President, preparing the President's Message for the Texas Paralegal Journal, and overseeing the evaluation of the Executive Director.
While nothing can ever completely prepare a person to assume the role of President, the new organizational structure should certainly offer more preparation for the leadership role than its predecessor. Great leaders bring out the best in others. The Division has been blessed by superb leadership. It was that leadership that motivated me to become a member of the Board, and eventually, its first President. There is a tremendous amount of untapped potential for future leadership in the Division. The current leadership, and that of the future, will be the motivating force for the Division's actions and growth, turning dreams of success into reality.
TEXAS PARALEGAL JOURNAL
Fall 1996
©1996 Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas