NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS/ELECTION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Jennifer Fielder
   Elections Committee Chair
   512/236-9955
   jfielder@riewelaw.com

The election of directors to the Board of Directors of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas from District 2, District 4, District 6, District 8, District 10, District 12, District 14, and District 16 will be held April 17, 2006, through May 2, 2006. All active and freelance members of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas in good standing and registered to vote as of February 1, 2006, will be eligible to vote online at the Paralegal Division’s website (in the Members-Only section). All voting must be completed on or before 11:59 p.m., May 2, 2006.

Each potential candidate must satisfy the following requirements:

a. Eligibility Requirements. The candidate must satisfy the eligibility requirements of Article III, Section 3 and Article IX, Section 1 A and Section 4 of the Bylaws and Rule V B, Section 5c of the Standing Rules.
b. Declaration of Intent. The candidate must make a declaration of intent to run as a candidate for the office of director through an original nominating petition declaring such intent that is filed with the Elections Subcommittee Chair in the candidate’s district pursuant to Rule V B, Section 5 of the Standing Rules.
c. Nominating Petition. The original nominating petition must be signed by and must be submitted to the Elections Subcommittee Chair in such district, on or before March 17, 2006. The number of signatures required on the original nominating petition shall be as follows:

Beginning on February 16, 2006, each Elections Subcommittee Chair shall prepare and forward, upon request, the following materials to potential candidates for director in their respective district at any time during the nominating period:
a. A copy of the List of Registered Voters for their district;
b. A sample nominating petition; and
c. A copy of Rule VI of the Standing Rules entitled “Guidelines for Campaigns for Candidates as Director.”

To request information from the Elections Subcommittee Chair for your district, please contact:

District 2: Donna Sorensen, 214/880-7642 (County of Dallas) dsorensen@munsch.com 
*Ellis County 

District 4: Jennifer Fielder, 512/236-9955 (Counties of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Gillespie, Hays, Kimble, Lee, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, San Saba, Travis, and Williamson) jfielder@riewelaw.com 
*Bell, Bosque, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Coleman, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, McLennan, Milam, Mills, and Robertson Counties

District 6: Kay Daniel, 806/796-7332 (Counties of Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Fisher, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Scurry, Stonewall, Terry and Yoakum) kdaniel@mhbg.com

District 8: Wanda Logan, 361/575-0551, (Counties of Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, DeWitt, Duval, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria) wlogan@cce-vic.com 

District 10: Ledena Howard, 409/886-7766 (Counties of Chambers, Grimes, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Tyler and Walker) ledenah@hotmail.com 

District 12: Lisa Bowles, 940/387-1600 (Counties of Archer, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Foard, Hardeman, Haskell, Jack, Jones, Knox, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young) lisa@dentonfamilylaw.com 
*Grayson

District 14: Linda Slayter, 903/597-8311 (Counties of Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood) lindaslayter@potterminton.com 
*Freestone, Leon, Limestone, Madison, and Navarro Counties & removal of Grayson County

District 16: Donna Crafton, 915/533-2943, (Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio) dcra@scotthulse.com 

*Lists counties included/excluded in that district for the Director Election if proposed Bylaw is passed in Fall 2005.

The following timetable is provided to guide you through the election process.

February 1, 2006: In accordance with the Standing Rules V B, Section 5e, the voter registration deadline shall be February 1 of each year.

February 16, 2006: Contact the Elections Subcommittee Chair for your district and request a nominating petition and, at your option, prepare a short resume to attach to such nominating petition. 

Brochure or Resume: A brochure or resume pertaining to each candidate for director may be posted on the Paralegal Division’s website (in the Members-Only section) and shall be prepared and furnished to the Elections Subcommittee Chair at each candidate’s own expense. Such brochure or resume shall be received by the Elections Subcommittee Chair or the Paralegal Division Coordinator on or before April 10, 2006 (7 days prior to the posting of the ballots) to be included in the mailing of the ballots. Such brochure or resume shall not exceed two 8 1/2” x 11” pages or one 8 1/2” x 14” page.

Campaigning: After the signatures on the Nominating Petition have been verified (March 17, 2006), the nominee may begin actively campaigning. Solicitation by mail is proper, provided that any mailing is on personal stationery or employer letterhead (provided that the employer’s permission has been obtained), or any mailing or communication by electronic mail is conducted by a member of the Paralegal Division. No mailing or communication can be conducted by any individual/entity not a member of the Paralegal Division. Candidates themselves, in addition to the above, may campaign by personal solicitation. The full expense of such mail solicitation shall not exceed the sum of $500. However, to the fullest extent possible, all communications and solicitations, whether by letter or card or telephone, should concentrate on the candidate’s merits and should avoid criticism of the other candidate or candidates. The excessive use of telephone solicitation by persons other than candidates through the use of WATS lines and similar organized solicitation is discouraged. Directors running for re-election cannot use Director communication as a form of campaigning. Any incumbent director must conduct his/her campaigning by personal, separate communication. Candidates shall avoid personal campaigning prior to 30 days before the date designated to mail or post ballots or the next following business day when the signatures on the nominating petitions for Director have been verified.

March 17, 2006: Return your Nominating Petition, properly completed, and at your option, with a resume or brochure (for posting to the Paralegal Division’s website) to the District Subcommittee Chair. (Any petition received after March 17, 2006, will not be accepted. Faxed, Xeroxed, or telecopied nominating petitions cannot be accepted as proof of a candidate’s eligibility for nomination.)

March 27, 2006: Elections Subcommittee Chair, after verifying signatures on the Nominating Petition, will forward a draft of the ballot to the Elections Chair.

April 5, 2006: Elections Committee Chair shall forward ballots to the Paralegal Division Coordinator for posting.

April 17, 2006: Postcards mailed for Director Election. Voting begins online.

May 2, 2006: Deadline for voting for Director Election. All voting must be completed on or before 11:59 p.m., May 2, 2006.

May 3, 2006: The Paralegal Division Coordinator with the Elections Subcommittee Chair for District 4 will cause such ballots to be tabulated and notify the active candidates of such election results.

If you do not have access to the Internet at home or the office, you can access the Paralegal Division website at your local library. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Elections Subcommittee Chair for your district.

Texas Paralegal Journal © Copyright 2005 by the Paralegal Division, State Bar of Texas.

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