Younger Lawyers Division

Message from the Chair

The Younger Lawyers Division ("YLD") consists of FBA members who (i) are 36 years of age and under or (ii) have been admitted to practice for three years or less. The purpose of the YLD is to increase the interest of younger lawyers in the FBA's activities; conduct programs of interest and value to younger lawyers; and to assist in the establishment, improvement, and coordination of active younger lawyers in each Chapter and Circuit of the FBA. The YLD is governed by a National Board of Directors, with five officers.

The YLD's year is off to a productive start. We have started organizing our existing programs and commenced outreach efforts to broaden the participation of younger lawyers from Local Chapters in the National YLD. The YLD Board strives to reflect representation from all geographic areas of the country, ideally having at least one representative from each Circuit on the YLD Board. The YLD Board is currently seeking YLD representatives from the:

• Second Circuit
• Third Circuit
• Fourth Circuit
• Tenth Circuit
• Eleventh Circuit

If you are, or know, such a potential representative, please send me the candidate's contact information by February 1, 2012. Once we have a pool of potential candidates, the current YLD Board will evaluate the candidates.

The YLD will continue to conduct and promote the programs in which the YLD has historically been involved. These are:

• The Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition. The competition will be held in Washington, D.C. during the Mid-Year Meeting and features teams from law schools across the country. All FBA members are invited and encouraged to attend the competition.
• On May 29, 2012, the YLD will sponsor the annual U.S. Supreme Court Admission Ceremony for all eligible FBA members who are interested in becoming admitted to the Court. The event includes a reception that has traditionally been attended by Supreme Court Justices.
• The YLD will also hold its annual Summer Law Clerk Program from June through August. The program involves welcoming summer law clerks to the Washington, D.C. area and begins with a kick-off event, generally including roundtable, question and answer events at the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and Capitol Hill where law clerks can interact with federal lawyers from various federal agencies and departments.
• At the Annual Convention in San Diego, the YLD will present the annual Younger Federal Lawyer Awards. The Awards are designed to recognize younger federal lawyers who have attained high standards of professional achievement. To be eligible for this award, an attorney must be employed by the United States government for at least three years, either in a military or civilian context, and the attorney must be no older than 35 years of age. As in the past, the YLD will solicit recommendations from general counsel of approximately 70 federal agencies, federal judges nationwide, the four branches of the armed forces, and Congressional offices and committees. A panel of U.S. District and Magistrate Judges will review the nominations.

The YLD is collaborating with the FBA's Sections and other Divisions, as well as the Local Chapters, to increase participation in the National YLD and present programs of mutual interest. The YLD has created YLD Board Liaisons to each of the other Sections and Divisions. The YLD and other Sections and Divisions are actively collaborating on several substantive programs, which are in the planning stages, designed to address issues of interest to members of multiple Sections and Divisions. Please watch for additional information on these programs as the programs become formalized.

The YLD has also created YLD Board Liaisons to each of the Local Chapters. The YLD Board Liaisons will be working with the leadership of the Local Chapters to evaluate and enhance the existence, structure, and activity level of YLDs in Local Chapters nationwide. The YLD Board Liaisons will work with Local Chapter YLDs to recruit members and implement social and substantive programs.

On the publication front, the YLD has also continued to contribute to The Federal Lawyer by submitting articles addressing issues relevant to younger lawyers. The YLD has also contributed to the FBA's Division Digest, which is periodical including information from all of the FBA's Divisions. These publications convey substantive information and provide the opportunity for members of the YLD to gain valuable publication experience. We encourage all YLD members to consider submitting articles.

We welcome your input, ideas, and involvement and encourage you to participate actively in the YLD. Please contact us to become involved.

Matthew C. Moschella
Chair of the Younger Lawyers Division