The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association consists of:
The 26 members of the Board of Governors are charged with the following responsibilities:
(a) between meetings of the House of Delegates, to perform the functions that the House itself might perform;
(b) to develop methods and specific plans for making the Association and its activities useful to the members;
(c) to approve the budget of the Association;
(d) to supervise the work of sections and committees of the Association;
(e) to transmit to the House the reports of sections and committees, together with the recommendations or comments of the Board; and
(f) to report to the House all actions taken by the Board. Bylaws Article IV, Section 402(a).
In practice, the Board of Governors is the central management group of the Association. Working closely with the executive director and the other members of the Association staff, the president and the other members of the Board determine the overall direction of Association activities and the utilization of Association resources. The Board routinely reviews existing programs, evaluates fresh proposals and gives impetus to new projects. The Board also determines the stance of the Association with respect to public issues and litigation affecting the profession. As to matters submitted to the House of Delegates, the Board customarily makes a recommendation as to the action that it feels the House should take.
The Board of Governors regularly has six meetings a year. These include sessions in conjunction with PBA's Annual Meeting in May, before the Fall meeting of the House of Delegates, in conjunction with PBA’s Midyear Meeting, before the Conference of County Bar Leaders in the Spring, and remaining meetings, generally held in late summer and in late January. The geographic location of the meetings is rotated, to the extent practicable, around the state. Bylaws, Article IV, Section 403(b).
Board members also serve on the Executive Committee of the Board at some point during the year. The Executive Committee convenes by conference call from time to time as required. Bylaws, Article IV, Section 411.
The Board also participates from time to time in other special events sponsored by PBA.
The general functions of Board members, in addition to attendance at Board regular and special meetings and retreats, as noted above, also include:
(a) being an informed liaison to assigned PBA sections and committees. (While it may not be possible to attend every meeting of an assigned committe
e, a Board member should stay abreast of the committee's activities and views.)
(b) serving on one or more of the following Board Committees:
Finance, Nominating, Pension, Audit, and Investment;
(c) surveying local bar presidents in their respective zones prior to each meeting of the Board to transmit any of their questions, observations and recommendations;
(d) communicating Board meeting results to the local bar presidents in their zone;
(e) the Board operates on the premise that all members have read and are familiar with the agenda and supporting materials usually sent out approximately one week before the Board meeting. (Presenters are generally discouraged from giving more than a brief summary of their written recommendations and materials and are present primarily to answer questions from the Board);
(f) remaining updated on professional problems and trends - change is the essence of the profession. It has been noted that the practice of law has changed more dramatically in the past ten years than it did in the previous two hundred. It is the responsibility of every member of the Board of Governors to be familiar with those trends and issues which impact on the profession and which will almost certainly affect future decisions of the Board. To assist in that, each Board member receives a copy of ABA's excellent Bar Leader magazine at no cost.
Board members, upon retirement from that body, serve as voting delegates in the House of Delegates for three years. The retired Board members and their spouses are invited to attend a Board Alumni Dinner during every Annual Meeting.