The ISBA Assembly convened on Saturday, June 27, at the Abbey in Lake Geneva. Key debate was over the ISBA's 2009-2010 budget, which the Assembly passed. The new budget includes a change in reimbursement policy. These changes are:

• The creation of a 75-mile radius threshold for the reimbursement of travel and lodging related to council and committee meetings. Those traveling from within that radius will not be reimbursed, those outside that radius will receive a 90% reimbursement. The Annual and Midyear meetings are excluded from this change.
• Section council and committee members attending their meetings at the Annual and Midyear Meetings will receive a 90% reimbursement of their travel and lodging expenses.
• Board of Governors members attending Board Meetings will be reimbursed at the rate of 90% of actual expenditures.

The Assembly also approved a number of election bylaw changes originally presented at the May 22, 2009, Board of Governors Meeting.

Para. 2.12

Candidates and persons supporting or endorsing candidates shall not use ISBA titles, or local or specialized bar association titles in ISBA mailings or publications or promotional materials developed by, or at the special request of, candidates. This exclusion includes affiliation, firm name, office, or title (including Honorable, Judge, or Past President and similar titles) of such candidate's committee or list of supporters. A candidate's committee or list of supporters may only include the city of the principal business office. Persons supporting or endorsing candidates may use their regular firm or organization electronic or print stationary in promotional materials.

Para. 2.17 Alternative A-1

In all elections there shall be a limit of 100 names on any candidate’s committee or list of supporters. Candidates shall use the names of the same 100 persons on the candidate’s committee or list of supporters for all campaign materials for all offices in a single election to which the candidate is seeking election. The affiliation, firm name, office, or title (including Honorable, Judge or Past President and similar titles) of persons appearing on the candidate’s committee or list of supporters shall not be listed or referenced in any campaign or election material, with the exception that the city of the principal business office of such persons may be listed or referenced. Names of the candidate’s committee or list of supporters shall not be configured in any manner to call attention to specific names, and shall only be configured alphabetically or grouped by city of the principal business office of such persons. For purposes of these rules, a candidate’s committee or list of supporters are deemed to be the same.

The Chair also committed ISBA staff to review the Rules for internal inconsistencies on non-substantive matters. That will be done at the December Midyear in Chicago. Click here to view our photo gallery from the Assembly Meeting.