PLANC MINUTES
PHILADELPHIA,
PA
MARCH 5, 2000
I.
Call to Order: 9
AM
II.
Introductions:
Batchelor (Conference Registrar), Brandt (LSAC), Crane (WAPLA/PLANC Co-Chair), DeLeo (Conference Publicity), Furlow (MAPLA), Gregory (SWAPLA), Harrington (NAPLA), Hicks (SAPLA), Homer (PLANC Points), Kopitzke (PCAPLA), Neal (PLANC Chair), Polinard (PLANC Points/Conference Program), Riley (PLANC Treasurer), Robbins (SWAPLA), Rowsam (NALP), Schilling (Conference Chair), Sommerness (WAPLA), Webb (LSAC Services and Program), Wilson (SAPLA), Wrigley (MAPLA), Wright (NAPLA)
III.
2000 National Conference Report– Schilling
Conference– 7 months away
Publicity–
There will be PLANC Points articles discussing the conference; San Diego conference mailing $0.24 cents/each; different numbers of members/labels; 600 pieces/$400; re-mail tri-fold brochure to 2700 PLA’s; targeted mailing more effective; advertising plan; banner on APSA web site for April/June/July-September; one ad in the NACE; no ad in Chronicle; banner could be used as a link to our page; web site developed by Dom/Nim; APLA outlets– use to disseminate conference info; second mailing in August
Registration–
Packet coming together; colors; length; detail; looks like 1996; 2-color brochure; features; grid schedule; narratives; specific registration forms; hotel reservation form; registration deadline is 10/6/00; use mailing or download from the web site; no credit cards at all; checks only; late fee $25; should we offer ads to non-profits in the brochure; businesses in San Diego might be interested in buying ad space; Sommerness moved, Kopitzke seconded to allow the sale of ad space in printed registration materials and program; NALP/CLEO/TAG/ABA (those who provide substantial services to PLA’s) possible ads buyers; ad opportunity to defray costs; legitimate support to defray costs; Harrington moved, Wright seconded that ads be limited to non-profit organizations who serve PLA’s; friendly amendment refused by Sommerness; discussion on motion; vote on amendment 5-5; motion fails; Sommerness motion vote 7-4; Batchelor invited LSAC/NALP to quickly consider ads; materials to go out 4/15/00
Hotel–
Town and Country Resort and Convention Center; floor plans available; estimates on attendance; requested additional rooms for HBCU/HACU; $119/$129 doubles/triples/quads available; complimentary rooms available if we sell all rooms; suites for APLA’s; one-bedroom lanai $150/night/one manchu $119; APLA presidents must make arrangements with the Town and Country; 6 suites available for each of the APLA’s; towers and bungalows; 4 pools; golf course; AV service in hotel; requests for AV needs will go out;
Budget–
Registrar’s Report distributed; 32 law schools have donated; budget predicated on attendance of 280 PLA’s, 130 law schools, 60 additional law reps, 8 vendors with 7 additional vendor reps, and 15 non-profits; listing of law school donors in alphabetical order rather than in order to amount of donation; costs of cruise discussed;
Fund-raising–
Second letter was sent out by Neal; hoping for 58 law school donors; currently only 20 of the 1996 donors have currently donated; 16 new schools have donated; some issue with law schools working across two fiscal years, so donations may be coming in later; possible phone calls to law schools
Program–
Seven presentation sessions within 4 breakout times; HBCU/HACU pre-conference workshops on Wednesday; Wednesday evening banquet; APLA presidents should plan to attend; 25-30 attendees; LSAC handling by-invitation-only workshop; discussion of including info in registration materials about workshop to reinforce attendance;
Wednesday– Fall PLANC meeting
Thursday–
Newcomer’s workshop/APLA leadership workshop/California Exposure
News from Newtown/Pool-side Reception/Dinner (LSAC-funded) with speaker; invited Morris Dees-- Southern Poverty Law Center, Birmingham, Alabama (funded by Chapman University School of Law); they were asked to fund speech for $5000 plus expenses; back-up speakers; law schools may donate for speakers specifically; Glendon– professor at Harvard; Sullivan– dean at Stanford; ____dean at Arizona; sponsorship for speaker
Friday–
Three speakers; harbor dinner and dance cruise; MV Hornblower 6:30 PM–10 PM; ho-host cash bar; dance with 3-piece jazz band; confirm date; cancel contract by 6/17/00; cost of cruise to conference budget discussed extensively;
Saturday–
APLA breakfasts and business meeting; plenary on future of prelaw advising; one block of sessions; visible speaker at luncheon; post-conference events with local law schools;
Vendors–
List of vendors and non-profits; cost to vendors $5000; cost to non-profits $250; Harrington made a motion, Sommerness seconded to charge table fee of $400 to non-profits; discussion about fee waivers/reduction of fee; motion fails; Wilson moves that all registered non-profit organizations and APLA’s, excluding law schools, may have exhibitor’s tables at cost; Wright seconded; discussion; vote 9-1
IV.
Secretary’s Report– Crane
Changes: $2500 to $5000; conference schedule–add 3 PM breakout sessions on Friday program; check $8000 figure in PCAPLA report; change “in” to “income” in Treasurer’s report and “out” to “expenses”; remove Wrigley from list of retired PLANC officers; Sommerness moved to accept report as amended, Harrington seconded; unanimous
V.
Treasurer’s Report– Riley
Explanation of report; $22,145.77, $19,600 in money market funds, $2500.00; does not include conference budget; question of blending PLANC treasury report with conference treasury report as required by by-laws; request for the creation of an “APLA Dues” Invoice made; desire of the board that bills for the APLA dues should be sent out in December since fiscal year starts in January; moved and seconded to accept Treasurer’s report; current combined treasury of PLANC/Conference $56,631.92
I.
Chair’s Report– Neal
Admissions Standards Issue–
Schools are violating the “Statement of Good Practices” by requiring early deposits; committee formed with Wilson, Hicks, Kopitzke, Harrington with ex-officio PLANC-ABA representative Riley also; report for Fall 2000 PLANC meeting; article for PLANC Points explaining to PLA’s the formation of the Admissions Standards Committee
Letter of Recommendation Service–
Will discuss in tomorrow’s session with LSAC
Monthly conference committee reports–
Schilling will provide monthly reports about the status of conference plans
II.
LSAC– Brandt
Speaking Agenda for Monday, March 6th: VanTol– test accommodations; O’Neil– admissions alternatives; Lollis– Minority Affairs; Webb– Letter of Recommendation; Reese– CAT (computer-adapted test)
III.
NALP– Rowsam
Law schools are completing their report for Jobs and JD’s (NALP employment and salary survey); was due last week; difficult to get info from law school grads; astonishing changes in hiring patterns; salary packages approaching $200K in Palo Alto area; small high-tech boutique law firms developing IPO’s, 2-3 tier options for 1st year; law grads have no loyalty to law firms; will change jobs after 6 months in one firm; this reflects only the top part of the graduate population; trickle-down effect on our students is that they see these headlines and get a skewed picture of what is available/possible in the field; we need to have an accurate picture of what is happening for the 90% of other grads; check out this web site for an insight to graduate attitudes: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/greedysummerassociates ; spikes in salaries in all major cities; some trickle-down effect of salaries; multi-disciplinary practices emerging (accounting, economics, engineering, transactions, the acquisition and management of money, anything that has to do with numbers); diversity is main plank of current ABA president; across the nation– legal population is only comprised of 10% minorities compared to about 30% nationally; PLA’s need to help identify prepared minority persons for our area; NALP has developed a strategic 5-year plan; highlights– better partnering with strategic alliances; increase NALP services; increase use of products; disseminate newest data by email to board; billable hours going up in conjunction with increased salaries; new services being offered in recruiting attorneys, such as someone from the firm will go out to meet the plumber rather than having the attorney worry/take time off to accomplish that; dress down daily to attract those in other job settings with relaxed dress codes
IV.
ABA
Rod Smith, ABA rep, not here; committee formed and should be in contact with Rod; Riley attended last ABA meeting in summer
V.
PLANC POINTS
Latest issue in the mail; sent out issues to PLA’s; will now send to law schools; there will be one more issue before the national conference, probably before October; charges for mailings assumed by UT Pan Am; whether APLA’s should pay for this discussed; processes and cost of mailing options discussed;
VI.
APLA Reports–
Conference APLA Leadership Workshop– Crane
Each APLA to send 3-5 people; president, seasoned PLA; others who will assume leadership in the future
MAPLA– Furlow
PLA recruitment; minority membership; fall conference 2001 in Chicago; issues; newsletter; caravan–10/16-20/2000 finalize schools; membership totals– 80; conference attendance–59 in Orlando in ‘96; members concerned about cost; diversity– minority person on the board from Ohio State; financial support for conference attendance; no financial support from the conference budget
NAPLA– Harrington
Membership–260 members; conference attendance–guarantee 50, hope for 75; subsidy for NAPLA members; 1st preference for board members with limited support from their schools; diversity– through meeting in Williamsburg with SAPLA, diversity will be increased; large Hispanic population in the northeast; handbook–2nd edition available; plenty to sell in San Diego; 3rd edition will be available; joint conference planning meeting with SAPLA in October for 6/01; conference will be held June 13-17, 2001; good rates on rooms; Boston conference 6/7-10/2000; invitation to PLANC to come to the northeast; NAPLA would be willing to work with PLANC to find a site for the 2004 conference; web page to be up this week; www.napla.org
PCAPLA– Kopitzke
$500 set aside for five minority PLA’s attend national conference; mailing to PLA’s in April; membership to make personal contact with other PLA; questionnaire to PLA’s outside of California to see what PCAPLA; members 35-40; fall meeting 2001 in LA, CA
SAPLA– Hicks
Meeting in Williamsburg in October with NAPLA to plan 2001 conference; members– 25; conference– newsletter had full page ad about conference; LSAC will be underwriting HBCU/HACU attendees so there should be a substantial number; suggestion to write letters through United Negro College Fund encouraging presidents to encourage their faculty person who does PLA there to go to conference; stipends available for support, about $200-300; diversity in region–few regular attendees from HBCU’s to regional conference; same workshop at San Diego will be held in Williamsburg; diversity issues dependent on money; institutions vary in support of travel for faculty; large Hispanic populations in Florida and moving up to South Carolina; support; PLANC board position for a minority person suggested; 114 HBCU’s; 42 are private which are under the United Negro College fund; every single school was represented in Orlando because the conference in June; lawyers are teaching the majority of prelaw classes but are not politically popular
SWAPLA– Robbins
Exec board in April; recruitment and liaison issues will be discussed; subsidies for regional conference; support for national conference to be discussed; long-range goal: help recruit minority students to law school, primarily Hispanics, but also African-Americans;
WAPLA– Crane
Diversity–high numbers of Native American/Hispanic in region; paid members–35; 223 PLA’s in region; only 4 private schools in the WAPLA region; all the rest are public schools; most PLA’s are probably sending applicants sent to local schools; $350 stipend from WAPLA for attendance to San Diego; Fall 2001 conference to be held in Albuquerque/Phoenix/Denver
VII.
OLD BUSINESS
Hofstra– satisfied our conditions in changing their policies; personnel change also
PLANC web site– updated monthly
Copyrights of articles; archival information
History of PLANC– Polinard and Wilson are compiling information
VIII.
NEW BUSINESS
Apology for leaving people in lobby; will change the way we let people know about arrangements
Conference training manual– binder to address each aspect of steering committee; chair, public relations person, program, publicity, time-line of implementation of conference planning; current members of steering committee write up information that is important; job description, examples, warnings of surprises; time-line for manual by Spring 2001; Wright moved to establish a committee to create a conference planning manual, Harrington seconded; discussion; motion passes
Site development team– goal to have learned about potential sites and looked at arrangements more than conference ahead; representation from each APLA on committee; discussion about the need for a committee; motion fails
Puerto Rico– woman from law school in Puerto Rico would like to host some conference in fall; 2 persons from each APLA in addition to PLANC to a meeting there; they would like at least one person who advises minority applicants to attend; interested in HBCU/HACU workshop; no dates but may be in September; interested in advisors being bilingual to help with their students; officers of PLANC; primary goal is to recruit students;
Future elections–
In Spring 2001, Steering Committee for 2004 national conference; PLANC Chair-Elect, and PLANC Treasurer
Resolutions from the APLA’s–
NAPLA– when was the last audit of the PLANC books?; organization incorporated; Harrington moved that we have an audit each time the treasurer changes; friendly amendment by Wilson that we have an audit every two years prior to the election of the treasurer; seconded by Wright; discussion; NAPLA compliance audits cost about $100; audit to be done before Spring meeting 2001; motion passes; Sommerness moved that we amend the By-Laws to enact the previous vote, Robbins seconded; will be voted on in San Diego; Wright moved to change the Statement of Purpose and Plan of Organization to By-Laws, Kopitzke seconded; will be voted on in San Diego
Mailing Lists-
Homer suggested coordinating the PLANC mailing list; solicited APLA input for San Diego meeting
Wright moved appreciation and recognition of LSAC for their hosting of our meeting, Robbins seconded; motion passes
XIV Adjournment: 3:10 PM
Actions taken at
Spring 2000 PLANC Board Meeting
1)
APLA’s
to use spring/summer/fall newsletters to promote conference
2)
APLA
presidents need to make arrangements with the Town and Country if a suite is
needed for their APLA during national conference
3)
APLA
presidents are invited to attend Wednesday night HBCU/HACU banquet
4)
Each
APLA needs to identify 3-5 people to send to the Prelaw Advisors Leadership
Workshop; inform Crane ASAP
5)
APLA
business meetings will be held on Saturday morning during the conference
6)
Bills
for APLA dues to PLANC will be sent out in December
7)
Admissions
Standards Committee formed; Members--Wilson, Hicks, Kopitzke, Harrington with
ex-officio PLANC-ABA representative Riley; prepare report for Fall 2000 PLANC
meeting; write an article for PLANC Points explaining to PLA’s the formation of
the Admissions Standards Committee
8)
Monthly
reports to PLANC on status of conference planning from Conference Chair
9)
History
of PLANC to be compiled by Polinard and Wilson
Actions to be taken in San Diego at
Fall 2000 PLANC Board Meeting
1)
Discussion
of PLANC visit to Puerto Rico law school
2)
Sommerness
motion on change in By-Laws
1 )Wright motion to change the Statement of Purpose and Plan of Organization to By-Laws