Erie Lawyer Leader: PA Attorney Appointed to PBA House of Delegates

Erie, PA, August 11, 2010 – Eric Purchase has been appointed to the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr Purchase will represent Zone 7, which includes Erie County, as a voting member at the meetings of the House of Delegates.

The House of Delegates, created in 1966, sets the policy of the association. Delegates are chosen to represent PBA members within one of the 12 membership zones established by the association. Zone boundaries are set by county lines, and most zones, with the exception of Allegheny and Philadelphia counties, are made up of multiple counties.

The membership of the House of Delegates is divided into two groups: voting members and non-voting members. Each of the following members is entitled to one vote in the house:

• General officers of the association.
• Other members of the Board of Governors.
• The president of each local bar association or the nominee of the president who shall be a member of the local bar association.
• One member from each of the 12 zones for every 100 active PBA members in that particular zone.
• One additional member from each of the zones in which every local bar association has adopted the Unit Plan of Membership.
• The living former presidents and the five living former chairs of the House of Delegates who have most recently held office as chair.
• The living former PBA secretary and former PBA treasurer who have most recently held those offices.
• One additional member from each zone appointed as a Young Lawyer Zone Delegate under section 904 of the bylaws.
• Each former president of the American Bar Association.

No voting member is entitled to more than one vote, even if serving in a dual capacity in the house. (BL-Section 303)

The following members of the House of Delegates have the same rights as the voting members, except that they are not allowed to vote, nor are they allowed to appeal a ruling of the house chairman (BL-Section 303):

• Delegates representing the PBA Sections.
• Other former Chairs of the House of Delegates.
• Other former members of the Board who have held Board offices within the past three Association years.
• The Pennsylvania State Delegate to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.
• The Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
• The Court Administrator of Pennsylvania.
• Deans of the Pennsylvania law schools and also former deans of Pennsylvania law schools as long as they maintain membership in the association.
• Tne registered Student Member of each accredited Pennsylvania law school, as designated by the Student Members registered at that school.
• One representative (who is an active member of the association and who is not otherwise a voting member of the House of Delegates) appointed by any statewide organization of attorneys, which organization is approved by the House of Delegates and which has at a minimum 100 members of the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, one or more of whom practice in each zone.