Hail, Fellow, Well Met

By Aaron Bulloff

The leadership of the FBA’s Foundation is vested in its Fellows. So, who are the Fellows, and why should one be a Fellow?

1. The Who

Aaron Bulloff is a long-tenured FBA and National Council member who has held numerous chapter and national positions. He is a Charter Life Member of the Foundation’s Fellows and in 2015 received the Earl Kintner Award. He can be reached at canoelaw@ gmail.com.

The Fellows program was started in 2002 to recognize FBA members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to—and leadership with—the FBA and the legal community. Its charter class was comprised of some 30-odd FBA members. With the acceptance of the January nomination of Nate Olin to be a Fellow by the Foundation Board, the number of Fellows now totals 272. There are Charter Fellows, Charter Life Fellows, Life Fellows, Sustaining Life Fellows, Fellows, and Honorary Fellows. To become a Fellow, one must be a member of the FBA for five years, in good standing in the Association, an individual of demonstrable leadership roles in the Association, and accepting of an obligation to make a $1,500 contribution to the Foundation in three year’s time. An individual may self-nominate to become a Fellow or may be nominated by another to become a Fellow. The Foundation Board votes upon a nomination, and one accepted as a Fellow is inducted during either the Midyear meeting or the National Convention. A Life Fellow is an individual who has fully completed the monetary contribution to the Foundation; a Sustaining Life Fellow is one who voluntarily continues to contribute at least $150 yearly. In exceptional circumstances the five-year membership requirement may be waived by the Board.

In addition to the 272 Fellows, there are a number of Honorary Fellows, whose membership entails no financial obligation. This group is primarily composed of former and current U.S. Supreme Court Justices, including Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil Gorsuch, Elena Kagan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas. Justice Gorsuch has hosted Fellows at the Supreme Court where he presented scholarships to student recipients of Foundation awards.

2. The Why

First, being a Fellow should not be viewed as an honor; it is an honor. Only about 2% of the Association’s members are Fellows of the Foundation. Such status means not only that one is recognized as a leader in the FBA but that the person is a leader. Only steadfast FBA leadership confers Fellow status.

Second, Fellows receive invitations to programs extended only to them and their guests. An example is the Supreme Court evening mentioned above. Another is the Champagne Toast Reception at the National Convention, at which the incoming Foundation President is recognized. Yet another is the annual Fellows Dinner held annually at Midyear. Magic happens at that dinner. The very first one witnessed a marriage proposal (fortunately declined to the happiness of all). Others have witnessed Spanish ballads, selections from The Rocky Horror Show, stand-up comedy, and lemon juggling. At the 2017 dinner, “The Tale of the Two Dollar Bet” was recited, resulting in $10,000 in actual contributions (not pledges) to the Foundation in less than 25 minutes. At yet another Fellows dinner, $50,000 in pledges to the Foundation was secured from a select few.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Fellowship results in service to the Foundation and all the good and wonderful charitable work that the Foundation does. Fellows are the members of the Foundation’s committees that determine the grants and scholarships the Foundation awards. Fellows become the members of the Foundation Board, and as such, they become the stewards of the Foundation’s investment portfolio, and they chart the course of the Foundation in any current year and in the future. The Foundation is the charitable arm of the Federal Bar Association, and members of the Fellows program are the individuals who collectively determine how that arm is exercised.

3. The Future

The Foundation Board recognizes that the Foundation, and commensurately, the Fellows program, has been insufficiently visible to many Fellows and to many other members of the FBA. The benefits of Fellowship can be better demonstrated. We are committed to changing these concerns. At the Foundation’s Strategic Planning Retreat held in January, these matters were thoroughly discussed. I shall report on the retreat at a future date. Rest assured, we are working to make being a Fellow as meaningful as continued on page 16