Membership Process

The process for admission to the Montana Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates begins with nomination by a current chapter member. Following nomination, the chapter conducts a preliminary review to determine whether the prospective member appears to meet ABOTA’s trial experience requirements. If that threshold is satisfied, members of the Executive Committee, or their designated representatives, undertake a thorough vetting process that includes confidential interviews with lawyers and judges who have observed the nominee in trial, focusing on the nominee’s competence, integrity, civility, and professionalism. If the results of that vetting are favorable, the nominee is invited to submit a formal application for membership, which is then presented to the full chapter for a vote. Admission requires approval by at least seventy-five percent of the voting members. Upon chapter approval, the application is forwarded to ABOTA’s national office for review and final approval by the National Board of Directors. Candidates approved at the national level are inducted into membership at the next annual meeting of the Montana Chapter.