By American Bar Association
The American Bar Association House of Delegates Nominating Committee held a Candidates Forum Feb. 8 at its Midyear Meeting in San Antonio for the position of president-elect for the 2027-28 term. Palmer Gene Vance II of Kentucky was the only candidate to announce interest.
Vance is a member of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC in Lexington, Kentucky, where he serves on both the board of directors and the Executive Committee. He was chair of the ABA House of Delegates from 2022 to 2024.
In his remarks, Vance noted that 2028 will mark the 150th anniversary of the ABA and that at present, the association and country face challenges. "It’s a time for renewal and a time to lead,” he said.
Vance stressed that the ABA goal of serving its members is critical to success. “Without members, we cannot work to achieve the other three goals,” he said. “Members are power.”
In his long service to the ABA, Vance served as the Kentucky state delegate from 2013 to 2022 and previously represented the Kentucky Bar Association and the ABA Young Lawyers Division in the House of Delegates, in addition to serving a term as a delegate at large. In 2018-19, he served as chair of the ABA Section of Litigation. He has also served as chair of the Council of the Fund for Justice and Education and of the Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel. He has been a member of several other ABA committees and has served as chair of five House of Delegates committees, including Rules and Calendar. From 2012 to 2022, he served as a member of the American Bar Endowment board of directors, including serving as treasurer from 2020 to 2022.
Vance reaffirmed the importance of welcoming everyone, saying “inclusion of everyone means exclusion for no one.” He also warned about attacks on justice in America. He said the ABA must be “the tip of the spear protecting the rule of law,” which “is at the core of our Constitution.”
A graduate of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg School of Law, Vance is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He also served as president of the Fayette County (Lexington) Bar Association in 2013-2014. He is a trustee of his alma mater, Transylvania University, where he chairs the Academic Affairs
Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. He is also a member of the board of directors and treasurer of Legal Aid of the Bluegrass.
Nominations for this position will be made by the Nominating Committee at the 2027 Midyear Meeting.
At the 2026 Midyear Meeting, the Nominating Committee voted Laura V. Farber from California, who has served in numerous ABA leadership positions since 1994 including as a member of both the board of directors and House of Delegates, as president-elect for 2026-27. Aurora Austriaco of Illinois was named chair of the House of Delegates for the 2026-28 term, and
Elizabeth Kelly Meyers of California was named ABA secretary for the 2026-29 term.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/02/nominating-comittee-forum/)
The American Bar Association House of Delegates Nominating Committee held a Candidates Forum Feb. 8 at its Midyear Meeting in San Antonio for the position of president-elect for the 2027-28 term. Palmer Gene Vance II of Kentucky was the only candidate to announce interest.
Vance is a member of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC in Lexington, Kentucky, where he serves on both the board of directors and the Executive Committee. He was chair of the ABA House of Delegates from 2022 to 2024.
In his remarks, Vance noted that 2028 will mark the 150th anniversary of the ABA and that at present, the association and country face challenges. "It’s a time for renewal and a time to lead,” he said.
Vance stressed that the ABA goal of serving its members is critical to success. “Without members, we cannot work to achieve the other three goals,” he said. “Members are power.”
In his long service to the ABA, Vance served as the Kentucky state delegate from 2013 to 2022 and previously represented the Kentucky Bar Association and the ABA Young Lawyers Division in the House of Delegates, in addition to serving a term as a delegate at large. In 2018-19, he served as chair of the ABA Section of Litigation. He has also served as chair of the Council of the Fund for Justice and Education and of the Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel. He has been a member of several other ABA committees and has served as chair of five House of Delegates committees, including Rules and Calendar. From 2012 to 2022, he served as a member of the American Bar Endowment board of directors, including serving as treasurer from 2020 to 2022.
Vance reaffirmed the importance of welcoming everyone, saying “inclusion of everyone means exclusion for no one.” He also warned about attacks on justice in America. He said the ABA must be “the tip of the spear protecting the rule of law,” which “is at the core of our Constitution.”
A graduate of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg School of Law, Vance is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He also served as president of the Fayette County (Lexington) Bar Association in 2013-2014. He is a trustee of his alma mater, Transylvania University, where he chairs the Academic Affairs
Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. He is also a member of the board of directors and treasurer of Legal Aid of the Bluegrass.
Nominations for this position will be made by the Nominating Committee at the 2027 Midyear Meeting.
At the 2026 Midyear Meeting, the Nominating Committee voted Laura V. Farber from California, who has served in numerous ABA leadership positions since 1994 including as a member of both the board of directors and House of Delegates, as president-elect for 2026-27. Aurora Austriaco of Illinois was named chair of the House of Delegates for the 2026-28 term, and
Elizabeth Kelly Meyers of California was named ABA secretary for the 2026-29 term.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/02/nominating-comittee-forum/)
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