Section 1607.3 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Composition(a) A recipient shall be incorporated in a State in which it provides legal assistance and shall have a governing body which reasonably reflects the interests of the eligible clients in the area served and which consists of members, each of whom is supportive of the purposes of the Act and has an interest in, and knowledge of, the delivery of quality legal services to the poor.(b) A recipient's governing body must be composed of: (1) At least 33% attorneys; (i) Attorney members may be selected by the recipient's governing body or may be selected by other organizations designated by the recipient which have an interest in the delivery of legal services to low-income populations.(ii) Selections shall be made to ensure that the attorney members reasonably reflect the diversity of the legal community and the population of the areas served by the recipient, including race, ethnicity, gender, and other similar factors.(2) At least one-third eligible client members who are eligible client members when initially selected by the recipient.(i) Recipients must solicit recommendations for eligible client members from a variety of appropriate groups designated by the recipient that may include, but are not limited to, client and neighborhood associations and community-based organizations that advocate for or deliver services or resources to the client community served by the recipient.(ii) Recipients should solicit recommendations from groups in a manner that reflects, to the extent possible, the variety of interests within the client community, and eligible client members should be selected so that they reasonably reflect the diversity of the eligible client population served by the recipient, including race, gender, ethnicity, and other similar factors.(3) Other members selected by the recipients' governing body or in another manner described in the recipient's bylaws or policies.(i) Recipients must appoint or select members so that the governing body as a whole reasonably reflects the diversity of the areas served by the recipient, including race, ethnicity, gender, and other similar factors.(ii) Recipients should consider recruiting and selecting members possessing fiscal or nonprofit governance expertise or other skills necessary to effectively govern the recipient's operations.(iii) Members of a governing body shall not be dominated by persons serving as the representatives of a single association, group or organization, except that eligible client members may be selected from client organizations that are composed of coalitions of numerous smaller or regionally based client groups.(c) Members of a governing body may be selected by appointment, election, or other means consistent with this part and with the recipient's bylaws and applicable State law.(d) Recipients shall make reasonable and good faith efforts to ensure that governing body vacancies are filled as promptly as possible.(e) Recipient staff may recommend candidates for governing body membership to its governing body and other appointing groups and should consult with the appointing organizations to ensure that:(1) Appointees meet the criteria for board membership set out in this part, including financial eligibility for persons appointed as eligible clients, bar admittance requirements for attorney board members, and the general requirements that all members be supportive of the purposes of the Act and have an interest in and knowledge of the delivery of legal services to low-income populations;(2) The particular categories of board membership and the board as a whole meet the diversity requirement described in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii), (b)(2)(ii), and (b)(3)(ii) of this section;(3) Appointees do not have actual and significant individual or institutional conflicts of interest with the recipient or the recipient's client community that could reasonably be expected to influence their ability to exercise independent judgement as members of the recipient's governing body.(f) Members of a governing body may be selected by appointment, election, or other means consistent with this part and with the recipient's bylaws and applicable State law.(g) Recipients shall make reasonable and good faith efforts to insure that governing body vacancies are filled as promptly as possible.(h) Recipients may recommend candidates for governing body membership to the appropriate bar associations and other appointing groups and should consult with the appointing organizations to insure that:(1) Appointees meet the criteria for board membership set out in this part, including financial eligibility for persons appointed as eligible clients, bar admittance requirements for attorney board members, and the general requirements that all members be supportive of the purposes of the Act and have an interest in and knowledge of the delivery of legal services to the poor;(2) The particular categories of board membership and the board as a whole meet the diversity requirements described in §§ 1607.3(b)(3) , 1607.3(c) and 1607.3(d) ;(3) Appointees do not have actual and significant individual or institutional conflicts of interest with the recipient or the recipient's client community that could reasonably be expected to influence their ability to exercise independent judgment as members of the recipient's governing body.59 FR 65254, Dec. 19, 1994, as amended at 84 FR 1407 , Feb. 4, 2019