Student Spotlight: Sean Lyttle '09
“The Vice President shall support the President…” That is how the job description for Student Bar Association Vice President in the SBA Constitution begins. “Sounds simple enough,” I thought, when I decided to run. I should have looked at the President’s job description in the preceding paragraphs a bit more closely before rushing to conclusions. At a law school as dynamic, engaged with its larger community, and service-minded as Notre Dame, the job of SBA Vice President encompasses an extraordinary range of challenges and opportunities.
Other than supporting the President, my only constitutionally imposed responsibility is to serve as the Election Commissioner. Twice a year – for 1Ls in the fall, for rising 2Ls and 3Ls in the spring – elections are held to seat the SBA Executive Council, SBA representatives, and Honor Council representatives. As Election Commissioner, it is my responsibility to host informational meetings for candidates, enforce the by-laws as they relate to elections, create and manage electronic ballots, hold run-offs if necessary, and ultimately publish the results. Sounds pretty glamorous and exciting, right? Of course, the role of Election Commissioner can be tedious and time-consuming, but it is all worth it when you check the final results and realize you are the first person to know something about the future of this great law school. That doesn’t often happen for a student.
Thankfully, the drudgery of managing 1L elections in the fall is very quickly replaced by a long list of other responsibilities – some vexing, some exciting, all interesting. I have learned quickly that supporting the President means attending virtually every meeting, public relations opportunity, social event, and networking function that the President attends. Having both of us there brings to the table a multiplicity of student perspectives, a high degree of transparency, and an ability to “divide and conquer” at larger gatherings. Supporting the President means being a continually available sounding board – both for the President, who regularly seeks my advice, and for the student body and administration, who may not always know how to reach the President exactly when they need her. It means always being “on the cutting edge” of the law school, seeing hard work come to fruition, and being a real force for positive change in the Notre Dame community.
Perhaps I should have read more closely before I signed up to run for this office. In the end, however, it is a sincere honor, a genuine privilege, and, quite frankly, a lot of fun supporting the President of the Notre Dame Student Bar Association!
