Emeritus Fellow Criteria

The Board of Governors may admit or reclassify as an Emeritus Fellow any person who met the qualification requirements of a Fellow (whether or not the person has been admitted as a current Fellow) during the person’s period of active practice but is no longer actively engaged or employed as an Employee Benefits Practitioner. (An Employee Benefits Practitioner is an experienced employee benefits lawyer, including one engaged in the private and public practice of law, government, academia, consulting, corporate law departments, judges and related types of employment, as determined from time to time by the Board of Governors.)

A person may be admitted to the status of Emeritus Fellow upon nomination in accordance with the procedures for nomination of Fellows, or upon application to the Board of Governors in accordance with such procedures as the Board of Governors may from time to time establish. Emeritus Fellows will have all the rights of Fellows except the right to vote and hold office, but will not be required to pay an initiation fee or dues.

At the present time the criterion for transferring from Fellow to Emeritus Fellow is based on the extent to which an individual earns income as an Employee Benefits Practitioner. Specifically, in order to be considered for Emeritus status, a Fellow must certify the he or she is not earning more than $15,000 annually from being actively engaged or employed as an Employee Benefits Practitioner (as defined above). The completed form should be sent to the Treasurer of the College, whose name and email address may be found at http://www.acebc.com/officers-and-board.

If you are granted Emeritus status and you subsequently earn more than $15,000 in a calendar year, you will be considered to have returned to active practice as an Employee Benefits Practitioner. The College will expect you to notify the College promptly through the Treasurer, and you will (upon payment of any back dues from the date of your return to active practice or such employment) be reinstated to the status of Fellow. The practice of law or employment as an Employee Benefits Practitioner for this purpose will include only compensated services (excluding expense reimbursements) and not services rendered on a pro bono basis. Of course, the College reserves the right to request confirmation of your status at any time.

Attached is a PDF copy of the required certification, which you should send to the Treasurer, along with any other information that would be helpful, if you are interested in changing from Fellow to Emeritus Fellow status.