OFFICERS - At the top of the governing structure at DRI are the six Officers, which includes Immediate Past President, President, President-Elect, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - The DRI Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization. The Board makes all major decisions regarding the activities of DRI. According to the DRI By-Laws, Directors “carry out the duties generally performed by members of the boards of directors of corporations.” The Board consists of six officers, 12 directors elected nationally, 12 directors elected regionally and nine affiliate directors representing the three sister organizations, who are also current members of DRI.

SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE - The Senior Advisory Committee consists of the six most recent Immediate Past Presidents who are not serving as an officer. Each serves on the Committee for the six years following his or her presidency.

LAW INSTITUTE - All aspects of DRI’s seminars are governed by the Law Institute, a body of 12 DRI members, each with a special personal interest in the educational needs of defense lawyers. The Law Institute meets frequently to select future seminar titles, survey and determine the demand for particular subject matter coverage in the seminars, prepare curricula, select and train faculty for each seminar and serve as on-site seminar directors.

STATE REPRESENTATIVES - DRI has an appointed State Representative for each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Canada (in Canada, the alternate designation “Council Representative” is used). Each of these Representatives plays a significant role in the leadership of DRI.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND VICE-CHAIRS - Participation in the work of the practice and substantive law committees is the most significant connection to DRI for most defense lawyers. By the nature of their purpose and activity and the legal subject matter with which they deal, the committees reflect most directly the information needs of each DRI member. Because of the central role, leaders of each committee have a responsibility to provide relevant material—publications, web sites, seminars and other educational programs—for the committee’s members.