2013 article index: the hot issues and the top of the agenda topics that Directors & Boards authors addressed during the past year.

ANNUAL MEETINGS AND REPORTS

Directors & Boards 2013 Annual Meeting Survey--The annual meeting is rated a ho-hum tool for exercising shareholder relations. An opportunity for digital technologies to come to its rescue? First Quarter 2013

AUDIT COMMITTEES

Audit Committee Priorities for 2013--KPMG's annual spotlight on what should be top of mind and top of agenda for audit committee members. By Dennis T. Whalen of KPMG. First Quarter 2013

Internal Audit's Shifting Mandate--How the audit committee can help ensure that internal audit is properly focused, fully utilized, and delivers value. By Dennis T. Whalen and Eric Holt of KPMG. Second Quarter 2013

Social Media: To Be Handled with Care--This may mean an important role for the audit committee. By Dennis T. Whalen and Sanjaya Krishna of KPMG. Third Quarter 2013

BOARD COMPOSITION

Director Backgrounds--The Conference Board's 2013 Board Practices Report categorizes directors by their professional backgrounds. Second Quarter 2013

Director Attributes in Demand--An Akin Gump report identifies the 'right mix' qualities. Second Quarter 2013

Assumptions and Prejudices--Certain concepts of board composition need to be reexamined. By Mary Cranston of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Third Quarter 2013

Arbitrary Limits--Board composition can and should be refreshed without resorting to indiscriminately applied measures. By Publisher Robert Rock. Third Quarter 2013

Lawyers as Directors--Dual role has its advantages ... and its risks. By Janice Rourke Hugener, Glen R. Olson, Thomas J. Whalen and Carol Zacharias. Third Quarter 2013

BOARD DIVERSITY

Too Few Women and Minorities on S&P 100 Boards--Results of a study by Calvert. Second Quarter 2013

Campaign for Gender Diversity on the Board--The Thirty Percent Coalition pens a pointed letter to Russell 1000 companies. Second Quarter 2013

The Work of DirectWomen Is Mare Important Than Ever'--Having women on boards has a salutary domino effect. By Roberta Liebenberg, chair of Dire ctWomen. Third Quarter 2013

Women on Boards--A GMI Ratings report shows 'slow progress' in the U.S. and globally. Third Quarter 2013

BOARD DYNAMICS

Directors' Dialogue May Need a Reboot--We can't assume that the way we converse in the boardroom is as good as it gets. By Michael F. Kipp. Second Quarter 2013

The Toxic Director--lttkes only one to derail the board. By George Isaac of GAI Capital. Third Quarter 2013

Is Your Director Telling the Truth?--If your board is filled with creative, intelligent, persuasive, charismatic individuals, the answer is "probably not." By Carol Kinsey Goman. Fourth Quarter 2013

BOARD GUIDELINES

Needed: A Fresh Sense of True Responsibility--Why? Because it apparently takes more than shareholder votes to freshen up a board. By columnist Leo Hindery Jr. Second Quarter 2013

Governance Rashomon--Don't be confused: All directors are equal. By columnist Hoffer Kaback. Third Quarter 2013

BOARD MEETINGS

How to Have a Great Board Meeting--The tone, content, and conduct of this meeting are critical to the level of governance and ultimate value of having a board. By Dennis Cagan. Fourth Quarter 2013

Running a Compelling Board Retreat--Eschewing a resort, this board went local market. By David Porteous. Fourth Quarter 2013

Getting Every Director Engaged in the Board Meeting--Not just the most talkative ones. It's just a simple technique. By Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita Inc. Fourth Quarter 2013

Team-Building on a Mountain Trek--An excerpt from All Above Board: Creating the Ideal Board. By Ulf Lindgren. Fourth Quarter 2013

Great Board Meetings Demand Great Directors--But even the best directors can be thwarted by perverse board protocols. By columnist Leo Hindery Jr. Fourth Quarter 2013

Common Pitfalls That Sabotage a Board Meeting--Truly effective meetings are still the exception, not the norm. By Glenn C. Davis of CohnReznick LLP. Fourth Quarter 2013

Bringing Order to Meetings--That's the job of Robert's Rules of Order. Fourth Quarter 2013

BOARD PRACTICES

No Litmus Test--The superficiality of considering the chairman-CEO split as 'best practice.' By columnist Hoffer Kaback. First Quarter 2013

Company to Director: You're Fired!--Making such a move is fraught with risk and requires great finesse. By Dennis Cagan. Plus, Sheldon Rennie reports on what Delaware law has to say about removing directors. Second Quarter 2013

Age Limits for Directors: The Gnomes Know--Wisdom...