American Constitution Society of Washington College of Law Constitution
Article I
This organization shall be known as "The American Constitution Society of Washington College of Law."
Article II
Statement of Purpose
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy is a group of students concerned about the increasingly conservative orthodoxy in American law and politics. We believe deeply in the importance of law as the mechanism which governs the relationships between and among the individuals and institutions that form our society, and we recognize the direct relationship between legal theory and the broader political debate about the kind of society in which we live.
In recent years, the view has been ascendant that the traditional values of compassion and respect for human dignity have little or no place in legal discourse. This view permeates all aspects of legal debate: academic scholarship, judicial interpretation, and debate about laws proposed for enactment. The cornerstone of this legal view is an approach to understanding the United States Constitution that is essentially devoid of concern for the way in which the law affects the lives of the people who make up the nation in which we live.
We believe, contrary to this conservative view, that the law, and in particular the Constitution, serves human values. We believe that the Constitution is a charter of liberty, the blueprint for a noble and unique experiment designed to prevent the excesses of government in order to protect the human dignity necessary for individuals to realize the full potential of their lives. The goal of the Constitution, and the United States it created, is to permit people to succeed in the "pursuit of happiness," one of the inalienable rights this nation explicitly was founded to secure to the American people.
We believe that the Constitution, and by extension, many other areas of American law, can be understood only by reference to principles of decency, reason, humanity and compassion. We believe that those who enforce the law must have concern for the way in which it affects the lives of the people who make up the nation in which we live. And we believe these principles should form a starting point for enactment, as well as interpretation, of the law.
The mission of the American Constitution Society is to harness these values of compassion and respect for each individual, and to re incorporate them into American law and politics, in order to build a stronger and more decent national community. We seek to restore the fundamental principles of respect for human dignity, protection of individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice to their rightful -- and traditionally central -- place in American law. We want to strengthen the intellectual underpinnings of -- and the public case for -- a vision of the law in which these values are paramount. Our goal is a rekindling of the hope that by reason and decency, we can create an America that is better for us all.
Article III
Membership shall be open to all Washington College of Law students, faculty and staff.
Article IV
The American Constitution Society officers shall be members of the American Constitution Society Executive Board, which will meet periodically to determine the general direction of the American Constitution Society and to decide issues of long term importance to the American Constitution Society.
Only current Washington College of Law students, faculty, and staff may serve as officers.
The American Constitution Society officers shall be as follows:
Faculty Advisor: The Faculty Advisor shall serve as a resource for the Society members, facilitate the acquisition of speakers, and serve as a liaison between the local chapter and the advisors of American Constitution Society chapters at other schools.
President: The President shall call Society meetings, coordinate the operations and direction of the Society, and serve as a liaison between the Society and the Washington College of Law administration.
Vice President: The Vice President shall call Society meetings in the President's absence and coordinate the activities of the chairpersons.
Secretary: The Secretary shall compile and maintain the minutes of meetings and the records of the organization, keep a current list of members, and be responsible for notifying members of meetings.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the financial accounts and records of the Society, set forth the Society's budget, submit the Society's financial reports to the Student Bar Association according to SBA guidelines.
Non- Executive positions within the American Constitution society:
The executive board may commission Washington College of Law students, faculty, and staff to serve in non-executive capacity, as defined by charter, in support of the goals of the American Constitution Society. Commissioned members shall have authority to represent the American Constitution Society only as limited by their respective charters. Commissions may be revoked by a majority vote of the executive board.
Article V
The American Constitution Society officers shall be elected by the Society members each April, for a term of one year. Current and past officers are eligible for subsequent election to the same or another position, within the general eligibility requirements. The initial Executive Board shall be elected by the Society members in September, 2004.
Article VI
Officers may be removed for good cause by the unanimous vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board.
In the event that an Executive position becomes vacant for any reason prior to or on the last day of classes of the fall semester, a Special Election will be held to choose a replacement.
In the event that an Executive position becomes vacant for any reason after the last day of classes of the fall semester, the remaining officers shall appoint a replacement by unanimous vote of the executive board.
An officer elected by Special Election or appointed by the Executive board shall serve the remainder of the original vacated term, and shall be eligible for subsequent election according to article V.
Article VII
Amendments to this constitution and to the by laws shall adopted be by two thirds vote of the Executive Board, except that no amendment shall be adopted without the affirmative vote of both the President and the Faculty Advisor.
Article VIII
This organization shall be governed by this Constitution, its bylaws, and the rules and regulations of Washington College of Law.
