Criminal Law Society

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Constitution of the Criminal Law Society

 

PREAMBLE

A number of WCL students go on to practice law in the criminal field or to work for criminal law judges as clerks. The Criminal Law Society will provide a central forum for those students to discuss the issues facing judges and criminal lawyers and how the field as a whole is evolving.

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization is the Criminal Law Society.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

Our purpose is to create opportunities for students interested in criminal law to interact with faculty, practitioners, judges, and community organizations that work in the field by holding panel discussions, networking events, field trips, career services programs, and volunteer community service.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Criminal Law Society shall be open to any person affiliated with the WCL community. (Does this include professors? I think it should...)

ARTICLE IV. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

In achieving our goals for this organization, we call for full participation of all WCL students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical handicap, or socioeconomic status.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

A. Executive Meetings
Executive meetings shall be held at such date, time, and place as may be determined by the President. Any officer in good standing is entitled to vote at any meeting of the Executive Board.

Whenever any action is to be taken by vote of the Executive Board, it shall, except as otherwise required by law of the Constitution, be authorized by a majority of the votes cast at the executive meeting.

The Executive Board shall determine the agenda and policy of the Criminal Law Society and coordinate all activities and events.

B. Program Board Meetings
Any officer may call a program board meeting to be held at such time, date, and place as he/she determines. Minutes of the program board meetings must be provided and any other important information must be relayed to all members not present.

C. Voting
Any member in good standing is entitled to vote at any meeting of the general membership. Whenever any action is to be taken by vote of the members, it shall be authorized by a majority of the votes cast at the general meeting.

ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD

A. Executive Board Officers
The officers of the Criminal Law Society shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Program Coordinator.

B. Election/Delegation Process
Criminal Law Society officers shall be filled annually by the membership. Vacancies may be filled at any meeting of the general membership. Each officer shall hold office until a successor is assigned.

The election process shall be conducted through a nomination procedure and vote by secret ballot. The president will facilitate a voting process. All positions turn over in the fall semester.

C. Removal
Any officer assigned by the membership may be removed, for cause only, by a threefourths vote of the Membership.

D. Resignation
An Executive Officer may resign at any time by delivering written notice of his or her resignation of the Executive Board. The resignation shall take effect at the time of notice. The officer receiving the Executive Officer’s resignation shall notify all other Board members of the resignation.

E. Vacancies
An Executive Board vacancy may be filled by the affirmative vote and appointment of a majority of the remaining members of the Executive Board. An Executive Officer, appointed by the remaining Executive Officers, to fill a vacancy, shall be appointed to hold office for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office.

F. President
Duties:

  1. Schedule all Program Board Meetings and make agendas for those meetings.
  2. Schedule Executive Board Meetings when needed.
  3. 3. Be a liaison with the professors who mentor the organization.
  4. Serve as the contact person for the organization with SBA, the law school, and all outside organizations.
  5. Represent the Criminal Law Society at SBA meetings and Finance Board meetings when appropriate.
  6. Help develop semester budgets.
  7. Provide support for all Criminal Law Society programming and events.
  8. Attend SBA sponsored budget training.

G. Vice-President
Duties:

  1. Help develop semester budgets.
  2. Provide support for all WLA programming and events.
  3. Attend Program Board Meetings.
  4. Provide support to all other Executive Board Members when needed.

H. Secretary
Duties:

  1. Help develop semester budgets.
  2. Attend Program Board Meetings.
  3. Provide support for all Criminal Law Society programming and events.
  4. Take minutes at all program board meetings and general membership meetings.
  5. Website development.
  6. Setup the listserv and monitor the Criminal Law Society email accounts.

I. Treasurer
Duties:

  1. Develop semester budgets.
  2. Attend Program Board Meetings.
  3. Provide support for all Criminal Law Society programming and events.
  4. Responsible for collecting receipts, filling out reimbursement paperwork, and turning in all financial paperwork in a timely manner.
  5. Attend SBA sponsored budget training.
  6. Attend SBA and Finance Board meetings when appropriate.

J. Head Program Coordinator (I say this because we talked about having a small board of program coordinators that would be the head of one particular event. This way, the Head Program Coordinator would coordinate all of the Program/Events Coordinators. The group felt only one Program Coordinator would be a problem. If you accept this arrangement, does that mean we need to add Program/Events Coordinator?)
Duties:

  1. Coordinate publicity for all events.
  2. Organize speakers and faculty moderators for events on topics selected by program board.
  3. Manage logistics for all events including room reservations, food, etc.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

This Criminal Law Society Constitution may be altered or amended by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and the approval vote of a majority of the General Membership.