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CONSTITUTION
OF THE
U.C.L.A. STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION
(Amended 2005)
To view the word document, please click here
PREAMBLE
We, the students of the School of Law of the University of California, Los Angeles, by authority of the Chancellor and subscribing to the regulations and policies of the University, do establish this Constitution to govern such matters as are delegated by the University to this organization.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this Association shall be the U.C.L.A. Law School Student Bar Association (hereinafter referred to as the "SBA").
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Members of the SBA shall be all students enrolled in the School of Law.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
The purpose of the SBA shall be to serve the needs of all members. The SBA shall serve as the "Law Council" of the Graduate Students Association (the "GSA").
ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD
The executive officers of the SBA shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. These four individuals shall constitute the SBA Executive Board (the "Executive Board"). All executive officers must have completed one year of law school by the time they take office.
SECTION 1.
The President shall:
A) Be the Chief Executive Officer.
B) Be the official representative of the SBA.
C) Be a member of and preside over the SBA Representative Council and the Executive Board.
D) Serve as an official member of the UCLA School of Law Alumni Relations Board.
E) Be a member, ex officio, of all subordinate boards and committees of the SBA, and all faculty-student committees.
F) Have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 2.
The Vice-President shall:
A) Be a member of the SBA Representative Council and the Executive Board.
B) Supervise and run all SBA elections.
C) Advise and inform the President.
D) Act as President during the President’s absence, or, in the event that the office of President becomes vacant, until a new President is elected.
E) Be the Chair of the Inter-Organizational Senate.
F) Organize at least one Town Hall Meeting per semester.
G) Have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 3.
The Secretary shall:
A) Be a member of the SBA Representative Council and the Executive Board.
B) Keep accurate and permanent records of the affairs of the SBA.
C) Act as President in the case of the President's and Vice-President's absence.
D) Develop effective methods of communication to keep the Law School community informed of the activities of the Representative Council and the Executive Board. Such methods may include maintaining the SBA Bulletin Board in the Student Lounge and sending weekly e-mails.
E) Have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 4.
The Treasurer shall:
A) Be a member of the SBA Representative Council and the Executive Board.
B) Be responsible for the funds of the SBA and the accurate accounting thereof.
C) Act as President in the case of the President's, Vice-President's, and Secretary's absence.
D) Formulate an annual budget no later than the end of the fall semester.
E) Organize and execute the fall and spring semester SBA Book Sales.
F) Have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the SBA by-laws.
ARTICLE V: SBA REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
The power of the SBA shall be vested in the Executive Board and the Representative Council. The Representative Council shall determine the official policies of the SBA. Matters concerning the interpretation of this Constitution shall be determined by the Representative Council.
SECTION 1.
The SBA Representative Council shall be comprised of:
A) The President of the SBA
B) The Vice-President of the SBA
C) The Secretary of the SBA
D) The Treasurer of the SBA
E) The President of the Third Year Class
F) The President of the Second Year Class
G) The President of the First Year Class
H) The Representatives of the First, Second, and Third Year Classes
I) The Transfer/L.L.M. Representative
J) The ABA/LSD Representative
K) The Inter-Organizational Senate Representative
SECTION 2.
To be eligible to serve on the Representative Council, the student must be a full time law student or joint degree student not on externship. Each member of the Representative Council shall pay the annual SBA dues by October 1 of his or her term.
SECTION 3.
The classes shall be designated as the Third Year Class, the Second Year Class, and the First Year Class.
Each of the three classes shall have a president. The class presidents shall be responsible for bringing the affairs of their class to the attention of the SBA Representative Council. In addition:
A) The Third Year President shall be responsible for planning all activities related to his or her class' graduation. These activities may include selecting the graduation guest speaker and student speaker and organizing a graduation party. Upon election, the Third Year President shall meet with the Dean to begin planning such activities. The Third Year President shall work with the Third Year Section Representatives, the general membership of the Third Year Class and the Law School administration to plan, coordinate, and publicize all activities.
B) The Second Year President shall be responsible for the end-of-the-semester celebrations following fall semester and spring semester final exams. The Second Year President shall be the official representative of the Law Council to the GSA Forum and shall raise funds to be used for his or her class’ graduation.
C) The First Year President shall be responsible for the publication, during the fall semester, of the Law School Directory. The First Year President shall work with the First Year Section Representatives to effect such publication. The First Year President shall also raise funds to be used for his or her class’ graduation.
D) The class presidents shall have such additional powers and duties as provided by the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 4.
A) The Third Year Class shall elect four Representatives at large from the Third Year Class.
B) The Second Year Class shall elect four Representatives at large from the Second Year Class.
C) The First Year Class shall elect one Representative from each of the large sections of that class.
D) Each Representative shall be responsible for bringing the affairs of his or her class to the attention of the SBA Representative Council. Each Representative will have additional duties as specified in the SBA by-laws.
E) Each SBA Representative may be assigned to one of the committees or to a special responsibility as outlined in the by-laws. Representatives may give their preferences to the Executive Board, but ultimately the Executive Board will determine who will be assigned to each committee or task. Each Representative assigned to a committee will be required to attend all committee meetings and make reports to the SBA Representative Council regularly.
SECTION 5.
A) There shall be a special Representative for all transfer students and L.L.M. students. This Transfer/L.L.M. Representative shall be elected during fall semester elections and shall be analogous to a Representative for all second year transfer students, third year transfer students, and L.L.M. students, as well as for any temporary or visiting students who do not otherwise fit within the SBA's representational system. The Transfer/L.L.M Representative shall sit on the SBA Representative Council and have all the duties and privileges of a voting SBA member.
B) The Transfer/L.L.M. students shall elect a Representative from among the Transfer/L.L.M. students.
C) The Transfer/L.L.M. Representative shall be responsible for bringing the affairs of his or her constituents to the attention of the SBA Representative Council and will have additional duties as specified in the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 6.
The SBA shall work diligently to maintain a strong relationship with the American Bar Association Law Student Division (the "ABA/LSD"). This shall be accomplished through the election, by the entire student body, of the ABA/LSD Representative who will be responsible for the following:
A) Serving as a voting member of the SBA Representative Council.
B) Communicating with the ABA/LSD 9th Circuit, the regional organization of the ABA/LSD that includes UCLA.
C) Instituting an ABA/LSD membership drive each semester of the school year.
D) Upon his or her election, the ABA/LSD Representative must pay his or her ABA/LSD dues, if s/he has not already done so.
SECTION 7.
There shall be an Inter-Organizational Senate Representative to be elected by a majority of the representatives to the Inter-Organizational Senate at a meeting to be held as soon as possible after the start of the fall semester.
A) The Inter-Organizational Senate Representative shall serve, along with the Second Year President, as a representative of the Law Council to the GSA Forum.
B) The Inter-Organizational Senate Representative shall be responsible for bringing the affairs of his or her constituents to the attention of the SBA Representative Council and will have additional duties as specified in the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 8.
The meetings of the SBA Representative Council shall be run under Robert’s Rules of Order. A quorum must be present to conduct business. A quorum shall be constituted by one half of the members of the Representative Council. Unless otherwise specified in this Constitution, all matters before the Representative Council may be passed by a simple majority (50%+1) of those present and voting. All members of the Representative Council shall adhere to the attendance policy outlined in the SBA by-laws.
SECTION 9.
Regular elections shall be held in the fall and spring in accordance with the SBA by-laws and shall be supervised by the Vice-President.
ARTICLE VI: VACANCIES AND RESIGNATION
SECTION 1.
Any resignation by a member of the SBA Representative Council must be in writing and presented to the President.
SECTION 2.
Any resigning officer is still accountable for the responsibilities and duties of the office until replaced by a new officer, unless released of such responsibilities and duties by the President.
SECTION 3.
Vacancies and resignations shall be filled as follows:
A) Vacant appointed positions shall be filled by an appointment by the Executive Board subject to approval by the SBA Representative Council.
B) The Executive Board may appoint an individual, subject to the approval of the SBA Representative Council, to fill a vacant elected position until an election is held for the respective position.
ARTICLE VII: RECALL AND ISSUE CONSIDERATION
SECTION 1.
Any officer may be recalled by a two-thirds vote of his or her constituency voting. Recall may be initiated by a petition signed by ten percent of his or her constituents.
SECTION 2.
Upon petition signed by fifty members of the SBA, the SBA Representative Council shall be required to consider measures thus proposed. In the event that such measure is not enacted at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Representative Council, then the measure shall be presented to a vote of the SBA at the next regularly scheduled election. Approval by the SBA shall require only a majority of votes cast.
ARTICLE VIII: INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL SENATE
SECTION 1. PURPOSE
A) To enhance communication and interaction between all members of the Law School community.
B) To facilitate discussion and develop solutions for the concerns of the student body.
C) To develop a master calendar so that all students can participate in various organizational activities with minimum overlap.
SECTION 2. REPRESENTATION
A) The Inter-Organizational Senate shall consist of one representative of each registered student organization at the U.C.L.A. School of Law. Each organization shall determine how to choose its own representative to the Inter-Organizational Senate. Annually, each organization shall notify the SBA Vice President of its intention to participate and the name of its representative by a deadline to be determined by the SBA Vice President, which will be no later than October 1. Organizations may send an alternate representative (who will have voting rights) to the meetings in case of the absence of the official representative.
B) The Inter-Organizational Senate shall elect one Representative to the SBA Representative Council in any manner consistent with Article V, Section 7 of this Constitution. The term of the Inter-Organizational Senate Representative shall end on the last day of school year in which he or she was elected. The Inter-Organizational Senate Representative shall serve as the advocate of the Inter-Organizational Senate to the SBA Representative Council for all matters concerning student organizations.
SECTION 3. CHAIR
A) The SBA Vice President will serve as the Chair of the Inter-Organizational Senate as well as the SBA Representative to the Inter-Organizational Senate. The SBA Vice President shall serve as the advocate of the Inter-Organizational Senate to the Executive Board for all matters concerning student organizations.
B) The President of the SBA shall serve as Chair in the Vice President’s absence.
SECTION 4. PROCEDURE
A) There shall be at least four meetings per semester, to be held approximately once a month.
B) In order to conduct business, a quorum shall be present. A quorum shall be constituted by one-half the number of organizations who notified the SBA Vice President that they would be participating that year.
C) Measures must pass by a simple majority (50%+1) of those present and voting.
D) All meetings shall be open so that students can bring forth any concerns that they may have.
E) The Inter-Organizational Senate shall appoint a Secretary in order to keep accurate records of the proceedings.
ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES
SECTION 1.
The SBA Executive Board and the Second Year and Third Year Presidents (hereinafter the “Nominating Committee”) shall nominate student members to the faculty-student committees and shall nominate chairs to standing SBA committees, subject to approval by the SBA Representative Council in its entirety.
A) Prior to selection, the applications of all candidates shall be made available to the SBA Representative Council. SBA Representative Council members may submit written evaluations of candidates to the Nominating Committee for their consideration when determining committee nominees.
B) A majority of the Nominating Committee is necessary to select committee nominees for SBA Representative Council approval. The Nominating Committee shall present for approval only as many nominees as there are committee openings.
C) The SBA Representative Council shall vote on each nominee, and a majority of SBA Representative Council members voting is necessary for each confirmation. If the SBA Representative Council denies confirmation of a nominee, the Nominating Committee shall propose another nominee, subject to this section.
D) Committee appointments must be made at the first meeting after the First Year Representatives are elected.
ARTICLE X: GRIEVANCE PROCESS
SECTION 1.
The SBA is committed to helping students resolve their differences with each other. If a student contacts a member of the SBA with a specific grievance against another member of the student body, that SBA member shall have the affirmative responsibility to act on the student's behalf and to provide the student with any information necessary to resolving the problem, such as who in the administration to contact or what University resources might be available. Furthermore, that SBA member shall have a duty of confidentiality to the student and shall not divulge any information regarding the specific grievance without prior permission by the student.
SECTION 2.
If a student has a grievance against a member of the faculty, staff, or administration, the SBA may, at the student’s request, act as representative for the student. As the student’s representative, the SBA will work with the Administration to find an appropriate resolution for the problem.
SECTION 3.
The SBA shall at all times adhere to the following formal grievance process:
A) If any student or officially recognized student organization has a grievance against any official action or inaction by the SBA or against any action taken by an SBA representative acting in her official capacity, that person or organization may submit an “issue memo” to any officer on the Executive Board. The issue memo should include the following: the issue(s) in controversy, the resolution(s) desired, and the reasons for each resolution desired. The Executive Board shall review the issue memo. If the grievance involves a specific action by a particular member of the Executive Board acting in her official capacity, that member shall not participate in the resolution of the grievance, unless the grievance concerns actions by the entire Executive Board.
B) After review of the issue memo, the Executive Board shall invite the aggrieved student(s) to discuss the issues and to work towards a resolution agreeable to all parties.
C) If the Executive Board and the aggrieved student(s) are unable to reach an agreeable resolution, the Executive Board shall endeavor to find a skilled mediator (e.g., a professor, a University-appointed ombudsperson) to mediate a resolution meeting between all involved parties.
ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENT
This Constitution may be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of
the SBA voting.
SECTION 1. METHODS OF PROPOSING AMENDMENTS
A) Upon approval of a 2/3 majority of those present and voting at a Representative Council meeting.
B) By a petition signed by 20% of the members of the SBA.
C) Upon fulfillment of either (A) or (B) above, the Representative Council shall submit the amendments to a vote of the SBA in the next regularly scheduled election.
SECTION 2. ELECTION PROCEDURES
Regular election procedures shall be followed.
SECTION 3. PUBLICITY & DISTRIBUTION OF TEXTS
The Representative Council shall arrange for proper publicity which may include, but is not limited to, the publication and broadcast of the text of the amendment during the school week prior to the election. Full texts shall be made available at the polls.
ARTICLE XII: BY-LAWS
SECTION 1.
The SBA by-laws shall be established by a vote of 2/3 of the Representative Council. To amend the by-laws, a proposal must have at least a 2/3 majority vote of the Representative Council.
SECTION 2.
Amendments to the by-laws shall be proposed and automatically tabled one meeting prior to a vote by the Representative Council.
ARTICLE XIII: ORIGINAL RATIFICATION
This Constitution shall be adopted upon the approval of two-thirds of the students of the U.C.L.A. School of Law and its provisions shall become effective immediately upon ratification. [NOTE: This Constitution was originally adopted on April 4, 1996.]
AMENDMENT I: NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The SBA will not discriminate in any way against any individual eligible for membership because of the individual’s: Gender, Age, Race, Ethnicity, National Origin, Religious Preference, Sexual Orientation, Family Status, Mental or Physical Disability, Veteran Status, Appearance, Education, Socio-Economic Situation, Organizational Affiliations, Beliefs, or Public Statements (provided such statements do not conflict with other provisions of the SBA Constitution or By-Laws).
Amendment I was ratified by vote of the SBA membership on January 22, 2004.
AMENDMENT II: FINANCIAL INSPECTION
All SBA financial records shall be available upon request to authorized University officials. The Treasurer will be responsible for facilitating the availability of such records within a reasonable time period after receiving such a request.
Amendment II was ratified by vote of the SBA membership on January 22, 2004.
The base text of this Constitution was last amended on April 10, 2001.