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Student Bar Association (SBA)
Overview
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Officers
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Constitution
Constitution
Article I: Name and Purposes
§1.1 Name
The name of this association shall be the Student Bar Association of the Villanova University School of Law (SBA).
§1.2 Purposes
The purposes and objectives of the SBA are:
- To serve as the representative voice of the student body.
- To provide an effective medium for the expression of the student views.
- To maintain an effective liaison between students, faculty, the university, alumni, and the general public.
- To foster academic, social, and athletic activities.
- To administer student funds.
- To coordinate activities among student organizations.
Article 2. Membership
§2.1 Members
All students duly registered in the School of Law shall be members of the SBA including students enrolled in advanced law degree programs.
§2.2 Voting Authority
Each member is entitled to one vote for the election of his/her class representative, or section representatives in the case of First Year Students; general elections; special elections; and special referendum.
§2.3 Dues
Members shall automatically be assessed dues, payable at the beginning of each of the Fall and Spring semesters. The amount of dues shall be adjusted as determined by a simply majority vote of the SBA in consultation with the Law School Administration.
§2.4. Termination of Membership
Membership shall terminate whenever a member is no longer a registered student within the Law School
inter alia, by reason of graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal.
Article III. Executive Board
§3.1 Governance
The Executive Board shall be the governing body of the SBA. It shall have the power to formulate policies and manage the affairs of the SBA. All legislative power shall be vested in the Executive Board including the authority to execute the Constitution and operate the daily functioning of the SBA.
§3.2 Executive Board
- The Executive Board shall be comprised of the following voting members:
- President
- Vice-President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- American Bar Association/Law Student Division Representative
- Representative to the University Senate
- Four Representatives from the third year
class.
- Four Representatives from the second year
class.
- Two Representatives from each section in the first year
class.
- The Executive Board shall be comprised of the following non-voting members:
- Liaison to student organizations.
- ABA/LSD national officer, division delegate, or circuit governor (if applicable).
§3.3 Meetings
The Executive Board shall convene in a regular session at least twice a month during the regular academic year, except during those months in which examinations are administered. The president shall have the power to set the date, time, and place of all regular and special meetings, not being inconsistent with the provisions of this section. The president shall preside at all meetings.
- The date, time, and place of the meetings shall be posted on the SBA bulletin board.
- All meetings shall be open to all members.
- The president shall prepare an agenda prior to each meeting, any member may offer an item for the agenda.
- All SBA meetings shall be open to any person, unless a closed meeting is called by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board.
- The Secretary shall record the minutes of the meeting and post the minutes prior to the subsequent meeting.
- All Executive Board members are required to attend all meetings. Any Executive Board member with more than four (4) unexcused absences may be subject to removal from office.
- Meetings shall follow the procedures as described in the most recent edition of
Robert’s Rules of Order, unless a suspension of the rules is called by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board.
§3.4 Quorum
A majority of the Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum for an SBA meeting.
§3.5 Quorumlessness
A quorumless meeting may act as if a quorum was present, but any such, other than an action that can legally be taken in the absence of a quorum, shall be ineffective without confirmation when a quorum is present.
Article 4. Elections
§4.1 General Election
Elections for the Executive Board shall take place on the last two (2) class days of March by secret ballot. With the following exceptions:
- The first year class representatives elections shall take place on the sixth Monday and Tuesday of the Fall Semester.
- The election of the Executive Board member listed under §3.2(b)(2) shall take place in accordance with ABA/LSD policies.
§4.2 Eligibility
Any first or second year SBA member in good academic standing shall be eligible for election to any position on the Executive Board. With the exception of the ABA/LSD position under §3.2(b)(2).
§4.3 Petitions for Nomination
Any potential candidate for a voting Executive Board position must submit an official petition to the Chairperson of the Election Committee (see § 5.1) for approval in accordance with the Election Code.
- Candidates for Executive Officer positions must present an official petition signed by ten percent (10%) of those students eligible to vote for that position.
- Candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President shall only be nominated and elected only by those students who have completed no more than three full semesters in Law School.
- Candidates for Second and Third Year Class Representatives must present an official petition signed by fifteen percent (15%) of his/her responsive class members.
§4.4 Transfer Students
Transfer students shall vote and be eligible for office in the same manner as members of the class into which they have transferred.
§4.5 Voting
Each member of the student body is eligible to cast one (1) vote for each office. The vote shall be taken by secret ballot, which each voter shall directly deliver into a sealed container.
- There shall be no proxies.
- The candidate for each position receiving a plurality of the votes shall be declared the winner.
§4.6 Tie Elections
If a tie occurs for a position, the Elections Chairperson shall call a special election.
- The special election shall take place as soon as possible on two consecutive days.
- The special election shall be a run-off between the candidates who are tied.
§4.7 Term of Office
The term of office of all Executive Board members shall begin upon the calling of a special meeting by the “outgoing” SBA president. During that meeting that transition will take place and the new officers will assume their duties until next year. The special meeting shall be called to order no later than two (2) weeks after the general election.
Article 5. Election Committee
§5.1 Chairperson
The chairperson of the Honor Board shall serve as the Chair of the elections committee. The Chairperson of elections will run the election in conformity with the Constitution and the Election Code.
- The Chairperson will be responsible for the distribution and collection of nomination petitions.
- Should the Chairperson of elections decide to run in an election for Executive Board, he/she must resign as chair before the nomination period ends and the Honor Board will be responsible for appointing a substitute Chairperson.
§5.2 Committee Composition
The Election Committee shall be comprised of the members of the honor Board. The Election Committee shall be responsible for the running of the election, tabulation of ballots, and publication of the winners by the end of the next school day following the last election day.
Article 6. Vacancies and Removal from Office
§6.1 Vacancies
Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Board shall be filled by special election, with the exception of the office of President and the ABA/LSD National Officer (if applicable).
- If the office of President should become vacant, the Vice-President shall immediately assume the office of President, and a special election shall be held to fill the office of Vice-President.
- Unless the vacancy occurs within one (1) month of the general election, in that case the Vice-President shall assume the office of President while the office of Vice-President shall remain open until the general election.
- Only those students originally entitled to vote for the vacant office may vote in the special election.
§6.2 Removal from Office
Any student may present a petition to the Chairperson of the Elections Committee to request a Recall Election stating cause.
- The petition must be signed by one-fourth (1/4) of the total number of students who would have been eligible to vote for that position.
- The Chairperson of the Elections Committee shall conduct a hearing to consider the removal of a member. At the hearing, the member shall have the right to defend the charges against him/her.
- If the Elections Committee determines there to be valid cause after the hearing, a special election may be called by the Elections Committee.
- A vote of three-fifths (3/5) of the total number of students who would have been eligible to vote for that position is necessary to remove a member from the SBA Executive Board.
Article 7. Referendum
§7.1 Referendum
Any Executive Board decision may be vetoed by referendum. The referendum shall be initiated when the Chairperson of the Elections Committee receives a petition signed by one-quarter (1/4) of the total membership of students. To override an Executive Board decision, a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of all students is required.
Article 8. Amendments
§8.1 Amendments
Any student may pose an amendment to the Constitution.
- The amendment must be submitted to the Executive Board at a regularly scheduled meeting in type written form.
- The amendment must have the support of one-fourth (1/4) of the membership of any class entitled to vote; or
- The approval of the SBA.
- Once approved by either §8.1(b) or (c), the Elections Committee shall hold a special Election to consider the amendment.
- A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the students shall be required to pass the amendment.
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© 2004 VLS Student Bar Association
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