Constitution/by-laws

BYLAWS

STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION

CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW, ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PREAMBLE

We, the students of Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, in order to insure academic excellence and professional growth among the students, to insure the attainment and preservation of the right of the individual student to acquire a quality legal education in a just and reasonable manner, to represent the interests of the student body in the administration of the school, and to facilitate interaction and communication between the students, the faculty, and the administration, do establish these bylaws for the Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT Student Bar Association.

ARTICLE I: NAME

This organization shall be named the Student Bar Association of the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

All students enrolled in at least one class at Chicago-Kent College of Law shall be a member of the Student Bar Association while enrolled for classes.

ARTICLE III: GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section 1: The General Assembly of the Student Bar Association shall consist of the duly elected representatives from the Chicago-Kent College of Law student body. The General Assembly shall act as the representative student government of the Student Bar Association. Each member must be able to serve a full term, meaning that anyone intending to graduate in the winter of the year of service on the General Assembly may not run for any position. No member of the General Assembly shall hold more than one voting position at the same time.

Section 2: The General Assembly shall be composed of the following members, with each member having one (1) vote:

(a) Five (5) elected officers, which shall also be the membership of the Executive Board: President, Vice-President of the Day Division, Vice-President of the Evening Division, Treasurer, and Secretary.

i. The President must have accumulated at least twenty-seven (27) credit hours by the end of the semester immediately preceding the election. This requirement shall not apply should the position of President be filled pursuant to Article VI, Section 2.

ii. All other officers must have accumulated at least ten (10) credit hours at the time of the election or appointment to be eligible for the position.

iii. The vice-presidents shall be members of their respective division during their term of service. Should a vice-president leave the division from

which they were elected to represent, that vice-president must resign from the General Assembly and another qualified vice-president shall be appointed pursuant to Article VI, Section 6.

(b) Two (2) members from each section of the first year day students, as well as two (2) members from each section of first year night students.

i. Students elected to represent a specific section must be from that respective section during their term of service. Should a representative leave the section from which they were elected to represent, that representative must resign from the General Assembly and another qualified representative shall be appointed pursuant to Section 5 of this Article.

(c) Four (4) members from both the second and third year day division students and two (2) members each from the night division of second, third, and fourth year students.

i. Students elected to represent a specific division must be from that respective division during their term of service. Should a representative leave the division from which they were elected to represent, that representative must resign from the General Assembly and another qualified representative shall be appointed pursuant to Section 5 of this Article.

(d) One (1) representative of the American Bar Association Law School Division who is to be elected at large. Within two (2) weeks of taking office, this representative must become a member of the Law School Division of the American Bar Association.

(e) One (1) representative of the Illinois State Bar Association who is to be elected at large and who has accumulated at least ten (10) credit hours.

(f) One (1) representative of the Chicago Bar Association who is to be elected at large and who has accumulated at least ten (10) credit hours.

Section 3: Elections for the General Assembly shall be held yearly during the month of April. The Election Committee shall be responsible for the smooth running of the election. Elections shall be held over the course of two days, and polls must be open such that both day and evening students have a reasonable opportunity to cast a ballot.

Section 4: Elections for the General Assembly shall be governed by an Election Code, which shall regulate the electoral process, as well as any limits on funding, advertising, and other electoral concerns.

Section 5: The Election Committee shall have the power to propose amendments to the Election Code, to be ratified by the General Assembly. Until the Committee elects to propose any amendments, the Election Code shall consist of Articles V and VII of the former Student Bar Association of Chicago-Kent College of Law bylaws, as amended on April 28, 2008, so far as they do not conflict with these bylaws.

Section 6: Should the office of a Representative become vacant, the Secretary shall post a notice to either the affected constituency or the student body of the vacancy. That notice shall give a

deadline for any interested students in the affected constituency to submit a petition to fill the vacancy, signed by at least fifteen (15) students in that constituency. Should more than one person submit a petition to the Secretary prior to the deadline, the General Assembly shall elect, by majority vote, which person shall fill the vacancy.

Section 7: The term of all members and officers of the General Assembly shall begin on the second day of May after the election. Should the results of an election still be disputed at that time, the term of office shall begin as soon as the dispute is resolved.

ARTICLE IV: REMOVAL

Section 1: Any member or officer of the General Assembly may be removed from office. Any petition to remove a member from office must be submitted to the Board of Inquiry. Should the Board of Inquiry, by majority vote, forward the petition to the full General Assembly, the General Assembly may remove that member by a two-thirds (2/3) present vote. At least five (5) days must pass between the Board of Inquiry vote and the General Assembly vote, with notice of the pending removal given to all members of the Board of Inquiry.

(a) Anyone who is the subject of a removal proceeding shall not have a vote in their own removal proceeding in either the Board of Inquiry or the General Assembly.

Section 2: Members and officers of the General Assembly should only be removed for serious lapses of judgment; conduct unbecoming the General Assembly; or for being unable to fulfill the duties of a member of the General Assembly.

Section 3: Members and officers of the General Assembly may resign their office. Such resignation shall be effective upon written submission of their intent to the President. Should the President resign, a letter of intent must be submitted to both Vice-Presidents.

ARTICLE V: POWERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section 1: The General Assembly shall have the power and responsibility to:

(a) Officially represent the student body to both the Chicago-Kent College of Law administration and to the world at large;

(b) Formulate policies and positions of the Student Bar Association;

(c) Formulate its own rules of procedure;

(d) Pass resolutions to state the policies and positions of the Student Bar Association and the Student Body;

(e) Raise funds through student fees or other fundraising activities;

(f) Appropriate funds to both the Student Bar Association and to properly recognized student organizations;

(g) Make awards in recognition of merit;

(h) Encourage recognized student organizations to hold activities for the betterment of the students of Chicago-Kent College of Law;

(i) Participate in and cooperate with other organizations to help the students of Chicago-Kent College of Law;

(j) Participate in public relations for the benefit of the school, its students, and for the benefit of organizations with which the Student Bar Association may be affiliated;

(k) Recognize student organizations;

(l) Create committees to carry out the duties of the Student Bar Association; and

(m) Do any other acts necessary and proper to the implementation of these bylaws or for the betterment of the students of the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Section 2: By a 2/3 vote of those present, the General Assembly may designate that any resolution passed by the Board is speaking with “the Voice of the Student Body.” Should any resolution be passed without the requisite 2/3, but with more than a majority vote, the resolution shall be deemed passed, but any clauses referring to the “the Voice of the Student Body” shall be eliminated from the final resolution.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS

Section 1: The President shall:

(a) Be the presiding officer of the General Assembly at its meetings.

(b) Have a vote at a meeting of the General Assembly only for the purpose of breaking a tie.

(c) Personally represent the Student Bar Association when the President meets with others on official Student Bar Association business.

(d) Report to the student body regarding matters brought to the General Assembly. This may be done by means he or she feels appropriate, including but not limited to the Chicago-Kent Record, the Chicago-Kent listserv, or the Chicago-Kent Commentator.

(e) With the Vice-Presidents, appoint Chairpersons to standing committees, with the advice and consent of two-thirds (2/3) present of the General Assembly. However, the Vice-Presidents shall be Co-Chairpersons of the Law Week Committee, the representative from the American Bar Association shall be the Chairperson of the American Bar Association/Law Student Division Committee, and the Treasurer shall be the Chairperson of the Finance Committee.

(f) Have the power to establish ad hoc committees, and to appoint the chairpersons of those committees, with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly.

(g) With the Vice-Presidents, appoint members to committees, with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly. Care should be taken to ensure that all members of the General Assembly are serving on committees equally, and that both day and evening students be represented as much as possible in each committee.

(h) Be the student’s representative during meetings of the Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty, and shall control the vote in those meetings. In the event that the President cannot attend a faculty meeting, the President shall designate a Vice-President to attend. In the event that neither the President nor Vice-Presidents can attend a faculty meeting, the President shall designate a member of the General Assembly to attend the meeting as the student’s representative. Whoever attends

the faculty meeting shall report the results of the meeting to the General Assembly at the next meeting.

(i) Report any and all activities undertaken in her or her capacity as President to the General Assembly at the next meeting.

(j) Be an ex officio member of all committees except the Board of Inquiry.

Section 2: Should the office of the President become vacant, the General Assembly shall elect, by majority vote, which of the Vice-Presidents shall assume the office of President.

Section 3: Vice-President Day Division and Vice President Evening Division

(a) In the absence of the President to preside over a meeting of the General Assembly, the Vice-President Day Division shall preside over the meeting. In the absence of the Vice-President Evening Division shall preside. While presiding, the Chair shall only have a vote in the event of a tie.

(b) The Vice-Presidents shall co-chair the Law Week Committee. The Vice-Presidents shall be ex officio members of all other committees except the Board of Inquiry.

(c) The Vice-Presidents shall report any and all activities undertaken in their capacities as Vice-Presidents to the General Assembly at the next meeting.

Section 4: The Secretary shall:

(a) Maintain the minutes and records of all meetings of the General Assembly. These records shall include attendance records of each meeting, as well as the substance of any debate during the meetings, and any positions taken by particular representatives. The Secretary shall release the minutes of the previous General Assembly meeting at least 24 hours prior to the next meeting.

(b) Maintain records and other reports from each committee as practicable, except that the Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining financial records.

(c) Record the votes of each member in all roll call votes of the General Assembly. The Secretary shall record the number of “ayes” and “nays” in any division of the General Assembly. These records shall be included in the minutes of that meeting.

(d) Be responsible for maintaining the website of the Student Bar Association, and shall also be responsible for publishing announcements from the General Assembly and its members, as well as a weekly calendar of events.

(e) Release to any interested party the records or minutes that the Secretary has in his or her possession upon request. The Secretary shall not endeavor to hide any records or minutes from the student body.

(f) Be responsible for conveying any resolutions passed by the General Assembly to the appropriate party as designated by the General Assembly. Resolutions should be conveyed by non-electronic means when possible.

(g) Be responsible for ensuring quorum is present at each meeting.

Section 5: The Treasurer shall:

(a) Chair the Finance Committee.

(b) Maintain financial records of the Student Bar Association, including all money raised and appropriated. The Treasurer shall also maintain the official budget of the Student Bar Association.

(c) Submit the final budget approved by the General Assembly to the Chicago-Kent Law School Finance Office.

(d) Be prepared to announce the current financial status of the Student Bar Association upon request at any meeting of the General Assembly.

(e) In conjunction with the Finance Committee, develop the semester budget of the Student Bar Association according to the Financial Code. The budget shall only be effective upon approval by the General Assembly.

(f) Not approve of any disbursement of Student Bar Association funding beyond any funds approved through the budgeting process.

(g) Comply with and enforce the Financial Code of the Student Bar Association.

(h) Report any and all activities undertaken in his or her capacity as Treasurer to the General Assembly at the next meeting.

(i) Be responsible for ensuring that a current copy of the Financial Code is available on the Student Bar Association website, and available to any interested parties.

(j) Not be an officer of any recognized student organization that receives funding from the Student Bar Association.

Section 6: Should the office of any officer other than President become vacant, the General Assembly shall elect, by majority vote, a replacement from the current membership of the General Assembly.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1: The General Assembly shall meet at least once every month during the fall and spring semesters. The Secretary shall publish the regular meeting schedule of the General Assembly within three (3) weeks of the start of the Semester.

(a) The schedule for regular meetings of the General Assembly for the year shall be set at the first meeting of the academic year.

(b) The President-elect shall call a meeting of the newly elected General Assembly after the announcement of election results, but before the reading period of the Spring semester. The outgoing officers shall attend this meeting to ensure a smooth transition of power.

Section 2: Special meetings may also be called. Such meetings are to have a specific topic to deal with.

(a) The President may call a special meeting by giving at least two (2) school days’ notice to all members of the General Assembly.

(b) The members of the General Assembly may also call a meeting once a member presents a petition to the President signed by at least one-fifth (1/5) of the active membership of the General Assembly. The President shall call a meeting of the General Assembly within a week of being presented with a petition.

(c) In either case, the Secretary shall inform the student body of the special meeting as soon as practicable.

Section 3: The President and Secretary shall be responsible for creating an agenda for each meeting of the General Assembly. This agenda shall be released to the General Assembly at least two (2) days prior to all scheduled meetings of the General Assembly. An agenda for a special meeting must be released as soon as possible prior to the meeting.

(a) Prior to forming an agenda, the President shall solicit members of the General Assembly for motions or resolutions to be considered during the next meeting of the General Assembly. Members of the General Assembly wishing to have an item considered by the Board should submit the substance of the resolution to either the President or the Secretary for inclusion on the agenda at least three (3) days prior to the next scheduled General Assembly meeting. Neither the President nor the Secretary may reject a properly submitted resolution and may, on their discretion, accept a matter for debate even after the deadline.

(b) The General Assembly may modify the agenda as set by the President or the Secretary. Any modifications to the agenda must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) present of the present members of the General Assembly.

Section 4: Proxy votes shall not be allowed.

Section 5: A quorum shall consist of a majority of the active members of the General Assembly, except for meetings approving the semester budget of the Student Bar Association or when amendments to these bylaws are being considered.

(a) Any vacancies on the General Assembly shall not be considered in calculating quorum.

Section 6: All members of the General Assembly are required to attend every meeting, or provide a reason for an excused absence to the Secretary.

(a) An absence will be found excused if a reasonable person would conclude that the choice to not attend was reasonable. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, family emergencies, the member being out of town, an illness.

(b) The Secretary shall announce at the appropriate meeting of the General Assembly when he or she deems an excuse to not be excused.

(c) If the Secretary deems that an excuse is not reasonable, the Secretary’s decision may be reversed by majority vote of the General Assembly.

(d) The Secretary shall maintain records of all absences, and whether they were excused or not.

(e) Should a member of the General Assembly have more than two (2) absences per school year, the Chairperson of the Board of Inquiry may, at his discretion, institute removal proceedings against that member pursuant to Article IV.

Section 7: All members of the General Assembly shall have the right to be heard on any topic at least twice.

(a) The Chairperson of the General Assembly shall grant speaking rights to any member of the Chicago-Kent Student Bar Association who wishes to be heard. Such a member shall have the speaking rights of any member of the General Assembly, but shall not have a vote.

(b) The Chairperson of the General Assembly may, at his or her discretion, grant speaking rights to any other person present for a meeting of the General Assembly. The General Assembly may also grant speaking rights to any person at a meeting by a one-third (1/3) vote. Such a speaker shall have the speaking rights of any member of the General Assembly, but shall not have a vote.

(c) The General Assembly may, by majority vote, limit the amount of time that any person has to speak on a topic, except that they may not limit speaking time to less than two (2) minutes.

(i) This provision shall not interfere with the right of the General Assembly to motion for Previous Question pursuant to a two-thirds (2/3) present majority.

Section 8: The General Assembly may, from time to time, hold meetings or votes by electronic methods. Such electronic meetings shall be called pursuant to Section 2 of this Article. Any meetings held through electronic means must be real-time. All notice and quorum requirements shall apply to electronic meetings and voting.

(a) The President may, from time to time, ask the General Assembly to ratify executive orders by electronic means. In such cases the President shall encourage debate over electronic means as much as possible.

(b) The President shall call all votes by electronic means. Such a call shall fully explain the purpose of the vote, as well as the reasoning for voting via electronic means. Members of the General Assembly may submit resolutions to be called by the President.

(c) The President shall not open the vote to the General Assembly until at least forty-eight (48) hours after announcing the call.

(d) Should a vote taken via electronic means not attract a quorum of members of the General Assembly, that vote shall not be considered binding or valid.

Section 9: The President of the General Assembly shall chair all meetings of the General Assembly when he is present.

(a) Should the President not be present at a meeting of the General Assembly, the Vice-President Day Division shall act as Presiding Officer. If neither the President or Vice-President Day Division are present to chair a meeting, than the Vice-President Evening Division shall act as Presiding Officer. If none of these officers are present, the General Assembly shall elect a Presiding Officer by majority vote.

(b) The Presiding Officer of the General Assembly shall only vote in the event of a tie.

(c) The Presiding Officer shall not participate in debate on any topic. Should the Presiding Officer wish to participate in a debate, the Presiding Officer shall appoint a Presiding Officer pro tempore to preside over the General Assembly for the duration of debate on that topic.

Section 10: Appropriations of the Student Bar Association shall be approved by majority vote of the General Assembly.

Section 11: Appropriations of the Student Bar Association shall be governed by the Financial Code, which shall explain and codify the appropriations process for the Student Bar Association, including funding for Student Bar Association activities as well as funding for other recognized student organizations.

ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1: The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the General Assembly.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall have the power to issue executive orders to conduct business on behalf of the General Assembly except as provided in these bylaws, as long as these bylaws do not require more than a majority vote by the General Assembly.

(a) The Executive Board may only approve appropriations from the Student Bar Association in cases where time does not allow for full approval of the General Assembly.

(b) Abuse of the appropriation authority of the General Assembly shall be sufficient to trigger an investigation of the Executive Board by the Board of Inquiry.

(c) Executive orders may not be used to pass a full semester budget.

Section 3: The Executive Board may only issue executive orders after written approval by a majority of the Executive Board. Written approval may be via either signature or electronic means.

Section 4: The Executive Board must immediately notify the General Assembly of any executive orders. The General Assembly must ratify all executive orders at their next meeting, or through electronic ratification prior to the next scheduled meeting. Any executive orders not ratified by the General Assembly shall be revoked as much as practicable.

ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES

Section 1: Unless specified otherwise in this Article, all committees shall be composed of at least five (5) members of the General Assembly, including the Chairperson. At the discretion of the Chairperson of the committee, two students at large may also be selected to serve on the committee.

Section 2: There shall be the following standing committees:

(a) Finance Committee

(i) The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.

(ii) The Committee shall be composed of seven (7) members of the General Assembly. The Treasurer must select two (2) students at large to serve on the committee as well.

(iii) No members of the Finance Committee shall be an officer in any recognized student organization.

(iv) Any amendments to the Student Bar Association Financial Code must be considered by the Finance Committee before final adoption by the General Assembly. Both this committee and individual members of the General

Assembly may propose amendments to the Financial Code. The Finance Committee must consider all amendments to the Financial Code before the General Assembly may consider the amendments.

(v) The Finance Committee shall be responsible for drawing up a proposed budget for the Student Bar Association every semester pursuant to the Financial Code, as well as any subsequent appropriations. The General Assembly shall have final approval of all appropriations pursuant to Article VII, Section 10.

(b) Bylaws Committee

(i) The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for reviewing these bylaws on an annual basis and recommending changes to these bylaws as necessary.

(ii) Any amendments to these bylaws must be considered by the Bylaws Committee before final adoption by the General Assembly. Both this committee and individual members of the General Assembly may propose amendments to these bylaws. The Bylaws Committee must consider all amendments to these bylaws before the General Assembly may consider the amendments.

(iii) The General Assembly may refer questions of interpretation of these bylaws to the Bylaws Committee. If a question is referred to the committee, the committee shall meet before the next meeting of the General Assembly to consider the question.

(A) The Committee shall decide the question by majority rule.

(B) The General Assembly may reject the conclusion of the Bylaws Committee by majority vote.

(iv) The Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee shall act as parliamentarian for the General Assembly. It shall be the Chairperson’s responsibility to inform the General Assembly of any actions which may violate these bylaws or the parliamentary authority of the General Assembly. While acting in the role of parliamentarian, the chairperson should strive to rely solely on these bylaws and the parliamentary authority in reaching a conclusion, and should be as impartial as possible in reaching a decision.

(v) The Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that an updated copy of these bylaws is available on the Student Bar Association website, to all members of the General Assembly, and to any interested parties.

(vi) As much as practicable, the Committee shall be responsible for keeping records of past governing documents of the Student Bar Association.

(c) Election Committee

(i) The Election Committee shall conduct, supervise, and certify all elections and referenda of the Student Bar Association.

(ii) The Election Committee shall be responsible for communicating the results of the election to all candidates and the General Assembly

(iii) Any amendments to the Election Code must be considered by the Election Committee before final adoption by the General Assembly. Both this committee and individual members of the General Assembly may propose amendments to the Election Code.

(iv) In order to ensure a smooth running to the 1L Elections in the fall, the incoming Officers shall appoint a chairperson to the Election Committee as soon as practicable, preferably before the final meeting of the spring semester.

(v) The Chairperson of the Election Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that an updated copy of the Election Code is available on the Student Bar Association website, and that a copy of the Election Code is distributed to all prospective candidates for office.

(d) Board of Inquiry

(i) No officer may be a member of the Board of Inquiry.

(ii) The President shall only nominate a chairperson of the Board of Inquiry at the beginning of the school year. He shall not nominate other members of the Board of Inquiry.

(iii) All allegations concerning members of the General Assembly shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Inquiry in writing, along with any information, documentation, and list of witnesses that will help the committee reach a just recommendation.

(A) Should the Chairperson of the Board of Inquiry be the subject of the allegations, the information should be submitted to the President, and the President shall appoint a new chairperson of the committee as soon as practicable.

(iv) Upon receipt of allegations, the Chairperson shall inform the General Assembly of the charges prior to the next general meeting. At the next meeting of the General Assembly, each class, consisting of 1L, 2L, 3L, and Evening students, shall nominate and appoint one (1) member of the respective classes of the Board of Inquiry to investigate the charges. The Chairperson cannot be appointed as a class representative. The accused member(s) shall not have any part in the appointment process.

(v) The Chairperson shall inform the accused member(s) of the allegations within three (3) days of receiving the allegations and ask the accused to submit any information, documentation, and list of witnesses that will help the committee reach a just recommendation.

(vi) The Chairperson shall convene a meeting of the Board of Inquiry as soon as possible after receiving information from both the accusing party and the accused party. The accused member must be given at least three (3) days to respond to any allegations before the Board of Inquiry is convened to consider evidence.

(vii) Both parties shall be allowed, but not required, to present testimony to the Board of Inquiry before the committee deliberates.

(viii) The Board of Inquiry may forward accusations to the full General Assembly, pursuant to Article IV, only upon a majority vote. The Committee may also dismiss any and all allegations as groundless.

(ix) If the Board of Inquiry finds sufficient evidence to establish guilt, the Board of Inquiry shall forward all information to the full General Assembly for consideration and action. If the Board of Inquiry finds insufficient evidence, the accusing party may, at his or her discretion,

appeal to the General Assembly. If the Board of Inquiry’s decision is so appealed, the Chairperson shall turn all evidence and information gathered in the investigation over to the members of the General Assembly.

(x) The Board of Inquiry may also recommend punishments other than removal, such as censure.

(e) Social Committee

(i) The Social Committee shall be responsible for organizing at least one (1) social event per semester for the members of the Student Bar Association.

(ii) Attempts should be made by the Committee to accommodate members in both the Day and Evening Divisions when organizing events.

(f) Law Week Committee

(i) The Law Week Committee shall plan and supervise the annual Law Week Program.

(ii) The Vice-Presidents shall co-chair this Committee.

(g) Barristers Ball Committee

(i) The Barristers Ball Committee shall be responsible for all planning and, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, the financing of the annual Barrister’s Ball.

(h) Curriculum Committee

(i) The Curriculum Committee shall be responsible for ensuring the quality of the academic programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law, as well as any student concerns with academic programs. This Committee shall also be responsible for scheduling issues of classes or finals.

(i) American Bar Association/Law Student Division Committee

(i) The American Bar Association/Law Student Division Committee shall be responsible for acting as a liaison between the students of Chicago-Kent College of Law and the American Bar Association.

(ii) The American Bar Association/Law Student Division Representative shall chair this committee.

(j) Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT Relations Committee

(i) The Relations Committee shall facilitate communications between students and administrators at Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Illinois Institute of Technology.

(ii) The Relations Committee shall ensure that all members of the Student Bar Association are aware of all the rights, privileges, and benefits to which they are entitled as IIT students.

(k) Technology Committee

(i) The Technology Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that Chicago-Kent College of Law meets the technological needs of its students.

(l) Bar and Gavel Society Committee

(i) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee shall be responsible for recommending students for entry into the Bar and Gavel Society.

(ii) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee need not be appointed until spring semester.

(iii) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee shall consist of at least three (3) people, none of whom may be candidates for the award. The Chairperson of the Committee shall be a member of the General Assembly, but shall have no vote in committee deliberations except in cases of a tie. A faculty adviser shall serve in an ex officio capacity.

(iv) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee shall seek nominations for the award from the Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty, administration, student organizations, and general student body. Nominations shall consist of a letter to the Chairperson stating the reasons for the nomination, specifically referring to the candidate’s law school activities, outside legal activities, and service.

(v) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee may request a resume from each person nominated.

(vi) The Bar and Gavel Society Committee shall issue recommendations to the General Assembly prior to the General Assembly’s last scheduled meeting.

Section 3: Unless otherwise specified in this Article, the President shall, with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly, appoint the members to all standing and ad hoc committees of the Student Bar Association. Standing committee appointments shall be made prior to the second general meeting of the General Assembly of any year.

Section 4: Assignments to all committees shall be valid until the end of the current term unless otherwise specified.

Section 5: The President shall, with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly, appoint the student members of all faculty committees where the students have a seat. At least one student seat on each faculty committee shall be reserved for members of the General Assembly.

Section 6: The President may create ad hoc committees to deal with specific issues with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly. The General Assembly may also create an ad hoc committee by resolution. Such committees shall terminate, at the latest, by the end of the current term of the General Assembly.

Section 7: The General Assembly may refer any matter to either an appropriate standing committee or an ad hoc committee by majority vote. If a matter is referred to a committee, that committee shall meet before the next scheduled meeting of the General Assembly to consider the issue so referred and, if necessary, create and implement a plan of action to resolve the issue or propose action by the General Assembly.

ARTICLE X: REFERENDA

Section 1: Either the General Assembly or members of the Student Bar Association may call for a question to be submitted to the membership of the Student Bar Association through referendum. A majority of votes cast in favor of an issue presented through referendum shall be

presumed to show affirmative support for the issue and shall be binding upon the General Assembly.

Section 2: The General Assembly may, by majority vote, submit a question for referendum if the motion is passed by the General Assembly at least one (1) week prior to the election.

Section 3: Any member of the Student Bar Association may petition the General Assembly to include a referendum on the next ballot. A petition for referendum must include signatures from at least 10% of the membership of the Student Bar Association, and must be presented to the President at least one (1) week prior to the election.

Section 4: Any referendum properly and timely introduced to the President shall be included on the next scheduled election for the Student Bar Association. Notice of the proposed referendum shall be communicated to the student body through either website notice or through electronic methods.

ARTICLE XI: STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1: The General Assembly shall have the power to recognize student organizations at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Section 2: Only student organizations recognized by the General Assembly may receive funding from the Student Bar Association.

Section 3: In order to be recognized, student organizations must submit an application to the President or Secretary, including:

(a) A brief description of the organization, including its official name, purpose, and benefit to the Chicago-Kent community.

(b) A constitution or bylaws ratified by its membership to govern the organization;

(c) A list of proposed elected officers; and

(d) A faculty advisor.

Section 4: Upon receiving a completed application, the President or Secretary must present all documents to the General Assembly for a vote.

Section 5: Student organizations shall only be deemed recognized by the Student Bar Association after the General Assembly approves an application by majority vote.

Section 6: The General Assembly may revoke its recognition by a two-thirds (2/3) present vote. Any student organization with its recognition revoked must wait one (1) academic year before applying for recognition again.

Section 7: Any recognized student organization shall be deemed dormant if they fail to apply for funding for one (1) academic year. Dormant organizations must submit a new application to be eligible for funding from the Student Bar Association.

ARTICLE XII: AWARDS

Section 1: Bar and Gavel Society.

(a) Membership in the Society shall be by way of an award, presented to a maximum of twelve (12) graduating seniors (generally, three (3) graduating in the winter class and nine (9) graduating spring or summer classes) who distinguished themselves by outstanding service to their fellow students, their school, and their community. The Society places emphasis on rewarding unrecognized service. Some factors to be considered are:

(i) To what extent is the student personally committed to the particular service (i.e. the amount and quality of time devoted to service, as measured by the student’s other obligations and commitments)?

(ii) Is the student receiving some other form of recognition for such service (i.e. Law Review or Moot Court service is beneficial to others; however, these services provide their own rewards)?

(iii) To what extent is this person motivated to such service beyond any obligation to perform the service?

(iv) What effect do these services have on the reputation of Chicago-Kent College of Law?

(b) After receiving recommendations from the Bar and Gavel Society Committee pursuant to Article IX, Section 2(l), the General Assembly shall consider the recommendations of the committee. If members of the General Assembly are among the possible candidates, they shall not be present. The General Assembly may accept the Bar and Gavel Society Committee’s recommendation by majority vote. If the recommendation of the committee is not accepted,then the candidates shall be ranked by each member and a composite score computed. Vacancies for the Society will be filled by descending order.

(c) The Award shall be presented either at Law Week or at the student’s graduation ceremony. The recipient need not be present to receive the award.

(d) The award shall consist of a hand-lettered certificate and an individual plaque.

Section 2: Professor Brill Award.

(a) The award will be officially known as the “Ralph L. Brill Award”. It will be given to a qualified person in recognition of their Long-term Dedication to the students of Chicago-Kent College of Law.

(b) To be qualified for the Brill Award, a nominee must:

(i) Be a present member of the Faculty, Administration, or Alumni;

(ii) For at least ten (10) years; and

(iii) Has, for that period of time, shown dedication and devotion beyond their normal duties to help students fulfill their academic and/or school related social needs.

(c) Any member of the General Assembly may nominate a qualified person for the award, but the President must approve any nominations, with the advice and consent of a majority of the General Assembly. There need not be a nominee in any particular year.

(d) The award shall be presented during Law Week.

ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the General Assembly in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the General Assembly may adopt.

ARTICLE XIV: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Section 1: Any amendments to these bylaws must first be considered by the Bylaws Committee pursuant to Article IX, Section 2(b). Amendments submitted to the Bylaws Committee must be submitted in writing. Should the proposal not come from a member of the Bylaws Committee, the author of the amendment shall be invited to attend the Bylaws Committee’s consideration of the amendment, though the author shall not have a vote in the Bylaws Committee unless already a member of the Committee.

Section 2: Once the Bylaws Committee has sent its recommendation to the General Assembly, the President shall present the text of the Amendment, as well as any recommendations from the Bylaws Committee, to the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall not vote on the proposed amendment at that meeting of the first reading.

Section 3: The Secretary shall announce the proposed amendment to the student body for comment within a week of the first reading to the General Assembly. Announcement may be made by electronic means including, but not limited to, Kentnet or the Chicago-Kent Record. Members of the Student Bar Association should be invited to comment on the proposed amendments, either in person at the General Assembly meeting or through electronic methods to either the President or Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee.

Section 4: The General Assembly shall consider the proposed amendment for second reading after the student body has had at least two (2) weeks to comment on the proposal.

Section 5: Any amendments to these bylaws must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) present of the General Assembly.