American Constitution Society
of the William S. Boyd School of Law
Article I
This organization shall be known as "The William S. Boyd School of Law Student Chapter of The American Constitution Society".
Article II
Statement of Purpose
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy is a group of students who believe deeply in the importance of law as the mechanism that governs the relationships between and among the individuals and institutions that form our society. 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 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 William S. Boyd School of Law students, faculty and staff.
Article IV
The American Constitution Society officers 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 William S. Boyd School 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, facilitates 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, ensure that all student member views and suggestions are adequately considered and shall serve as a liaison between the Society, the William S. Boyd School of Law Student Bar Association and the William S. Boyd School of Law Administration. The President shall have the power to appoint qualified student members to officer positions that become vacant, due to a student member resigning or being removed from such a position, during the course of an academic year.
Vice-President: The Vice-President shall call Society meetings in the President’s absence and coordinate the activities of the chairpersons and will be responsible for notifying members of meetings.
Secretary: The Secretary shall compile and maintain the minutes of meetings, will keep the records of the society in an organized manner.
Membership Chairperson: The Membership Chairperson shall keep a current list of members and will ensure that necessary record keeping for the National American Constitution Society is kept current.
Fundraising Chairperson: The Fundraising Chairperson shall organize fundraising activities and shall head any necessary fundraising committees.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the financial accounts and financial records of the Society submit the Society’s financial reports and proposed budgets to the Student Bar Association according to SBA guidelines.
Speaker Programs Chairperson: The Speaker Program Chairperson shall lead the Speaker Program Committee, which shall plan and organize events that involve guest speakers.
Substantive Programs Chairperson: The Substantive Programs Chairperson shall lead Substantive Programs Committee, which will plan and organize Substantive Programs.
Media Chairperson: The Media Chairperson shall lead the Advertising Committee. The Advertising committee shall be responsible for advertising society events, membership drives and will also be responsible for maintaining web-based advertising.
Article V
The American Constitution Society officers shall be appointed by a majority of votes cast in a silent annual election. A student member must be nominated for an officer position and the nomination must have a second for such a student member to be placed on the ballot. All student members, whose membership dues are currently paid at the time of the annual election, shall be eligible to vote in the annual election. The annual election will be held during the Spring Semester of each academic year and will take place on the first Monday of April.
Article VI
Officers may be removed for good cause by a two-thirds vote of the complete student membership of the American Constitution Society of the William S. Boyd School of Law. Good cause for removal includes, but is not limited to, failure to fulfill the duties assigned to the officer subject to removal and misappropriation of American Constitution Society resources. Disagreement over topic or content of projects and personal viewpoints will not be good cause for removal from office.
Article VII
Governance of Projects
Student members, who wish to put forth ideas or suggestions for American Constitution Society projects, either written or substantive, shall submit such ideas or suggestions to the President. The President will then submit such ideas or suggestions to the membership at the earliest possible membership meeting. After group discussion of such ideas or suggestions the membership shall decide, by a majority vote, whether or not the group is to engage in such projects.
Article VIII
Amendments to this constitution shall be adopted by two-thirds vote of all current student members.
Article IX
This Organization shall be governed by this Constitution, any bylaws that this Organization may later adopt, and by the rules and regulations of the William S. Boyd School of Law.
Amendment I
Membership Meetings
The leadership of this organization shall make its best effort to hold regular membership meetings. The leadership will also make its best effort to ensure that membership meetings are held at a time convenient the entire William S. Boyd School of Law student body.
Amendment II
Membership Dues
Student members will assist the funding of this organization by paying annual membership dues. The amount of the membership dues shall be reasonable and will be determined on an annual basis by this organization’s officers.
 Back To Student Organizations List
|
