Notre Dame Law School Moot Court Board Bylaws

Transcription

1 Notre Dame Law School Moot Court Board Bylaws Article I: Official Name The name of this organization shall be the Notre Dame Law School Moot Court Board (the Board ). Article II: Objectives and Purposes Section 1. The Board is a student organization whose objectives are to facilitate the development of appellate advocacy skills. To accomplish this mission, the Board is authorized to take any means necessary within the constraint of the law, professionalism, ethics, and the Notre Dame Law School Hoynes Code. Section 2. The Board shall strive to fulfill its duty by the administration of any Moot Court competitions held at Notre Dame Law School, by assisting the faculty in the instruction of oral advocacy when required, and by conducting activities that highlight appellate advocacy. Article III: Duties of Board Members Section 1. Individual Board members shall assist in fulfilling the Board s objective in the following manner: a. Serving as judges during competitions; b. Assisting in selecting and preparing problems if required; c. Aiding the faculty in the instruction of oral advocacy; and d. Any other duties imposed by the Board President, Board faculty advisor, or any other faculty or administrator of Notre Dame Law School. Section 2. All Board members shall also assist in the administration of Moot Court Competitions if required. Section 3. The duties of each Board member shall also include: a. Attending all Board meetings; b. Serving as an attorney participant or brief-writer in at least one (1) external or intrastate appellate competition team ( oral advocacy competition team ) sponsored by the Board and/or Notre Dame Law School during the students 3L year; c. Serving on committees as assigned; d. Cataloging and transferring any materials gathered in competition, along with a brief report containing any information and knowledge gathered, to the 1L Tournament Chair; e. New Board members attending an annual orientation designed to acclimate those members to the duties, requirements and expectations membership; f. Assisting in the administration of the Religious Freedom Tournament as directed by the Religious Freedom Tournament Director and the President; and g. Any other duties assigned by any member of the President, the Board s faculty advisor, and/or the administrators of Notre Dame Law School. Section 4. At all times, Board members must remember they represent Notre Dame Law School, and their conduct and performance reflects on Notre Dame Law School. Board Members prejudice their peers when they perform or turn in substandard work. Board members are expected to conduct themselves and perform in a professional manner.

2 Article IV: Officers and Executive Committee Section 1. The officers of the executive committee shall be as follows: a. President; b. Vice President; c. 1L Tournament Chair; d. 2L Brief Writer Selection Chair; e. 2L Oralist Selection Chair; f. Religious Freedom Tournament Director; g. Treasurer; h. Showcase Teams Representative; i. ABA Competition Representative; j. 7th Circuit Representative; k. Jessup International Competition Representative; l. Intellectual Property Team Representative. Section 2. Officers shall fulfill the duties of Board members as well as those of their respective offices. Section 3. All newly-elected officers shall also attend an annual strategic planning session at a time and location designated by the newly-elected Executive Committee. Section 4. The duties of the President shall include: a. Presiding over all meetings of the Board and the Executive Committee; b. Acting as principal liaison between the Board and the faculty and administration of Notre Dame Law School, the Board and the alumni of Notre Dame Law School, and the Board and greater legal community of Notre Dame Law School; c. Mentoring 2L Board members; d. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for providing amenities for all visiting jurists and other guests as part of Board-sponsored activities; e. Ensuring all members of the Executive Committee successfully fulfill the duties of their respective offices; f. Principal responsibility for coordinating and transmitting all Board correspondence; g. Principal responsibility for maintaining all Board data files and a record of all Board communications; h. Principal responsibility for supervising and executing all Board technology initiatives including, but not limited to, the maintenance of the Board s webpage on the Notre Dame Law School website, usage of all Notre Dame Law School technology, electronic recording of Board activities, and any other Board technology initiatives; i. Appointing ad hoc committees as needed; j. Principal responsibility in the oversight of the 1L Moot Court Competition and the Selection of Members to the Board;

3 k. Principal responsibility for communicating with all prospective Board members during the 1L Moot Court Tournament and the selection process; and l. Any other duties as requested or required by the Board s faculty advisor or administration. Section 5. The duties of the Vice President shall include: a. Principal responsibility for gathering and compiling all materials received as part of the 1L Moot Court Competition; b. Principal responsibility for organizing any meeting necessary for the selection of new members; c. Principal responsibility for presiding over any meeting necessary for the selection of new members; d. Principal responsibility for communicating with all prospective Board members during the 2L Selection Competition; e. Principal oversight of the 2L Brief Writer Selection Chair and the 2L Oralist Selection Chair; f. Maintaining and organizing the Moot Court Board Office; g. Sending the Moot Court Board Newsletter; and h. Any other duties as requested or required by the President, Board s faculty advisor, or administration. Section 6. The duties of the 1L Tournament Chair shall include: a. Principal responsibility in the organization and administration of the spring semester 1L Moot Court Competition; b. Principal responsibility in propagating rules, regulations and standards to govern the 1L Moot Court Competition; c. Principal responsibility for obtaining judges for the 1L Moot Court Competition; d. Any other duties as requested or required by the President, Vice President, Board s faculty advisor, or administration. Section 7. The duties of the 2L Brief Writer Selection Chair shall include: a. Reading and scoring all briefs of applicants to the Board as brief writers; and b. Any other duties as requested or required by the President, Vice President, Board s faculty advisor or administration. Section 8. The duties of the 2L Oralist Selection Chair shall include: a. Reviewing and organizing all scores of oralist applicants to the Board; and b. Any other duties as requested or required by the President, Vice President, Board s faculty advisor or administration. Section 9. The duties of the Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall include: a. Planning, coordinating, and executing a Religious Freedom Tournament pursuant to Article XIII, infra;

4 b. Working with school administration to coordinate the date of the Religious Freedom Tournament, room reservations, and the like; c. Working with Debbie Sumption or her successor to secure lodging and other accommodations for dignitaries visiting the Law School for the Religious Freedom Tournament; d. Establishing Religious Freedom Tournament Committee Chairs and appointing Board members to these positions as necessary; e. In conjunction with the Treasurer and Debbie Sumption or her successor, managing the bank account, ensuring all funds are deposited, and responsibly spending funds for Religious Freedom Tournament purposes; f. Training the subsequent Religious Freedom Tournament Director; and g. Ensuring the longevity of the Religious Freedom Tournament through training, diligent record keeping, thriftiness, and building and maintaining Board relationships both nationally and within the school administration. Section 10. The duties of the Treasurer shall include: a. Maintaining the bank account in accordance with Article XIII, infra, University regulation, and the law; b. Keeping detailed records and budgets relating to all Board functions; c. Assisting the Religious Freedom Tournament Director with Religious Freedom Tournament budgeting and record keeping; and d. Working closely with Debbie Sumption or her successor in order to ensure compliance with University regulation. Section 11. The duties of the Showcase Representative shall include: a. Principal responsibility for reporting to the President and Board s faculty advisor regarding all deadlines and responsibilities of the Showcase teams; b. Primary responsibility to ensure Showcase teams meet all deadlines; c. Coordinating with Notre Dame Law School Administration regarding the Showcase teams performance in the Showcase Arguments; and d. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for seeing that all accommodations and logistics are managed for the teams, when they compete, with the assistance of the Moot Court Board faculty advisor, and Debbie Sumption or her successor, as appointed by the Dean. Section 12. The duties of the ABA competition Representative shall include: a. Principal responsibility for reporting to the President and Board s faculty advisor regarding all deadlines and responsibilities of the ABA competition teams; b. Primary responsibility to ensure ABA competition teams meet all deadlines; and c. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for seeing that all accommodations and logistics are managed for the teams, when they compete, with the assistance of the Moot Court Board faculty advisor and Debbie Sumption or her successor, as appointed by the Dean.

5 Section 13. The duties of the 7th Circuit Representative shall include: a. Principal responsibility for reporting to the President and Board s faculty advisor regarding all deadlines and responsibilities of the 7th Circuit members; b. Primary responsibility to ensure 7th Circuit members meet all deadlines; and c. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for seeing that all accommodations and logistics are managed for the members, when they complete their arguments, with the assistance of the Moot Court Board faculty advisor and Debbie Sumption or her successor, as appointed by the Dean. Section 14. The duties of the Jessup International Competition Representative shall include: a. Principal responsibility for reporting to the President and Board s faculty advisor regarding all deadlines and responsibilities of the Jessup International Competition teams; b. Primary responsibility to ensure Jessup International Competition teams meet all deadlines; and c. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for seeing that all accommodations and logistics are managed for the teams, when they compete, with the assistance of the Moot Court Board faculty advisor and Debbie Sumption or her successor, as appointed by the Dean. Section 15. The duties of the Intellectual Property Team Representative shall include: a. Principal responsibility for reporting to the President and Board s faculty advisor regarding all deadlines and responsibilities of the Intellectual Property Team; b. Primary responsibility to ensure the Intellectual Property Team meets all deadlines; and c. Unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, principal responsibility for seeing that all accommodations and logistics are managed for the team, when it competes, with the assistance of the Moot Court Board faculty advisor and Debbie Sumption or her successor, as appointed by the Dean. Article V: Elections Section 1. Elections shall proceed as follows subject to the discretion of the Board President: a. Election for the President, followed by Vice President, 2L Oralist Selection Chair; 2L Brief Writer Selection Chair; 1L Tournament Chair; Treasurer; Showcase Representative; ABA Competition Representative; 7th Circuit Representative; Jessup International Competition Representative; Intellectual Property Team Representative. b. Each candidate shall have 5 minutes to speak about their plans for the position followed by 5 minutes of questions from the rest of the Board. After each candidate has had a chance to present/answer questions, the Board shall deliberate without candidates in the room. c. All deliberations shall be strictly confidential. d. The Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall not be elected.

6 Section 2. Each subsequent position will be elected by secret ballot. Second-year students may vote twice, while third-year members receive one vote. The current President of the Moot Court Board will act as Presiding Officer and will, with the help of the current leadership, count the ballots and determine the winner. A candidate needs the plurality of votes to be declared the winner. Section 3. Candidates are permitted to run for multiple positions and may hold multiple positions. However, the candidate may only hold one position from positions (a) through (g) of Article IV, Section 1, and one position from positions (h) through (l) in Article IV, Section 1. If a candidate is elected to an earlier position in (a) through (g) of Article IV, Section 1, his or her name will be removed from the ballot for subsequent elections. Article VI: Selection to the Board Section 1. Members shall be selected during the summer following their 1L year, commensurate with the journal selection timeline. Section 2. Members shall be selected by a Board Selection Committee comprised, at a minimum, of the President, Vice President, 2L Brief Writer Selection Chair, 2L Oralist Selection Chair, and Board s faculty advisor. Committee members are subject to Presidential appointment as specified in Article IV, section 4(i). The Vice President, President, and Board s faculty advisor have final say on who is or is not selected to the Board. Section 3. Criteria for oralist selection shall be as follows: a. A personal statement of three hundred words or less. b. All data compiled during the administration of the 1L tournament. No scores beyond the Elite Eight shall be considered. Such data includes, but is not limited to: i. The average of an individual s per-round-ranking, as determined on a scale of one through four. ii. iii. iv. The average of an individual s score on a scale determined by the Selection Committee, encompassing at least the following four categories: speaking ability, structure of argument, preparation and familiarity, and responses to questions. Subjective feedback provided by the judges during the administration of the tournament. Any other factors the Selection Committee deems relevant. c. Evaluation of video taped rounds released by individuals to the Selection Committee when available. Section 4. One individual, designated 1L Tournament Best Oralist shall be extended membership to the Board immediately following the conclusion of the 1L Tournament. Only the four finalists shall be eligible for consideration by the panel of five judges outlined in Article VII, Section 1(e). Section 5. Criteria for brief writer selection shall be as follows: a. A personal statement of three hundred words or less. b. A writing sample to be determined by the Selection Committee; absent intervention by the Selection Committee, the writing sample shall be the submission of an individual s 1L Writing Program brief. Each student will be given the opportunity to revise the brief before submitting it for consideration. Section 6. The Selection Committee shall internally select all rising members of the Board to the following teams during the fall of their second year. a. The Showcase Team four oralists, two brief writers.

7 b. ABA Team four oralists, two brief writers. c. 7th Circuit Team four members. d. Jessup International Team five members. e. Intellectual Property Team two oralists, one brief writer. Section 7. Each team of second-year students shall, following the internal selection specified in Section 6, be paired with their respective 3L counterparts to assist in preparation for competitions ( mentor/mentee ). Section 8. The provisions of Section 1 7 above are subject to addition and change at the joint discretion of the Board President and Vice President. Article VII: Administration of the 1L Tournament Section 1. The Board shall administer an annual tournament open to any interested firstyear student of Notre Dame Law School. All students who enter the tournament shall be subject to those terms and conditions specified by the Moot Court Board, which are as follows: a. Entry to the 1L Tournament is voluntary and extracurricular. It shall have no bearing on a student s academic affairs at Notre Dame Law School. b. Teams must be comprised of two first-year students who are both enrolled at Notre Dame Law School and who are in good standing with the Dean. It is the sole responsibility of prospective participants to form teams that meet the aforementioned requirements. c. The tournament prompt shall be determined jointly by the 1L Writing Program and the President. d. Each oralist shall be granted ten minutes per round during which they may present oral argument. Counsel for the petitioner shall be given the opportunity for rebuttal. e. Each oralist shall be granted fifteen minutes during the final round of the tournament during which they may present oral argument. Counsel for the petitioner shall be given the opportunity for rebuttal. The final round shall be judged by the Board President, President Elect, and a panel of three judges chosen by the President and 1L Tournament Chair. f. Each round shall be staffed by, at a minimum, a panel of two judges. Eligibility to judge a round of the tournament is at the joint discretion of the President and 1L Tournament Chair. g. All score sheets, video tapes, recordings, and subjective feedback maintained during the course of the tournament are the sole property of the Board and strictly confidential. Such materials are to be used exclusively in administration of the tournament, and sealed at the conclusion of each individual round. All deliberations involving judges and the Tournament Committee are subject to the same rules of confidentiality listed above. h. An individual student may, at the conclusion of the tournament, elect to release his or her own scoring materials to the Board Selection Committee for membership consideration. Such materials shall not be used in any manner other than those specified in Article VI. i. All appeals shall be submitted to the 1L Tournament Chair, in writing, within 15 minutes following the conclusion of the round in question. Once the appeal period has elapsed, the result of the round in question is final. Section 2. The terms and conditions of Section 1 are subject to addition and change at the sole discretion of the Board President.

8 Article VIII: Membership Section 1. The Board shall be comprised of thirty oralists and ten brief writers. Section 2. Members of the Board shall be students in good academic standing at Notre Dame Law School who have completed at least two semesters of law school and who have fulfilled the requirements of Board membership. Section 3. Members may resign from the Board at any time upon submission of written notice to the Executive Committee. Once such resignation is accepted, the former member may not be reconsidered for Board membership and shall receive no course credit for membership in that semester or any semester following. Section 4. An officer may resign from any office at any time upon submission of written notice to the President, or if the President is resigning, to the Vice President. Once such resignation is accepted, that Board member may not be considered for office again. Resignation from office is not a resignation from the Board. Article IX: Removal from Membership or Office Section 1. Causes for sanction from the Board shall include but are not limited to the following: a. Failure to complete satisfactory work necessary for course credit as a Board member; b. Violation of any procedural standards set forth herein; c. False accusation of another Board member of wrongdoing or violation of the Notre Dame Law School Honor Code; d. Breach of confidentiality during the pendency of an investigation or disciplinary hearing; e. Violation of the ethical standards set forth herein or by the Honor Code; or f. Excessive absenteeism from Board activities. Section 2. Regular and extraordinary meetings make up the necessary control and communication processes required for the Board s operation. All Board activities are to be attended. No more than three unexcused absences will be allowed. Upon a Board member s fourth unexcused absence, such member s course credit will automatically be revoked. Automatic revocation of course credit will be appealable only to the Board s faculty advisor. Section 3. Any complaint against any Board member is to be referred directly to the President or the Board s faculty advisor. Neither the President nor the Board s faculty advisor nor the reporting agent shall disclose the complaint to anyone. Any breach of the confidentiality by an officer may be considered a voluntary resignation of office after review of the Executive Committee. A breach of confidence by a Board member may be considered a voluntary resignation from the Board after review by the Executive Committee. Section 4. Upon receipt of a complaint, the President and Board s faculty advisor shall investigate the accusation. At the conclusion of the investigation, the President and Board s faculty advisor shall decide if the accusation warrants further action. Section 5. If the President and Board s faculty advisor find that the accused individual has demonstrated cause for sanction, the Board s faculty advisor may impose any of the following sanctions: a. Removal from the Board; b. Failure to earn the Moot Court credit; or c. Any other sanction the faculty advisor deems appropriate.

9 Section 6. An individual who is subject to sanctions under this Article shall have the right of appeal to the Dean of the Notre Dame Law School. Section 7. Proceedings to remove a member or officer under this Article shall be independent of, and in addition to, any disciplinary action taken by the Notre Dame Law School Honor Court. The person bringing the charges against a member of this Board shall make a previous separate accusation of the member to the Honor Court to instigate Honor Court proceedings. Article X: Proceedings Section 1. Unless specified elsewhere, Board action shall be taken by an affirmative vote of the majority of Board members present at a duly noted meeting at which a majority of Board members are present. Section 2. Regular meetings shall be held at a time and place designated by the President or Executive Committee. Extraordinary Board meetings may be called by any member of the Executive Committee or by petition of one-third of the sitting Board members. Section 3. Board members who are not able to attend may vote by proxy. Code. Article XI: Ethical Standards Section 1. Board members shall be bound by the Notre Dame Law School Hoynes Honor Section 2. Board members shall not involve themselves in any relationships that create or appear to create a conflict of interest with his or her Board member duties. Board members who have such a conflict shall contact the Executive Committee immediately, so as to allow action to be taken to avoid problems. Section 3. Board members shall not falsely accuse another member of a violation of ethical standards set out by the Board. Such an accusation shall be grounds for expulsion. Section 4. Board members shall not use the property or powers of the Board to their personal advantage or to oppress or harass other students. Article XII: Effective Date, Amendments, Executive Orders Section 1. These by laws are effective once approved. Section 2. These by laws may be amended either: a. Upon the vote of a majority of the Board members present at a Board meeting, either regular or extraordinary, at which a majority of the Board members are present; and upon subsequent approval by the faculty advisor and Dean of the Law School. b. Upon the vote of a majority of the Board members by electronic petition; and upon subsequent approval by the faculty advisor and Dean of the Law School. Section 3. Consistent with the objectives and purposes of Article II, the Board President shall have the authority to issue Executive Orders as necessary. Executive Orders are subject to the following limitations and criteria: a. Executive orders shall have binding power equal to that of the by laws. b. Executive orders are subject to veto by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board, to be conducted by the Vice President at an extraordinary Board meeting.

10 c. An executive order remains in effect for ninety days, after which it must be submitted as a formal by law amendment governed by this Article, Section 2. Section 4. These By Laws, as amended, shall be distributed electronically to all Board members once per academic year by the President. All new officers shall be provided an electronic copy of these By Laws, as amended, at the start of their term by the outgoing President. Article XIII: Religious Freedom Tournament and Board Bank Account. Section 1. The Board shall host one Religious Freedom Tournament per academic year. a. The Religious Freedom Tournament shall be a national appellate moot court competition for law school students. b. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the Religious Freedom Tournament shall take place at Notre Dame Law School. c. The Religious Freedom Tournament shall charge an application fee for participating teams in order to defray its costs and to provide funding to the Moot Court Board. d. The Board shall strive to maintain a sponsorship relationship and partnership with the Program on Church, State & Society for the Religious Freedom Tournament. Section 2. The Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall be responsible for all aspects of the Religious Freedom Tournament. a. The incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall be selected by joint decision of the President, the outgoing Religious Freedom Tournament Director, and the faculty advisor. These individuals may solicit applications from the 2L class and conduct interviews in order to facilitate the selection. b. The incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director must be a 2L in good standing on the Board. c. If the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director is selected prior to that academic year s Religious Freedom Tournament, the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall be known as the Religious Freedom Tournament Director in Training until his or her term begins. d. The term of the Religious Freedom Tournament Director begins the day after the Religious Freedom Tournament during his or her 2L year. In the event that the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director is selected after this date, his or her term shall begin immediately upon selection. e. The term of the Religious Freedom Tournament Director ends on the last day of the Religious Freedom Tournament during his or her 3L year, or upon selection of the new Religious Freedom Tournament Director, whichever is later. f. During his or her 2L year, the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director is expected to plan the Religious Freedom Tournament taking place in his or her 3L year. However, when feasible, the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director should assist the outgoing Religious Freedom Tournament Director with that academic year s Religious Freedom Tournament as well. g. Upon expiration of his or her term, the former Religious Freedom Tournament shall attend to any lingering matters, including, but not limited to, training the new Religious

11 Freedom Tournament Director and working with Debbie Sumption or her successor on administrative matters. h. The outgoing Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall preserve and transmit all Religious Freedom Tournament files and records to the incoming Religious Freedom Tournament Director as soon as is practicable. Section 3. The President shall fill unexpected vacancies in the office of Religious Freedom Tournament Director immediately and in consultation with the faculty advisor. The President may select any member in good standing of the Board, notwithstanding any other provisions in this Article. a. During an unexpected vacancy, the Vice President shall serve as Interim Religious Freedom Tournament Director until the President appoints a replacement Religious Freedom Tournament Director. b. Under extraordinary or emergency circumstances, the President may waive Article V 3 in order to appoint a replacement Religious Freedom Tournament Director. Such waiver must be approved by the faculty advisor. Section 4. The Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall establish various Tournament Committees, and may appoint Committee Chairs and members as necessary. a. Appointment of Committee Chairs is not constrained by Article V 3; i.e., officers may also be Committee Chairs. b. The Religious Freedom Tournament Director may solicit applications from the 2L class and conduct interviews in order to facilitate the selection of Committee Chairs. c. All Board members are required to assist the Religious Freedom Tournament Director as instructed. For example, the Religious Freedom Tournament Director may require 2L Board members to work a shift of the Religious Freedom Tournament, and may require all Board members to attend the Final Round. Section 5. The Religious Freedom Tournament Director shall work with the Treasurer and Debbie Sumption or her successor to maintain the Board bank account. All officers of the Board are subject to the following regulations: a. The first $1,000 in the bank account constitutes the Tournament Specific Fund, which Fund is spendable only by the Religious Freedom Tournament Director, and only for Religious Freedom Tournament purposes. b. The next $500 in the bank account constitutes the Joint Fund, which fund is spendable by either the Religious Freedom Tournament Director, for Religious Freedom Tournament purposes, or the President, for general Board purposes. The President shall consult with the Religious Freedom Tournament Director before utilizing this Fund to ensure that Grants will not threaten Religious Freedom Tournament operations. c. If the bank account s balance is below $1,500, incoming funds shall first be applied to the Tournament Specific Fund until it reaches $1,000 and then to the Joint fund until it reaches $500. d. Funds in excess of $1,500 are spendable by the President or Religious Freedom Tournament Director or their Board member designees for Board purposes. Those spending funds shall consult with the Religious Freedom Tournament Director to ensure that the spending will not negatively impact Religious Freedom Tournament operations. e. Any person spending funds from the bank account shall keep diligent records, to include itemized receipts when available, and shall produce them upon request. All expenditures must comport with University policy.

12 f. All funds received must be immediately directed to Debbie Sumption or her successor for deposit to the bank account. g. All disbursements or requests for reimbursement from the account must follow the form directed by Debbie Sumption or her successor. All officers must strive to ease any burden on Debbie Sumption or her successor created by the bank account. h. Petty cash shall not be issued from the account unless absolutely necessary. Those obtaining petty cash shall be held to the highest standard of record keeping. Petty cash shall be issued only pursuant to University regulations. i. The Board shall not obtain a checkbook or charge card for the bank account. Disbursements shall take place only through Debbie Sumption or her successor. j. It is a violation of University regulations for the bank account to operate with a negative balance. Accordingly, all officers must ensure the bank account has sufficient funds before making an expenditure. k. The bank account shall remain in the control of the Moot Court Board, in a University restricted account. Its balance shall be considered private information and shall not be divulged to any person other than the faculty advisor, Debbie Sumption or her successor, or Board members for official Board purposes, unless required by law or University regulation. l. This Article shall not be construed as limiting the President from applying for a budget from the Student Bar Association or University Student Services. m. Theft or similar behavior is grounds for immediate termination from the Board, and may be reported to the appropriate University and law enforcement authorities. Section 6. The President may, from time to time, provide for 2L External Tournament Grants to be spent out of the bank account, so long as its total balance is greater than $1,500. a. These Grants may only be used to fund 2L Board members travel to official moot court tournaments and related expenses. b. The President and Religious Freedom Tournament Director may veto any such Grants if they will threaten Religious Freedom Tournament operations. c. No Grants shall be promised or disbursed unless the President is satisfied that applicants have exhausted all other avenues of funding, to include University Student Services funding. d. Such Grants shall not be used to fund 3L Team travel undertaken under Article VI, 6. e. The Grants may not come from the Tournament Specific Fund or the Joint Fund.