American Constitution Society of the University of Wisconsin Law School Constitution. Article I

Transcription

1 American Constitution Society of the University of Wisconsin Law School Constitution Article I This organization shall be known as "The American Constitution Society of the University of Wisconsin Law School." Article II Statement of Purpose The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), University of Wisconsin Law School Chapter (hereinafter referred to as the Chapter ), is a group of University of Wisconsin law students concerned about the pervasive conservative orthodoxy in American law and politics. We 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. Further, 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 ascended 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, contrary to this conservative orthodoxy, 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. Given our position on the purpose of the law, the mission of the American Constitution Society is to harness the 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 public case for a vision of the law in which

2 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 Requirements Membership shall be open to all University of Wisconsin Law School students, faculty and staff; however, law school students shall comprise at least 75 percent of Chapter members. Membership requirements, such as academic year membership dues or minimum participation requirements, may be set by the incoming Executive Board, in consultation with the national organization, at the start of the academic year. The Executive Board is not required to impose membership requirements. There is no GPA requirement for membership. Article IV Meetings, Finance, and Decision Making The Chapter shall hold at least five meetings, consisting of programming events on substantive constitutional law and policy issues, each academic year. Meetings will be led by the Chapter President. The structure of these meetings will be flexible. The schedule and time for meetings will be set at the beginning of each semester. Meetings will be advertised through the Law School Student Bar Association announcements during the two weeks prior to the meeting. All members shall receive an notice informing them of the meeting and the meeting agenda at least one week prior to the meeting. All members are encouraged to attend, but attendance is not compulsory. The Chapter shall not seek to raise funds except from the ACS national organization, the University of Wisconsin Law School Student Bar Association (SBA), and the University of Wisconsin Associated Students of Madison (ASM). The Chapter treasurer and/or president will disperse Chapter funds pursuant to an approved directive from the Executive Board. No fine or penalty shall be levied by the Chapter without the approval of the Executive Board pursuant to a majority vote at an Executive Board meeting in which there is a quorum of a simple majority of board members present. Executive Board members will vote on programming and other significant decisions, which will be approved based on a majority of those present at Executive Board meetings. Executive Board members will seek feedback on issues subject to voting from general chapter members at general meetings, as needed. Article V Executive Board Requirements and Duties The American Constitution Society officers shall be members of the American

3 Constitution Society Executive Board, which will meet at least twice per semester to determine the general direction of the American Constitution Society, decide issues of long-term importance to the American Constitution Society, plan the semester s upcoming events, and discuss other pertinent matters of governance. Only current University of Wisconsin Law School students may serve as Executive Board members. Officers must be able to satisfy their responsibilities listed below. The American Constitution Society officers shall attend all academic year meetings and all American Constitution Society-sponsored programming and function events, except as excused by the President. The American Constitution Society officers have a standing responsibility to develop and retain membership for the Chapter. The American Constitution Society officers shall be as follows: President: The President shall call ACS meetings, coordinate the operations and direction of the ACS, and serve as a liaison between the ACS and the University and Law School administrations. The President shall be responsible for maintaining funding through ACS and ASM to ensure proper procurement of funds and reimbursements to members and speakers. No person shall serve as President during consecutive academic years. If the President will be enrolled as a law student during the academic year following his or her term as President, he or she may serve on the Executive Board in an advisory capacity as a Past President. Vice-President: The Vice-President shall call ACS meetings in the President's absence and coordinate the activities of all other chairpersons. The Vice-President may also have duties delegated to the position from the President. Vice-President to manage internal executive board functions. Secretary: The Secretary shall compile and maintain the minutes of meetings and the records of the organization, keep a current list of members, and maintain the ACS google drive documents. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the financial accounts and records of the ACS, set forth the ACS's budget, submit the ACS s financial reports to the Student Bar Association (SBA) according to SBA guidelines, submit meeting and event attendance sheets to the ACS national organization for reimbursement.. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for procuring food for events and meetings, and shall call upon other officers to assist in this duty as needed. 1L Representative: The 1L Rep is responsible for notifying members of ACS meetings and events, preparing and submitting the meeting and event advertisements in the Law School Student Bar Association announcements, and maintain the ACS chapter s Facebook page and other social media accounts.

4 The American Constitution Society officers shall organize committees to serve interests of the Chapter, such as networking with local attorneys, elected officials, and alumni, programming in specific areas of interest to the Chapter, developing mentorship opportunities, or attendance at the American Constitution Society Student Convention. These committees may be changed or reorganized by the Executive Board pursuant to changes in the Chapter s goals and opportunities. While all Chapter members shall be encouraged to participate in one or more of the committees, committee participation is not mandatory. The incoming American Constitution Society officers shall appoint a Chairperson for each committee at the end of the prior academic year (after elections), the start of the academic year, or at the time a new committee is created. Each Committee Chairperson shall be a member of the American Constitution Society Executive Board. While the Committee structure may be changed by the Executive Board, potential committees may include: Networking Chairperson: The Networking Chairperson shall develop opportunities with the local ACS Lawyer Chapters, alumni, and the Law School s Office of Career and Professional Development, and others to help advance the careers of current ACS members, cosponsor and organize networking events, career panels, and other social events. Progressive Caucus Chairperson: The Progressive Caucus Chairperson shall be the liaison to the local ACS Lawyer Chapters. The Progressive Caucus Chairperson shall also develop opportunities to work with progressive elected officials and other progressive organizations on opportunities for progressive engagement outside of the Law School. Conference Chairperson: The Conference Chairperson shall arrange for the attendance of Chapter members at national and regional ACS conferences, including the National Student Conference. The Conference Chairperson shall pursue funding as appropriate and coordinate the logistics for conference attendance. Article VI Elections The American Constitution Society officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) shall be elected by the majority vote of active members, those who have attended at least one meeting, during the last half of Spring Semester (after Spring Break). The 1L Representative shall be elected from the current 1L class at the first general member meeting of the academic year. Each officer will serve for a term of one year. Elections shall be made by secret ballot. The votes shall be recorded, verified, and

5 electronically maintained/archived by the currently-serving President. Unless otherwise determined, ACS will not use the Election feature on the group s WIN page. Article VII Policy for Dissolution and Removal of Officers and Members In the event that the Chapter dissolves, funds shall be given to other student organizations at the University of Wisconsin Law School, as determined by a majority vote the officers. Additionally, officers and members may be removed for good cause by the unanimous vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board. Article VIII Amendments Amendments to this constitution and to the by-laws shall be adopted by two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. Article IX Rules of Governance This organization shall be governed by this Constitution, its bylaws, and the rules and regulations of University of Wisconsin Law School and University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Pursuant to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Policy Section 30-6: [N]o student [shall be] excluded from membership, officer positions, or participation on the basis of his or her race, color, creed other than commitment to the beliefs of the organization, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, or, unless exempt under Title IX, sex.