The Order of the Barons Constitution Preamble WHEREAS, among the students and faculty of the College of Law of the University of Houston, there is a strong desire to foster legal scholarship, to encourage students to continue efforts in the study of law, and to honor those whose labor has produced for them a standing above that of ordinary scholarship rank, there is, by this instrument, established an organization to be known as THE ORDER OF THE BARONS. Article I Name The name of this organization shall be The Order of the Barons Article II Membership Section 1. Student member shall be open to all students who have: a. Completed at least forty (40) graded consecutive semester hours of law study in the University of Houston College of Law; and b. Been ranked in the top fifteen (15%) percent of their class (Class is defined throughout Article II as those persons against whom the student is ranked in the fall grade rankings which are posted after fall semester grades and the spring grade rankings which are posted after spring grades). Section 2. Student membership shall also be open to students who transfer accepted credits to this College of Law on the following basis: a. The over-all average grade of all transferred credits must be B or better; and
b. The student must be ranked in the top fifteen (15%) percent of his class after having earned fifteen (15) consecutive hours at this College of Law. ARTICLE III Officers, Tenure, and Duties Section 1. The Officers of this organization shall be a Chief Baron, a Chancellor, a Baron Recorder, a Baron of the Exchequer and a Grand Sergeant. Section 2. Officers shall be elected after each Spring Initiation and shall hold office until the election of new officers after the next Spring Initiation. Section 3. These officers shall constitute the Curia Regis which shall perform the function of an advisory body to the Chief Baron and which is empowered to assign duties to officers and members other than those duties specifically imposed by this Constitution and the By-laws. Section 4. Officers shall perform duties specified in the By-laws and/or imposed by the Curia Regis. ARTICLE IV MEETINGS Section 1. This organization shall meet at least once each regular semester. Section 2. The Chief Baron or a majority of the Curia Regis shall have the power to call meetings whenever deemed advisable. ARTICLE V AMENDMENTS This Constitution may be amended by the favorable vote of three-fourths of the entire student membership currently enrolled.
By-laws of the Order of the Barons (amend. 1991) Membership Section 1. Students who are eligible for membership shall become members by being tapped into the Order at a law-student assembly or by some ceremony approved by the Curia Regis. An Initiation ceremony shall be held during the Spring Semester. Section 2. Honorary membership may be conferred upon members of the legal profession of distinction. Proposals for honorary membership may be made and considered at any meeting. A three-fourths vote of the members present as any meeting shall be necessary for conferring honorary membership. The Curia Regis shall be responsible for arranging an appropriate ceremony for the conferring of honorary membership. Election of Officers Section 3. Officers shall be elected after the Spring Initiation ceremony and shall serve until the next election. Election shall be held after each Spring Initiation Ceremony. Section 4. Repealed Section 5. Nominations and voting shall be by secret ballot. A majority vote of those present shall be necessary to elect. If, on the first ballot, no candidate receives a majority vote, the two highest candidates only shall be coted upon by a second ballot. Section 6. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the Curia Regis. Duties of Officers Section 7. The Chief Baron shall preside over all meetings, perform all duties imposed by the Curia Regis, and shall post a notice of eligibility requirements, such notice to be posted during the regular spring semester informing students that candidate for membership are being considered, and shall have power to order jewelry for new members. The Chief Baron shall post a notice during the fall semester informing students eligible for membership from the spring grade rankings that initiation is held once a year during the spring semester and they will be initiated at that time. Section 8. The Chancellor shall perform all duties imposed by the Curia Regis and the following duties: a. After all grades are posted each regular semester (fall grade rankings and spring grade rankings) the Chancellor and two members selected by him or her shall examine the official records of the College of Law to determine who is eligible for membership. Upon determination of eligibility, the Chancellor may, if directed by the Curia Regis, contact the students and confer with them regarding eligibility and inform them of the occasion on which they will be admitted into membership.
b. The Chancellor shall perform duties of the Chief Baron during the Chief Baron s absence or inability to serve. Section 9. The Baron Recorder shall keep complete records and minutes of all meetings and shall perform all duties imposed by the Curia Regis, and in addition: a. The Baron Recorder shall perform public relations services for the Order, primarily by arranging newspaper releases of the Order s activities with special attention to releases to local and hometown newspapers regarding new members and election of officers. b. The Baron Recorder shall maintain a list of the entire student membership currently enrolled. Section 10. The Baron of the Exchequer shall take charge of all funds of the Order and perform all duties imposed by the Curia Regis. Section 11. The Grand Sergeant shall maintain order in all meetings and shall perform all duties imposed by the Curia Regis. Quorum For Meeting Section 12. Twenty-five (25%) percent (amended July 5, 1967) of the student members currently enrolled in the Order shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present at meetings to transact business. Section 13. Repealed Section 13a. Each initiate shall pay a fee to be determined by the Curia Regis. Section 14. The Curia Regis shall have the power to create a scholarship award and determine the funding for the award. If an award is created the requirements and type of funding for the award shall be reduced to writing, and the writing shall be attached to the Constitution and By-laws. Members shall be given notice of the decision and a majority of the student membership currently enrolled must approve of the decision for the decision to be valid. Section 14a. Each year, the Order will make a donation to the Scholarship fund to establish a sufficient corpus to provide for increases in awards in proportion to inflation. The donation for 1991 will be $200. The amount will be reviewed annually by the Curia Regis. Amendments Section 15. These By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds cote of the entire student membership currently enrolled
Parliamentary Authority Section 16. All meetings shall be governed by a parliamentary law as set forth in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order, Revised. Hazing Section 17. This organization will not initiate, participate in, or be witness to any act that inflicts or intends to inflict physical or mental harm or discomfort or which may demean, disgrace, or degrade any person, regardless of location, intent, or consent of the participant(s). Discrimination Section 18. As a Registered Student Organization at the University of Houston we adhere to the University of Houston's Non-Discrimination Policy. The University of Houston is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution. The university provides equal treatment and opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status except where such distinction is required by law. Additionally, the System prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.