Article I: NAME
Section 1: The name of the organization shall be the Minority Law Students Association, or MLSA.
Article II: PURPOSE
Section 1: The purpose of MLSA is to (1) organize, support, and promote the concerns of all minorities in the legal profession; (2) to attempt to increase ethnic diversity and diversity awareness in law school and the legal profession; and (3) to make students’ adjustment to law school as comfortable as possible by providing a visible support and social group.
Article III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: The membership of this organization shall consist of any regularly enrolled professional student at the University of Washington School of Law. Law students have voting privileges and may sit on MLSA committees. Law students will comprise the majority of the MLSA membership.
Section 2: University staff and faculty, other non-law University of Washington students, and non-University persons may hold associate membership status in MLSA. These members do not have voting privileges, nor may non-law students hold Executive Board positions or chair any MLSA committees.
Article IV: OFFICERS
Section 1: Management of this organization shall be vested in an MLSA Executive Board comprised of MLSA members elected to serve in an official capacity.
Section 2: The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian. All officers are entitled to enlist the support of another officer or the general membership in meeting their respective duties. Each officer position may be shared by up to two individuals.
Section 3: The powers and duties of the Executive Board Officers are:
President: Official representative of MLSA. Liaison between the University of Washington Law School administration, faculty, student body, and MLSA. Presides over meetings, responds to official correspondence addressed to the organization or directs correspondence to an appropriate board member. The President is vested with all powers necessary to carry out the mission and purpose of MLSA.
Vice-President: Second official representative of MLSA. Presides over meetings when the President is absent, and shall fill the President’s position should the office be vacated. The Vice-President will assist other officers in fulfilling their respective responsibilities and with over seeing all MLSA projects and responsibilities.
Secretary: Records minutes at all MLSA meetings. Maintains and updates all office files and records, and develops new files as needed. The Secretary is responsible for acquisition, distribution, and year-end return of office keys and supplies. The Secretary is also responsible for office supplies.
Treasurer: Drafts a budget proposal for the allocation of Student Bar Association funds. Maintains MLSA financial accounts and records and balances checkbooks. Authorizes finances for MLSA subscriptions, functions, and events. Prepares a financial accounting report to the executive board and membership when appropriate. Purchases office supplies at the Secretary’s request. Conducts all MLSA fundraising events, and is responsible for meeting the Student Bar Association’s requirement for annual budget requests.
Historian: Records MLSA events and functions using photography. Creates a pictorial collage of MLSA events for the academic year.
Section 4: The Executive Board shall report its resolutions and projected activities to the general membership on a regular basis at membership meetings.
Section 5: Each officer shall be elected during the Spring Quarter by the MLSA membership. The term of each officer commences on July 1 of the year elected and runs for a full academic year.
Section 6: All officers and members may choose to chair or sit on multiple MLSA committees.
Section 7: An elected officer may resign during his or her term. An officer may be removed from his or her office, for cause. The removal of an officer requires a majority recommendation of the Executive Board members present at a special meeting, and upon confirmation of this recommendation by a majority of the members present at a general meeting.
Article V: ELECTIONS
Section 1: Elections to fill Executive Board positions shall be held in the spring of each academic year. MLSA members shall be given at least two weeks advance notification of elections. The notifications will include a description of the offices available to run for, and shall solicit names or nominations of persons to run for the various positions. The general notification MUST be sent out through either the Crier or lawdawgs listserv and may be posted on bulletin boards. The Executive Board shall have the responsibility of providing such notification. Once the nominations are received, the Board members shall contact the nominees and obtain their consent to have their names on the general ballot. If no consent is given, the nominee’s name will be removed from the ballot.
Section 2: Eligibility to vote in an election is contingent upon being a law student and being a member of the organization.
Section 3: Voting shall be by secret ballot, provided by the Executive Board. The Board shall keep track of all persons receiving and returning a ballot. At the conclusion of the election period, the Executive Board shall collect and tally all ballots. The candidate receiving the most votes will be declared the winner. The Board will obtain the winner’s consent to fulfill the respective positions. In the even of a tie, either a run-off election shall be held immediately or both candidates may decide to share the position as Co-Officers.
Section 4: The MLSA President shall temporarily fill Executive Board vacancies by appointment. The position shall be permanently filled during the spring elections.
Article VI: MEETINGS
Section 1: Executive Board meetings shall be held as necessary. The Secretary has the responsibility of providing notification of meetings to Board officers. A quorum of the majority of Board members is necessary to transact business at an executive meeting, and a majority vote of Board Officers present is necessary to pass a Board resolution. The President or Vice-President may call a special emergency meeting if action is needed within 48 hours. When school is not in session, Executive Board meetings may be held by special oral or written notice.
Section 2: General MLSA membership meetings shall be held on a regular basis. The Secretary should notify members of planned meetings at least one week in advance. Notice shall be sent out through the Crier, lawdawgs listserv, or posted on bulletin boards. MLSA meetings are open to all students, staff, and faculty.
Section 3: Upon resolution of the Executive Board, the President or Vice-President may call a special general membership meeting at any time if at least one (1) day notice is given. While general meetings may be held when school is not in session, no voting shall occur by the general membership during this time. A quorum for general meetings consists of at least one-fifth of the general membership.
Article VII: COMMITTEES
Section 1: MLSA committees that work on specific projects or activities may be developed from the general membership on an as needed basis.
Section 2: The committee membership shall be voluntary. If a chairperson is needed, the committee membership shall elect a chair by a majority vote of committee members present.
Section 3: The chairperson of a committee, or committee representative shall periodically inform the President and the Vice-President of the committee’s progress.
Section 4: At general meetings, the committee chair or a committee representative may inform the general membership of the committee’s progress on a particular project.
Section 5: Committee chairpersons and committee representatives may participate in Executive Board meetings.
Article VIII: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Section 1: The Constitution may be amended by a majority recommendation of the Executive Board members present, and upon confirmation by a majority of the members present at a general membership meeting.
Section 2: Any member of the organization may propose a constitutional amendment either in writing or orally at a general membership meeting.