INDEX

BY-LAWS OF TAU EPSILON RHO LAW SOCIETY

SECTION I.   DUTIES OF NATIONAL OFFICERS

A.        Duties.

1. Chancellor.  The Chancellor’s duties shall be to administer the business of the national organization; to preside at Annual Membership and National Council meetings; to call special meetings of the national convention when and where necessary; to appoint such committees as may be necessary to administer the business of the national Society, the Annual Convention, the National Council, and for other such measures as he may deem necessary or expedient, and to otherwise perform such other duties attendant upon his office.

2. Chancellor-Elect.  The Chancellor-Elect’s duties shall be to assume and perform such duties as the Chancellor from time to time may delegate, and to assume and perform all duties of the Chancellor in case of the Chancellor’s incapacity, death, resignation, or impeachment. 

3. Vice-Chancellor(s).  The Vice-Chancellors’ duties shall be to perform such duties as the Chancellor from time to time may delegate.  In the case of the Chancellor’s incapacity, death, resignation, or impeachment and in the absence of a Chancellor-Elect,  the National Council shall select a Vice-Chancellor to succeed to the Chancellor’s office for the balance of the elected term.

4. Secretary.  The Secretary’s duties shall be to conduct the Society’s correspondence; to give notice of Membership and National Council meetings; and to keep accurate minutes of all Annual Membership and National Council meetings.

5. Treasurer.  The Treasurer’s duties shall be to collect the annual national dues assessments from the graduate members of the Society and to deposit said funds in the organization account, to receive all “new member fees” (graduate and law school); to pay obligations of the national organization as authorized and approved by the National Council;  to prepare a proposed annual budget for the ensuing year and submit the same to the appropriate budget committee of the National Council; and at all times to maintain an accurate account of the finances of the national organization

6. Editor.  The Editor’s duties  shall be to edit, publish, and circulate the Summons, the official publication of the Society.  The Editor shall be the Editor-in-Chief of the Summons.  The Editor shall have the power to appoint such associate editors as the Editor may deem necessary.

7. Pledgor. The Pledgor’s duties shall be to facilitate the work of the graduate and law school chapters in pledging and initiating of new members,  and such other duties associated with the induction of new members and the growth of the organization.

8. Scholar.  The Scholar’s duties  shall be to secure annually from each law school at which a law school chapter is situated the grades of each member of said chapter; to tabulate and record said grades; and to administer  such scholarship prizes as the Society may provide.

9. Historian. The Historian’s duties shall be to compile and preserve the history of the national organization and the various graduate and law school chapters.

B.        Reporting Requirements

1. Each National Officer shall submit a written report to the Annual Convention and to every meeting of the National Council, which report shall contain a summary of the activities of the officer to date, and any suggestions or other items of interest to the Society with relation to said office.

2. The Executive Director shall notify each chapter and each National Officer of the requirement of the annual report required to be filed by the chapter or officer not later than thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Convention or National Council Meeting.

SECTION II.  REMOVAL FROM OFFICE, SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION

A.        Impeachment Procedure.  Any National Officer may be removed from office, and any National Council member may be removed from the National Council, following impeachment for gross misconduct or gross negligence in office, trial, and conviction.

(1) A Graduate Chapter or a member of the National Council may commence impeachment proceedings by filing a Petition of Impeachment with the National Council.  The Petition shall set out the charges against the party impeached.

(2) After filing of the Petition, the Chancellor shall set a time and place for trial before the National Council.  The party impeached shall be served with a copy of the petition and shall be given adequate opportunity to prepare and present a defense.

(3) The party impeached shall be suspended from the National Council with respect to any discussion or voting concerning the impeachment and trial procedure, pending conclusion of trial.  The party impeached shall not otherwise be suspended from participating on the National Council as a result of a Petition being filed pending conclusion of trial on the charges.

(4) The party impeached shall be convicted of the charges only by a vote of three-quarters (¾) of the members of the National Council attending the trial.  The jury shall comprise all members of the National Council attending the trial in its entirety.  The ranking member of the National Council in attendance at the beginning of the trial shall preside at the trial.  The party impeached shall be entitle to cast a vote, unless other ineligible to vote at a meeting of the National Council.

(5) On conviction of the charges, the party convicted shall be removed from the National Council and from National Office, if applicable.

B.        Disbarment.  Any member of the Society who is disbarred from the practice of law shall, upon entry of disbarment, be deemed automatically suspended until the next meeting of the National Council at which meeting, the National Council shall determine whether said member of the Society shall be expelled, remain suspended, or be reinstated.

C.        Non-Payment of Dues.  Any graduate member failing to pay the annual dues assessment for a period of two (2) years from the date same becomes due and payable, shall be suspended from the Society, and shall be readmitted to good standing in the Society only upon compliance with the procedures as established by the National Council for suspended members. 

1. Written notice of suspension under this section of the By-Laws shall be given to the delinquent member at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of suspension.

2. A suspended member who becomes otherwise exempt from dues requirement shall not be returned to good standing until the arrearage in prior dues is paid.

D.        Authorization for Action by Chapter. 

1. Each Chapter has the right and power to suspend any of its members for any one or more of the following reasons:

a. Non-payment of dues;

b. Being the subject of findings of misconduct by any appropriate arm of the bar of the State in which the member is admitted;

c. Conviction of a felony or other crime which involves moral turpitude;

d. Any other action that brings the Society into disrepute.

2. Any such suspension shall automatically result in suspension from the Society.  The chapter shall give notice of suspension, with a clear statement of the reason(s), to the Secretary within three (3) days after the suspension.

3. Any chapter suspending a member has the right and power to reinstate the member, if and when the cause of suspension has been removed. The chapter shall give notice of reinstatement to the Secretary within three (3) days.

E.        Expulsion Initiated by Chapter.  A chapter may seek to expel a member from the Society in the following manner.

1. The chapter must first suspend the member in accordance with these By-Laws.

2. The chapter must mail an Application for Expulsion to the Secretary.  The Application shall state the basis for expulsion from the Society.

3. Within ten (10) days after receiving the Application, the Secretary shall:

a. Forward a copy of the Application to all members of the National Council and to each Chapter;

b. After consulting with the Chancellor, set a date for consideration of the Application by the National Council, no later than ninety (90) days following the date of receipt;

c. Mail a copy of the Application for Expulsion, notice of the hearing date, and a request for the party to appear in person to answer the Application or to file a written response to the Application to the party involved, by certified mail return receipt requested,.

4. On the date set by the Secretary, the National Council shall meet and consider the Application for Expulsion.

a. The member shall be expelled from the Society on affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the National Council.

b. If the subject of the proceeding is a member of the National Council, the subject shall not participate in the deliberations, but may participate in the vote, unless otherwise ineligible to vote at a meeting of the National Council.

F.         Action Initiated by National Council.

1. The National Council may upon its own motion, and by a vote of two-thirds of its members, suspend or expel any member from the Society.

a. The National Council must give due notice to the member’s chapter;

b. The National Counsel must give notice to the member by certified mail, return receipt requested, and provide a reasonable time for the member to appear or file a written statement of defense.

2. The National Council, on its own motion, may reinstate any member suspended from any chapter or from the Society.

G.        Maintenance of Records of Proceedings.  The Secretary shall retain for the National Council all notices of suspension, reinstatement, and expulsion, and shall present them at the next regular National Council meeting.

H.        Cascading Effect of Suspension.  Any suspension by the National Council shall act as an automatic suspension of the member from the graduate chapter.

I.          Lifetime Expulsion.  An expelled member can never be reinstated in the Society.

SECTION III.             LAW SCHOOL CHAPTERS

A.        Petition.

1. Five or more students, attending a law school of high standards and accredited by the American Bar Association, shall be eligible to petition for a law school chapter.  Such petition shall be in triplicate and typewritten and shall contain:

a. The names of the university and law school;

b. The names of every other law school within a radius of fifty miles;

c. The names and address of each applicant;

d. If the applicants are from an existing organization, the name of said organization together with its brief history;

e. Such other information that applicants may consider of interest to the National Council and such other information as the National Council may request.

2. The petition shall be mailed to the Secretary, who shall refer it immediately to the National Council. 

B.        Investigation and Approval. 

1. The National Council shall refer the petition to the Pledgor for investigation of all information provided.  After investigation, the Pledgor shall return the Petition to the National Council for its approval or rejection, together with the Pledgor’s written report.

2. Upon the National Council’s approval, the Secretary shall immediately forward a copy of the petition and the Pledgor’s report to every existing law school chapter for approval. 

3. If every existing law school chapter approves the petition, and the applicants comply with all these By-Laws’ conditions and such other conditions as the National Council may impose, the National Council shall grant a charter to the applicants, and install them as members.  A law school chapter’s failure to reject the petition within thirty (30) days of submission shall be deemed an approval of the petition. 

4. Any petition rejected by any law school chapter shall be resubmitted to the National Council for further study and investigation.

C.        New Chapter Fee.  Before being granted a charter, the applicants must pay a new chapter fee to the Society, in an amount to be determined by the National Council.

D.        Post-Charter Procedure.  Within ninety days following the installation of a new law school chapter, the chapter shall prepare and adopt a constitution providing for local organization and procedure, which shall be consistent with and subordinate to the Society’s Constitution.  The proposed constitution requires approval by the National Council before taking effect.

E.        Membership and Organization. 

1. Law school chapters shall be composed of and admit as members both law students and law school faculty.

a. Law students must be students at the law school where the chapter is located, or enrolled at an approved law school within ten miles of the law school where the chapter is being formed.

b. Faculty members must be instructors of law at the school where the students are enrolled.

2. The officers of a law school chapter shall include a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor, a Secretary, a Bursar, and such other officers as the chapter may authorize.

3. Each chapter shall be required to collect a New Member Fee, in an amount set by the National Council, for every member initiated into the chapter.  The fee shall be paid to the Bursar at least ten (10) days before the new member’s initiation.

F.         Reporting Requirements.  No later than fifteen (15) days before the Annual Membership Meeting, each law school chapter shall submit an annual report to the Executive Director that includes:

1. Officers’ names;

2. Names and addresses of members who graduated since the previous report;

3. Names and addresses of members who have left school prior to graduation since the last report;

4. Summary of the chapter’s activities, and any other items of interest to the Society.

SECTION IV. GRADUATE CHAPTERS

A.        Petition. Five (5) or more persons who have been admitted to practice before any bar in the United States or Canada shall be eligible to petition to establish a graduate chapter,  provided that there is not an existing chapter in the vicinity.  They shall submit the  petition, in triplicate, to the Secretary who shall refer it to the National Council and to each Graduate Chapter.

B.        Investigation and Approval.   The National Council shall investigate the petition,  and, no sooner than thirty (30) days after receiving the petition, may approve the formation of the chapter.

C.        Post-Approval Procedure.  Within ninety (90) days following a new chapter’s installation, the chapter shall prepare and adopt a constitution providing for local organization and procedure, which shall be consistent with and subordinate to the Society’s constitution.  Before becoming effective, the National Council shall approve the proposed constitution.

D.        Organization.  The officers of a graduate chapter shall include a chancellor, a vice-chancellor, a secretary, a treasurer, and such other officers as the chapter may authorize.

E.        Reporting Requirements.  At least fifteen (15) days before the Annual Membership Meeting, each graduate chapter shall submit to the Executive Director an annual report that includes:

1. The names and addresses of the chapter’s officers;

2. A summary of the chapter’s activities; and

3. Other items of interest to the Society.

SECTION V. LAW SCHOOL DIVISIONS OF GRADUATE CHAPTERS

A.        Authority.  The Society may establish Law School Divisions of graduate chapters, to provide for law student membership in geographical areas not served by a law school chapter.  The National Council may promulgate rules relating to the establishment of such Law School Divisions.

B.        Consistent Application.  Wherever the terms “chapter” or “law school chapter” appear in the By-Laws, the terms shall include the term “law school division of graduate chapters” where applicable.

SECTION VI. APPOINTMENT OF A NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A.        Authority.  Each incoming Chancellor, following the Chancellor’s election to office shall appoint a member in good standing to the position of Executive Director, for the period concurrent with the Chancellor’s term of office. 

B.        Procedure.  The Nominations Committee shall recommend a member for the position to the Chancellor; however, the Chancellor shall not be bound by such recommendation. 

C.        Duties.  The Executive Director shall have the following duties and obligations:

1. To perform all duties set forth in the By-Laws;

2. To perform other duties as may be necessary in maintaining the Society’s day-to-day operation;

3. To perform such other duties as directed by the Chancellor and the National Council;

4. To attend all National Council Meetings and Annual Membership Meetings;

5. To prepare and file an Annual Report at the Annual Membership Meeting;

6. To keep a complete and accurate list of the members;

7. To certify the status of the Society’s members as may be required from time to time;

8. To establish and maintain a complete and accurate mailing list so that Society mailings may be efficiently processed; and

9. To publish a national directory when so directed by the National Council.

D.        Compensation.  The National Council, in its discretion, may approve a stipend to be paid to the Executive Director, and may authorized reimbursement to the Executive Director of any or all of the Executive Director’s expenses in fulfilling their duties and obligations.

SECTION VII. COMMITTEES & GENERAL OFFICERS

A.        Standing Committees.  The Society shall maintain the following permanent standing Committees:

1. Nominations Committee.

a. The Nominations Committee shall prepare and recommend a slate of officers for consideration and election to national office at the Annual Membership Meeting..

b. The Nominations Committee shall meet at the Annual Membership Meeting, and at such other time and place as its chair shall direct.

c. The Immediate Past-Chancellor shall chair the Nominations Committee.

d. At the National Council’s discretion, the National Council, sitting in Committee of the Whole, may assume and discharge the duties of the Nominations Committee at the Annual Membership Meeting.

2. Long-Range Planning Committee

a. The Long-Range Planning Committee shall make recommendations to the National Council and the Society for the continued growth of the Society and the fulfillment of the Society’s purpose.

b. The Long-Range Planning Committee shall file written reports at each National Council Meeting, and shall provide such reports to the Executive Director at least thirty (30) days prior to each regular meeting.

c. The National Council shall appoint a member in good standing to chair this committee.

B.        Miscellaneous Committees

1. The Chancellor or the National Council may sanction such non-permanent committees as they deem appropriate.

2. The Chancellor, in the Chancellor’s discretion, shall appoint chairs for each such committee.

3. Each such committee shall file written reports at each National Council Meeting, and shall provide such reports to the Executive Director at least thirty (30) days prior to each regular meeting.

C.        General Officers.  The National Chancellor may appoint members of the Society in good standing to the following General Offices:

1. Parliamentarian.  The Parliamentarian shall advise the Chancellor on questions of interpretation of the Society’s Constitution, By-Laws, and operating procedures.

2. Sergeant at Arms.  The Sergeant at Arms shall assist the meeting chair in maintaining order at Membership Meetings.

SECTION VIII. FISCAL YEAR

The Society’s fiscal year shall run from December 1 to November 30.

SECTION IX. AMENDMENTS

A.        Requirement of 2/3 vote. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the National Council in attendance and voting at a National Council Meeting.

B.        Requirement of Quorum.  The National Council may only amend the By-Laws in the presence of a quorum.

 

   ADOPTION OF AMENDED BY-LAWS

             These By-Laws adopted by vote of the National Council meeting in Philadelphia PA on May 15, 1999.




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