Information for:


Seattle University School of Law

Constitution

Revised: Spring 2000

Preamble

We the students of Seattle University School of Law, in order to represent student interests, needs, and welfare within the School of Law community do affirm and establish this Constitution.

Article I - Name

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be the "Student Bar Association of Seattle University School of Law", herein called the SBA.

Article II - Authorities and Powers

Section 1: The SBA is established under the authority of the School of Law Administration and the exercise of its functions shall be subject to such conditions and limitations as the Administration may prescribe.

Section 2: Authorities and powers of the SBA shall be exercised by the SBA Governing Council or by delegation through its agents or agencies established under the Constitution and By-Laws, except that the SBA President, SBA Vice-President, and SBA Treasurer shall have such specific powers as are enumerated in this Constitution. Hereafter, the SBA Governing Council shall be designated as the "Council".

Section 3: The SBA shall derive its operating budget through a Student Activities Fee as charged to each student on a semester basis. The Governing Council shall be the administrators of this fund. The Student Activities Fee shall be reviewed annually by the Governing Council. The Governing Council will make recommendations regarding the feasibility of an increase or decrease in the Student Activities Fee. Any proposed increase or decrease in the Activities Fee, before submission to a full SBA vote, must be approved by a two- thirds vote of the Governing Council. The Student Activities Fee shall be increased or decreased by a majority vote of ballots cast on the proposed increase or decrease at any regular SBA election or special election called for that purpose.

Article III- Membership

Section 1: All enrolled Seattle University School of Law students shall have full membership rights in the Student Bar Association.

Article IV - Executive Branch

Section 1: The Executive officers of the Student Bar Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected by a vote of the general membership of the students during the annual general election.

Section 2: The President shall be the executive head of government and all other council members shall be responsible to the President. The President shall have the following powers:

  1. To call and preside over meetings of the Governing Council and the student forum.
  2. To act as the primary representative of the student body.
  3. To approve appointed members of standing committees, as specified in the SBA By-Laws.
  4. To create ad hoc committees subject to approval of the Governing Council.
  5. To fill vacancies as provided in §6.
  6. To act as a voting member of the Governing Council.

The President shall be an ex-officio member of all student and faculty committees.

Section 3: The Vice-President shall be, in the absence of the President, the executive head of the government. The Vice-President shall have the following powers:

  1. To formulate, with the aid of the treasurer,a budget for student government. The Vice-President shall submit the budget and any proposed change during the school year to the Governing Council.
  2. To oversee the activities of the Treasurer in receiving and dispersing funds.
  3. To sit as a voting member of the Governing Council.
  4. To hire and supervise all SBA employees and manage all SBA facilities.
  5. To act as or appoint a sergeant-at-arms during all Governing Council meetings and student forums.

The Vice-President shall act as ex-officio member of student committees.

Section 4: The Treasurer shall be, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, the executive head of the government. The Treasurer shall have the following powers:

  1. To receive revenues and expend student body funds as directed or permitted by the approved budget, maintain records of all receipts and expenditures, and prepare reports concerning student body finances at such time and in such manner, as may be directed by the governing council.
  2. To sit as a voting member of the Governing Council.

Section 5: Tuition Scholarships.

  1. The President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Communications Director shall receive a tuition scholarship calculated using the number of minimum hours to be expended by each officer in the By-Laws multiplied by 30, the resulting sum to be multiplied by an hourly amount calculated by the preceding SBA Council by the last week in January;
  2. Such final amounts for each officer are to be posted on the SBA Bulletin Board for a period of three weeks and printed in the Prolific Reporter.

Section 6: Vacancies:

  1. Should the office of President become vacant, the Vice- President shall become President for the unexpired term.
  2. Should the office of Vice-President become vacant, the President shall appoint a replacement with the two- thirds consent of the Governing Council.
  3. Should vacancies exist simultaneously in the office of President and Vice-President, the Governing Council shall elect from its membership a President pro-tem and the Elections Director shall hold a special election to fill the President and the Vice-Presidency.

Article V - Legislative Branch

Section 1: The legislative powers of the SBA shall be vested in the Governing Council.

Section 2: The Governing Council shall have the following powers and duties:

  1. To establish policies for, and have supervision over all affairs, properties, and activities of the SBA as outlined in the Constitution, By-Laws, and SBA budgets.
  2. To approve and publish an annual budget.
  3. To adopt and amend the SBA budget and to authorize entry into contractual or financial relationships on behalf of the SBA.
  4. To take necessary action to ensure elected or appointed officials represent the SBA and carry out the official policies that it has established.
  5. To draft, approve, publish, and amend By-Laws.

Section 3: The Governing Council shall consist of:

  1. The President
  2. The Vice-President
  3. The Treasurer
  4. The Committee Chairs, as specified in the By-Laws.
  5. The first year representatives as specified in the By-Laws.

Section 4: Committee Chairs shall be elected during the annual SBA general election.

Section 5: Should a vacancy occur on the Council:

  1. The President will recommend to the Council three candidates, drawn from a pool of applicants, and the Council shall then choose from these candidates a replacement.
  2. Should the President fail to act on the occurence of a vacancy within three weeks the Council may, with a two- thirds vote, confirm a nomination from the floor to fill a vacancy.

Section 6: The Governing Council shall meet at least twice monthly in a regular place to be announced. Exceptions allowed for vacations and final examinations.

Section 7: A simple majority of the curent membership of the Governing Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The quorum shall include proxies as defined in the By-Laws.

Section 8: A special session of the Governing Council may be called by the President of the SBA of by one-third of the members of the Council, or at the direction of twenty-five percent of the members of the student body.

Article VI - Recall

Section 1: Should the members of the SBA present to the Council petitions representing not less than one-third of the law student body calling for the recall, of any member of the Governing Council, a special election shall be held.

  1. In order to be valid two-thirds of the curently enrolled student body must participate in the recall vote. The outcome of recall elections will be determined by a simple majority of those voting.
  2. The election shall be held within two weeks of the presentation of the petitions calling for the recall.

Section 2: In the case of first year representatives, a petition for recall must be submitted to the council by not less than one-third of the coresponding first year section.

Article VII - Judicial Branch

Section 1: The judicial power of the association shall be vested in the SBA Judicial Board, herein called the "Board".

Section 2: The Board shall consist of five students of the School of Law to be selected by the President and approved by two- thirds of the Governing Council. The Board shall serve continuously for the remainder of their respective tenure at the Seattle University School of Law.

Section 3: Jurisdiction. The Judicial Board shall have the power to:

  1. Decide all cases and controversies arising under the constitution.
  2. Decide all cases and controversies arising under the By-Laws.
  3. Decide any candidate-initiated challenges to elections, referendums, and initiatives.

Section 4: Board members may not be members of the Governing Council.

Section 5: No Judicial Board decision will be considered final until a simple majority of the Board has decided the issue.

Section 6: The Board members shall annually elect one of the members to serve as the Chair of the Judicial Board for the entirety of that academic year.

Section 7: The Judicial Board Chair shall be responsible for:

  1. Calling and presiding over the Judicial Board decision- making process.
  2. Record keeping and providing notice to the involved parties, and to the Governing Council.

Article VIII - Budget

Section 1: The annual SBA Budget shall be recommended to the SBA Governing Council by the Vice-President pursuant to the By- Laws, for final action by the Governing Council.

Article IX - Elections

Section 1: The following Student Bar Association offices shall be elective positions:

  1. The President
  2. The Vice-President
  3. The Treasurer
  4. The Committee Chairs, as specified in the By-Laws
  5. The first year representatives, as specified in the By-Laws

Section 2: The procedures for election shall be determined and published by the Elections Committee. Election procedures shall be approved by the Governing Council.

Section 3: General elections shall be held during the month of February.

Section 4: Elections for first year representatives and alternatives shall be held no earlier than September 15 and no later than September 30.

Section 5: Election guidelines shall have the force of By-Laws.

Article X - Referendum and Initiative

Section 1: Referendum--The Governing Council may fashion and submit to the student body any measure of final action which it determines to be of overiding student interest.

Section 2: Initiative--Upon petition of 15% of the student body, and a finding by the Judicial Board that the SBA is empowered to act, such initiative shall be submitted for the approval of a student majority.

Section 3: Referendums and initiatives are subject to the By-Laws of the Budget and Elections Committee.

Article XI - Terms of Office

Section 1: The President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and the Committee Chairs comprising the Governing Council shall take office at such time when all new Governing Council positions have been finalized and all openings in the new Governing Council have been filled.

Section 2: The previous Governing Council shall sit until such a time as all positions in the entering Governing Council have been filled.

Section 3: First year representatives shall serve for the full academic year of their election unless elected to hold an office, in which case the alternate shall serve the remainder of the term.

Section 4: Representative Elect Positions: Representative Elect positions on the SBA Council shall be permitted provided that:

  1. The first year any Representative position is created, there will be both a Representative and a Representative Elect position in the General Election;
  2. Representative Elects shall sit until the next General Election and will automatically assume the position and duties of Representatives when the next SBA Council assumes office; and,
  3. Representative Elects are non-voting members of the SBA Council.

Article XII - Parliamentary Authority

Section 1: For procedure not covered in the Constitution or By-Laws of this organization the Governing Council shall adopt the use of a recognized competent parliamentary authority.

Article XIII - Amendment

Section 1: Proposed amendments and revisions shall be presented to the members of the SBA for approval upon the request of at least two-thirds of the Governing Council or upon petition of at least twenty-five percent of the members.

Section 2: In order for this Constitution to be amended or revised at least one-third of the law student body must vote on the proposed modifications.

Section 3: This Constitution may be amended or revised by a majority vote of ballots cast on the proposed modification at any regular SBA election or special election called for that purpose.

Article XIV - Continuity of Governing Council Decisions

Section 1: All SBA Governing Council decisions shall continue in effect until rescinded by the Council.

Justice Fred H. Dore Courtroom