BLSA Constitution

Article I

Section I. Name. The name of the organization shall be the University at Buffalo Black Law Students Association (hereinafter "UB BLSA").

Section II. Affiliation. UB BLSA is a local chapter of the National Black Law Students Association (hereinafter "NBLSA").

Section III. Purpose. The purpose of UB BLSA shall be to:

A.   Articulate and promote all the needs and goals of the black law students, including those that are educational, professional, political and social.

B.    Foster and encourage an attitude of professional competence.

C.    Focus upon the relationship of black law students to the black community and the American legal system.

D.   Serve as a source of information for black law students and prospective University at Buffalo School of Law students.

E.    Instill in black law students a greater awareness of commitment to the needs of the black community.

F.    Influence the legal community to bring about meaningful change that meets the needs of the black community.

G.   Promote the initiatives and goals of the NBLSA.

Section IV. Goals. The goals of UB BLSA are to:

A.   Help first-year students transition into law school.

B.    Aid in the recruitment and retention of black law students.

C.    Encourage interaction with other black legal professionals.

D.   Educate the law school community about the culture and experiences of people of African descent.

E.    Establish a strong relationship with other professional and graduate organizations.

F.    Perform community service in the Buffalo community.

G.   Enhance the social, professional and cultural lives of our members.

H.   Keep all members apprised and informed in a timely manner.

Article II

I.   Membership

Section I. Eligibility for Membership: All persons who are registered as full-time students at the University at Buffalo School of Law shall be eligible for membership in UB BLSA.

Section II. Membership Classification:

A. Active membership in UB BLSA consists of those persons who:

1.     Are eligible for membership; and

2.     actively participate in at least two (2) general body meetings or activities sponsored by UB BLSA per semester.

B.  Persons who are inactive members may serve on any BLSA committee, however, they may not chair any committee, nor may they represent BLSA in any official capacity, nor may they run for an elected position.

Article II

Executive Board

Section I. Composition: The Executive Board (hereinafter "E-board") of UB BLSA shall consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Pre-Law Director, Parliamentarian, Social Media Director, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Representative.

Section II. Role of E-board: The E-board shall have general supervision over the affairs of UB BLSA, shall make recommendations to the voting membership, and shall perform other duties, individually and collectively, as are specified in the Constitution.

Section III. President: The President shall have general supervisory authority over the activities and funds of UB BLSA. The President shall have the following duties:

A. Administrative Responsibilities. The President is responsible for administrative duties which include, but are not limited to:

1.     Conducting the E-board and general body meetings unless otherwise delegated to another E-board member.

2.     Maintaining contact with faculty and BLSA sponsors to keep them informed and involved in BLSA activities.

3.     Hosting a board orientation for the new board members to get acquainted with one another and for everyone to review the BLSA Constitution, BLSA and NBLSA bylaws with responsibilities for each role, and other relevant policies promulgated by NBLSA.

4.     Transferring ownership and passwords of all BLSA accounts to the new President, including but not limited to the BLSA email, social media accounts, UB LinkedIn, and GroupMe.

B.  Students of Color Welcome Reception. The President is responsible for coordinating with the admissions office to help facilitate a successful Students of Color Welcome Reception.

C.  Mentorship Program. The President is responsible for developing and implementing a successful mentorship program. The President's duties include, but are not limited to:

1.     Obtaining a list of the first-year students.

2.     Developing a mentorship survey for both mentor and mentee to facilitate an effective matching program.

D.  Community Outreach and Representation. The President shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining a presence and network for UB BLSA. The President’s duties include, but are not limited to:

1.     Representing the organization to the law school administration, UB community, and Buffalo community;

2.     Maintaining a working relationship with other minority student groups on the UB campus;

3.     Maintaining contact and a working relationship with local bar associations (i.e. Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Erie County Bar Association, and Monroe County Bar Association); and

4.     Fostering and maintaining relationships with community organizations in the Buffalo community.

B. In the event the President is unable to complete a term of office, the Vice President shall automatically rise to the position of President for the remainder of the term, and a new Vice President shall be chosen by a simple majority of the E-board.

Section IV. Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President with all activities of the organization and chair all meetings the President is unable to attend. The Vice President's responsibilities also include, but are not limited to:

1.    Maintaining a general accounting of active members of UB BLSA, which includes working in conjunction with the Secretary to maintain an active membership list.

2.     Acting as the Liaison between the Thurgood Marshall Competition and UB BLSA.

3.     Maintaining a Textbook Exchange Program for UB BLSA.

4.     Acting as Chair of the Eligibility and Election Committee.

5.     Taking lead on the outreach to organizations and firms for sponsorships and collaboration opportunities.

B. In the event the Vice President is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the E-board.

Section V. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for all of the funds of UB BLSA.

A. The Treasurer's duties include, but are not limited to:

1.     Accounting for all monies received and disbursed by the organization;

2.     Making two reviews per semester of the UB BLSA budget from the law school’s Student Bar Association;

3.     Submitting all requisitions for reimbursement and advances related to BLSA events;

4.     Preparing a proposed annual budget for approval by the Student Bar Association and the Executive Board; and

5.     Ensuring that all regional and national dues are paid.

B. Upon being elected to the position of Treasurer, the Treasurer shall meet with the outgoing Treasurer in order to effectuate and coordinate a smooth transition of office.

C. By the conclusion of the Treasurer's term, the Treasurer must make reasonable efforts to assist the incoming Treasurer with becoming acquainted with the financial situation of the organization, which includes education on budget proposals and SBA fund restrictions for the summer months.

D. In the event the Treasurer is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the E-board.

Section VI. Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the records of the organization.

A. The Secretary's responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1.     Keeping detailed records and minutes of all meetings that includes what was discussed and who was in attendance. For e-board meetings, the minutes should include ongoing action items and whether progress has been made. Following general body meetings, any important updates and announcements should be communicated to the general body through the next scheduled email update;

2.     Frequently checking the UB BLSA email for incoming mail and notifying the general body and E-board of incoming information and announcements. There should be no missed announcements or job opportunities because of an unread email;

3.     Updating the BLSA membership about relevant information, such as employer listing and scholarship/fellowship notices, through emails that shall be periodically sent on a schedule that is agreed upon by the current E-board (ie. weekly);

4.     Preparing all correspondence documents on behalf of UB BLSA, which includes drafting public statements with the assistance of the social media chair and other e-board members. If a public statement is prompted by a current event, the statement should be completed and shared within 3 days; and

5.     Assisting the Social Media Director with the maintenance of UB BLSA’s social media and UB webpages as necessary.

B. In the event the Secretary is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Section VII. Special Projects and Events Coordinator: The Special Projects and Events Coordinator shall be responsible for taking the lead on the planning of BLSA events, which includes ensuring the compliance of UB BLSA with the community service directives of NBLSA and the University at Buffalo fundraising requirement.

A. The responsibilities of the Events Coordinator include, but are not limited to:

1.     Securing the space for meetings and events with the assistance of the Vice President and Treasurer as needed;

2.     Working with the treasurer to make necessary expenses for meetings and events such as for food, materials, special venues, and other related costs;

3.     Planning at least one fundraising event per year that promotes the BLSA community and/or gives back to the black community in the Buffalo area;

4.     Evaluating the community service needs of the black community in the Buffalo area and organizing at least one (1) community service event per semester;

5.     Keeping track of attendance with the assistance of the Secretary for all BLSA events; and

6.     Facilitating special events, such as hosting a panel event.

7.     Coordinating the Chapter of the Year application to be submitted at the NEBLSA Convention.

8.     Acting as Chair of the Law Day Committee.

B. In the event the Special Projects and Events Coordinator is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Section VIII. Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian is responsible for providing advice and assistance to the E-board with drafting, revising, and complying with all policies and regulations that are relevant to the administration of UB BLSA.

A. The Parliamentarian’s duties include but are not limited to:

1.     Annual audit and maintenance of UB BLSA Constitution and bylaws, ensuring compliance with NEBLSA, NBLSA, and UB Law policies.

2.     Working with the UB Law administration to answer any policy related questions and advising the E-board on matters that affect the administration of BLSA.

3.     Keeping abreast NBLSA and NEBLSA goals and initiatives.

B. In the event the Parliamentarian is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Section VIIII: Social Media Chair: The Social Media Chair shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of all UB BLSA social media accounts.

A. The Social Media Chair’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1.     Designing and structuring the social media accounts;

2.     Collaborating with other law school minority organizations to ensure consistency of content;

3.     Collaborating with the E-board, and the Secretary in particular, to ensure accuracy of content;

4.     General Maintenance of the UB BLSA webpage.

5.     Maintaining social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and promoting current events and upcoming BLSA events on the accounts.

6.     Develop advertisements (such as flyers) for BLSA meetings and events.

B. In the event the Social Media Chair is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Section X: BLSA DEI Representative. The BLSA DEI Representative is responsible for representing the needs and interests of UB BLSA’s general membership to the University at Buffalo and the larger Buffalo community.

A. The BLSA DEI Representative’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1.     Representing the interests of BLSA on the DEI Council at University at Buffalo, which includes expressing any concerns, needs, or accomplishments of our members, as well as promoting BLSA events.

2.     Helping to maintain a relationship with other minority law student and graduate student organizations.

3.     Helping to maintain a relationship with the Minority Bar Association of Western New York.

4.     Maintaining relationships with the Black community and organizations in the Buffalo area.

B. In the event the BLSA DEI Representative is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Section XI. Pre-law Director. The Pre-law Director is responsible for acting as the liaison between UB BLSA and the undergraduate students at the University at Buffalo who may be interested in law.

A. The Pre-law Director’s duties include but are not limited to:

1.     Maintaining a relationship with undergraduate student organizations dedicated to pre-law students, including BSU and the BLSA pre-law chapter.

2.     Maintaining a relationship with the Discover Law students at the University at Buffalo.

3.     Establishing a mentoring program for undergraduate students who are interested in the law and current law students.

B.  In the event the Pre-law Director is unable to complete their term of office, a replacement shall be chosen by a simple majority of the membership.

Article IV

Committees:

Section I. The Standing UB BLSA Committees shall have their members appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the E-board. Unless specified otherwise in this Constitution, the Chairperson of every Committee shall also be chosen by the President. These committees shall be:

A. The Law Day Committee. This committee shall be composed of the Special Projects and Events Coordinator as the chairperson and at least four other members who shall be appointed at least by the end of the preceding semester. It shall be the duty of the committee to plan and implement the Annual BLSA Law Day, which shall have a theme that furthers the goals and purposes of UB BLSA and promotes the following:

1.     Recruitment

2.     Law school/community relations, and

3.     Current legal issues concerning minority groups

B.  Eligibility and Election Committee. This committee shall be composed of the Vice President as the chairperson and have no more than four members who shall be appointed at least a month preceding the election. No individual may be a member of this committee and allowed to be elected to a UB BLSA office unless that individual resigns from the committee prior to the election. Resignation from this committee must be made to the President in writing. The committee’s duties shall include but shall not be limited to:

1.     Sending the annual election date at least two weeks prior to the election date;

2.     Determine the voting membership as consistent with this Constitution.

a.     In the event of a special election during the fall semester, first year students may be added to the first semester voting membership list solely upon paying membership dues and without regard to the other criteria set forth in Article II.

b.     All members will be subject to each and every criteria in Article II, upon composition of the second semester voting membership list.

C.  Rules Committee. This committee shall be composed of all the Officers of UB BLSA. It shall be the duty of this Committee to consider all amendments to the Constitution, and if it shall approve them, to submit its recommendations to the voting membership for notice and an opportunity to review. It shall be in the discretion of the President to appoint non-officers to this Committee with the advice and consent of the E-board.

D.  Social Committee. This committee shall be composed of the Special Projects and Events Coordinator as the chairperson and three (3) voting members of UB BLSA who shall be appointed by the President. This committee shall be responsible for developing and executing social events for UB BLSA with advice and consent of the sitting E-board.

E.  Special Committees. These committees may be created by the President or the voting membership with the approval of the President and E-board. These committees can be created from time to time as it is deemed necessary by the advice and consent of the President, E-board and voting membership. The creation of such committees and the specific mandate of those committees shall include the duration of the committee's existence, and the President shall make appointments to such committees with the advice and consent of the E-board.

Section II. Committees created under this Article shall conduct their business as they deem appropriate, provided, however:

1.     That the committees shall adhere to such rules for notice, hearings, and any other procedures as may be established by this Constitution or the rules promulgated in pursuance thereof;

2.     That the President may terminate the appointment of an individual to a position on one of these committees at any time provided that,

a.     He or She may not terminate the appointment of an Officer specifically named to a committee by this Constitution, and

b.     For the termination to be effective, he or she must obtain approval of two-thirds of the E-board, present and voting.

c.     At the next regularly scheduled meeting the President shall appoint an individual to replace the individual whose appointment has been terminated.

3.     That no Special Committee created under Section E of this Article may exist for a period longer than the terms of the Officers without a renewal of its mandate by the E-board after the annual elections.

Article V

Meetings:

Section I. Organizational Meetings. The first general body meeting shall take place within the first month of classes.

Section II. General Body Meetings. One general body meeting shall be held every month. Exceptions shall be made for scheduled school breaks such as fall break, winter break, spring break and summer vacation.

Section III. Executive Board Meetings. One executive board meeting shall be held at least every month. Exceptions shall be made for scheduled school breaks such as fall break, winter break and summer vacation.

Section IV. Committee Meetings: The Committee shall meet at the call of their Chairperson.

Section V. Agenda: An agenda shall be provided for each regular meeting no later than 24 hours before the scheduled meeting and it shall include the date, time and location of meeting, as well as the subject matter to be discussed.

Article VI

Recall:

Recall of Officers may be had, with cause, by a majority vote of the E-board. If there is a motion to recall the President, the Vice President shall chair the meeting at which this motion is being considered. At all meetings where there is a motion for recall, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern this meeting.

Article VII

Voting/Elections:

Section I. Election Process. The general election shall take place in the spring semester for all positions. If an office becomes vacant at any time before the spring election, there shall be a special election if deemed necessary by the President and the E-board. The process shall be the following:

1.     Each voting member shall have one vote per office and shall vote by secret ballot.

2.     The candidate garnering a majority (51%) of the votes shall receive the position.

3.     Each candidate shall give a speech with the reasons for seeking office so members may make an informed decision.

4.     If a candidate is unable to attend the election, the candidate can run in absentia and have another member read a statement on their behalf.

5.     If a member is unable to attend the election the member can vote by proxy. The member shall complete a proxy form and return the form to the current Secretary by the stated deadline.

6.     The results of the election shall be announced within 24 hours of the conclusion of the election.

7.     The same process shall be followed for special elections.

8.     No member may hold more than one position as an E-board Officer at any time unless under special circumstances and with the unanimous consent of the E-board.

Section II. Candidates. All persons running for an elected position must be an active member of UB BLSA as defined in Article II.

Article VIII

Transition of Board:

Section I. Date of Transition. All E-board positions shall last for one year and shall run from the election during the spring of one year until the spring of the following year, unless otherwise voted upon.

Section II. Completed Business. The outgoing E-Board shall be responsible for completing all business related activities that were begun prior to the date of transition.

Article IX

Amendments to Constitution:

1.     Amendments to the Constitution must be approved by a majority of the E-board and must be presented to the general membership at a regularly scheduled meeting.

2.     A Call for Amendments can be sent at the discretion of the President and the E-board.