Constitution

Student Bar Association

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of this organization shall be The University of New Mexico School of Law Student Bar Association, hereinafter called Student Bar Association, Association, or S.B.A.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

The purposes of the Student Bar Association shall be:

  1. To promote professional, scholastic and social activities among its members,
  2. To promote cooperation and communication between students and faculty,
  3. To encourage association of the students with members of the legal profession through liaison with the New Mexico State Bar Association and other organizations,
  4. To instill in its members an appreciation for ethical standards in the practice of law,
  5. To promote and maintain the prestige and high standing of the University of New Mexico School of Law, and,
  6. To encourage and promote the representation of New Mexico's cultural and ethnic diversity in the University of New Mexico School of Law and in the legal profession.

ARTICLE III - GOVERNING POWER

The powers of the officers and committees hereinafter provided shall be only those powers granted by this constitution.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP DUES

  1. Membership. Every actively enrolled student of the law school is a member of the Student Bar Association.
  2. Dues. There shall be no dues. The S.B.A. may charge for the use of its lockers, in a one-time transaction with each First-year student. Transfer and Visiting students shall be charged a proportionate amount for locker rental. Once rented, the locker shall be for the use of the student as long as they are enrolled. The S.B.A. Secretary shall maintain a log of locker assignments. The locker fee may be waived or refunded for any student who so requests in writing, by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
  3. Membership Rights. All members may vote, sign nominating petitions, and run in S.B.A. sponsored elections, subject to Article XIV. All members may attend all S.B.A. meetings, either General, or Executive Committee, except for when closed by majority vote of the Executive Committee according to Article XII, Section 2, for good reason, such as Student Code of Conduct related meetings where privacy shall be protected. All members may attend all S.B.A. social and community service functions and may bring a reasonable number of guests.
  4. Additional Fees. The Executive Committee may charge admissions fees and service charges as necessary to pay for various functions and services, and this may apply to members, nonmembers, or both. Such events and charges may be used to raise funds for other activities approved by the Executive Committee. These fees and charges may be waived or refunded for any student who so requests in writing, by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall be made of:

  1. The President: A Third-Year Student elected in the Spring Election by the entire membership.
  2. The First Vice-President: A Third-Year Student elected in the Spring Election by the entire membership.
  3. The Treasurer: A Third-Year or Second-Year Student elected in the Spring Election by the entire membership.
  4. The Second Vice-President: A Second-Year Student elected in the Spring Election by the entire membership.
  5. The Secretary: A Third-Year or Second-Year Student elected in the Spring Election by the entire membership.
  6. Two First-Year Class Representatives: Two First-Year students elected in the Fall Election by members of the First-year class. No candidate for First-Year Representative may receive more than one vote from any voter.

ARTICLE VI - OTHER ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

  1. Faculty Committee Representatives and Graduate and Professional Student Association (G.P.S.A.) Representatives shall be elected by each class. Representatives for the First and Second-Year Classes shall be elected in the Spring Election, to serve those classes while they are Second and Third-Year Students. When the new First-Year Class arrives each Fall, it shall elect its Faculty Committee and G.P.S.A. Representatives, who shall serve until the Spring Election provides successors. Should any Representative resign of desire to step down from their duties temporarily, the Association President shall nominate a temporary replacement for the approval of the Executive Committee. A replacement for the remainder of the term shall then be elected in a Special Election or the next General Election at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
  2. A fourth G.P.S.A. Representative shall be appointed by the President of the S.B.A. and approved by a majority of the Executive Committee in the Fall, or in the Spring if the holder of the position will graduate before the Fall. This Fourth Representative may be a member of any class. Should the G.P.S.A. decide to allocate additional Representative positions to the Law School, they shall be filled by this same appointment process.
  3. The entire Association membership shall vote for two Admissions Committee Representatives, who shall serve while Third-Year Students, in the Fall Election. The two Admissions Committee Representatives shall serve together as the student voice on the Admissions Committee and shall each vote on 1/2 of the admissions files, or as the Admissions Committee otherwise finds appropriate.
  4. The entire Association membership shall vote, in the Spring General Election, for an American Bar Association Representative to serve as the S.B.A. representative to the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association at regional and national meetings of that organization. The American Bar Association Representative must be a Second-Year or Third-Year Student in good standing.
  5. The S.B.A. President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall have the right to appoint other student representatives if not listed in the Article or Article XV. The Executive Committee shall also have the right to place additional positions on election ballots, to encourage discussion and interest in such positions, to ensure representative democracy in student government, and to allow the Association to adapt to changing structures and needs inside and outside of the Law School. The Executive Committee shall indicate prior to any such election whether or not it will consider the election results as binding, or as a non-binding poll of Association membership opinion. This binding/non-binding status shall be posted with the announcement of the election, and shall be printed on the ballots of that election.

ARTICLE VII - TERM OF OFFICE FOR S.B.A. OFFICERS

  1. All S.B.A. officers elected in the Spring General Election shall take office thirty (30) days after the election.
  2. All S.B.A. officers elected in the Fall General Election shall take office immediately upon election certification.
  3. All S.B.A. officers elected in Special Elections shall take office immediately upon election certification.
  4. S.B.A. officers shall serve until their respective replacements take office. This section does not apply to S.B.A. officers who resign or who are recalled from office.

ARTICLE VIII - RECALL OF OFFICERS

  1. Any S.B.A. member may initiate a recall election of any member of the Executive Board with a petition including 100 member's signatures.
  2. The recall election shall be governed by the appropriate provisions of Article XIV.

ARTICLE IX - DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. Duties of the Executive Board. The Executive Board:
    1. shall be responsible for the management and control of the Association,
    2. may create committees with powers and duties as needed,
    3. shall make all student appointments not provided for in Article VI and Article XV, which shall be controlling,
    4. shall approve the final budget in accordance with Article XI,
    5. shall have at least two (2) general meetings of the Association each semester. Notice of each meeting, shall be posted at least three (3) days in advance, and
    6. shall be ultimately responsible for running the elections in accordance with Article XIV. The Second Vice President shall be primarily responsible for all elections.
  2. President. The President shall:
    1. coordinate all activities of the Executive Board,
    2. be responsible, with the Treasurer, for keeping expenditures within the budget,
    3. have the duty to appoint one S.B.A. member from each class to serve on the Constitution and Elections Committee in accordance with Article IV,
    4. have the power to take any actions in furtherance of the purposes in Article II subject to retroactive review by the Executive Board, and
    5. have any other responsibilities or duties contained elsewhere in the constitution.
  3. 3. The First Vice-President. The First Vice-President shall:
    1. chair the Constitution and Elections Committee,
    2. be responsible for the provisions and procedures of Article XIV, and
    3. have any other responsibilities or duties pertaining to this office contained elsewhere in the constitution.
  4. The Second Vice-President. The Second Vice-President shall:
    1. be responsible for the coordination and execution of all elections according to the provisions of Article XIV, unless the Second Vice President is a candidate in such an election, in which case the First Vice President shall be responsible for the coordination and execution of that election.
    2. certify all candidates for election in accordance with Article XIV, and
    3. have any other responsibilities or duties pertaining to this office contained elsewhere in this constitution.
  5. The Secretary. The Secretary shall:
    1. be responsible for maintaining a current S.B.A membership list,
    2. have the duty to provide notice of the S.B.A. general meetings under Article IX, Section Ie, and Article XII,
    3. have the duty to keep and post minutes of all open Executive Board and S.B.A. open meetings,
    4. have the duty to serve as member of the Constitution and Elections Committee, and
    5. have any other responsibilities or duties pertaining to this office contained elsewhere in the constitution.
  6. The Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:
    1. collect any due money or fees,
    2. present a budget proposal in accordance with Article XI,
    3. maintain accurate, complete and current records of S.B.A financial status and activities, and
    4. have any other responsibilities or duties pertaining to this office contained elsewhere in the constitution.
  7. The First-Year Representatives. There shall be two First-Year Representatives, who shall:
    1. assist other S.B.A. officers in the performance of their duties, and
    2. have any other responsibilities or duties pertaining to this office contained elsewhere in the constitution.
  8. The American Bar Association Representative. The A.B.A. Representative shall:
    1. serve as the S.B.A. representative to the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association at regional and national meetings of that organization.
  9. All elected and appointed S.B.A. officers shall make a reasonable good faith effort to attend all S.B.A. meetings which will be scheduled by the President in consultation with the officers. Any elected or appointed officers who fail to attend three meetings will be removed from office if they do not have a reasonable excuse as determined by the Executive Committee. Any officer so expelled will have the option of running in a Special Election to be announced immediately upon removal of the officer. The special officer replacement election will be held between 14 and 28 days after the officer's removal and candidacies will be conducted in the same manner as a regular election for the position to be filled.

ARTICLE X- LIMITS ON POWERS OF OFFICERS

  1. No officer shall take any action in contradiction to any provision of this constitution.
  2. No officer shall spend or withhold funds of the Association in contravention of a majority vote of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE XI - BUDGET

  1. The budget of the Student Bar Association shall provide for activities and programs pursuant to Article II of this Constitution.
  2. The Association budget shall not be a major source of funding for other student organizations.
  3. The Treasurer shall prepare a budget proposal for the major expenses of the Association.
  4. The budget must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. The expenditures of any non-budgeted funds of the Association must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
  5. The President and the Treasurer shall have executive responsibility for keeping expenditures approved by the Executive Board within the approved budget.
  6. The approved Budget will be posted and remain posted throughout the school year. Non-budgeted expenditures shall be posted immediately upon approval by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE XII - MEETINGS

  1. There shall be two types of S.B.A. meetings: 1) "Executive Board Meetings" attended by the Executive Board, and 2) "General Meetings" attended by the Executive Board, Faculty Representatives, and the American Bar Association Representative.
  2. A minimum of two general meetings of the Association shall be held each semester at a time selected by the President. Additional General Meetings or Executive Board Meetings may be called at a time and place selected by the President. Posting of notice in prominent places of the Law School or via electronic mail three (3) days in advance shall be to all members of any meeting.
  3. Executive Board Meetings and General Meetings shall be open to all members of the Association except by majority vote of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENTS

  1. Amendments may be proposed by any member of the Executive Board. The amendment must be passed by a simple majority of the Executive Board to be placed on the ballot. Members must have three days' notice of proposed amendments prior to the election. The amendment must be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the S.B.A. members voting in the general election.
  2. Any S.B.A. member (as defined by Article IV) may propose an amendment to the Executive Board. The Executive Board has the option to accept or reject the proposed amendment.
  3. The S.B.A. Executive Board shall vote upon proposed amendments. If the proposed amendment is passed by a simple majority of the Board, it will be placed on the ballot in the next general election. Members must have three days' notice of proposed amendments prior to the elections. The amendment must be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the S.B.A. members voting in the general election.
  4. If the Executive Board rejects the amendment or the S.B.A. member chooses not to submit the proposed amendment to the Executive Board, the S.B.A. member must comply with the following procedure:
  5. Alternate Amendment Procedure
    1. Proposed amendments shall be in writing and upon a form provided by the S.B.A. Executive Board upon request. The form shall contain:
      1. The proposed amendment, and
      2. The portion of the Constitution to be amended, or repealed as applicable, and
      3. A brief statement declaring the reasons or purpose of the proposed amendment, and
      4. Signatures of fifty (50) S.B.A. members (as defined in Article IV.
      5. Proposed Amendments must be submitted to a member of the Executive Board or Constitution and Election Committee at least: two weeks prior to the Fall or Spring General Elections.
      6. Proposed Amendments that meet all the requirements of this Procedure will be placed on the ballot for ratification by the S.B.A. membership. Members must have three days' notice of proposed amendments prior to the election. Amendments must be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the S.B.A. members voting in the election.

ARTICLE XIV - ELECTION CODE

  1. Candidates Requirements and Certification.
    1. All candidates shall be S.B.A. members in good UNM academic standing according to Law School standards.
    2. Candidates not in good standing shall not be placed on the ballot.
    3. For a candidate to be certified, he/she must meet all requirements specified in this constitution.
  2. Positions with multiple representatives
    1. There shall be two 1L Student Representatives, and two 3L Admissions Committee Representatives. All other elected offices and positions shall each be held by only one person.
    2. When electing representatives for a position for which there are two representatives,students may vote for up to two out of the total candidates. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the election shall serve as the duly elected representatives.
    3. In any instance where there is only one candidate for a position allowing for two representatives, the Student Bar Association President may either appoint a second representative or allow the one candidate, once elected, to fulfill the duties of both representatives if possible.
    4. Students shall not run jointly and/or as a group. Each candidate shall run in their own individual capacity and with their own platform.
  3. Voters.
    Every S.B.A. member may vote in S.B.A. elections. For the definition of S.B.A. membership, see Article IV. Proxy and/or absentee ballot voting is not permitted in any SBA election. (Remains in effect)
  4. Winning.
    To win an office in an S.B.A. sponsored election, a candidate needs to win a plurality of the votes cast. No candidate may receive more than one vote from any voter. In case of a tie, a run-off election shall be held under the Election Code, Article XIV, Section 11, with those tied with the most votes placed on the second ballot.
  5. General Election Dates.
    1. Fall Elections will be held in the sixth week of Fall Semester classes.
    2. Spring Elections will be held in the second week prior to Spring Break.
  6. Announcement, Times, and Places for S.B.A. Election Activities.
    1. The Executive Board shall establish and post this information at least fourteen (14) days prior to the Fall and Spring Elections and any Special Elections:
      1. Officers and Representatives to be elected, eligibility and petitions requirements of the office, per the constitution, and deadlines.
      2. The location, dates and hours of the election and tabulation and posting of the results.
    2. The Second Vice-President shall post this information on the S.B.A. bulletin board and notice of its posting shall be sent to each student either via mailbox notice or electronic mail notice to the student's Law School Computer Account.
    3. All SBA elections will be held on a Tuesday.
  7. Nominating Petitions and Candidate Filing Deadline.
    1. A nominating petition shall be required to place a candidate's name on the ballot.
    2. A nominating petition including 50 S.B.A. members signatures will be required of each person seeking office elected by the entire membership as specified in Articles V and VI.
    3. A nominating petition including 25 S.B.A. members' signatures will be required of each person seeking office elected by his or her respective class as in Articles V and VI. Those signatures must be from students who are members of the same law school class.
    4. A nominating petition must clearly state the name of the proposed candidate and the office sought.
    5. Each candidate must file a nominating petition with an S.B.A. Board member by 1:00 p.m. seven (7) days prior to the elections. Nominating petitions filed after this deadline may be accepted by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
  8. Notice of Complete Election Information.
    Notice will be placed in each student's electronic mailbox or mailbox within 18 hours after the candidate Filing Deadline. This notice will include the day and date of elections, all ballot positions, and all certified candidates, as well as the date and time of a Candidates’ Forum. At the Candidates’ Forum, all certified candidates will have the opportunity to speak about their candidacy, and to receive questions from other Students.
  9. Write-in Candidates
    1. Any Student in good standing may become a Write-in Candidate at any point after the deadline for filing of nominating petitions. Write-in Candidates will not have the opportunity to speak at the Candidates’ Forum.
    2. To win an office, a Write-in Candidate must win a plurality of the votes cast (see Article XIV, Section 3). The candidate’s name does not have to be spelled correctly on each ballot, unless two candidates with the same or similar names are running for the same office. This determination will be left to the discretion of the S.B.A. Executive Committee, who before the election will give notice of any spelling requirements.
  10. Vote Counting.
    1. Votes shall be counted by the Executive Board by midnight of elections day, and the uncertified results, including the number of votes received by each candidate, posted by 9 a.m. the following day.
    2. Each candidate has a right to one recount. A recount demand must be made in writing and presented to any Executive Board member by 6:00 p.m. on the day results are posted.
    3. If "no confidence" receives greater than 50% of the votes for any position, a run-off election shall be held as per section 11 below.
  11. Challenges to Election Results or Procedures.
    In order to challenge the results of an election procedure, a student must comply with the provisions of Article XV, Section 4.
  12. Run-off Elections shall be held within two school days after the certification of the election that ended in a tie.
  13. All SBA Elections shall be held on a Tuesday.
  14. Special Elections.
    1. The category of Special Elections shall include:
      1. Votes to recall an officer of the S.B.A.
      2. Elections to fill a vacant elected position regardless of reason for vacancy.
      3. Referenda. (See section 13 below.)
    2. Election provisions for any special election shall be promulgated by majority vote of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall provide reasonable notice and opportunity to allow a fair resolution of any issue requiring a special election. The Election Code shall be used as a general guideline in Special Elections.
    3. All provisions that apply to challenge and recounts shall apply to Special Elections.
  15. Referenda.
    1. The Executive Board shall call a Special Election when presented with a petition containing 100 S.B.A. members' signatures in support of a referendum on the question.
    2. A referendum petition will state clearly the proposition at issue.
    3. A referendum may not require any action that is inconsistent with this constitution.

ARTICLE XV - CONSTITUTION AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

  1. The purposes of this committee shall be:
    1. to certify the results of all S.B.A. elections,
    2. to hear and decide challenges to all S.B.A. elections excluding recounts, and
    3. to interpret this constitution when questions are raised according to the procedure outlined within this Article.
  2. Constitution and Elections Committee Composition.
    1. The Constitution and Elections Committee will be comprised of the S.B.A. First Vice-President as chair of the committee, the Secretary, and one student appointed from each class, under Article IX, Section 2(c).
    2. Members appointed by the President shall be appointed by the fourth week of fall semester, upon the approval of the Executive Board. Each committee member shall serve for that academic year.
    3. Each Constitution and Elections committee member will have one vote. A majority vote is required to approve any proposition or matter.
  3. Election Certification.
    1. Absent challenges, this committee shall meet ,within thirty-six (36) hours after the polls close to certify the election results.
    2. The Chair of the Constitution and Elections Committee shall post results of the election upon certification.
  4. Election Challenges.
    1. All challenges must be presented in writing to the First Vice-President or Secretary of the S.B.A. within twenty-four hours (24) of the discovery of an alleged violation.
    2. The committee shall meet as soon as possible but not later than seventy-two (72) hours after receipt of the challenge.
    3. The challenging party must have an opportunity to present his/her case in written form, oral form or both at this meeting.
    4. In response to challenges, the Constitution and Committee shall have the power to dismiss all challenges, order new elections, place candidates on the ballot, remove candidates from the ballot, reschedule election procedures, and any remedy in furtherance of resolving election challenges.
  5. Constitutional Interpretation.
    1. Any S.B.A. member may present any issue requiring interpretation of a provision of this Constitution. Further, any S.B.A. member may also request an interpretation of the constitutionality of any action or actions taken pursuant to the provisions of this document.
    2. To obtain an interpretation under Section 5a of this article, a petition must be presented to the S.B.A. First Vice-President. This petition must contain a clear and concise wording of the issue with no fewer than thirty (30) signatures of S.B.A. members.
    3. The Constitution and Elections Committee will meet as soon as possible, but not later than five (5) school days after receipt of a petition pursuant to section 5b this Article.
    4. The petitioner shall have the opportunity to present his/her case in written form, oral form, or both at this meeting.
    5. After determining that the procedural requirements of this section have been met, the Constitution and Elections Committee may recommend to the Executive Board any action it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to: action under Article VII, personal reimbursement of funds to S.B.A. accounts, public announcement, and referendum.
    6. The Constitution and Elections Committee may in its discretion render an advisory opinion regarding any provision of this constitution, provided however, that only those decisions which regard an actual case or controversy shall serve as binding precedent.
  6. The Constitution and Elections Committee shall utilize any procedure it deems necessary in pursuit of its constitutional purposes, including, but not limited to: calling of witnesses, presentation of evidence, establishing quorum, time of meetings, place of meetings, and notice of meetings.

ARTICLE XVI - EFFECTIVE DATE

If ratified, this constitution shall become effective 4 July 1984.

1999 Amendments. This Constitution was amended on February 1, 1999 under S.B.A. President Michael Aragon, S.B.A. President for 1998-1999.

2002 Amendments. This Constitution was amended on February 26th, 2002 under S.B.A. President Patrick J. Griebel, President for 2001-2002. The following amendments were affected on that date:

  1. Article V, 4 was amended to permit a future second-year or third-year student to run for the position of secretary, effective for elections after the 2002 elections.
  2. Article VI was amended to formally create an elected S.B.A. position of "American Bar Association Representative". Previously this position either did not exist or was an ad hoc appointment of the President. Given the regional and national importance to UNM of having a presence within the A.B.A. Law Student Division, it was decided that the position should be formally created. Furthermore, most students as well as the Executive Board, unanimously, felt that the position should be an elected position to promote competition for and quality in the position (see SBA meeting minutes, February 6th, 2002).
  3. Article IX, 4 was amended to formally assign election responsibility to the First Vice in the event that the Second Vice is running in an election, a very common occurrence.
  4. Article XII was amended to specify two types of meetings, "general meetings" and "executive board meetings." There are many S.B.A. officers such as faculty representatives and the A.B.A. Representative that need to stay in regular contact with the Board and need to coordinate their objectives with those of the Board, and vice versa. They do not, however, need to attend every meeting of the Board. The intent here would be that, for example, if there were two meetings per month, one would be a "general meeting" at which all S.B.A. officers would attend, and the other would be a "executive board meeting" to which only the executive board would attend. The amended language gives the president the discretion to convene the type of meeting that he/she deems necessary.
  5. Article XIII was amended in order to change the procedure for amending the Constitution. As a practical matter, requiring that amendments be proposed by the Constitutions and Elections committee, as was previously prescribed, was not workable due to the inactivity of this committee. By allowing individual board members to propose amendments while still requiring a super-majority of students to approve such amendments, more flexibility is given to the Executive Board to make needed amendments while retaining the restraint of needing overall student body approval prior to changes.
  6. Article XIV was amended to delete reference to a paragraph of the article that did not exist. It was not a substantive amendment.

2006 Amendments. This Constitution was amended on September 26, 2006 under S.B.A. President Patrick J. Hart. The following amendments were passed by a majority student body vote, and affected on that date:

  1. Article VI, Section 4 was amended to reflect that the ABA Representative will be elected in the Spring General Election and shall be a second or third year student in good standing.
  2. Article IX was amended to reflect the duties of the ABA Representative, which were not previously outlined in the Constitution.
  3. Article XIV, Section 2 was amended to state that proxy and absentee voting is not allowed in any SBA election.
  4. Article XIV, Section 3 was amended to state that no candidate may receive more than one vote from any voter. This clause was previously contained in the Constitution, but only in Article V, under the First Year Representative description.
  5. Article XIV, Section 7 was amended to acknowledge the Candidates’ Forum, which is traditionally held before elections, but was previously not mentioned in the Constitution.
  6. Article XIV, Section 8 was added to explain the procedures for Write-In Candidates, which have traditionally been allowed in elections, but which were not previously mentioned in the Constitution.
  7. Article XIV, Section 9 was amended to state that the number of votes received by each candidate will be announced when election results are announced. In previous years, this information was not consistently given to students. The procedure for a run-off election when “no confidence” wins a majority of votes was also added.

2008 Amendments. This Constitution was amended on March 4, 2008 under S.B.A. President Ed Perea. The following amendment was passed by a majority student body vote, and affected on that date:

  1. The Article XIV Section 2 of the SBA Constitution was amended to reflect that an early ballot may be submitted on the Friday prior to the official SBA elections in accordance with section 5d. A two hour time block, during regular daytime school hours, will be announced by the SBA Executive Board. The early voting will take place in the Forum, the Friday before a Constitutionally required election day, as determined by the SBA Executive Committee. The ballots will be received and sealed on the day of early voting and will not be counted until the official voting of all ballots.
    1. If a special election is called early voting will take place at least three days before the special election and for a two hour period during regular daytime school hours.

2014 Amendments. This Constitution was amended on March 4, 2014 under SBA President Daniel Apodaca, President for 2013-2014. The following amendments were affected on that date:

  1. Article VI Paragraph 3 was amended to allow for two third-year students to serve jointly as the student representatives to the Admissions Committee. Each representative is responsible for 1/2 of the admissions cases, or however the Committee sees fit. Only the representative assigned to a specific case shall have a vote on that specific case.
  2. Article XIV was amended to allow for an additional paragraph which clarifies which positions under the SBA have multiple representatives, and to clarify that students are not allowed to run jointly for any election.

Article XIV Section 2

Every S.B.A. member may vote in S.B.A. elections. For the definition of S.B.A. membership, see Article IV. Proxy and/or absentee ballot voting is not permitted in any SBA election. (Remains in effect)

Constitutional Amendments

2015 Amendment. This Constitution was amended on February 25, 2015 under SBA President Victor Sanchez. The following amendment was passed by a majority student body vote, and affected on that date:

  1. Article IV, Section 1 of the SBA Constitution was amended to reflect that every actively enrolled student of the law school is a member of the Student Bar Association.

Passed 4/27/21, Confirmed 4/29/21:

Amendment #1

Purpose: Article VII, § (1), shall be amended in accordance with this clarification: to modify and provide clarification regarding the term of office for the S.B.A. Executive Board to end upon the completion of commencement.

Amendment:

All S.B.A. officers elected in the Spring General Election shall begin their term of office 24 hours after the completion of the spring commencement.

Amendment #2

Purpose: The Elections Code, under Article XIV § (14) “Special Elections” shall include an emergency provision for specific unexpected events or unforeseen circumstances (such as a health pandemic) that may require modifications to the elections process and election dates.

Amendment:

Emergency Elections (See Section labeled “Emergency Elections” below)

Emergency Elections

  1. An emergency election can be held to modify or replace the standard procedures of the general election due to a specific unexpected event, unforeseen circumstance, or emergency situation that would merit the deviation from the standard election procedures, i.e., a health pandemic.
  2. The Constitution and Elections Committee shall convene at the direction of the S.B.A. Executive Board to propose election procedures, election dates, and other reasonable modifications.
  3. Election procedures for emergency elections must be approved by the S.B.A. Executive Board by two-thirds vote.
  4. Terms of office for officers elected in an emergency election that replaces the standard procedures of a general election shall comply with the terms of office under Article VII, §§ (1) and (2).

Amendment #3

Purpose: To amend Article X, Limits on Powers of Officers, to include that no S.B.A. member can serve in more than one S.B.A. position per term.

Amendment:

No S.B.A. officer or representative shall serve in more than one S.B.A. position per term, whether elected or appointed.

Passed 11/23/21, Confirmed 11/24/21

Passed:

Art IX § 2: In the event that there is a vacancy for the SBA President, during their term, there is to be a line of succession. The line of succession will be as follows: 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary. Whomever is the successor will hold the position as SBA President in the interim, until a special election can take place in a reasonable time. After the special election, the Interim President will revert to their initial position, unless the Interim President is elected SBA President.

Failed:

Art IX § 2: The SBA President has the power to fill vacancies of any SBA Officer position.

[important to note, as previous boards have also attempted to make this change and then it was not reflected]

Passed:

Art. V § 1: Open the SBA President position for 2Ls to run for, with a term limit of 1-year.

Passed:

Election Code: Remove the signature requirement needed to be placed on the ballot for all positions during the general election. Instead implement a nomination process where students nominate a candidate and the nominated candidate must then accept the nomination to be placed on the ballot.

Passed:

Art IX § 3: Amend the 1st Vice-President position to include serving as the 3L class representative.