Bylaws of the Dallas Association of Law Librarians
(As amended April 2023)
Article I. Name.
The name of this association shall be the Dallas Association of Law Librarians, a chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries.
Article II. Object.
This association is organized exclusively as a business league described in Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the public and to the legal community, to foster the profession of law librarianship, to provide leadership in the field of legal information, and to foster a spirit of cooperation among the members of the profession.
Article III. Membership.
Section 1.
Any person or institution interested in law librarianship (or legislative reference work) may become a member of the Association by qualifying under the provisions of one of the classes of membership.
Section 2.
There shall be four (4) classes of membership.
- Individual Members.
Any person who currently provides or has provided, within the last seven years, a legal or professional library service. Individual memberships move with the member upon any move or change of employment. (Notification of any change of address must be provided to the Association’s Treasurer.) Individual members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on and chair committees, belong to a special interest section, and to receive the Association’s newsletter and membership directory.
- Institutional Members.
Any person who currently provides or has provided, within the last seven years, a legal or professional library service and whose dues are paid by their employers (university, firm, corporation, etc.). If institutional members leave their place of employment, the membership remains with the institutional position and successor employees. (Notification of personnel changes must be provided to the Association’s Treasurer.) Institutional members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on and chair committees, belong to a special interest section, and to receive the Association’s newsletter and membership directory.
- Student Members.
Any person currently enrolled in a degree program in library and information science or law. Student members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on and chair committees, belong to a special interest section, and to receive the Association’s newsletter and membership directory.
- Retired Members.
Any person who is interested in the objectives of the Association and
(1) has retired from full-time work.
(2) was an individual or designated institutional member for at least five years.
(3) Rights and Privileges. Retired members shall have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on and chair committees, belong to a special interest section, and to receive the Association’s newsletter and membership directory.
Section 3.
Dues for each class of membership shall be determined by the Executive Board. The year for dues shall begin on June 1 and the fiscal year of the Association shall begin on May 31.
Section 4.
Members failing to pay dues after September 1 shall be suspended from membership by the Treasurer. Suspended members may be reinstated at any time upon payment of the full current year’s dues. Dues are not refundable.
Article IV. Meetings.
Section 1.
Meetings shall be held at such time and place as the Executive Board shall designate.
Section 2.
Executive Board meetings shall be held prior to the general meeting or as called by the President.
Section 3.
For any general or special meeting, the members present at the meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Article V. Nominations and Elections.
Section 1. General Elections
(a) Nominating Committee.
- The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board, none of whom shall be a member of the Executive Board, and none of whom shall be a candidate for office at the succeeding election.
- Nominations by the Nominating Committee. The nominating committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each office. Names of candidates, together with their written acceptances, shall be presented by the nominating committee to the Executive Board in advance of the scheduled election for announcement to the members. The President shall present the names of the candidates to the membership at least 10 business days prior to the election.
- Other Nominations. Additional nominations may be made by any member in good standing by communicating such nomination to the president in writing. Additional candidates may be proposed by motion from the floor at a general meeting of the Association prior to the scheduled date of the election.
- Written/Electronic Voting. Prior to the general meeting before the end of the officers’ term of office, the Secretary shall distribute a copy of a written/electronic ballot to each member of the Association. Marked written/electronic ballots shall be returned to the Secretary by the date specified on the ballot. The Secretary shall tabulate the votes and announce the results of the election to the chapter, but not before all candidates are notified of the results of the election.
- General and special elections shall be decided by the majority of the members voting. In case of a tie, the person elected shall be determined by lot conducted within the Executive Board.
Section 2. Vacancies
All vacancies in offices shall be filled by the Executive Board for an interim term until the next regular election of officers, at which time said vacancies shall be filled by election, except that the Vice President shall automatically become President upon a vacancy in such office and shall continue in that office until the expiration of the term for which that person was originally elected to serve as President.
Article VI. Officers.
Section 1
The term of office shall be September 1 – May 31.
Section 2.
Officers shall have the authority to manage the Association’s activities and to regulate and govern its affairs.
(a). The President shall act as presiding officer of the Association and as its Executive Officer. It shall be the duty of the President to coordinate all business and projects through the Executive Board; appoint committee chairs, and periodically distribute a President’s Letter to the membership. The President must be a member in good standing of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
The President shall represent the Association on the AALL Council of Chapter Presidents and attend the annual meeting of the Council.
The President shall also attend the leadership training program offered at the AALL annual conference.
The Executive Board may allocate funds to support the President in fulfilling Association duties at the AALL annual conference.
The President will report to the Executive Board and to the membership on the results of the Council’s business meeting.
The President will submit receipts for the expenses to be reimbursed.
(b). The Immediate Past President will serve as Immediate Past-President for a term of one year. The Immediate Past-President will advise the President and the Board of Directors and will have such other powers and perform such other duties as the Board of Directors may assign to the Immediate Past-President.
(c). The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in his or her absence. Upon assuming the office of President, the Vice President shall become a member of AALL. It shall also be the duty of the Vice President to work with the Executive Board and assist in developing chapter programs ideas, and any other duties delegated by the President.
(e). The Secretary shall provide an accurate record of all Executive Board and general association meetings.
(f). The Treasurer shall handle all financial matters of the Association.
Article VII. Executive Board.
There shall be an executive board consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President. A quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of a majority of the members of the Board.
Article VIII. Committees and Appointments.
Section 1.
There shall be such standing or special committees or special interest sections of the Association as the Executive Board shall create or shall be created by a majority vote of those present and voting at any meeting of the Association.
Section 2.
Committee chairs shall be appointed by the President. Committee chairs shall have the right to select members to serve on their respective committees.
Section 3.
Each committee shall submit to the Executive Board a written annual report of its activities which shall contain any recommendations considered necessary or advisable. Summaries of the reports shall be published in the Association newsletter.
Article IX. Amendments.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted to the Secretary. The notice of the proposed amendments shall be provided to the voting members at least 15 business days prior to the meeting of the Association, at which time they will be presented for discussion. Ballots shall then be sent by the Secretary to the members immediately following the meeting at which amendments were discussed. The Executive Board shall specify the time for closing the balloting.
Article X. Parliamentary Authority.
The business of the Association shall be conducted in accordance with The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (formerly the Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure), current edition, except where they may conflict with these Bylaws.
Article XI. Anti-discrimination.
Membership in the Association or participation in any activity of the Association shall not be denied to any individual, or abridged, on account of race, color, age, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity.
Article XII. Dissolution.
In the event of the dissolution of the Association, its assets shall be distributed to tax-exempt organizations which engage in activities consistent with the goals and spirits of the Association.