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Jill Ethridge (President):
Monday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Friday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Laura Poschen (Vice President):
Wednesday 10:00-Noon

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Constitution

Washburn Student Bar Association
(WSBA)

(Adopted April 1989)
(Revised March 1997, April 2003, April 2005, October 2008, January 2011)

Article I: Name

  1. The name of the organization shall be the Washburn Student Bar Association (WSBA).

Article II: Preamble

  1. Empowered by the students of Washburn University School of Law, the Washburn Student Bar Association shall create opportunities for academic excellence, civic duty and cultural exchange. Understanding the special position it holds amongst the university community, the WSBA shall serve as the liaison between the students and faculty concerning policies that affect the academic, cultural and social welfare of Washburn University School of Law.

Article III: Membership

  1. Membership into the WSBA shall be conferred upon any person matriculating as a student at Washburn University School of Law.

Article IV: Leadership

  1. The WSBA shall be governed by the Executive Council.
  2. The Executive Council shall consist of the following officers:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Six (6) Representatives-at-Large
    6. J-Section Representative-at-Large
    7. Seven (7) Class-Section Representatives
    8. American Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA-LSD) Representative
    9. Kansas Bar Association (KBA) Representative
    10. Assistant Treasurer
    11. Jr. ABA-LSD Representative
    12. Jr. KBA Representative
  3. Duties of Executive Council members shall include, but are not limited to:
    1. Attending and voting at Executive Council meetings
    2. Supervising WBSA elections
    3. Regulating and overseeing expenditure of WSBA funds
    4. Serving on committees
    5. Proposing legislation
    6. Adopting and amending bylaws necessary to the proper functioning of WSBA
    7. Being familiar with the Constitution, Bylaws and other appropriate rules promulgated by the Executive Council
  4. Terms of Office
    1. The following Executive Council positions shall be limited to one-year terms:
      1. President
      2. Vice President
      3. Secretary
      4. Treasurer
      5. All Representatives-at-Large
      6. ABA-LSD Representative
      7. KBA Representative
    2. The following Executive Council positions shall be limited to one-semester terms:
      1. Class-Section Representatives
      2. Assistant Treasurer
      3. Jr. ABA-LSD Representative
      4. Jr. KBA Representative
  5. Non-Voting Members
    1. The Assistant Treasurer is a non-voting member of the Executive Council and shall be elected during the spring semester. At the completion of the Assistant Treasurer’s one-semester term, he or she shall take office as the Treasurer.
    2. The Jr. KBA Representative is a non-voting member of the Executive Council and shall be elected during the spring semester. At the completion of the Jr. KBA Representative’s one-semester term, he or she shall take office as the KBA Representative.
    3. The Jr. ABA-LSD Representative is a non-voting member of the Executive Council and shall be elected during the fall semester. At the completion of the Jr. ABA-LSD Representative’s one-semester term, he or she shall take office as the ABA-LSD Representative.

Article V: Elections

  1. Any WSBA member is eligible to be a candidate for an Executive Council position.
  2. All Executive Council members shall be elected by a simple majority of WSBA members voting in the election, except:
    1. The J-Section Representative-at-Large shall be elected by a simple majority of J-Section students voting in the election.
    2. Class Section Representatives shall be elected by the members of their respective class-section voting in the election.
  3. The actual positions subject to election by the student bar association are the following:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Secretary
    4. Assistant Treasurer
    5. Jr. ABA-LSD Representative
    6. Jr. KBA Representative
    7. All Representatives-at-Large
    8. Class-Section Representatives

Article VI: Referendum and Initiative

  1. Referendum is a vote on an issue or proposal initiated by the Executive Council as a motion or bylaw that is voted on by the entire student bar. Referendum may be called by a majority vote of the Executive Council or by a one-third vote of the Executive Council upon motion by the President. When put to a vote, a motion will require only a simple majority of student bar members to vote in favor of the motion for passage. If the referendum concerns a bylaw, it shall require two-third of student bar membership for passage.
  2. Initiative is a vote on an issue or proposal initiated by at least twenty percent of WSBA members via a petition that is presented to the Executive Council for a vote as a motion or bylaw. When put to a vote, a motion will require only a simple majority of Executive Council members to vote in favor of the motion for passage. If the initiative concerns a bylaw, it shall require two-thirds of the Executive Council to vote in favor of the bylaw for passage.
    1. The President shall confirm that the twenty percent threshold has been met.
    2. Forms for the passage of an initiative shall be provided by the Constitution Committee.
    3. An initiative that has been passed in the form of a motion shall be reheard only upon the passage of a referendum seeking rehearing.

Article VII: Executive Council Meetings

  1. The Executive Council shall hold regular meetings at a time and place to be chosen by the Executive Council members. The Executive Council shall meet starting in the first week of regular classes and shall cease meeting one week prior to the first day of finals each semester. The Council shall not be required to meet during the summer.
  2. Special meetings may be called for any purpose affecting the student bar association. Such a meeting may be called by any one of the following methods:
    1. The President may call a special meeting, provided he or she gives prompt and adequate notice of the meeting.
    2. The Vice President may call a special meeting, provided he or she gives prompt and adequate notice, but only if the President has already refused to call a special meeting or is unable to call the special meeting.
    3. A petition signed by at least two Executive Council members shall be sufficient to call a special meeting.
    4. A petition signed by at least ten percent of WSBA membership shall be sufficient to call a special meeting.
  3. Notice of all meetings and copies of the minutes from the previous meeting shall be posted on the WSBA bulletin board. The notice and the minutes shall include the time, date and location of the meeting as well as an agenda for that meeting.
  4. All Executive Council meetings are open to any WSBA member, except when a meeting is called in executive session pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq.
  5. Regardless of the meeting type-regular, special or executive session-a majority of voting Executive Council members shall be a quorum.
  6. All meetings shall be chaired by the President unless the President is absent or has temporarily vacated the chair.
  7. Each elected member of the Executive Council present may vote at an Executive Council meeting except the following:
    1. The presiding officer, except to break a tie
    2. The Junior ABA-LSD Representative
    3. The Junior KBA Representative
    4. Assistant Treasurer
  8. All meeting and hearings shall be conducted in accordance with this Constitution and the WSBA Bylaws. Where both are silent, Robert’s Rules of Order control.

Article VIII: Vacancies and Misconduct

  1. Vacancy. In the event of a vacancy of any position and for any reason, except President, the vacancy shall be filled by a qualified WSBA member voted in by a simple majority of Executive Council members.
  2. Misconduct. Any officer of the Executive Council may be removed from their position for misconduct.
    1. Misconduct is the failure of an Executive Council member to fulfill the duties of his or her office as described in the Bylaws, including, but not limited to, failing to attend Executive Council meetings, failing to attend committee meetings, and failing to maintain office hours.
    2. The Misconduct Panel shall be the ultimate finder of misconduct and is solely responsible to take action against an accused officer.
      1. Panel Composition. The Misconduct Panel consists of four (4) members: The President, unless he or she is the subject of the inquiry or designates another officer, and three WSBA members. Executive Council members are not eligible to sit on the panel. The three WSBA members of the panel shall be appointed by the Dean before Spring Elections. The Executive Council is charged with advertising the positions, collecting applications, and submitting the applications to the Dean.
      2. Procedure. The panel need not hold regular meetings, but may meet only as necessary to carry out their duties. Cases of misconduct shall be referred to the panel after an accuser files a formal complaint.
  3. Incapacity. An officer who is incapable of fulfilling his or her duties may be removed from the position he or she holds.

Article IX: Committees

  1. There shall be five (5) WSBA standing committees: the Academic Affairs Committee, the Budget and Finance Committee, the Capital Improvements Committee, the Constitution Committee and the Student Affairs Committee. Temporary committees may be set up by the President if any issue outside the subject matter considered by these committees arises.
  2. Committee Duties.
    1. The Academic Affairs Committee shall be responsible for addressing academic concerns of the WSBA as set forth in the bylaws. The committee shall post weekly reports on the WSBA bulletin board.
    2. The Budget and Finance Committee shall be responsible for allocation of funds to student organizations and for setting policies by which to make such allocations. The committee shall act in accordance with their duties as set forth in the bylaws. The committee shall post weekly reports and minutes from meetings on the WSBA bulletin board.
    3. The Capital Improvements Committee shall be responsible for additions, renovations, etc., to the law school grounds, as set forth in the Bylaws. The committee shall post weekly reports on the WSBA bulletin board.
    4. The Constitution Committee shall be responsible for addressing any constitutional concerns raised by the Executive Council and the WSBA, and shall seek to find a remedy to rectify the problem.
    5. The Student Affairs Committee shall be responsible for all non-academic matters of student concern as set forth in the Bylaws. The committee shall post weekly reports on the WSBA bulletin board.
    6. Any temporary committee shall deal specifically with the duty assigned and shall post weekly reports, and if required minutes from its meetings, on the WSBA bulletin board.

Article X: Constitution

  1. This document shall represent the Constitution of the WSBA and shall be amended only by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the WSBA members voting in either a general election or a special election called pursuant to Article 7, § 2 of this Constitution.
  2. All committees, organizations and franchises subsidized or funded by and/or financially responsible to or controlled by the WSBA shall act in accord, where applicable, with the Constitution and Bylaws of the WSBA.
  3. All activities of the WSBA shall be in accord with the Constitution and the Bylaws. Where both are silent, the Executive Council may act by a majority vote.
  4. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Executive Council shall be required to create, amend, or expunge any bylaw.