Bylaws
Article I: Name
This Section shall be known as the Section on Information Technology
of the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE).
Article II: Purposes
The purpose of this section shall be to:
- Foster professionalism and a spirit of unity among NABE members
who are involved with information technology usage and services
for their respective bars.
- Establish a forum within NABE for the exchange of ideas and
knowledge related to information technology.
- Provide and facilitate educational programming for NABE members
to grow and enhance their knowledge about information technology
and related fields.
- Encourage the involvement of all bar association information
technology professionals and decision-makers in the work of the
Section and to strengthen their commitment to further the profession.
- Coordinate with the American Bar Association (ABA) Sections
of Science and Technology and Law Practice Management in establishing
a network for action on key information technology issues affecting
the legal profession at the national level.
- To operate as an exchange medium and clearinghouse for current
information technology trends affecting the legal profession and
bar associations at the state level.
Article III: Membership
Membership in the Section shall be open to any member of the National
Association of Bar Executives, upon payment of section dues, and
whose responsibilities or interest include Information Technology.
Membership shall be for a period of one year, June 1 – May
31.
Article IV: Officers
A. Elected Officers
The officers of the Section shall consist of a chair, a vice-chair,
a secretary, a treasurer, and five (5) other Council members.
B. Qualifications and Terms of Office
All officers must be members of the Section. The term of office
shall be one (1) year for the chair, the vice-chair, the secretary,
and the treasurer. Council members shall serve terms of two (2)
years, and the terms shall be staggered so that the terms of not
more than three (3) council members expire in any year. Officers
are not restricted to serving a single term. The term of each officer
shall begin at the close of the Section’s Annual Meeting following
his or her election, and continuing until a successor is elected
or qualified.
C. Council
The Council of the Section shall consist of the chair, the immediate
past chair, the vice-chair, the secretary, and the treasurer, together
with five (5) other Council members elected by the Section. The
Council shall have general supervision and control of the affairs
of the Section subject to the
bylaws of the Section and the NABE.
D. Vacancies During Term of Office
If the office of the Section chair becomes vacant, the vice-chair
shall immediately succeed to the office of chair for the remaining
term. If any other Section offices or Council seats become vacant,
the Council may, at its discretion, appoint another Section member
to that office for the remaining term.
Article V: Duties of Officers
A. Chair
The chair shall preside at all meetings of the Section and shall
perform all duties pertaining to that office.
B. Vice-Chair
The vice-chair shall assist the chair in performing the functions
of that office when requested to do so.
C. Secretary
The secretary shall keep minutes of the Section, record all other
pertinent matters and perform such other duties as the chair of
the Council shall direct.
D. Treasurer
The treasurer shall keep a record of the financial standing of the
Section,
collect and disburse funds, make a financial report at each meeting
of the
Section to the chair and to the NABE Executive Committee and
perform such other duties as the chair or the Council shall direct.
E. Council Members
The Council members shall act as representatives of the membership
and shall
perform such duties as the chair of the Council shall direct.
Article VI: Committees
A. Standing Committees
The Section Council may create standing committees and terms of
members shall be one (1) year, with members eligible to serve consecutive
terms. Initial appointments shall be made by the Section chair with
the approval of the Council. Thereafter the Section chair acting
alone may appoint successor member(s) to fill vacancies for unexpired
terms.
B. Special Committees
The chair of the Section may create special committees of any size
and appoint all the members thereof. Special committees and terms
of their members terminate at the end of the Section chair’s
term. The succeeding Section chair may continue any special committee,
and appoint or reappoint the members thereof.
ARTICLE VII: Nomination and Election of Officers
A. Nominating Committee Prior to the Annual Meeting of the Section,
the chair shall appoint a nominating committee of five (5) members.
The immediate past chair of the Section shall chair this committee.
At least 90 days before the Annual Meeting, the Nominating Committee
shall issue a general call for nominations to all members of the
Section soliciting names of proposed nominees. Members of the Nominating
Committee shall prepare a report containing its nominations for
at least one candidate for each of the officers of chair, vice-chair,
secretary, treasurer, and members of the Council. This report shall
be distributed to each member of the Section, or published in the
NABE Newsletter no later than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
B. Additional Nominations
Additional nominations for any office to be filled by election at
the Annual Meeting may be made by submitting to the chair of the Nominating
Committee, no later than 45 days prior to the Annual Meeting, or
by an alternate deadline selected by the Section Council, a written
petition signed by at least five (5) members of the Section representing
five (5) or more employers. Such petition shall state the name of
the candidate and the position for which he or she is to be nominated.
Nomination of candidates from the floor at the Annual Meeting shall
not be permitted.
C. Elections Committee
In the event of a contested election, the Section chair shall appoint
an
Elections Committee consisting of three (3) members of the Section,
designating one of these members as chair of the committee.
D. Ballots and Voting in Contested Elections
In the event of a contested election, the Elections Committee shall,
not later than 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, or by an alternate
deadline selected by the Section council, prepare written ballots
and distribute them to all Section members determined to be in good
standing on the date of distribution.
Completed ballots shall be returned by mail to the chair of the
Elections
Committee by a date selected by the Section Council. Ballots not
returned by the designated date shall not be counted.
E. Elections
1. Contested Elections. The Elections Committee or its designee
shall count and tabulate all ballots delivered prior to the Annual
Meeting, and shall count and tabulate all ballots delivered at the
Annual Meeting; determine all challenges and questions arising in
connection with the right to vote; and perform other acts to assure
a fair election. The result of the voting shall be announced as
soon as possible at the Annual Meeting, but in no event shall the
results of the ballots delivered prior to the Annual Meeting be
disclosed, announced, or publicized before the balloting at the
Annual Meeting. The candidate receiving the plurality of the votes
cast for each position shall be declared elected to such position
to serve a one-year term, or until the next Annual Meeting. The
newly elected officers shall take office at the close of the last
business session of the Annual Meeting. In the event of a tie vote,
those present at the Annual Meeting shall vote to break the tie.
2. Uncontested Elections. Unopposed candidates shall be elected
by motion at the Annual Meeting to serve a one-year term, or until
the next Annual Meeting.
3. Notification
- The candidates receiving a plurality of the votes cast shall
be
notified as soon as possible prior to the Annual Meeting.
- The Section Council will be notified of the slate of officers
and
Council members in advance of the meeting, and the Section
Chair will announce the slate of officers and Council
members at the Annual Meeting.
- All Section members will be notified of the slate of officers
and
Council members shortly after the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: Meetings
1. Section Meetings. The Section’s Annual and Midyear Meetings
shall be held concurrent with the Annual and Midyear Meetings of
the NABE. The Section may also hold a business meeting at the Annual
Workshop or any other Section-sponsored conference or program.
2. Council Meetings. Council meetings may be held at any time and
place designated by the Section Chair.
ARTICLE IX: Quorum
At regular meetings of the Section, the presence of ten (10) members
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business in
this Section.
ARTICLE X: Dues and Voting Privileges
The dues of this Section shall be set by the Section Council, and
approved by the NABEBoard of Directors. Dues shall be payable on
or before June 1. Any member of this Section whose annual dues shall
be more than six (6) months past due shall cease to be a member
of this Section. Anyone becoming a new member after December 1 of
any year, upon payment of one (1) full year’s dues, will be
credited as paid through May 31 of the following year. Each member
in good standing present at a general membership meeting of the
Section is entitled to one vote.
ARTICLE XI: Amendments
A. These bylaws may be amended by:
- A written petition, submitted to the Council, signed by any
five (5) or more Section members in good standing.
- A written petition submitted to the Section Council by the Section’s
Bylaws Committee.
- A resolution submitted by the Section Council.
The Section Council shall review the proposed amendment(s) and
shall submit proposed amendment(s) to the Section membership,
with any recommendations, at the next regular meeting, or at a
special meeting called for such purpose.
B. Notice
The proposed amendment(s) shall be forwarded to every eligible voting
member of the Section no later than twenty (20) days prior to the
next general membership meeting.
C. Vote
Provided a quorum is present, the bylaws shall be amended by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the Section members present at the membership meeting.
D. Approval
The Section Chair shall present proposed amendments to the Board
of Directors of NABE at its next scheduled meeting of the Board
of Directors. No amendment shall be effective until approved by
the Board.
ARTICLE XII: Effective Date of Bylaws
A. These bylaws shall become effective upon their approval of the
Board of Directors of the NABE.
Article XIII: Dissolution
If there shall be dissolution of this Section, any funds in the
Treasury of the Section shall be transferred to the general funds
of the National Association of Bar Executives.
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