Young Lawyers

Article I: Name, Purpose and Organization

Section 1.01    Name.

The name of this section of the Alabama State Bar Association (the “Bar”) shall be the “Alabama State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section” (the “Section”).

Section 1.02    Purpose.

The purpose of the Section shall be to encourage the participation of young lawyers in the practice of law; to enhance the relationship among young lawyers, judges, Bar members, the public, and businesses; to promote the professional, personal, and civic development, welfare, interests, and education of the members of the Section; to encourage involvement of Section members in activities of the Section and the Bar; and to provide an environment which fosters cooperation between and among young lawyers in the profession thereby enhancing the profession as a whole.

Article II: Membership

Section 2.01  Qualification for Membership.

The Section is comprised of all lawyers in good standing with the Bar who are thirty-six (36) years of age or younger as of the beginning of the Bar Year, who have been admitted to the Bar for three (3) years or less and the Immediate Past President. Annual dues are $20.

Section 2.02.  Associate Membership.

The Section may recognize, as an “Associate Member,” any person engaged in the legal profession who is thirty-six (36) years of age or younger as of the beginning of the Bar Year, and who is not authorized to practice law in the State of Alabama, but who is a third-year law student or LL.M. student attending a law school in the State of Alabama that is approved by the American Bar Association or the Alabama Board of Bar Examiners.  Any person interested in attaining Associate Membership shall be considered for membership after submitting a letter of interest to the Secretary.  The Executive Committee shall consider the letter of interest at the next meeting after receipt thereof.  The Executive Committee, by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee in attendance at such meeting, may approve or deny the requested Associate Membership.

Section 2.03  Revocation of Membership.

Any member whose license to practice law in the State of Alabama is revoked shall automatically be removed as a member of this Section. Any member whose license to practice law in the State of Alabama is suspended, shall automatically be suspended from all participation as a member of this Section for so long as the member’s law license is suspended.  In the event an officer is removed or suspended, the officer following the removed or suspended officer in the order of rotation described in Section 3.07 shall assume the duties of the removed or suspended officer until the earlier of the reinstatement of the officer or the end of the Bar Year.

Section 2.04    Termination of Membership.

A Member’s Membership in the Section shall terminate:

 (a) at the end of the Bar Year during which (1) the member attains the age of thirty-seven or (2) the member concludes his or her third full year of being licensed to practice law in the State of Alabama, whichever date is later.

(b) in the case of Associate Members, by Majority Vote of the Executive Committee.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Immediate Past President’s membership in the Section shall terminate at the end of the year in which he or she serves as Immediate Past President.

Article III: Officers

Section 3.01    Officers.

The Section shall have five (5) officers (the “Officers”): (a) President, (b) Vice President, (c) Treasurer, (d) Secretary and (e) Immediate Past President, and each shall serve one (1) one-year term, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws.  The Treasurer shall be selected as provided by Article V.

Section 3.02    President.

The President shall preside over all meetings of the Membership, the Executive Committee and the Nominating Committee.  When the President is absent or unable to preside over a meeting of the Membership or of the Executive Committee, the President’s responsibilities shall fall first to the Vice President, then to the Treasurer, then to the Secretary, then to the Immediate Past President. When the President is absent or unable to preside over a meeting of the Nominating Committee, the President’s responsibilities shall fall first to the Vice President then to the Immediate Past President. The President shall represent the Section in any matter with or before any part of the Bar, including as an ex officio member of the Alabama State Board of Bar Commissioners, or with or before third parties, and when appropriate, the President may delegate such representation to another member of the Section.

Section 3.03    Vice President.

The Vice President shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President, the Membership at any regular meeting or by the Executive Committee.  During any period in which the President is unable to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President.  The Vice President shall also plan for the year in which he or she shall act as President and make needed arrangements for the prompt inauguration of the program for the year upon assuming office and to prevent interruption in the continuing program then being carried on by the Section.

Section 3.04    Immediate Past President.

The Immediate Past-President shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President, advise the President as appropriate, and serve as a resource to the Section. When the President is absent or unable to preside over a meeting of the Nominating Committee, the President’s responsibilities shall fall first to the Vice President then to the Immediate Past President.

Section 3.05    Secretary.

The Secretary shall be the custodian of all books, records, minutes, papers, documents, and other property of the Section.  The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all Executive Committee meetings and all meetings of the Membership.  The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Committee.

Section 3.06    Treasurer.

The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all monies received, held and expended by the Section and shall maintain checkbooks, bank records, authorizations for expenditure and financial statements of the Section. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Committee.

Section 3.07    Rotation of Officer Positions.

Any Executive Committee member serving as an officer will serve a Bar Year (July 1 through June 30 of the following year) in each position in the following order of rotation: Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, President, Immediate Past President.  Upon selection as Treasurer, the officer will automatically proceed through this rotation unless good cause as determined by the remaining officers exists for why he or she should not so proceed.

Section 3.08    Eligibility.

(a) Persons who are Executive Committee members in good standing shall be eligible to serve as an Officer of the Section.

(b) An Executive Committee member must begin his or her service as Treasurer so as to complete his term as President during the year in which the attains the age of thirty-seven (37).

Article IV: Executive Committee

Section 4.01    Executive Committee Generally.

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Section consisting of the Officers as provided in Article III, and the Executive Committee Members as specified in Article IV.

Section 4.02    Voting.

All actions of the Executive Committee shall be by Majority Vote.  A “Majority Vote” shall be defined as greater than 50% of a quorum of Executive Committee members voting on a matter.  Votes may be conducted in person or by telephone at a duly called meeting of the Executive Committee, or if the President provides adequate notice thereof, by electronic means.  A member selected as an Officer remains an Executive Committee Member, but shall exercise only one vote as an Executive Committee Member.

Section 4.03    Powers.

The Executive Committee shall have the general supervision and control of the affairs of the Section subject to the Bylaws of the Section and the bylaws of the Bar.

Section 4.04    Expenditures.

All expenditure approvals shall be documented by the Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall securely bind together and maintain custody of all such documents together with all other documents by the calendar year in which the expenditure is actually made.  The documents for a Bar Year shall be transferred to the succeeding Treasurer at the end of the Bar Year and shall be kept in the custody of the Treasurer for a period of seven (7) years after the end of each Bar year.

Section 4.05    Executive Committee Meeting.

The President may call a meeting of the Executive Committee with sufficient notice transmitted by any reasonable means to the members of the Executive Committee.  Traditionally, the Executive Committee meets in the fall in Montgomery, in the winter at a location determined by the President, and in the spring at the Section’s Sandestin CLE. The Officers traditionally conduct a business meeting during the Bar’s Annual Meeting.  A majority of the members of the Executive Committee may call a meeting of the Executive Committee with sufficient notice to the members of the Executive Committee transmitted in writing which is signed by the members calling said meeting.  Meetings may be held in person or by telephone.

Section 4.06    Quorum.

Fifty-one percent (51%) or more members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for voting purposes.  Furthermore, for matters decided by electronic vote, failure to vote within the prescribed period of time shall constitute an abstention from voting for the matter(s) presented, and each abstention shall be counted as participating in the vote for purposes of counting for a quorum.

Article V: Selection of Officers and Executive Committee Members

Section 5.01    Selection of Treasurer.

Any Executive Committee Member with at least four (4) full Bar Years remaining before his membership in the Section is automatically terminated in accordance with Section 2.04(a) hereof may be nominated by any Executive Committee Member (including himself) during such nomination period as is prescribed by the President for the office of Treasurer for the following Bar Year.  Following the close of the nomination period, the Members of the Executive Committee by Majority Vote shall select from the nominated persons the Member who shall serve as Treasurer for the following Bar Year.  In the event of a tie, the a majority vote of the Officers shall determine who shall serve as Treasurer for the following Bar Year.

Section 5.02    Selection of Executive Committee Members.

Any person who is member of this Section may be nominated by any Executive Committee Member during such nomination period as is prescribed by the President to serve as Executive Committee Member for the following Bar Year.  Following the close of the nomination period, the Vice-President (i.e., the upcoming President) shall select from the nominated persons the Members who shall serve as Executive Committee Members for the following Bar Year.

Article VI: Committees

Section 6.01    Committee Appointments.

The President shall appoint Section members to serve as Chairs and members of all committees.  All Committee assignments shall be made by August 1 of the Bar Year.  The term of office of each Chair of a committee shall be for the one year, unless said member otherwise resigns or is removed.  The President may assign to the committees such responsibilities as the President deems appropriate.  Committees shall continue in existence until abolished by majority vote of the Officers.

Article VII: Bylaws and Special Provisions

Section 7.01    Bylaws Effective Immediately.

These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon approval by a Majority of Members.  Prior to the Bylaws’ becoming effective, the Section officers shall first approve the proposed Bylaws.

Section 7.02    Amendments.

These Bylaws may be amended by the majority vote of the Officers.

Section 7.03    Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the Section shall be the same as that of the Bar.

Section 7.04    ABA YLS Affiliation.

The Officers shall take all necessary steps to attain and retain the affiliation of the Section with the American Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division and to encourage participation of Officers and Members of the Section in ABA YLD activities.

Section 7.05    Executive Committee Travel and Mileage Reimbursement. 

The Section shall pay for the cost of a one (1) night hotel stay for all Executive Committee Members at the Executive Committee’s winter and spring meetings.  Executive Committee Members shall be fully reimbursed for mileage to and from Executive Committee quarterly meetings.  Reimbursement shall be at the rate per mile set by the Bar’s Board of Bar Commissioners.

Section 7.06    ABA YLD Delegate Reimbursement.

ABA YLD Delegates shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred for attendance at the YLD Assembly meeting at the ABA Mid-Year and Annual Meetings. Reimbursement shall include: (1) mileage to and from airport, airport parking, and air travel; (2) registration for attendance at the ABA YLD Assembly meeting; and (3) hotel costs for up to 2-3 nights, depending on the length of the Assembly meeting. Section ABA Delegates shall submit receipts for the above in order to receive reimbursement for such costs.  Section ABA Delegates shall also be provided a $100 per day meal per diem for up to 2 -3 days, depending on the length of the ABA’s YLS Assembly meeting.

Section 7.07    Optional Reimbursements.

It has been custom for the Section to pay either all or a portion of the hotel costs for 2-night hotel room at the Sandestin CLE Seminar for the Sandestin Committee members and the President.  The Officers shall determine the amount of these expenses to be reimbursed on a year-to-year basis.

Section 7.08    ABA YLD Spring and Fall Conferences.

At the President’s discretion, the Section may send 1 or 2 representatives to the ABA’s YLD Spring or Fall Conferences. Such representatives shall be reimbursed for travel costs in the same way that the Section’s YLD Delegates are reimbursed for attendance at the ABA YLD’s Assembly Meetings as set forth in Section 7.06.

Section 7.09    Other Reimbursements.

The Section shall reimburse Executive Committee Members for reasonable amounts expended on behalf the Section in carrying out their duties as Officers or Committee Members.