Article One. Name.

The name of this organization shall be Brandeis StudentAnimal Legal Defense Fund (hereinafter referred to Brandeis SALDF).

Article Two. Purpose.

I.  TheBrandeis SALDF is dedicated to providing a forum for education, advocacy, andscholarship aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests ofanimals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field ofanimal law.

II.  TheBrandeis SALDF is dedicated to the goals of educating the law school andsurrounding community about forms of institutionalized and individualizedanimal abuse, and engaging in projects that combat that abuse.

III.  Theactivities of Brandeis SALDF shall include, but not be limited to: hostingspeakers, debates, and conferences on current issues in animal rights andanimal welfare law; carrying out research projects for lawyers andorganizations promoting animal welfare and animal rights litigation; networkingwith students at other law schools, colleges, universities, and high schools;conducting educational events such as information tables and video screeningson pertinent issues; and advocating on behalf of vegetarian/vegan studentswithin our law school.

Article Three. Criteria for Membership.

I. Membership in Brandeis SALDF shall be open to allstudents currently enrolled in Brandeis Law School, regardless of gender, race,creed, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, oremotional disability. Individual membership in the Animal Legal Defense Fund isencouraged but not required for all Brandeis SALDF members.

II. Regular membership shall consist of those students ofthe Brandeis Law School who (a) have agreed to uphold this Constitution and (b)participate fully in the activities of Brandeis SALDF, including attendance attwo meetings per semester or at the discretion of the Executive Board. Regularmembers shall have the right to vote.

III. Non-student membership shall consist of thosepersons who fulfill the requirements of Article Three, Section II except thatthey are not enrolled at the Brandeis Law School. The membership of theBrandeis SALDF will not consist of more than 50% non-students. Non-studentmembers shall have the right to vote.

Article Four. Officers.

I. The officers of Brandeis SALDF shall consist of aPresident, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and shall collectively bereferred to as the Executive Board.

II. The responsibilities of the President shall be asfollows:

• To communicate with thedesignated contact person at the Animal Legal Defense Fund;
• To preside at meetings ofBrandeis SALDF;
• To serve as therepresentative of this Brandeis SALDF to the University Administration, theStudent Government Association, the Student Bar Association, and otherorganizations;
• To execute the orders ofBrandeis SALDF, subject to the approval of the membership;
• To appoint chairpersons andmembers of all committees, subject to the approval of the membership;
• To delegate Presidentialresponsibilities when deemed appropriate, subject to the approval of themembership;
• To have signature authorityon all checks issued by Brandeis SALDF;
• To inform succeedingofficers of their responsibilities to Brandeis SALDF, UniversityAdministration, the Student Government Association, and other organizations;
• To perform other suchduties as the membership or Constitution may specify.

III. The responsibilities of the Vice-President shall beas follows:

• To assist the President inher/his duties;
• To preside at meetings ofBrandeis SALDF in the absence of the President;
• To establish, administer,and enforce an attendance policy for meetings, subject to the approval of themembership;
• To assume the office ofPresident in her/his absence, vacancy, resignation, or dismissal;
• To perform other suchduties as the membership or Constitution may specify.

IV. The responsibilities of the Secretary shall be asfollows:

• To prepare agendas and torecord minutes of meetings of Brandeis SALDF;
• To handle allcorrespondence of Brandeis SALDF not under the purview of the President:
• To pick up all mailreceived at the Student Government Association and the Law School mailbox atleast once a week, in addition to any other location at which mail for BrandeisSALDF may be delivered;
• To maintain an accuratelist of the membership of Brandeis SALDF;
• To update and maintain allfiles of Brandeis SALDF;
• To assume the office ofVice-President in her/his absence, vacancy, resignation, or dismissal;
• To perform other suchduties as the membership or Constitution may specify.

V. The responsibilities of the treasurer shall be asfollows:

• To keep accurate records ofthe financial status and transactions of Brandeis SALDF;
• To receive and disburse allmonies of Brandeis SALDF;
• To have signature authorityon all checks issued by Brandeis SALDF;
• To hold personalresponsibility for all organization funds in her/his possession;
• To represent Brandeis SALDFwhen requesting funds from the Student Government Association or Student BarAssociation;
• To assume the office ofSecretary in her/his absence, vacancy, resignation, or dismissal;
• To perform other suchduties as the membership or Constitution may specify.

VI. Qualifications for persons who are eligible to serve as officers ofBrandeis SALDF are as follows:

• registration as a studentat Brandeis Law School,
• membership in BrandeisSALDF,
• attendance at a minimum oftwo meetings of Brandeis SALDF during the Spring voting semester,
• agreement to uphold thegoals and purposes of Brandeis SALDF, and to comply with the mission and goalsof the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

VII.  TheExecutive Board shall consist 100% of student members of the Brandeis LawSchool. In the event that an officer, for whatever reason, expected orunexpected, is unable to continue in the capacity of their office, the vacatedoffice shall be filled within two weeks.

VIII.  In the event the Executive Boardconsists entirely of officers in the 3L class, the Executive Board shall havethe power to fill the position of 2L Representative. The 2L Representative willbe subject to the membership requirements in Article Three. The 2LRepresentative shall be responsible for recruitment of  new members and shall perform anyduties that the Executive Board deems necessary in carrying out the purpose andmission of the Brandeis SALDF. The Executive Board shall determine theprocedure for selecting the 2L Representative, which may include (but is notlimited to): appointment by the Executive Board, accepting a volunteer, orcarrying out an election consistent with the guidelines set out in ArticleFive. If chosen by appointment, the appointment must be accepted within 5 daysof notification for the appointment to be valid. If an appointment is notaccepted within 5 days or rejected, then the Executive Board shall have thepower to appoint another member as a 2L Representative, contingent on thatmember's timely acceptance. The 2L Representative shall serve his/her termuntil a new Executive Board is elected. Procedures set out in Article Four,Section VII, Article Six, and/or this Section shall be followed in the eventthe 2L Representative steps down or is removed from office.

IX.  A 1L Representative shall be elected atthe last meeting of the Fall Semester. The 1L Representative shall be subject to the membership requirements setout in Article Three. The Board shall hold an election to choose the 1LRepresentative consistent with the guidelines set out in Article Five.  In the event that no 1L member runs forthe office, the Board shall have the power to appoint a 1L Representative.  The 1L Representative shall beresponsible for 1L recruitment and enhancing the involvement of the 1L class inthe Brandeis SALDF. 

Article Five. Elections.

I. Candidates for any office of Brandeis SALDF must be Regular Members.Candidates for any office shall be nominated by the voting membership or shallnominate themselves. . In electing officers, each member shall have one voteper office.

II.  Electionof officers shall take place at a meeting of the Brandeis SALDF called for thatpurpose to occur in April, with term of office lasting one year.

III. Election of officers shall be by a majority vote. Inthe case of a tie, the Faculty Advisor shall cast the deciding vote. In theevent that no candidate attracts the requisite number of votes for election, arun-off shall be held between the two candidates with the highest number ofvotes. If there is only one candidate applying for an office, that candidateshall take office by default.

IV. No person shall occupy two offices at the same time.Officers may be re-elected without limitation.

V. Students interested in serving as officers shall soinform the Brandeis SALDF no later than one week prior to the election.

Article Six. Removal

I. Any officer may be removed by a three-fourths vote ofthe membership. In case of a tie, the Faculty Advisor shall cast the decidingvote. A vacancy of any office shall be filled by Presidential appointment,subject to the approval of the membership.

Article Seven. Meetings.

I.  Regularmeetings of Brandeis SALDF shall be held at least twice per Fall and Springsemester, the general day and hour to be set by the voting membership at thefirst meeting of the Fall Semester. 

II. Special meetings of Brandeis SALDF may be proposed bytwo members, who shall inform the President of the proposed meeting and agendaat least one week prior to the date of the proposed meeting. The ExecutiveBoard shall have discretion in calling the proposed special meeting. ThePresident shall have the authority to modify the meeting calendar as benefitsthe majority of the schedules of members of the Brandeis SALDF.

III. Decisions at meetings shall be made by a majority ofthe members present, with every present party agreeing to, dissenting to, orabstaining from every action there decided. A necessary quorum for alldecisions shall be at least 51% of all members present at the time the decisionis made and must include at least one officer.

Article Eight. Affiliation with the Animal Legal DefenseFund.

I. Activities of the Brandeis SALDF shall at all times be consistent withthe mission of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (hereinafter "ALDF"). Nolitigation will be initiated, endorsed, or supported in the name of theBrandeis SALDF, without prior approval of ALDF. All public policy positionstaken by the Brandeis SALDF shall be consistent with the mission of ALDF:"to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals." TheBrandeis SALDF will not purport to speak for ALDF or commit it to any positionon any matter of public policy or law on behalf of ALDF without ALDF's priorwritten consent.

Article Nine. Amendments.

I.  Any twocurrent members shall be entitled to propose amendments. Proposed amendmentsshall be consistent with these By-Laws, and shall be communicated to the ALDFand all current SALDF officers, who shall schedule a meeting for the purpose ofapproving these amendments. If the date of submission of these amendments isnear the date of a regular or special business meeting, then no additionalmeeting need be scheduled. A two-thirds majority of all regular chapter membersmust vote on any amendments to this constitution. Non-student membersshall have the right to vote on all amendments, with the exception of thoseregarding Article Three Section III.