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NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

BYLAWS OF THE MUNICIPAL LAW SECTION

(As amended October 2008)

 ARTICLE I

Name

 Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Municipal Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.

ARTICLE II

Purpose and Definition

 Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of the Municipal Law Section shall be to carry forward the work of the New York State Bar Association by:

(a) Providing a common meeting ground and impartial forum for those members of the Bar who are engaged in dealing with problems in municipal law in any capacity;

(b) Furthering a better understanding of municipal law through the holding of meetings and seminars, the making of studies, surveys and analysis and the dissemination of current information concerning judicial decisions, legislation and other matters of interest to attorneys practicing municipal law;

(c) Formulating and submitting to the members of the Section and the Association, such reports and recommendations as may be deemed useful to the profession and advisable in the public interest;

(d) Reviewing pending legislation and promoting or opposing the same in the name of the Section (or one of its committees) and, whenever in its judgment necessary or appropriate, initiating legislation;

(e) Furthering the public interest through the practice of municipal law; and

(f) Furthering access to justice through the promotion of voluntary participation in regional and local pro bono programs.

 Section 2. Definition. The term municipal law as used in this Article shall be understood to mean the law pertaining to the State of New York and units of local government, including counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, special districts, public authorities, public benefit corporations and other local public bodies within the State, whether general purpose or special purpose in character. It also shall include Federal laws insofar as Federal laws affect State or local government action.

ARTICLE III

Membership

 Section 1. Any member of the New York State Bar Association shall be eligible for membership in this Section, and shall be enrolled in the Section upon application and payment of such annual dues as shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Section.

ARTICLE IV

 Officers

Section 1. The officers of this Section shall be a Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second

Vice-Chair, Secretary, immediate past chair, newsletter editor, and a Delegate to the House of Delegates. These officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Section and shall hold office for two years or until their successors are elected.

 Section 2. At least sixty days prior to each Annual Meeting of the Section, the Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee of four members of the Section, no two of any such appointees to said committee to be from the same municipal subdivision.

Section 3. All officers, as well as all members of the Executive Committee, will hold office for term beginning June 1. However, any officer or member of the Executive Committee who is absent from two meetings of the Executive Committee in any year of their term without excuse deemed adequate in the opinion of the Executive Committee, shall be removed from such office or membership by the Executive Committee and such office or membership shall be deemed vacant and filled by the Executive Committee at its next meeting in accordance with Article V.

 Section 4. The officers shall have the ability to take action on behalf of the Executive Committee in between regularly scheduled Executive Committee meetings.

ARTICLE V

Chair

 The Chair shall preside over all meetings of this Section and of the Executive Committee and shall be an ex-officio member of all Standing and Special Committees.

 Vice-Chairs

 The First Vice-Chair in the absence of the Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee. The First Vice-Chair shall also serve as the Fiscal Officer of the Section and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the Chair. The Second Vice-Chair shall perform such duties as usually pertain to that office or may be assigned by the Chair.

 Secretary

 The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Section and of the meetings of the Executive Committee and of all other matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Association.  

 The Secretary shall notify the officers and all members of committees of their election or appointment, shall issue notices of all meetings, and in case of special meetings, shall add a brief note of the subject of the call.

Delegate(s) to the House of Delegates.

 The Delegate(s) to the House of Delegates shall represent the Municipal Law Section at meetings of the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association, and shall report to the officers and members of the Executive Committee of the Section regarding the actions of the House of Delegates.

  Executive Committee

The Executive  Committee shall be members of the Section, and consist of the officers of the Section and nine members, each of whom shall be elected for a term of two years at the Annual Meeting, and former chairs of the Section, as provided hereafter. The term of the non-officer members of this committee shall be two years. Every former chair of the Section shall be a member of the Executive Committee entitled to participate in the activities of that committee, with the power to vote but subject to the attendance requirements of Article IV, Section 3, for voting purposes, but shall otherwise be under no obligation to attend meetings. 

The Executive Committee shall meet upon the call of the Chair or any four members. A majority of those elected shall constitute a quorum. All officers and members of the Executive Committee are expected to attend all meetings of the Section and the Executive Committee. Any officer or member of the Executive Committee who is absent from two meetings of the Executive Committee in any year of their term without excuse deemed adequate in the opinion of the Executive Committee, shall be removed from such office or membership by the Executive Committee and such office or membership shall be deemed vacant and filled by the Executive Committee at its next meeting. Former chairs who are members of the Executive Committee and who are absent from two consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee in a year without excuse deemed adequate in the opinion of the Executive Committee, shall not be entitled to vote.  

The Executive Committee shall fix dues, with the approval of the Finance Committee, determine the policy and activities of the Section, take counsel with all committees, and have general management of the Section. The Executive Committee shall fill any vacancy in any office or elected member of the Executive Committee. Such appointments shall be effective until the next annual meeting of the Section, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by election for the remainder of the unexpired term, if any.

 The Executive Committee shall have the right to call meetings of this Section.

Nominating Committee

 This committee, at the regular meeting of the Section each year, shall make and report nominations to the Section for the offices of Chair, Vice-Chairs, Secretary, Delegate to the House of Delegates and members of the Executive Committee. Other nominations for the same offices may be made from the floor. No person may be nominated for an office or as a member of the Executive Committee unless they are a member of the Section at the time of such nomination.

 The duties of this committee shall be to have general charge of the election; to prepare, distribute, collect and count and report the number of the ballots casts.

Other Committees 

To assist the officers and Executive Committee, the Section shall have such committees as the Executive Committee may designate.

 ARTICLE VI

 Amendments to Bylaws

 Section 1. These bylaws may be amended at any Annual of the Section upon majority vote of those present without providing for any notice in writing. No amendment to the bylaws shall be effective until approved by the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association.

 ARTICLE VII

 Quorum

 Business may be transacted at any regular meeting of the Section and shall not be limited or restricted by the number of the members present.

 ARTICLE VIII 

Any action taken by this Section must be approved by the New York State Bar Association before the same is given publicity as, or becomes effective as, an action of the New York State Bar Association.