Articles of Organization of the LSU Law Center Public Interest Law Society
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center Public Interest Law Society, also known as the Public Interest Law Society (PILS).
Article II. Purpose
To foster a culture of service within the LSU Law community, create opportunities for students to participate in pro-bono and community service activities, facilitate public interest job opportunities for interested students, and expand the involvement of LSU Law in charitable and pro-bono endeavors.
Article III. Organization
The Public Interest Law Society is a student-run organization overseen by the Law Center administration, through the Faculty Committee for Pro-Bono and Student Activities.
Article IV. Basic Policies
Section 1. The organization shall be non-commercial.
Section 2. The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern.
Section 3. The organization shall cooperate with Louisiana State University to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with administration of the University.
Section 4. The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization.
Section 5. The organization agrees to abide by all University polices and local, state and federal. laws.
Article V. Membership
Section 1. Membership
Membership is restricted to enrolled students of the LSU Law Center. Active members are those students who participate in a PILS activity. There are no dues. Eligibility to vote on issues open to the general membership is governed by Article VII. Elections. Associate membership is restricted to LSU faculty and staff. Associate members are non-voting members.
Section 2. Membership Policies
Any LSU student, faculty member or staff member who subscribes to the purpose and basic policies of the organization may become a member of this organization, subject only to compliance with the provisions of the constitution.
Article VI. Meetings
Section 1. General Membership Meetings
General membership meetings should be held, at a minimum, on a monthly basis.
Section 2. Executive Membership Meetings
Executive Board meetings shall be scheduled by the President and will be held at least monthly. General meetings are open to the public. Executive Board meetings are normally closed but may be open members of the law center community or to the public at the President’s discretion.
Article VII. Officers
Section 1. Executive Board
The elected officers composing the Executive Board shall be:
1. President
2. Fellowships & Career Opportunities Chair
3. Pro-Bono Chair & Vice Chair
4. Community Service Chair & Vice Chair
5. Education & Youth Outreach Chair
6. IT & Publicity Chair
7. Secretary/Treasurer
Section 2. Officer Term
The officers shall be elected to a term of one academic year and may be re- elected in subsequent years.
Section 3. General and Executive Board Meetings
Officers are expected to attend all general and executive board meetings.
Section 5. Officer Duties
A. President
The President is responsible for the general leadership and management of the organization, scheduling and organizing executive board and general membership meetings, delegation of responsibilities to the members of the executive board and organizing major end of year events.
B. Fellowships & Career Opportunities Chair
The Fellowship & Career Opportunities Chair coordinates the Equal Justice Works Conference reimbursement process, the Spring Career Fair and the Summer Fellowship process.
C. Pro-Bono Chair & Vice Chair
The Pro Bono Chair & Vice Chair identify and organize opportunities for students to assist in provision of pro-bono legal services.
D. Community Service Chair & Vice Chair
The Community Service Chair & Vice Chair are responsible for facilitating community service events, including coordinating a school wide day of service at least once a semester.
E. Education & Youth Outreach Chair
The Education & Youth Outreach Chair is responsible for managing the Education & Youth Outreach initiatives.
F. IT & Publicity Chair
The IT & Publicity Chair maintains the PILS website, publicizes PILS events, maintains the advertising space allocated to PILS, and maintains an accurate record of pro-bono and community service hours.
G. Secretary/Treasurer
The Secretary Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the PILS bank account and maintaining records for the organization and alumni relations.
H. Philanthropy/Fundraising Chair
The Philanthropy/Fundraising Chair is responsible for fundraising, including determining PILS’s annual or semester basis designated philanthropy charity/nonprofit. The designated philanthropies shall be selected by general membership vote to be conducted at the first meeting of the fall semester. Fundraising may be done for the purposes of philanthropy and funding for the organization.
Section 6. Vacancies
Vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the board.
Article VIII. Elections
Section 1. Eligibility of Candidates
To be eligible to be elected to, appointed to, or to hold an office or be a standing committee chairperson, a student must:
A. Currently be enrolled part-time (with at least 6 hours) or full time at the LSU Law Center.
B. Be in good academic standing with the LSU Law Center.
C. Not be on disciplinary probation or deferred suspension. This includes newly elected officers, as well as continuing officers. Students may continue organizational membership if on disciplinary probation.
D. Students must meet all other academic standards established by the student organization and included in the organization’s constitution and/or bylaws.
E. Graduating 3Ls who are not registered full-time may still hold office in a student organization during the semester in which they are scheduled to graduate.
Section 2. Procedure of Elections
A. Elections shall occur every year at the last General Meeting scheduled in the Spring Semester.
B. The President shall oversee elections in all respects, with the assistance of all graduating 3Ls on the executive board. However, if the president is running for re-election or election to any other position, then the Faculty Advisor shall appoint a responsible 3L to administer the election. All references to the President in the remainder of this Article refer equally to a 3L appointed pursuant to the provisions of this article.
C. The President shall solicit applications for all executive board positions from the general membership of PILS prior to the election. Completed applications shall be distributed to the membership prior to the election meeting.
D. The Executive Board, prior to any election, may choose to allow for the electronic casting of ballots. If the board does not elect to allow for electronic voting, then the vote shall take place at the election meeting.
E. Students wishing to vote in the election must have participated in a PILS activity. The president, in his or her discretion, may adopt such measures as are reasonable to ensure compliance with this provision.
Article IX. Removal & Appeals
Section 1. Officer Removal
Officers are removed from office upon the occurrence of any of the following:
1. The officer ceases to be a currently enrolled student in good standing with LSU Law Center.
2. The officer submits his or her resignation to the President and the Faculty Advisor.
3. The officer is sanctioned for a violation of the student code of conduct related to his or her duties as a PILS officer.
4. An officer who consistently fails to uphold his or her responsibilities may be removed by the unanimous vote of the remaining members of the executive board.
5. The President terminates an officer position upon repeated dereliction of duty.
Section 2. Removal Process
A. Removal Process, Generally
1. The President will oversee all removal proceedings unless the President is being charged for removal, in which case the proceedings will be chaired by the Faculty Advisor.
2. A formal charge for removal must be provided to the Faculty Advisor and each officer of the board, including those party to the charge. The petition must be formal, specific, and in written form. It must also have attached to it a petition of support of removal with the request to officers for support. The formal charge must include a petition of support for removal from the absolute majority of the board.
3. The vote to impeach will be held at a special meeting immediately following the notification to the officers and Faculty Advisor(s) of the charges for removal and petition of support for removal. Only voting members and the Faculty Advisor(s) will be in attendance at the meeting. If impeachment is ratified by an absolute two-thirds vote of the voting members of the board, the official will be removed.
B. Suspension by Presidential Termination
If the President exercises their authority to suspend any officer position upon repeated dereliction of duty, the following process must be followed:
1. The negligent executive board member must be put on notice of their dereliction of duty.
2. The President must give expectations for correction of the problem as well as a reasonable date for expected improvement.
3. If said expected improvement is not met, the President may suspend the Executive Board member and appoint a temporary replacement until after the board follows the removal process as outlined in Article XI, Section 2(A).
4. Once suspended, the Board will follow the process of removal as outlined in Article XI, Section 2(A).
C. Removal of President
If the President critically violates the terms set forth by the constitution in such a manner that is detrimental to the organization, the following process will occur:
1. The individual’s behavior may then be brought to and reviewed by a committee consisting of the following members: a. The Faculty Advisor(s); b. Any executive board members who are not under review, if applicable.
2. The committee will interview the President that is in violation of the terms set forth by the constitution. a. The alleged board member will have the chance to present any additional documentation. b. The alleged board member retains the right to an advisor during the meeting.
3. Upon conclusion of the meeting, the committee will deliberate and vote on whether the board member should be removed or not. a. The vote must deliver an absolute two-thirds vote of the voting board members in order to proceed with termination. b. The final decision must be delivered in writing to the alleged board member within 10 business days of the initial meeting.
D. Effect of Removal
If an executive board member is removed from office during their current term due to non-GPA related issues, they will no longer be eligible for any following academic term.
1. The terminated executive board member has the right to appeal to the decision following the appeals process in Section 3 of this Article.
Section 3. Appeal Process
If an elected board member who was removed from their position would like to appeal that decision, they must follow this outlined process:
1. The appeal request must be submitted in writing to the Faculty Advisor(s) within 5 business days of the decision being delivered. a. Said appeal must include an identification of who the appealing student is and what decision they are appealing.
2. Upon receiving the request for appeal, the Faculty Advisor(s) will determine if they are able to serve as the chairperson for this appeal. a. If necessary, the advisor may recuse themselves from the meeting and appoint a replacement chairperson for the appeal.
3. Once the chairperson is determined, the chairperson will select two additional members within the organization to form an appeal committee.
4. The appeal chairperson will schedule an appeal meeting with the removed executive board member within 15 business days of the request for appeal.
5. The appeal committee will request and receive from the organization any and all documentation regarding the decision for removal. a. If the appeal committee feel it is pertinent, they may interview organization members who may provide additional insight to the circumstances for removal.
6. During the appeal meeting, the removed executive board member will present their case for appeal, including any documentation they may have for the situation. a. The removed executive board member retains the right to an advisor during the meeting.
7. The appeal committee will deliberate and deliver a final decision within 10 business days. Said decision will be delivered in writing to the removed executive board
Article X. Committees
A. There shall be at least three committees overseen by the appropriate member of the executive board. The committees are:
1. The Pro-Bono Committee
2. The Community Service Committee
3. The Education & Youth Outreach Committee
4. The Fellowships & Career Opportunities Committee
5. Philanthropy Committee
B. The Board, in their discretion, may choose to establish additional committees for any purpose.
Article XI. Pro-Bono and Community Service Hours
A. PILS shall maintain a complete and accurate log of all pro-bono and community service hours performed by the students of the Law Center for each academic year.
B. It is the responsibility of the IT/Publicity Chair to ensure that there is a reliable and accurate system for the reporting of hours.
C. Pro-Bono
1. Pro-Bono work is defined as:
a) Providing, under appropriate supervision, or assisting in the provision of legal services without compensation, academic credit, or the expectation of compensation or academic credit to: (1) Persons of limited means; or (2) Groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes.
b) Participation in activities for improving the law, legal system or the legal profession.
2. The Pro-Bono chair and committee shall take appropriate steps to ensure that trainings are made available to interested students. These trainings should help students understand how to properly avoid the unauthorized practice of law.
3. Externships and Clinics: Students participating in externships or law clinics may count as pro bono service hours work done with either program after the final exam period of the semester that the student was enrolled in the externship or law clinic, unless: a) the work is counted towards the completion of the hours-worked requirement for the externship or law clinic; or b) the work is a continuation of an assignment or project that the student began prior to completing the hours-worked requirement for the externship or law clinic.
4. Honors: The Law Center has maintained a policy of honoring, at graduation, of students who have earned a designated number of pro bono hours.
D. Community Service: volunteer service with a project generally focused on improving community at large, which does not otherwise qualify as pro- bono work.
Article XII. Appendices to these Articles
A. Each officer may maintain an appendix to these articles that contains information relevant to their office.
B. These appendices shall be non-binding.
C. Appendices may be established or amended by: 1. Submission to the Secretary of proposed changes; and 2. Approval by a simple majority of the Executive Board present at a meeting.
Article XIII. Amendments
A. Any proposed change to these articles of organization must be approved by a majority vote of the executive board.
B. After approval by the executive board, the proposed change will be distributed to general members via e-mail at least one week prior to a regularly scheduled general meeting.
C. The General Membership must approve any proposed change by a majority vote of eligible voting members present.
D. This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given at the previous meeting and that the proposed amendment shall be subject to approval of Campus Life or Greek Life, depending on which entity has responsibility for registering the student organization.