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          | Bylaws
ARTICLE I
Name and Purpose Section 1. This section shall be known as the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Section 2. The purpose of this section is to:
(2) provide a forum for members of the profession to consider and discuss the legal issues involved in human beings' relationship and coexistence with animals. It is not the purpose of this section to promote or consider moral or ethical issues involving "animal rights."
ARTICLE II
Membership Section 1. Each member of the section must pay to the Treasurer of the section annual dues of $20.00. Section 2. Upon request to the Secretary of the section and upon payment to the Treasurer of dues for the current year, any eligible person shall be enrolled as a member of this section; thereafter, dues must be paid in advance each year beginning on July 1. The following persons shall be eligible for membership in the following classes:
b. Associate Member: Without regard to domicile or place of business: a member of a bar association other than the State Bar of Texas; a student enrolled in law school; a paralegal, legal secretary, legal assistant, or law clerk; a court clerk, deputy or assistant court clerk, court staff member, or court reporter; or a law school, bar association, or an agency of a law school or bar association. An Associate Member shall not have voting rights in the section.
ARTICLE III
Officers Section 1. The officers of this section are as follows: Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; and Treasurer. Section 2. There shall be a Council which shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, and all former Chairs, all of whom are members, ex-officio, together with eight other members to be elected by the section as provided by these bylaws. Section 3. The Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; and Treasurer must be nominated and elected at each annual meeting of this section, to hold office for a term beginning at the close of the annual meeting at which they were elected, and ending at the close of the next annual meeting of the section, and until their successors have been elected and qualified. Section 4. At the organizational meeting of the section, or if none is held, then at the first annual meeting of the section, four members of the Council shall be nominated and elected to serve for one year, and four for two years (year, as herein used, means a term beginning at the close of the annual meeting at which the members of the Council were elected and ending at the close of the first or second annual meeting of this section, respectively). Thereafter, upon the expiration of each of these initial terms, four members of the Council shall be elected at each annual meeting of the section for terms of two years beginning at the close of the annual meeting at which they were elected and ending at the close of the second succeeding annual meeting of the section. Section 5. If any elected member of the council fails to attend two successive meetings of the Council, the office held by that member is automatically vacated, and the Council shall fill the vacancy for the expired term.
ARTICLE IV
Nomination and Election of Officers Section 1. Nominations. Before the first session of each annual meeting of the section, the Chair shall appoint a nominating committee of three members of the section. That nominating committee shall make and report nominations to the Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; Treasurer; and members of the Council. Other nominations for the same office may be made from the floor. Section 2. Elections. All elections must be by written ballot unless otherwise ordered by resolution duly adopted by the section at the annual meeting at which the election is held.
ARTICLE V
Duties of Officers Section 1. Chair. The Chair shall: (1) preside at all meetings of the section and of the Council; (2) formulate and present at each annual meeting of the State Bar of Texas a report of the work of the section for the past year; and (3) perform other duties customary for the Chair. Section 2. Vice-Chair. Upon the death, resignation, or during the disability of the Chair, or upon the Chair's refusal to act, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the Chair's term except in case of the Chair's disability, and then only so long as the disability continues. Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary is the custodian of all books, papers, documents, and other property of the section. The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the section and the Council, whether assembled or acting under submission. The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary shall prepare a summary or digest of the proceedings of the section at its annual meeting. In conjunction with the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the Secretary as authorized by the council, shall attend generally to the business of the section. Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer is the custodian of all financial books, papers, documents, and funds of the section. The Treasurer shall deposit the funds of the section in a separate account in any bank to be selected by the Council, generally in the city where the Treasurer resides, and shall make disbursements from funds as directed and authorized by the Council on checks signed by the Treasurer or either the Chair or Vice-Chair. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all funds appropriated to and expended for the use of the section. The Treasurer shall submit to the State Bar accounting department on a monthly basis all bank statements, along with all canceled checks and deposit slips and the check register.
ARTICLE VI
Duties and Powers of the Council Section 1. The Council shall have general supervision and control of the affairs of the section subject to the rules governing the State Bar of Texas and the bylaws of this section. The Council shall authorize all commitments or contracts which require the payment of money, and shall authorize the expenditure of all funds. Section 2. The Council may authorize the Chair, with the Vice-Chair, to appoint committees from section members to perform duties and exercise the powers as the Council may direct, subject to the limitations of these bylaws and rules governing the State Bar of Texas. Section 3. The Council, during the interim between annual meetings of the section, may fill vacancies in its own membership or in the offices of Secretary and Treasurer; or, in the event of a vacancy in both the office of Chair and Vice-Chair, then in the office of Chair. Members of the Council, and officers, so selected serve until the close of the next annual meeting of the section or until their successors have been elected and qualified. Section 4. Members of the Council when personally present at a meeting of the Council shall vote in person, but when absent may communicate their vote, in writing, regarding any proposition, to the Secretary and have the vote counted with the same effect as if cast personally at the meeting. Section 5. The Chair of the section may, and upon the request of any member of the Council shall, submit or cause to be submitted, in writing, to each of the members of the Council, any proposition upon which the Council may be authorized to act, and the members of the Council may vote regarding that proposition by communicating their vote, in writing over their respective signatures, to the Secretary. The Secretary shall record the vote of each member of the Council, and keep on file the written and signed votes. A vote conducted under this section of these bylaws constitutes the vote of the Council the same as if the vote was conducted under Article VI, Section 4 of these bylaws.
ARTICLE VII
Meetings Section 1. The annual meeting of the section must be held during the annual meeting of the State Bar of Texas, in the same city as the annual meeting of the State Bar of Texas, with the program and order of business as may be arranged by the Council; provided that to the extent permitted by rules governing sections of the State Bar of Texas, or by variance granted by the State Bar of Texas, the annual meeting of the section may be held at any place in the State of Texas at a time that is within sixty (60) days prior to the time of the annual meeting of the State Bar of Texas. Section 2. Special meetings of the section may be called by the Chair upon approval of the Council, at a time and place the Council determines. Section 3. The members of the section present at any meeting constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Section 4. A binding action of the section requires a majority vote of the members present. Section 5. Any recommendation or declaration of the section regarding existing or proposed legislation, or regarding proposed governmental regulations or administration, in order to constitute the action of the section, must first be approved by two-thirds of the members of the Council and then must be approved by a majority of the members of the section; provided that the action must also be submitted for approval to the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas. Section 6. At any meeting the Chair, upon majority vote of the Voting Members present at the meeting, or by majority vote of the Council prior to the meeting, may remove any Associate Member from the meeting or may limit attendance at the meeting to Voting Members only.
ARTICLE VIII
Miscellaneous Provisions Section 1. The fiscal year of the section is the same as that of the State Bar of Texas. Section 2. No salary or compensation may be paid to any officer or member of this section except that actual expenses of the section's officers may be reimbursed if approved by the Council. Section 3. These Bylaws shall be construed to comply with and include all financial disclosure requirements and other requirements governing sections of the State Bar of Texas, which requirements are incorporated herein.
ARTICLE IX
Amendments These Bylaws may be amended at any annual meeting of the section by a majority vote of the members of the section present and voting, provided each proposed amendment must have been approved by two-thirds of the members of the Council. No amendment may become effective until approved by the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas. | ||||||||||||||||||
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