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Young Lawyers Division Bylaws

YOUNG LAWYERS' DIVISION
OF THE
CHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
BY-LAWS

The By-Laws of the Young Lawyers' Division of the Chester County Bar Association were adopted on December 3, 1993 and amended through December 5, 1997

ARTICLE I
NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.
This Division shall be known as the "Young Lawyers'' Division of the Chester County Bar Association

Section 2.
The purposes of this Division shall be:
a) To further the purposes of the Chester County Bar Association as stated in Article 1 of the Association's By-Laws;
b) To organize the younger members of the Chester County Bar Association so that they may cooperate for the betterment of the legal profession and for the advancement of the aims and works of the Chester County Bar Association;
c) To provide a program of activities designed to be attractive and helpful to members of the Division;
d) To provide a medium with which to deal with the problems and obligations peculiar to members of the Division;
e) To provide a method and means of cooperation between local young lawyers and the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Young Lawyers' Division;
f) To promote and preserve the interests of the young lawyers of the Chester County Bar Association;
g) To give expression to the desire of young lawyers to promote justice and improve the quality of the legal system;
h) To provide a forum for the exchange of views among young lawyers;
i) To encourage the professional development of young lawyers through educational and service programs;
j) To interest and encourage young lawyers to participate in the general activities of the Chester County Bar Association; and
k) To otherwise support the interests and activities of young lawyers and to be of service to the Chester County Bar Association and to the community.

ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.
The membership of this Division shall be open to all members of the Chester County Bar Association until the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting of the Division after such member attains the age of thirty-six (36) years, and shall also include all members of the Chester County Bar Association, regardless of age, until the fourth Annual Meeting of the Division following the member's first admission to the practice of law in any jurisdiction.

ARTICLE III
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.
The officers of the Division shall consists of a Chair, a Chair-Elect, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2.
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 3.
a) The Chair-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer of this Division shall be nominated as provided for under Article IV of these By-Laws and shall thereafter be elected at the official Annual Meeting of the Division. The Chair-Elect from the previous year shall automatically become the Chair of the Division upon the expiration of the latter's term of office.
b) The Chair, Chair-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer shall hold office for a term beginning at the close of the Annual Meeting during which they are elected as provided for in Article IV of these By-Laws and shall continue in office until the conclusion of the next succeeding Annual Meeting of this Division, or until thereafter their successors shall have been elected and qualified.
c) In the event the Chair is unable, for any reason, to carry out the duties of his office or shall resign therefrom, the Chair-Elect shall automatically become the Chair of the Division. He shall serve the balance of the remaining term of the previous Chair and shall, if he so elects, qualify to serve the succeeding term as Chair to which he would have succeeded as Chair-Elect.
d) In the event the Chair-Elect is unable to assume the duties of the Chair pursuant to Article II, Section 3(c), the Secretary-Treasurer shall assume said duties and shall serve as Chair for the balance of the remaining term of the previous Chair.

ARTICLE IV
NOMINATION OF OFFICERS

Section 1.
At least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Division, any member who desires to have his name placed in nomination for any office other than Chair shall declare his candidacy in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Division.
Section 2.
Such declaration of candidacy shall include a brief biographical sketch of the background and qualifications of the candidate.
Section 3.
The declaration of candidacy, as well as the biographical sketch, shall be kept on public display in the Bar Association Building, and a notice that these documents are available for public inspection shall be published by the Division in the Chester County Law Reporter.
Section 4.
All nominations must be submitted as provided in Section 1 of this Article. There shall be no nominations from the floor, except in those situations where no declarations of candidacy have been filed for a given office. In those situations, nominations from the floor will be entertained at the Annual Meeting of the Division during which elections are held.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1.
The Chair shall:
a) Preside at all meetings of the Division and of the Executive Committee.
b) Formulate and present at each Annual Meeting of the Chester County Bar Association a report of the activities of the Division during the preceding year.
c) Designate committees.
d) Appoint all committee members and committee chairpersons.
e) Perform such other duties as usually pertain to his office.
f) Represent the Division as a member of the Executive Committee of the Chester County Bar Association.
g) Represent the Division as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chester County Bar Association.
h) Represent the Division as a member of the Chester County Bar Foundation
i) Represent the Division as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee of the Chester County Bar Association.

Section 2.
The Chair-Elect shall: a) Perform the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the Chair's term, in the event of the latter's death, resignation or disability; provided, however, that in the case of the Chair's disability, the Chair-Elect shall perform the duties of the Chair only during so much of the term a the disabilities continues.
b) Represent the Division as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chester County Bar Association.
c) Represent the Division as a member of the Chester County Bar Foundation.
d) Represent the Division as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee of the Chester County Bar Association.
e) Perform such other duties as may be delegated to him by the Chair or Executive Committee of the Division.

Section. 3
The Secretary-Treasurer shall: a) Have custody of all records, papers, documents and such other property of the Division as may be placed in his custody by the Executive Committee.
b) Keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Division and the Executive Committee.
c) Send notices and be responsible for correspondence as directed by the Chair of the Executive Committee.
d) Maintain a record of and keep all funds belonging to the Division.
e) Make such disbursements as are authorized by the Executive Committee consistent with the By-Laws of the Chester County Bar Association and the By-Laws of the Young Lawyers' Division.
f) Submit such report at each meeting of the Division as may be directed by the Chair.
g) Prepare an annual budget proposal to be presented to the Chester County Bar Association at its Annual Meeting.
h) Upon the death, resignation or during the incapacity of the Chair, perform the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the Chair's terms in the event that the Chair-Elect is not able to perform those duties pursuant to the powers granted to him under Section 2(a) of this Article; provided, however, that in the event of the Chair's or Chair-Elect's disability, the Secretary-Treasurer shall perform the duties of the Chair only during so much of the term as the disability continues.
i) Perform such other duties as may be delegated to him by the Chair or Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI
DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall have general supervision and control of the affairs of the Division, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws of the Chester County Bar Association and the By-Laws of the Division.
Section 2.
The Executive Committee during the interim between Annual Meetings of the Division may fill a vacancy in the office of the Secretary Treasurer. An officer so designated shall serve until the close of the next Annual Meeting of the Division.
Section 3.
All binding action of the Executive Committee shall be by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. In the event of a tie vote, the vote of the Chair or acting Chair shall control.

ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS

Section 1.
The Annual Meeting of the Division shall be held immediately preceding the Annual Meeting of the Chester County Bar Association. It will have such program and order of business as may be arranged by the Division's Executive Committee. No meeting of the Division shall be held during the hours when a meeting of the Chester County Bar Association is in session.
Section 2.
Special Meetings of the Division may be called by the Chair upon approval of the Executive Committee at such time and place as the Executive committee may determine. Notice of the date, time and place of any Special Meeting called by the Chair shall appear in the Chester County Law Reporter at least fifteen (15) days prior to said meeting. The notice shall contain a brief summary of the business to be undertaken at the Special Meeting. The business conducted at any Special Meeting shall be limited to that appearing in the official notice of said meeting.
Section 3.
Fifteen (15) members of the Division present at any meeting and eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 4.
All binding action of the Division shall be by a majority vote of the members present at any meeting and eligible to vote.
Section 5.
All members of the Division who are regular members of the Chester County Bar Association in good standing shall be eligible to vote.
Section 6.
Members of this Division who are eligible to vote, as referenced in Section 5 of this Article, must be present at the Annual Meeting to cast their votes for officers of the Division.

ARTICLE VIII
COMMITTEES

Section 1.
As hereinbefore enumerated the Chair of the Division shall have the power to create and staff such committees as he or the Executive Committee shall deem necessary.
Section 2.
Meetings of all committees shall be from time to time at the call of the Chairperson thereof, and it shall be the duty of the Chairperson to call a meeting upon the written request of the majority of the Committee or of the Chair of the Division.
Section 3.
The Chairperson of each committee shall transmit a full report of its activities to the Chair of the Division at least annually, and each committee shall make such special reports as the Chair of the Division shall direct.

ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 1.
Members of the Division at any duly authorized meeting thereof may discuss matters of interest to the Chester County Bar Association, and by majority vote of those members present who are entitled to vote and voting, may forward recommendations to the Chester County Bar Association for the Association's action thereon, but the Division shall not publicly advocate in the name of the Association any such recommendations unless specifically authorized to do so by the Association.
Section 2.
The Division shall annually report its proceedings and recommendations to the Chester County Bar Association.
Section 3. The Executive Committee as well as the general body of the Division shall conduct its business according to the Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure but shall have the alternative power to adopt its own rules of order, so long as they are not inconsistent with the By-Laws of the Division.

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

Section 1.
The By-Laws may be amended at any Annual Meeting of the Division by a majority vote of the members present who are entitled to vote and voting, provided, however, that any proposed amendment shall have first been submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual Meeting. The By-Laws may be amended at a Special Meeting of the Division, provided the meeting has been properly convened.

 
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