The Bylaws of the
Boone County Bar Association
(as amended February 12, 2003):
ARTICLE 1
NAME
The name of the Association shall be the BOONE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION.
ARTICLE 2
PURPOSES
The purposes of the Association shall be to uphold and defend the Constitutions of
the United States of America and of the State of Missouri; to advance the science of
jurisprudence and promote legal and judicial reforms; to promote the administration of
justice and the uniformity of legislative and judicial decisions; to maintain the honor
and dignity of the legal profession; to educate the public in regard to all aspects of the
judicial system; and to cultivate a spirit of cordiality and brotherhood among its
members.
In order to accomplish and/or further, directly or indirectly, any of the
aforesaid purposes, the Association shall be authorized to do anything, perform any act
and exercise any right and any power which unincorporated associations now are or may
hereafter be permitted to do, perform or exercise.
ARTICLE 3
MEMBERSHIP IN ASSOCIATION
§1. Eligibility. Any member in good standing of the Missouri Bar
who resides in Boone County, Missouri, and any sitting or retired judge of a court of
record of the 13th Judicial Circuit, shall be eligible for membership in the Association
and may become a member of the Association upon payment or waiver of dues as hereinafter
provided. University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law faculty members who are licensed
to practice law in a state other than Missouri may become non-voting members upon payment
of dues as hereinafter provided.
§2. Termination of Membership. Any member of the Association who
ceases to maintain membership in the Missouri Bar, or ceases to reside in Boone County,
Missouri, or fails to pay dues within one hundred twenty (120) days after they become due,
or fails to pay any assessment levied by the Association within one hundred twenty (120)
days after mailing of written notification thereof, or resigns, or is expelled from the
Association by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the Association, shall
cease to be a member of the Association; provided, however, any person ceasing to be a
member of the Association by virtue of having failed to pay dues or any assessment shall
automatically reinstated to membership by payment of all arrearages.
ARTICLE 4
OFFICERS
§1. Officers. The officers of the Association shall be a
President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall be elected for a term
of one year in the manner hereinafter provided and who shall perform the following duties:
a. President. The President shall be the chief officer of the
Association; shall appoint all committees, unless otherwise provided for herein or in the
motion authorizing the committee; shall be an ex officio member of all committees, except
the Nomination Committee; shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the
Executive Committee and shall inspect and approve the minutes thereof; shall fix the time
and place of the annual, regular and special meetings of the Association and of meetings
of the Executive Committee unless such Committee shall otherwise direct; and, shall have
such additional powers and duties as the Association or the Executive Committee may from
time to time determine.
b. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President
in the performance of his duties; shall perform such additional duties as the Executive
Committee may require; and shall perform the duties of the President in the event of the
President's absence or disability.
c. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep a record of the
proceedings of the Association and of the Executive Committee; shall notify all members of
their election or of their appointment to committees; shall keep a roll of the members of
the Association and determine their good standing; shall give notice of all meetings of
the Association and of the Executive Committee to their respective members and such other
notices as may be required by the Executive Committee and/or the President, making use of
the Association Newsletter to do so when appropriate; shall prepare all correspondence of
the Association; shall present at each meeting of the Association a report of the last
meeting and of the Association activities since such meetings, or cause same to be
published in the Association Newsletter; shall insure that all members of the Association
are provided a copy of the Resolutions and By-Laws of the Association; and shall perform
such other duties as may be required by the President and the Executive Committee.
d. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and
assessments, and, subject to the control and direction of the Executive Committee,
disburse all funds of the Association; shall report at each annual and regular meeting of
the Association, and/or in the Association Newsletter, the financial condition of the
Association and the amount of its funds received and disbursed; shall keep regular
accounts at all times open to inspection by any member of the Association; and, shall
perform such other duties as may be required by the President and/or the Executive
Committee.
§2. Vacancies. In the event a vacancy shall occur in the office
of President, as the result of death, resignation or otherwise, the Vice President shall
perform the duties and functions of that office for the remainder of the term in which
such vacancy occurs. All other vacancies in the offices of the Association, or in the
membership of the Executive Committee, as hereinafter provided, shall be filled by
appointment of the Executive Committee, and the person so appointed shall complete the
unexpired term.
ARTICLE 5
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
§1. General Powers. The property and business of the Association
shall be controlled and managed by the Executive Committee.
§2. Number and Term. The Executive Committee shall be composed
of seven (7) members, namely, the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the
Treasurer, who shall serve during their terms of office; and the immediate past President,
and two (2) members to be elected at large from the general membership of the Association,
who shall serve for one year. No at-large member of the Executive Committee shall be
eligible for re-election to said Committee until one (1) year after expiration of his/her
term of office.
§3. Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet quarterly, upon
call by the President, or, upon the written request of any four (4) of its members.
§4. Quorum and Board Action. Four (4) members of the Executive
Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business at any meeting of
the Executive Committee. The act of the majority of a quorum shall be considered the act
of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE 6
ELECTIONS
§1. Nominating Committee. Not later than June 1 of each year,
the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee, consisting of three (3) members of the
Association, to select and nominate candidates for the offices of President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the two at-large members of the Executive Committee.
In the event the President does not appoint all members of the Nominating Committee by
July 1, the Executive Committee shall fill the vacancies then existing.
§2. Report. The Nominating Committee shall make a written report
to all members of the Association at least seven (7) days prior to the annual meeting of
members of the nominees for the officerships and memberships described hereinabove.
§3. Election. The officers and Executive Committee members shall
be elected at the annual meeting of the Association by a majority vote of the members
attending said annual meeting.
§4. Terms of Office. The President, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and two at-large members of the Executive Committee shall hold office until the
next annual meeting or until their successors shall be duly elected or appointed.
§5. Nominations from Floor. Nothing herein contained shall
preclude any member of the Association from nominating from the floor any member thereof
for any of the offices or memberships to be filled.
§6. Good Standing. No member of the Association shall be
permitted to accept a nomination for any office of the Association or hold such office
unless all dues and assessments for said member shall be paid in full.
ARTICLE 7
COMMITTEES
§1. Standing Committees. The President, with the advice and
approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint three (3) members each to the following
committees:
a. Practice,
Procedure and Judiciary Committee.
b. Family Law
Committee.
c. Criminal Law
Committee.
d. Program and
Entertainment Committee.
e. Legal Aid Committee.
f. Partners in
Education/Public Relations Committee.
In the event the President does not appoint the members of said committees within
forty-five (45) days after his election, the Executive Committee shall fill the vacancies
then existing.
§2. Duties. The duties of the standing committees shall be as
follows:
a. Practice, Procedure and Judiciary Committee. This committee shall
conduct a continuing study of the rules, practice and procedure in effect in our state and
local courts; and, shall meet on a regular basis with the local Judiciary and its
appointed administrative representatives in an attempt to maintain and establish open
lines of communication between said Judiciary and the practicing bar; and, shall make
recommendations from time to time of proposed changes regarding the rules, practices and
procedures before said courts. This committee shall consist of five members which shall
include the chair of the Family Law Committee and the chair of the Criminal Law Committee.
The terms of the other three members shall be appointed on a three-year, two-year, and
one-year basis. The President shall designate the chair of this committee regardless of
the member’s specific term.
b. Family Law Committee. This committee shall conduct a continuing study of
the rules, practices, and procedure involving domestic, family, and juvenile law in our
state and local courts; and, shall meet on a regular basis with the local Family Court and
its appointed representatives in an attempt to maintain communications between the
Judiciary and the Family Law practicing bar; and, shall make recommendations from time to
time of proposed changes regarding the rules, practices and procedures before said
domestic and family law courts. The terms of the members shall be appointed on a
three-year, two-year and one-year basis.
c. Criminal Law Committee. This committee shall conduct a continuing study
of the rules, practices, and procedure involving criminal law in our state and local
courts; and, shall meet on a regular basis with the local Judiciary and its appointed
representatives in an attempt to maintain communications between the Judiciary and the
Criminal Law practicing bar; and, shall make recommendations from time to time of proposed
changes regarding the rules, practices, and procedures before said courts. The terms of
members shall be appointed on a three-year, two-year and one-year basis.
d. Program and Entertainment Committee. This committee shall be responsible
for the preparation and presentation of the program at each meeting of the Association.
The terms of the members shall be appointed on a three-year, two-year and one-year basis.
e. Legal Aid Committee. This committee shall conduct a continuing study of
the availability of legal services to those persons in Boone County, Missouri, who are in
need of legal assistance but who are unable to pay for such assistance; and, shall provide
support to any organizations or individuals providing legal assistance to those persons
who are unable to pay for such assistance.
f. Partners-in-Education/Public Relations Committee. This committee shall
conduct a continuing program for the purpose of improving relations and promoting
understanding between the Association and the general public and shall take such action as
it deems necessary to inform and educate the general public concerning the administration
of justice. Specifically, this committee will coordinate with the Columbia Public Schools
to provide legal education for the youth of our community (Partners-in-Education). The
terms of the members shall be appointed on a three-year, two-year and one-year basis.
§4. Special Committees. The President, with the advice and
consent of the Executive Committee, may appoint special committees, the duties of which
shall be prescribed at the time of appointment and the terms of which shall expire at the
end of the said President's term of office unless sooner terminated.
ARTICLE 8
MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP
§1. Regular Meetings. The Association shall hold regular monthly
meetings of the members of the Association on dates set by the President or Executive
Committee.
§2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the members of the
Association shall be held upon the written request of ten (10) members of the Association,
upon call by the President, or upon call by at least four (4) members of the Executive
Committee. At such meetings, no business shall be transacted except such as shall have
been specified in the notice thereof.
§3. Social Meetings. One (1) or more social meetings of members
of the Association and their guests may be held each year at a time and place to be
designated by the Executive Committee.
§4. Annual Meetings. An annual meeting of the general membership
shall be held during the month of August each year, at a time and place to be determined
by the Executive Committee, but ordinarily in conjunction with the Association's annual
James C. Butcher Memorial Picnic. The purposes of the annual meeting shall be election of
officers, election of members to the Executive Committee, and such other business as may
come before the meeting.
§5. Notice. Written notice setting the place, date and hour of
any meeting of the membership of the Association shall be mailed to each member of the
Association at his or her last known address not less than five (5) days before the
meeting.
§6. Quorum. At all meetings of the membership, twenty-five (25)
members of the Association shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The
act of the majority of a quorum shall be the act of the Association.
§7. Rules. The most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order
shall govern the proceedings of said meetings.
§8. Order of Business. At each annual, monthly or special
meeting of the Association, the order of business shall be as follows:
a. Reading of minutes of preceding
meeting.
b. Reports of Officers.
c. Report of the Executive Committee.
d. Reports of standing committee.
e. Reports of special committees.
f. Unfinished business.
g. New business.
h. Program.
Such order may be changed for any meeting by the vote of a majority of members
present at such meeting.
ARTICLE 9
DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
§1. Effective February 12, 2003, the annual dues
of the Association shall be $40, payable January 1 each year. Members joining or
rejoining after January 1 shall pay prorated dues of $40 during the first
quarter, $30 during the second quarter, $20 during the third quarter, and $10
during the fourth quarter; provided, however, that existing members who are
renewing their memberships and who have not previously been stricken from the
membership rolls shall pay the full $40 dues no matter when their dues are paid.
§2. Upon request, dues shall be waived for sitting and retired judges of courts
of record of the 13th Judicial Circuit and for members who have been licensed to practice
in Missouri for fifty (50) years or more or who have reached the age of 75 years.
§3. The Executive Committee shall have the power to waive dues in extraordinary
circumstances and to levy additional assessments deemed necessary for the maintenance of
the Association; provided, however, that no such waiver or assessment shall be made except
by the affirmative vote of five (5) of the seven (7) members of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE 10
AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at
any meeting of the Association held in accordance with these By-Laws; provided, however,
written notice of such proposed amendment, together with a copy thereof, is mailed to each
member of the Association at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting.
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