ARTICLE I: DECLARATION OF PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be to:
(a) articulate and promote the academic, professional, and social needs and goals of Latino and Latin American law students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School;
(b) instill in Latino law students a greater awareness of commitment to the needs of the Latino community locally, regionally, nationally and abroad by coordinating public service events;
(c) influence and bring awareness of Latino and Latin American issues to the legal and law school community;
(d) facilitate involvement in the Latino community at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia;
(e) maintain a Latino presence at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and raise awareness of the Latino cultural and educational issues at the law school by promoting:
(1) the appointment of Latino and Latin American faculty,
(2) the invitation of Latin American and Latino visiting professors,
(3) the recruitment and enrollment of Latino and Latin American students at Penn Law.
ARTICLE II: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Latin American Law Students Association f the University of Pennsylvania law school, hereafter referred to as “LALSA.”
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: General Membership
Any student enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania Law School committed to the purposes enumerated in Article I shall be eligible for general membership in LALSA. General members may:
(a) be included on LALSA’s general roster;
(b) receive official LALSA emails and updates;
(c) participate in LALSA-sponsored academic and public interest events.
Section 2: Dues-Paying Membership
Any general member of LALSA, as established in Article III, Section 1, who pays dues for the current academic year shall be eligible for dues-paying membership in the organization. Dues-paying members may:
(a) receive all services listed in Article III, Section 1;
(b) vote at general body meetings;
(c) vote for the executive board;
(d) serve on the executive board;
(e) receive discounts for ticketed and LALSA-sponsored events.
ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1: Officers
1.1 Elected Officers: The elected officers of LALSA shall be elected by a majority vote of the dues-paying members. The elected positions include the President, the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Vice President of Academic and Social Events.
1.2 Non-Elected Officers: The non-elected officers of LALSA shall be appointed by the executive board and approved by a majority vote of the elected officers. The non-elected positions include the Vice President of Community Service, the 1L Representative, the LLM Representative, the Admissions Liaison, and the members of the LGF Committee.
Section 2: Executive Board Membership
Both elected and non-elected officers shall comprise the executive board.
Section 3: Officer Duties
1.1 President: The President shall:
(a) Represent LALSA at all official functions;
(b) call and preside over board meetings and general meetings;
(c) determine the agenda;
(d) exercise overall leadership;
(e) maintain a constant and continual relationship with BLSA, APALSA, SALSA, MLSA JLSA, LAMBDA, the ULSCC, and other Latino organizations throughout the greater University of Pennsylvania campus.
1.2 Vice President: The Vice President shall:
(a) serve as a replacement for the President if and when the President is not able to serve in the position of President;
(b) draft letters and resolutions on behalf of LALSA;
(c) raise awareness of LALSA and LALSA activities;
(d) maintain close cooperation with the President, which shall include, but is not limited to, aiding the President in his or her representative capacity and attending regular meetings with the President;
(e) serve as Chairperson of Elections;
(f) fill any other duties deemed necessary and proper for the efficient operation of the LALSA board.
1.3 Secretary: The Secretary shall:
(a) be the chief recorder and correspondent of the organization;
(b) keep a true and complete record of all minutes of LALSA meetings and other matters pertaining to the organization for future reference;
(c) dispatch notices of meetings, events, and opportunities to members;
(d) update and maintain a list of current and past LALSA membership;
(e) check the LALSA e-mail and respond to those e-mails when necessary;
(f) communicate with the webmaster to insure that the LALSA website remains up to date with announcements and other relevant information;
(g) send out LALSA email newsletters, announcements, and other communications;
(h) when necessary, make room reservations for General Body, Executive Board, and committee meetings.
1.4 Treasurer: The Treasurer shall:
(a) be the chief financial officer of the organization;
(b) collect all dues;
(c) control all funds and bank accounts;
(d) prepare a budget, under the direction of the President, which shall be approved by the Executive Board;
(e) receive all funds which are available to LALSA from the law school, university, and other donors;
(f) keep an official membership list of all dues-paying members and the date upon which the members have submitted their dues.
1.5 Vice President of Academic and Social Events:
(a) Shall be responsible for planning and implementing educational and social programs each semester. These programs should be of particular appeal to the LALSA membership, and may include, but are not limited to, happy hours, parties, dinners, exam writing sessions, study breaks, and other subjects of academic, cultural, professional, and legal interest;
(b) Assist the first year class with their transition into law school through any applicable tools (i.e. mentoring program with an upperclassmen);
(c) Shall be responsible for planning and implementing LALSA programs for professional development and networking, with particular attention paid to the Latin American community of lawyers and legal professionals
(d) Shall communicate with other student groups at Penn Law about collaboration on
relevant projects and programs.
(e) Shall maintain communication with the greater Latin American graduate student network at Penn and other Philadelphia area schools;
1.6 Admissions Liaison: The Admissions Liaison shall:
(a) serve as a liaison between LALSA and Law’s admissions office;
(b) assist in the increased recruitment and enrollment of Latin American law students in the law school;
(c) attend law school and graduate school forums throughout the region, delegate that responsibility to another LALSA member or make LALSA's presence known through any other means at said forums;
(d) meet with prospective students and admitted students when they visit the school;
(e) contact Latin American students who have been admitted via phone, email and regular mail;
(f) pair LALSA members up with admitted students during Admitted Students Weekend;
(g) help plan the LALSA portion of Admitted Students Weekend;
(h) collaborate with Admissions Representatives from other student of color groups.
1.7 1L Representative: The 1L Representative shall:
(a) coordinate the activities of the first-year class in conjunction with the VP of Academic and Social Events;
(b) be voting member of the Executive Board;
(c) alert the Executive Board of the concerns and ideas of first-year students;
(d) perform such other duties as the Executive Board may request
1.8 LLM Representative: The LLM Representative shall:
(a) coordinate the activities for LLMS in conjunction with the VP of Academic and Social Events;
(b) be voting member of the Executive Board;
(c) alert the Executive Board of the concerns and ideas of LLM students;
(d) perform such other duties as the Executive Board may request
1.9 LGF Committee: The LGF Committee shall consist of two to four members who shall:
(a) soliciting corporate sponsorship of the conference;
(b) securing funding from the law school, alumni and other orgs;
(c) securing a keynote speaker and panelists;
(d) choosing a conference theme;
(e) securing an appropriate location for the conference;
(f) securing catering and other services pivotal for the conference;
(g) publicizing the conference;
(h) administer the conference delegating tasks to other members of the executive board and volunteers.
Section 4: Additional Committees
I. Committees
a. Temporary Committees
i. Longevity and power of committees is up to the discretion of the board that creates them
Section 5: Terms of Office
All elected and non-elected officers shall serve through the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
Section 6: Creation and Deletion of Officers
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Quorum?
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE VII: RATIFICATION