Constitution of the Legal Services Staff Association
(As Amended)

ARTICLE I

The association shall be known as the Legal Services Staff Association.

ARTICLE II

It shall be the purpose of this Association to work to strengthen quality legal services provided to those unable to obtain private counsel; to improve the economic and professional standing of the staff and to express staff attitudes and opinions and determinations.

ARTICLE III

Sec. l. This instrument, as ratified, and as may hereafter be amended, shall be the Constitution of the Association, and can be amended by only a two-third (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at a meeting called after thirty (30) days written notice which shall include the text of the proposed amendment and shall be sent to each member of the Association at her/his home address or at her/his office address.

Sec. 2. Amendments may be proposed by the Delegate Assembly or the Executive Committee on its own motion by the President on his/her own motion, or by a petition signed by ten (10) members of the Association presented to the President at any time, and within fifteen (15) days the President shall be required to call a meeting or the Association pursuant to Sec.l of this Article.

ARTICLE IV

The Delegate assembly shall be the governing body of the Association and shall consist of two (2) representatives from each office, one of whom shall be a non-attorney, one of whom shall be an attorney. The delegates shall be elected by majority vote of each office and shall serve on the Delegate Assembly for a period of one (1) year. The names of the Delegates shall be submitted to the President of the Association within ten (10) days following the annual meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE V

Sec. l. Immediately following a decision by the Delegate Assembly on any matter, one-third (1/3) of the delegates then present may effect a stay of action of that matter for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. If during that thirty (30) day period, one-third (l/3) of the membership of the Association shall petition the president for a special meeting of the Association membership to resolve the matter, the president must then convene a special meeting within ten (10) days after receipt of the petition, to resolve the matter by majority vote of the membership then present.

Sec. 2. Immediately following a decision by the Delegate Assembly, the president may effect a stay of action upon that matter for a period not to exceed ten (10) days. The President must then convene a special meeting of the membership of the Association to be held within the said ten (10) days to resolve the matter by majority vote of the membership present at such special meeting.

ARTICLE VI

Sec. 1. The chief officer of this Association shall be the President. The President shall be elected at the annual meeting ba a majority of the members of the Association present thereat. If no candidate obtains a majority vote on the first ballot, there shall be a run-off election between the two candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes.

Sec. 2. The Delegate Assembly shall be vested With full power to effectuate the purposes of this Association, including but not limited to determining policy questions for the Association, establishing any mechanisms or committees deemed necessary to implement the policy or purposes of the Association, establishing mechanisms to hear grievances and discipline Association members for activities detrimental to the Association; and shall have the power to establish an Executive Committee of the officers and three (3) members at-large, elected from and by the Delegate Assembly, and empowered by it to transact the business of the Association consistent with the provisions of the Constitution.

Sec. 3. The Delegate Assembly shall hold at least one (1) meeting in every two (2) month period, and shall meet at such other times as it may deem necessary.

Sec. 4. One-third (1/3) of the members of the Delegate Assembly shall constitute a quorum. A quorum shall be necessary to transact all business. Adoption of a proposal before the Delegate Assembly requires a majority of those voting.

Sec. 5. In the absence of the President at a Delegate Assembly or Executive Committee meeting, the Vice-President shall preside over such meeting. In the absence of both the President and Vice- President, the Treasurer shall act as presiding officer. In the event the Vice-President or Treasurer shall act as presiding officer, he or she shall retain his/her right to vote as a delegate only.

ARTICLE VII

Sec. 1. Membership in this Association shall be available to all employees, whether full or part-time of Community Action for Legal Services and its delegate corporations, their successors and assigns and who have paid dues established by the Association.

Sec. 2. The membership shall convene in an annual meeting at a time and place designated by the President.

Sec. 3. Twenty-five (25) Members of the Association shall constitute a quorum at all meetings, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution. All matters arc to be resolved by a majority of the members voting, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution.

Sec. 4. Twenty-five (25) members of the Association may petition the President to call a special Meeting. The President must then convene a special meeting of the Membership of the Association, upon appropriate notice, to be held within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the petition.

ARTICLE VIII

This instrument shall become effective upon its adoption by a majority vote of those present at a meeting called for that purpose.