The Florida State University
College of Law
Student Bar Association
Constitution & Bylaws
(Rev. Fall 2023)
ARTICLE I—NAME
This association of students from the Florida State University College of Law shall be formally known as the Student Bar Association (SBA).
ARTICLE II—PURPOSE
SBA represents the student body of Florida State University’s College of Law. SBA works to advance student welfare and interests in the following areas: academic success, professional networking, community outreach, and social connections. This is achieved through innovative events, both independent and in partnership with other student organizations at the College of Law, collaboration with faculty and administration, and involvement with the legal field, locally and at-large.
ARTICLE III—MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership Requirements:
a) SBA membership shall be limited to currently enrolled FSU College of Law students. SBA offers two tiers of membership: Garnet membership and Gold membership.
Garnet membership is free and automatic upon enrollment at FSU Law. Any student who has not otherwise purchased a Gold membership is, by default, a Garnet member.
Gold membership is voluntary and priced pursuant to a vote by the Executive Board. Gold membership may be purchased by a current law student. Gold membership may be purchased on a semesterly, annual, or complete basis. Gold membership is non-refundable, unless the purchaser has transferred, unenrolled, or is otherwise a non-current member of the FSU Law student body. Students under these conditions wishing to receive a refund must communicate this desire to the Executive Board. If not set to expire on a semesterly or annual basis, Gold membership expires upon graduation. Benefits of Gold membership include those pursuant to ART. III (3)(a) and those prescribed by the Executive Board.
b) The Executive Board shall vote at a meeting to take place prior to the first day of the Fall semester to set Gold membership dues for the upcoming year by a majority vote.
2. Revoking Membership:
a) Grounds for revoking membership include a violation of the FSU Student Conduct Code or a violation of any provisions of this Constitution or the Bylaws.
b) To begin revocation proceedings the Board must first hold a formal meeting, discuss the proposed grounds for revocation, record minutes of the meeting, approve a written notice to the student by 2/3 vote, and vote on a time and date for the revocation hearing.
c) The written notice must at minimum contain the date of the Board’s initial vote, the grounds for revocation, any factual allegations which may by themselves or considered together constitute the grounds for revocation, the time and date of the revocation hearing, and the student’s right to address the Board at the revocation hearing to offer any relevant defense prior to the Board’s vote on revocation. The student must be notified in writing at least 72 hours before the revocation hearing.
d) A 2/3 vote for revocation by the Board is required to revoke a student’s membership. Following a vote to revoke membership, the student must be provided with details regarding their right to appeal set forth in paragraph (f).
e) Upon a vote to revoke a student’s membership, the membership will be revoked for one academic year (fall, spring, summer).
f) To appeal a membership revocation decision, the student must submit a written appeal to the President within 7 calendar days, stating their decision to appeal. Upon notice, the President shall create an appeals committee consisting of 3 members of the Board and 4 general body members. The Appeals Committee will decide the appeal by a simple majority vote within 7 calendar days and immediately submit their written decision to the President. The President must notify the student of the decision within 2 days.
3. Lockers
a) Each current SBA Gold member is entitled to one (1) locker in the Main Classroom Building, subject to availability, for the duration of their active Gold membership. If there is a surplus of lockers, the President, with consent from the full Cabinet, may rent out lockers to others on campus, including but not limited to: External Organizations, school-affiliated groups and individuals, and Bar Preparation Companies. Registered Student Organizations Lockers are available in the Presidents Lounge on the second floor of the Main Classroom Building. Rentals to these aforementioned others may occur on a semester or annual basis, at a price determined by the President and agreed upon by the full Cabinet.
ARTICLE IV—MEETINGS & MINUTES
1. All members of the Executive Board are required to attend all Board meetings. Absences may be excused by the President on a case-by-case basis. Absences by the President may be excused by the Vice President on a case-by-case basis. If any Board Member has two or more unexcused absences, that Board Member may be subject to removal pursuant to Art. VIII.
2. Regular weekly Board Meeting times, dates, and locations are to be proposed and approved with a majority vote of the Board no less than one week before to provide notice pursuant to Florida Sunshine Laws (F.S. §286.011). These details must be recorded in the minutes and made available to the public within 48 hours of the vote. Otherwise, the President may call for emergency meetings at their discretion, with the approval of the Cabinet.
3. Unless otherwise provided herein, all votes are subject to majority approval. In the case of a tie, the President will cast the tie-breaking vote.
4. All meetings are open to the public and subject to applicable law, pursuant to Florida Sunshine Laws (F.S. §286.011).
5. The Secretary shall take minutes every meeting and make them available to the public within 48 hours of adjournment. Minutes shall contain all relevant issues, comments, or concerns addressed during the meeting, as well as a record of pertinent votes.
ARTICLE V—THE BOARD & EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
1. The powers and responsibilities set forth in this constitution and bylaws shall be vested in one Student Bar Association Board of Directors (the Board), comprised of 4 Executive Officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer), one 3L Representative, two 2L Representatives, and three 1L Representatives.
2. The Board shall act as the governing body of the Student Bar Association (SBA). The Board shall set its own rules of procedure for exercising its power to formulate policies and manage the affairs of SBA unless otherwise provided herein. In the absence of a full Board, a decision by the President shall be binding unless overridden by a majority vote of the Board, excluding the vote of the President.
3. The President shall:
a) have served at least one year prior on the Board, or as a member of an SBA Constitutional Committee or a Standing Committee created by the SBA President, or as a Board Member of another Recognized Student Organization at FSU Law; preside over all meetings; make decisions on behalf of the SBA in the absence of the Board; appoint Committee Chairs and Members with advice and consent of the Board pursuant to this Constitution and supervise these committees; make all appointments required by university officials; and assume any other duties prescribed herein.
b) approve all SBA-sponsored events including but not limited to the date, time, and details of such event, along with the majority vote of the Board. If
no Executive Officer can attend an event, it can be rescheduled with their approval.
c) not attach SBA sponsorship to any event without first providing notice to all members of the Board. SBA sponsorship cannot be attached to any event in absence of a majority vote by the Board. Should a Board member contest an issue of SBA Sponsorship, a majority vote of the Board shall decide the issue.
d) have the power to form Standing Committees to accomplish a goal, event, or task stated in the President’s Executive Order creating the Committees. The President or his or her designee shall serve as the Chair of any Standing Committee. In their order, the President must state the purpose of the Committee, its Members, the first meeting date, and the proposed end date. Standing Committees are subject to the same Sunshine Law and Minute recording requirements as the Board.
4. The Vice-President shall:
a) have served at least one year prior on the Board, or as a member of an SBA Constitutional Committee or a Standing Committee created by the SBA President, or as a Board Member of another Recognized Student Organization at FSU Law; assume the duties of the President in his or her absence or in the case of a vacancy in the office of President, and to assume such other duties as prescribed in the bylaws and this Constitution.
b) serve as the American Bar Association/Law Student Division Representative. Duties include the responsibility for the membership and programs of the ABA/LSD, representing the College of Law at all ABA/LSD regional and annual meetings, serving as the liaison to the Florida Bar, and communicating information and coordinating programs related to the Florida Bar for the benefit of the student body.
5. The Secretary shall:
a) in cooperation with the President, prepare a proposed agenda for all Board Meetings.
b) permanently record in typewritten form the minutes of all meetings, provided on the SBA website; to keep posted at all times a current edition of the SBA Constitution; to keep current the bylaws and committee reports; to post notice as required of each meeting and other events; and to assume such other duties as provided herein.
6. The Treasurer shall:
a) as custodian of SBA funds, disperse funds pursuant to the bylaws and to keep records thereof; conduct the collection and supervise the disbursement of the funds; submit a weekly report to the Executive Board of Association income, expense and the weekly balance of Association funds; assume such duties as prescribed in the bylaws; and serve on all committees to provide purchasing power.
7. The 3L Representative shall:
a) be a rising 3L when elected and represent the interests of third-year law students to the Board and assist the Board in preparation for fall and spring graduations.
8. The 2L Representatives shall:
a) be rising 2Ls when elected and represent the interests of second-year law students to the Board.
9. The 1L Representatives shall:
a) be current 1Ls when elected; one from each section; and represent the interests of first-year law students to the Board.
10. The Transfer Representative shall:
a) be a rising 2L or 3L; have transferred to the FSU College of Law.
ARTICLE VI— COMMITTEES
1. SBA Committees shall be created as needed at the discretion of the SBA President. A committee shall remain active for the duration of the term of the SBA President who created it, unless otherwise dissolved. Established committees can be renewed or dissolved by a newly elected president, and new committees shall be created as needed at the discretion of the SBA President.
a) Each committee shall be assigned a supervisor by the SBA President. The supervisor shall be a member of the SBA Executive Board.
b) Committee members should apply for positions pursuant to an application process approved by the SBA Cabinet.The SBA Cabinet shall review committee applications and appoint qualifying applicants to serve as members of Committees.
c) Committees shall meet with their respective supervisor as needed, and meetings will be called for and attended by either or both the SBA President and the supervisor, at the SBA President’s discretion.
ARTICLE VII—ELECTIONS
1. Eligibility and Qualification:
a) Each candidate must meet the specified requirements set forth in Article V for the office they seek. At the conclusion of the candidate qualifying window, the President must, with their signature and the signature of the Secretary, issue a written public announcement of those candidates who have met the requirements for the office they seek.
b) No person may hold more than one position on the Board at the same time.
c) All candidates must be SBA Members at the time Qualifying Forms are due.
d) Qualifying Forms must include the name and signature of the qualifying candidate; the office sought; the time, date, and location for its deadline; any other candidacy requirements not provided in this Constitution but voted on by the Board; and the signatures of current FSU Law students. The amount of signatures and the prerequisites for a student to sign for any particular race must be approved by the Board and stated on the Qualifying Form. Failure to submit the Qualifying Form by the stated deadline will result in ineligibility for that race.
2. Campaign Rules:
a) Official campaign activity shall start at 12:01AM on the Monday of campaign week.
b) Official campaign activity includes word of mouth; five 8.5x11 flyers stamped by the Office of Student Advancement; and social media content.
c) Any activity or items not listed in paragraph (b) is prohibited and a violation will result in disqualification. Flyers posted on campus must be taken down by the Sunday after the election. Offensive and disparaging remarks towards another candidate are prohibited and any such conduct may result in a public condemnation or candidate disqualification subject to a unanimous vote of approval by the Board.
d) All candidates who are running in a contested race must participate in the official SBA Candidate Townhall during campaign week. Candidates for President will have five (5) minutes to provide a brief introduction and their election platform and will be required to participate in a fifteen (15) minutes moderated panel following their speech. All other candidates will have five (5) minutes to provide a brief introduction and their election.
3. Voting:
a) The elections of 1L Representatives and the Transfer Representatives shall be held within the first four weeks of the Fall Semester. All other elections shall be held in the Spring Semester for the upcoming year.
b) The polls shall remain open from 8AM to 5PM on election day.
c) Voting for 1L Representatives shall be limited by section for each coordinate representative. Only Transfer students shall vote for the Transfer Representative. Only 2Ls shall vote for the two 2L Representatives, and each 2L shall get two votes for two different candidates. Only 3Ls shall vote for 3L Representative. Elections for Executive Officers shall be open to the entire student body except for graduating 3Ls.
d) Winners are determined by a 50% plus one vote majority. All ties shall be resolved by a runoff of the tied candidates. In any race where no candidate wins 50% of the vote plus one vote, the President shall announce the date of a run-off election between the top two vote receiving candidates. The winner of the run-off will take office.
e) Any candidate may, within 24 hours of the end of voting, file a written request for a recount to the President if the winning or advancing candidate won or advanced by less than three votes. If the winning or advancing candidate does so by less than three votes and another candidate in the race files a timely request for recount with the President, the President shall notify the office responsible for counting the votes, and a recount shall take place immediately.
f) All Board Members will serve in their position for one year.
ARTICLE VIII—VACANCIES
1. Recall:
a) Any officer may be recalled from office without prejudice to further eligibility to hold office upon petition submitted and referendum held. The petition must be signed by five percent of students, submitted to a member of the Board, and signed and recorded by the Secretary. The Board shall call for a referendum on the petition within five (5) class days. The referendum shall take place no earlier than five (5) class days and no later than ten (10) class days after the Secretary
records the petition. Removal of any officer shall require a three-fifths (3/5) vote for removal.
ARTICLE IX—ADVISOR
1. The SBA Advisor shall be selected by a 2/3 vote of the SBA Executive Board. The SBA Advisor shall serve as a mentor to the organization. The SBA Advisor has no voting rights. The SBA Advisor has no term limit, but they must be a current FSU faculty or staff member.
2. Upon a 2/3 vote of the SBA Executive Board, the SBA Advisor may be placed at risk of removal. The SBA Advisor will be notified in writing of being placed at risk at least 72 hours prior to the final vote to remove and will be allowed to address the SBA Executive Board in order to provide members any relevant defense.
3. After the 72-hour period and consideration of any relevant defense, the SBA Advisor may be removed from their duties upon a 2/3 vote of the SBA Executive Board. In the event that an advisor is removed or resigns, a new advisor shall be elected upon a 2/3 decision of the SBA Board within 14 calendar days.
ARTICLE X—FINANCES
1. Dues:
a) No student may be denied membership due to an inability to pay dues. If a member is not able to pay dues, the Board will arrange for such dues to be “paid” via Pro Bono work with an organization of their choosing in addition to the Pro Bono hours already required for graduation.
b) Organizational funds may be spent, upon a majority vote of the Board, on items such as office supplies, events/activities, publicity, travel expenses, conference fees, event sponsorships, etc., but will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws.
c) The Treasurer shall keep all financial records.
d) In the event that SBA dissolves, any remaining funds, after the payment of all debts, shall be donated to the FSU Law General Revenue Fund.
ARTICLE XI—PUBLICATIONS
1. All advertisements of the organization must comply with the University Posting Policy (http://www.fsu.edu/~posting/fsupolicy.html).
2. The President must approve all publications, shirts, flyers, etc. prior to duplication and distribution.
ARTICLE XII—AMENDMENTS
1. Any SBA Member may propose an amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws. The proposal must be circulated among all Board Members and posted on the agenda one week before voting.
2. The Board may amend the Constitution by a 2/3 vote of the Board.
3. An approved amendment becomes effective immediately upon passage unless otherwise specified. The Secretary shall record the vote in the minutes and make the official changes to the Constitution & Bylaws.