Constitution
Article I - Title
The organization shall be known as "Law Students for Human Rights."
Article II - Mission Statement
Law Students for Human Rights seeks to promote global human rights by drawing on the unique resources of the New York University School of Law community.
The organization will establish a forum for education, advocacy and direct service related to human rights.
Additionally, Law Students for Human Rights aims to build a community for future practitioners of human rights law.
The organization will focus on strategic human rights issues to study and advance through speakers, movies, direct action and other activities.
Article III - Membership
Membership shall be open to all New York University School of Law students, faculty and staff.
Article IV - Activity Committees
There shall be several Activity Committees, each responsible for organizing programming of a specific type. The Education Committee shall be responsible for organizing activities that educate the members of Law Students for Human Rights as well as the community at large about human rights issues. The Advocacy Committee shall be responsible for organizing activities that promote human rights causes and serve the needs of specific populations. The Symposium Committee shall be responsible for organizing and directing an annual Symposium on a specific issue related to the theme chosen each year. The Career Development Committee shall be responsible for organizing activities that give members of LSHR access to human rights jobs. Ad Hoc Committees will be created as necessary. Members may belong to one or more Activity Committee.
The purpose of the several Activity Committees is to ensure that a variety of activities is organized each semester. The allocation of responsibility to each Activity Committee shall not be construed to limit the types of activities Law Student Students for Human Rights may organize. If a proposed activity does not fall within the responsibilities of a particular committee, any Activity Committee may organize the activity, or Law Students for Human Rights as a whole may organize the activity.
Article V - Steering Committee
Law Students for Human Rights officers shall be members of the Law Students for Human Rights Steering Committee, which shall meet periodically and not less than once per semester to determine the general direction of Law Students for Human Rights. The Steering Committee shall consist of the following officers:
Co-Chairs / Chairperson
The LSHR co-chairs / chairperson oversee(s) the general functioning of both the LSHR Steering Committee and LSHR as a whole. The co-chairs / chairperson shall develop a vision for LSHR with the Steering Committee and oversee its implementation, guiding the organization through any challenges or obstacles that may arise. The co-chairs / chairperson shall call meetings, coordinate day-to-day LSHR operations and activities, and coordinate the Steering Committee. Further, the co-chairs / chairperson shall maintain list serve membership, coordinate meeting logistics, publish meeting notes and updates, and serve as liaison(s) to the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the LSHR Advisory Committee. The co-chairs / chairperson shall identify the needs of the LSHR community and develop programs and initiatives to meet these needs.
Individual Duties:
At the start of the school year, the co-chairs / chairperson are (is) responsible for coordinating activities at the Law School involving recruitment, membership building, and retention of former members. Throughout the year, the co-chairs / chairperson shall be the spokesperson(s) of the organization and manage requests for co-sponsorship or other types of support. The co-chairs / chairperson shall also liaise with other student organizations (including the Student Bar Association) and with other human rights organizations in NYC and elsewhere, and shall inform LSHR's general membership of opportunities and events in the wider human rights community.
Since the co-chairs / chairperson shall often be the primary contact for LSHR, this Steering Committee position involves a significant correspondence upkeep / emailing time commitment.
Steering Committee (SC):
The co-chairs / chairperson must meet regularly and collaborate with members of the Steering Committee so as to supervise and coordinate the work and direction of the various LSHR committees. For example, the co-chairs / chairperson must work closely with the Treasurer to ensure appropriate allocation of funds among all LSHR committees. The co-chairs / chairperson shall monitor SC members' progress in each committee and assist members in developing programs to meet the needs of the organization. Generally, these include assisting the Vice Chair's institutional lobbying efforts; the Careers Chair's programming initiatives; the Education Committee's events; the Advocacy Committee's student projects; the Outreach Chair's efforts; and the Domestic Service Chair's work in executing the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. The co-chairs / chairperson must organize and maintain communication concerning all SC activities, periodically disseminate such communication to all SC members (either via all-SC meetings or electronically), and develop and circulate (to the NYU Law community) an end-of-year report detailing all LSHR activities.
Vice Chair
The Vice Chair's primary role is to serve as a student lobbyist for the expansion and / or improvement of human rights resources at NYU School of Law. By November of each academic year, the Vice Chair will submit a detailed memo to the Faculty Director(s) of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, outlining suggestions to expand or improve upon human rights resources at the Law School . The memo can address any or all of the following topics: suggested courses; required resources (both material and in terms of student mentoring); proposals for course credit and/or transcript notations, etc. To the extent possible, the memo should address both domestic and international human rights.
The Vice Chair will also meet, as necessary, with faculty and administrators to promote awareness of human rights resources at NYU Law and to lobby for increased funding, faculty appointments, and institutional support for human rights-oriented faculty and students. The Vice Chair should cultivate personal relationships with faculty and staff and complete research memos as requested on a variety of topics aimed at strengthening human rights programs here at NYU Law.
The Vice Chair should coordinate with other student groups (e.g., International Law Society) and the International Law Research Librarian to hold at least one international law and human rights library research training for interested students per academic year.
The Vice Chair is responsible for updating the LSHR website at the start of each Fall semester and for periodically drafting whatever amendments may be necessary to the LSHR Constitution (and then presenting those amendments to the full Steering Committee for approval).
Finally, the Vice Chair is responsible for coordinating the appointment of 1L co-chairs in January of each academic year and for overseeing Steering Committee elections in March of each academic year (directly before Spring Break).
Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
The Advocacy Co-Chairs are responsible for overseeing the Advocacy Committee. They maintain a database of Advocacy's student members, NGO Partners, work accomplished, and Project successes and difficulties.
The Co-Chairs work to maintain pre-existing NGO relationships and to create new ones by a) contacting NGOs and informing them of Advocacy's availability to provide legal research and other assistance, b) working with the NGO Partner to develop projects suitable for an Advocacy student team to undertake during a semester, and c) ensuring that projects are structured to be successful (i.e., clearly defining the research question(s), creating mechanisms for regular feedback, and informing the NGO Partner of Advocacy team members capabilities and time constraints). The Co-Chairs are also responsible for getting feedback from both the NGO Partner and Project Members to help improve the relationship between both parties over time.
In addition, Advocacy Co-Chairs disseminate information about Advocacy Projects and enlist Project Members and Project Leaders. The Co-Chairs may require Advocacy members to rank their choices. The Co-Chairs will do their best to respect members' rankings when assigning them to Projects.
With few exceptions, each Project has a Project Leader, who serves as the main point of contact with the NGO Partner and with Co-Chairs. The Project Leader also divides the work between the Project Members and corresponds regularly with them to get progress updates and to provide feedback. The Co-Chairs ensure that new Project Leaders understand their role and responsibilities and that they have an opportunity to get advice and support from former Project Leaders. Co-Chairs may also recruit Project Mentors and assign them to one or more Projects. Project Mentors answer general legal or research questions via email and serve as another level of support for team members as they complete their research. The Co-Chairs also disseminate information about Advocacy to faculty and should work with Project Leaders to help them find Faculty Mentors for their projects, when appropriate.
Mid-way through each semester, Advocacy Co-Chairs schedule a check-in meeting, at which Advocacy members have the opportunity to hear how the Projects are progressing and to foster a sense of community among Advocacy members. At the end of each term, the Co-Chairs also host a final meeting to celebrate the completion of the semester's projects.
The Co-Chairs work with other LSHR Steering Committee members to provide services and support to all LSHR members. In particular, the Advocacy Co-Chairs should work closely with the Education Committee to plan legal research trainings, events that tie in with Advocacy projects or that would be of interest to Advocacy members, and direct action campaigns.
Finally, the Advocacy Co-Chairs maintain relationships with similar human rights-oriented student organizations at other schools.
Independent Project Coordinator
The Independent Project Coordinator's role is to assist LSHR students launch independent projects that enable them to work on human rights concerns that are most important to them, but may not be represented in current Advocacy projects. This will involve talking to students who are interested in starting their own initiatives, connecting them with professors and human rights professionals who might be able to assist them, and providing any other advice or suggestions students require.
Education Committee Co-Chairs
The Education Committee chair or co-chairs will be responsible for coordinating events with speakers from outside the NYU community, and for responding to co-sponsorship requests from both NYU and non-NYU affiliated organizations and groups. The chair(s) will provide organizational support for speaker events, film screenings, discussion groups, brown bag lunches, and other formal and informal gatherings designed to raise awareness about human rights. They shall organize events that seek to promote human rights scholarship within the Law School community, which may include discussions of recently published student notes that analyze human rights issues. The chair(s) will also work with the Advocacy Committee to organize direct action campaigns (letter-writing, rally attendance, march participation, etc.) that mobilize the LSHR community as a whole and to network with other campaigns going on in the New York area.
They shall also collaborate with the Outreach Chair to publicize events occurring outside the LSHR and NYU Law Community relating to human rights advocacy and awareness.
Domestic Service Chair
The Domestic Service Chair's primary role is as the director of NYU Law's Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. This role includes: securing program funding; identifying site cities and service organizations which can host spring break interns; recruiting and selecting students to serve as site leaders over spring break; working with site leaders to solidify service, housing, and travel arrangements for spring break; recruiting and selecting students to serve as site participants; and generally working to advance program goals.
In addition, the Domestic Service Chair should work with the Career Development Chair to provide opportunities for domestic service career development. The Domestic Service Chair should also always strive to raise awareness in the NYU School of Law community of pressing domestic human rights issues through coordinating events with other LSHR Steering Committee members and with other NYU School of Law student groups.
Career Development Committee Chair
The Career Development Committee Chair shall be responsible for the oversight of the Career Development Committee. The Career Development Committee shall address the needs of students in learning about, obtaining and preparing for internships and careers in both domestic and international human rights positions.
The Careers Chair shall serve as a liaison between the Steering Committee and the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and should meet, as necessary, with PILC directors to improve careers services for students. Such services include, but are not limited to, careers and internship listings, training opportunities, networking opportunities, and other advising services for students. The Careers Chair should endeavor to cultivate a relationship with PILC directors and should circulate internship and employment announcements via the LSHR listserve.
The Careers Chair shall work with the Vice Chair to lobby the administration to improve careers services for students. As such the Careers Chair shall be responsible for writing any memos thought necessary to address concerns with careers services within the law school, and shall participate in all related meetings.
The Careers Chair shall coordinate panels, speakers and other events aimed at presenting career paths and advice from practitioners in the field of human rights. Such events may address substantive areas of law, but should include some focus on careers as well.
The Careers Chair should also coordinate any other events aimed at improving student access, preparation or information for internships and career paths. Specifically, the Careers Chair shall organize, every Fall semester, at least one event to provide student perspectives on domestic and international internship opportunities for the first year students' summers. To some extent, this event should also address the International Human Rights Fellowship.
Finally, the Careers Chair is responsible for setting up any services for students as is thought constructive. Such services may include, but are not limited to, student careers mentoring programs and social events.
Outreach Chair
The Outreach Chair is responsible for reaching out to other human rights-oriented organizations at NYU and to human rights groups at other law schools in the New York area. This entails helping to publicize events and ensuring that LSHR's contact list is updated. In addition, the Outreach Chair may help LSHR members develop new programs to promote human rights work in new areas.
Treasurer
The Treasurer administers the Law Students for Human Rights accounts and acts as a liaison with the Student Bar Association (SBA) on all financial matters.
Late each preceding Spring, the Treasurer drafts a budget proposal in accordance with SBA by-laws and funding guidelines. The Treasurer submits the budget proposal to the SBA and keeps the Chair(s) informed of the status of the proposal.
Early each Fall and each Spring, the Treasurer and Chair(s) finalize the budget for the semester together. Upon request from a Steering Committee member, the Treasurer will apply for additional funding from the SBA (e.g. Family Funding, Incentive Funding, etc.).
During the course of each semester, the Treasurer reimburses LSHR members for budgeted expenses and maintains an expense report outlining the expenses to date and the funds remaining. At the end of each semester, the Treasurer submits the expense report to the SBA Treasurer, in accordance with SBA by-laws.
Symposium Committee Chair
The Symposium Committee Chair shall be responsible for the oversight of the Symposium Committee.
1L Committee Representatives
The 1L Committee Vice Chairs shall be responsible for supporting the work of the Committee Chairs and introducing other 1Ls to Law Students for Human Rights.
Article VI - Organizing Principle
In general, activities of Law Students for Human Rights shall be based upon a chosen annual organizing principle. The Steering Committee shall select two or more themes, which shall then be put to the vote of the members. The Chairperson will not partake in the initial voting and will act as a tie-breaker in the case of a tie.
Article VII - Faculty Advisor
There shall be a Faculty Advisor who shall serve as a resource to Law Students for Human Rights, facilitate the acquisition of speakers, and serve as a liaison between Law Students for Human Rights and the New York University School of Law faculty.
Article VIII- Advisory Board
There shall be an Advisory Board comprised of, but not limited to, New York University School of Law students, faculty and alumni, and Human Rights practitioners. The Advisory Board shall serve as a resource to Law Students for Human Rights.
Article IX - Elections
The members of the Steering Committee in the first year of the existence for Law Students for Human Rights shall be elected by the Founding Members. Thereafter, Members shall elect Steering Committee Members.
Steering Committee Members for a given academic year shall be elected at the end of the previous spring semester in time to allow transition. The highest exiting officer shall oversee the election process. Steering Committee members shall serve one-year renewable terms. All terms shall expire on the date of the next election.
Article X - Removal and Replacement of Officers
Steering Committee Members may be removed for just cause by the consensus of the Steering Committee. Midterm vacancies may be filled by a vote of the Membership. If a Member of the Steering Committee is elected midterm, his or her term shall expire on the date of the next election.
Article XI - Voting
A resolution may pass by a plurality of affirmative votes on the part of Members who vote at a meeting. Steering Committee Members shall be elected by a plurality of affirmative votes on the part of Members who vote at a meeting.
Article XII - Amendments
Amendments to this constitution and to the by-laws shall be adopted by consensus of the Steering Committee.
Article XIII - Governance
This organization shall be governed by this Constitution, its bylaws, and the rules and regulations of New York University School of Law.
http://www.law.nyu.edu//studentorganizations/lawstudentsforhumanrights/constitution/index.htm