Student Bar Association

Revisions/Amendments Proposed to the Constitution of the SBA of NYU Law Fall 2009 Session

[Voted on by the SBA Board of Governors, 16 September 2009; Now up for a 2/3 participation vote, 1/3-for-approval, by the SBA General Body.]

REVISION No. 1

  • SBA Const. art. 8 sect. 2, dealing with the number of first year law student representatives on the SBA Board of Governors, is to be stricken.

    The text of the relevant section as it currently reads:

    Section 2. If there are fewer than four (4) large First Year student sections, each large section shall elect one (1) representative from their section, and the class as a whole shall elect the remaining representative(s) at large. If there are four (4) large sections, each large section shall elect one (1) representative from their section. If there are more than four (4) large sections, all four (4) representatives shall be elected at large, provided that there shall be no more than one (1) candidate from any section.
  • SBA Const. art. 8 sect. 1, which reflects the requirement of one representative from each section of first year law students, will remain as the rule of election for first year law student representatives on the SBA Board of Governors.

    The text of the relevant section as it currently reads:

    Section 1. Second and Third Year Classes shall be represented on the Board of Governors by four (4) representatives from each class. The First Year Class shall be represented on the Board of Governors by one (1) representative from each First Year section. The LL.M. Class shall be represented on the Board of Governors by three (3) representatives.  The transfer students shall be represented on the Board of Governors by one (1) representative. This representative shall be elected in his/her first semester as a transfer student at NYU. Only transfer students in their first semester as transfer students at NYU will be permitted to vote for the position of transfer student representative.
  • Legislative History: We now have five sections of first year law students, instead of the four sections that existed when this section of the Constitution was written.  According to the Constitution the way it is, we would only be allowed to have four first year representatives—instead of five (or one from each section)—and they would have to be elected at-large instead of one per section.  We think the revision will allow for more representation of first year students on the SBA Board of Governors, and the representation will be more equal by section—one student per section, instead of four students who may all be from any one or two or three or four sections.

 
REVISION No. 2

  • SBA Const. art. 12 sect. 1 is to be changed to require that the chairpersons of all committees internal to the SBA Board of Governors be appointed according to the SBA bylaws.

    The text of the relevant section as it currently reads:

    Section 1. The President shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors the chairpersons of all internal committees of the Student Bar Association, both standing and ad hoc.
  • The same language revised in SBA Const. art. 12 sect. 1, regarding the election of the chairpersons of all committees internal to the SBA Board of Governors, will also be revised in the same way in SBA Const. art. 4 sect. 4.1.6.

    The text of the relevant section as it currently reads:

    4.1.6. [The President of the SBA Board of Governors] shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors, all committee chairpersons for both standing and ad hoc internal committees of the Student Bar Association.
  • Legislative History: Currently, there is some inconsistency between the SBA Bylaws and the SBA Constitution as to how the Board of Governors will establish the chairpersons of its internal committees.  This change will remedy that inconsistency—so that there is only one prescribed way in which internal committee chairpersons are to be established: according to the Bylaws.


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