Constitution of the Criminal Law Society
Article I
Name, Purpose, and Non-Discrimination Policy of the Organization
Section 1 – Name
The name of the organization shall be the Ohio State Criminal Law Society.
Section 2- Purpose
The purpose of the Criminal Law Society is to provide law students at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law with an apolitical forum for the exchange of ideas about issues relating to the criminal law and to stimulate awareness among law students about issues in the criminal law; to establish and maintain a network of alumni who are willing to assist law students conducting job searches in the area of criminal law; and to create opportunities for law students to serve the community in carious capacities related to the criminal law.
The purpose of the Ohio State Criminal Law Society is to target the interests and to meet the needs of all law students interested in the criminal law. The purpose of the Ohio State Criminal Law Society is not to become a pro/anti prosecution club or a pro/anti defense club, but shall remain an apolitical organization.
Section 3 – Non-Discrimination Policy
The Ohio State Criminal Law Society and its members shall not discriminate against any individual(s) for reasons of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Article II
Membership
Membership shall be open to all Ohio State University students. Voting membership shall be open only to Ohio State University Moritz College of Law students who pay annual membership dues.
Article III
Organization Leadership
The officers of the Ohio State Criminal Law Society shall consist of a president, a vice-president, and a treasurer. A secretary position may be created on a year-to-year basis if the sitting president, vice-president, and treasurer agree that the position is necessary during their terms of office.
All officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the voting members of the organization. Elections shall be held near the end of the Spring semester. Officers’ terms shall run from the time that the results of the election are announced through the school year, until the next election. All officers’ actions shall be bound by the stated purposes of the Ohio State Criminal Law Society.
If the Ohio State Criminal Law Society should ever become inactive and then restarted in the middle of an academic year, the students who organize the next meetings may forego elections until the end of Spring semester.
The President shall organize and run meetings and any events hosted by the organization, act as a liaison to the Moritz College of Law and University faculty and administration, act as a liaison to the alumni and to the community, and provide support for the organization’s various programs and fund-raising activities.
The Vice-President shall assist the President in organizing and planning meetings and any events hosted by the organization, provide support to the organization’s various programs and fund-raising activities, and function as a liaison when the President is unable to do so.
The Treasurer shall keep records of the finances of the organization and plan and organize fund-raising events.
Article IV
Committees
The Ohio State Criminal Law Society shall have committees focused on specific projects and programs when desired by current members. The committees shall consist of volunteers who are voting members and shall be headed by an elected or appointed chairperson.
Article V
Meetings
Two organizational meetings shall be held during each school year. The first meeting shall be held during the first month of the school year. The second meeting shall be held during the first month of the Spring semester. It is within the discretion of the President and Vice President to hold additional meetings throughout the year.
Article VI
Advisor
The advisor to the Ohio State Criminal Law Society shall be a full-time member of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law faculty. The advisor should be a person who has a genuine and demonstrated interest in the criminal law. The advisor shall give support and advice to the organization and shall serve as a liaison to the faculty and administration of the College of Law.
Article VII
Method of Amending Constitution
Proposed amendments shall be in writing and officially proposed and read aloud at a general meeting. All advertisement at which the amendment will be proposed shall clearly state that an amendment to the organization’s constitution will be proposed and voted upon.
Passage of an amendment requires a two-thirds majority of voting members with a quorum present, or a majority of all voting members whether or not present.