Board of Advocates Executive Council Officer Descriptions
SMU Dedman School of Law – Board of Advocates
Executive Council Officer Descriptions 2012-13
· Organizational Diagram
· General Notes
· Officers are selected in two stages, first the new Chair and Vice Chairs are selected by all members of the current Executive Council after an interview. Once those positions are finalized, the new Chair and Vice Chairs assist the current Executive Council in selecting the remaining positions.
· All positions receive one hour of non-graded class credit and ten (10) Administrative Points for the entire year of service.
· “†” – Chair or Vice Chair position; responsibilities include supervision of other officers
· Directorships provide a great way for underclassmen to prepare for and gain experience to move up in the organization, either to the Chair or Vice Chair positions. Accordingly, the leadership positions are generally awarded to officers with experience.
· All officers are expected to serve on the Board of Discipline, should they be selected.
· Officer positions may change on a yearly basis, as needed. Anyone can propose changes to the organizational structure, but all changes must be approved by a majority of the current year’s officers. If approved, the changes take effect the following calendar year, unless the current officers agree that circumstances require changes immediately.
· All Officers must help run Tryouts each semester.
· Descriptions below try to give you the scope of the positions but do not encompass everything that is required for the position.
· Chair†
Generally: The Chair is responsible for the overall image and functionality of the Board of Advocates. Through hard work and communication this position sets the tone for the entire year of Dedman Advocacy. Time commitment is extensive.
Specifically
· Requires knowledge of all types of advocacy, competitions, and BOA related activities.
· Supervise all officers; provide assistance at all times for all functions of the BOA.
· Emcee info sessions, seminars, meetings, and the BOA banquet.
· Coordinate with the Deans’ Suite regarding budgets, competitions, reservations, and relations in general.
· Plan and conduct student and coach surveys.
· Brainstorm & implement ways to improve BOA officer positions, events, and processes.
· Represent the BOA at a variety of events, including dinners, ceremonies, etc.
· Facilitate Order of Barristers selection process.
· Planning and executing officer interviews and end of the year awards elections.
· Plan, coordinate, and obtain Dean-approval of the annual budget. This requires coordinating with all officers to determine financial needs for off-campus teams, administration, on-campus competitions, education seminars, DKP, etc. The budget is created in the early part of the summer prior to the academic year.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
· Off-Campus Officers
a. Vice-Chair – Finance & Off-Campus Competitions†
The Off-Campus Vice-Chair coordinates all matters pertaining to all interscholastic competitions to which SMU sends teams. Additionally, the Off-Campus Vice-Chair has various financial responsibilities. Time commitment is extensive.
Specifically, this officer is responsible for:
· Overseeing tryouts for all interscholastic competition teams.
· Determining which competitions SMU will attend for the year and obtain coaches for each team.
· Working with the Chair to create a budget for each team.
· Plan, coordinate, and obtain Dean-approval of the annual budget. This requires coordinating with all officers to determine financial needs for off-campus teams, administration, on-campus competitions, education seminars, DKP, etc. The budget is created in the early part of the summer prior to the academic year.
· Overseeing registration for each team with its respective competition.
· Overseeing all necessary travel (hotel, flights, ground transportation, etc.) arrangements, and oversees the logistics associated with each competition.
· Acting as the liaison between the competitors, coaches, competition organizers, the BOA Executive Council, the BOA faculty sponsor, and the law school administration regarding off-campus competitions and teams.
· Communicating team awards to Technology Director & Dean Suite for recognition.
· Managing the BOA finances during the school year, monitoring the budget for BOA functions, and processing off-campus team expenditures for reimbursement by the University.
· Reviewing team evaluation forms and acting on them, if necessary.
· Overseeing & approving on-campus expenditures.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
b. Off-Campus Director (four officers)
The three Off-Campus Directors work under the Off-Campus Vice-Chair, who will assign duties evenly among them. Duties include:
· Working with their Vice-Chair to maintain the Off-Campus portion of the BOA website.
· Helping the Tryout Director with planning and implementation of tryouts.
· Conducting research into competition rules, deadlines, travel requirements.
· Gathering necessary information from students for travel arrangements.
· Registering teams for their competitions.
· Making travel arrangements for teams, including travel to/from the airport, airfare or rental car, and hotel accommodations.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
c. Tryout Director (one officer)
The Tryout Director works under the Off-Campus Vice-Chair, who will assign duties evenly among them. Duties include:
· Working with their Vice-Chair with planning and implementation of tryouts.
· Helping to get the details of tryouts on the BOA website and in all-law announcements.
· Working with Education Director to set up an AES about tryouts if possible.
· Working with Dean Suite (Rebekah Bell) to book rooms for all BOA events.
· Ordering all of the awards for on-campus competitions & BOA Banquet in the Summer.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
.
· On-Campus Officers
a. Vice-Chair – On-Campus Competitions†
The On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for planning, coordinating and running intrascholastic competitions with the help of several directors. The competitions are Negotiations, 2L/2E Moot Court, Fall Mock Trial, 1L Closing Argument, Voir Dire, Spring Mock Trial, and Howie & Sweeney Moot Court. Also, the On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for coordinating any interscholastic competitions that SMU is scheduled to host (at this time there are none for 2012-2013). Time commitment is extensive.
Specifically, the On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for:
· Coordinating with the Public Relations Vice-Chair regarding necessary judges for intrascholastic and interscholastic (when necessary) competitions hosted by SMU Law.
· Relaying information to various committees regarding the need for judges, pre-competition seminars, and advertising.
· Maintaining communication with competitors, judges, bailiffs, witnesses, and jurors.
· Maintaining communication with the Dean's Suite regarding competitions.
· Overseeing the Education Director regarding AES seminars as info-sessions for on-campus competitions.
· Overseeing all on-campus competitions and assigning tasks evenly among the On-Campus Directors.
· Creating competition schedules, brackets, and teams.
· Fairly determining which On-Campus Directors may compete in which intrascholastic competitions.
· Finding or creating competition problems, ballots, and instructions.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
b. On-Campus Director (five officers)
On-Campus Directors will work hand-in-hand with the On-Campus Vice-Chair to plan, coordinate, and operate all on-campus competitions. Generally, each On-Campus Director will be responsible for planning and running two or three intrascholastic competitions, meaning that they cannot compete in those competitions. The On-Campus Vice-Chair will divide the duties of each competition and assign them to these directors fairly. Such duties include:
· Working with their Vice-Chair to maintain the On-Campus portion of the website.
· Finding problems for Interscholastic Competitions
· Working with Tryout Director to reserve rooms for competitions
· Ordering and delivering food for competitions
· Working the competition, which requires being present throughout the competition, checking in competitors, bailiffs, judges, jurors, and witnesses, as necessary
· Cleaning up after the competition is over
· Sending an announcement to the Technology Director for inclusion in the BOA’s weekly announcements and to the SBA secretary for inclusion in all-law emails
· Organizing Advocacy Education Series (AES) meetings for each on-campus competition, which includes:
o Finding a speaker for each information session
o Providing food for each information session
o Working with the Public Relations Team to advertise the information sessions
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
c. Hosting Director (one officer)
The Hosting Director will work hand-in-hand with the On-Campus Vice-Chair to plan, coordinate, and operate interscholastic competitions hosted by SMU. In addition to the director’s hosting responsibilities, the Hosting Director will also aid other on-campus directors with running intrascholastic competitions as needed. Such duties include:
· Working with their Vice-Chair to maintain the On-Campus portion of the website.
· Planning and coordinating all aspects of any interscholastic competition that SMU hosts (very time intensive and requires attention to detail)
· Assisting On-Campus directors as needed (see on-campus director responsibilities)
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
Public Relations Officers
d. Vice-Chair – Public Relations†
The Public Relations Vice-Chair promotes attorney participation in BOA advocacy events, both as off-campus team coaches and as on-campus competition judges. The Public Relations Vice- Chair is also responsible for oversight of the three directors who maintain various aspects of the BOA’s relationship with others. Time commitment is extensive.
Specifically, the Public Relations Vice-Chair is responsible for:
· Updating and maintaining an Attorney Database with contact information for local attorneys who have judged or expressed interest in judging an on-campus competition.
· Attending networking events in order to promote participation in BOA events and gather attorney contact information to add to the Attorney Database.
· Securing judges' and attorneys' participation in on-campus advocacy events; requires working with the On-Campus Vice-Chair or Directors to determine the number of judges for each competition.
· Providing judges with directions, competition materials, parking, food, and drinks.
· Planning the annual BOA Advocacy Awards Banquet.
· Supervising Technology/Membership, Judge Recruitment, and Public Service Directors.
· Organizing and facilitate a Board of Discipline if/when necessary.
· Resolving any disputes relating to BOA Points (Taking over BOA Points if necessary).
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
e. Judge Recruitment Director (two officers)
The Judge Recruitment Director recruits and promotes attorney participation in BOA advocacy events. They work with the Public Relations Vice-Chair to maintain various aspects of the BOA’s relationship with attorneys in the community.
Specifically, the Judge Recruitment Director is responsible for:
· Updating and maintaining an Attorney Database with contact information for local attorneys who have judged or expressed interest in judging an on-campus competition.
· Attending four networking events (DAYLA, DBA, etc.) per semester in order to promote participation in BOA events and gather attorney contact information to add to the Attorney Database.
· Help securing judges' and attorneys' participation in on-campus advocacy events; requires working with the On-Campus Vice-Chair or Directors to determine the number of judges for each competition.
· Help provide judges with directions, competition materials, parking, food, and drinks.
· Helping plan the annual BOA Advocacy Awards Banquet.
· Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.
f. Public Service Director (one officer)
The Public Service Director coordinates the pro bono efforts for the Board of Advocates. The Director is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing The Dallas Kids Project ("DKP"). DKP is a mock trial competition based on the Harry Potter novels for elementary school students in the Dallas Independent School District. SMU law students serve as the mock trial coaches for DKP. The Public Service Director is also responsible for helping the Public Relations Vice-Chair with any duties during the DKP off-season. Specifically, the Public Service Director is responsible for:
· Publicizing, recruiting, choosing dedicated mentors for DKP.
· Contacting several DISD schools in the area.
· Working with DISD teachers to arrange schedule of class visits.
· Choosing mock trial problem; making copies; assigning roles.
· Supervising class visits with mentors and students.
· Taking care of all details of the mock trial including food, room reservations, a/v needs (mics)(talk to LawTech), certificates, awards, gifts for teachers, judges, and costumes.
· Working with the Technology Director or the school administration to ensure that students who participated get their BOA points or public service hours.
· Planning other volunteer activities for BOA members within the community.
· Updating and maintaining the BOA awards cabinet in Florence, actively ensuring it reflects the many successes of the SMU Law advocacy program.
· Assisting the Public Relations Vice-Chair as needed.
d. Networking Director
The Networking Director promotes the interaction between BOA members, as well as the interaction between BOA members and local attorneys. They work with the Public Relations Vice-Chair to plan all social events throughout the year. Specifically, the Networking Director is responsible for:
· Planning the Fall Kick Off Happy Hour for BOA members.
· Organizing approximately two happy hours per semester that will be attended by BOA members and local attorneys.
· Finding locations for all happy hours and acting as the point in contact between those locations and the Board.
· Communicating and working with local attorneys and/or sponsoring firms on happy hour events.
· Planning the annual BOA Advocacy Awards Banquet.
· Helping promote all networking events throughout the year.
· Assisting the Public Relations Vice-Chair as needed.
e. Technology/Membership Director (one officer)
The Technology/Membership Director is responsible for all aspects of the BOA website. This means checking and approving/disapproving point submissions, sending out weekly announcements, and updating content. Specifically, the Technology Director is responsible for:
· Monitoring and enforcing BOA Membership Rules, such as points deadlines, proper use of points submission forms, etc.
· Liaison with LawTech on website needs and issues.
· Distributing and processing information for BOA membership.
· Publicizing to the student body any changes to the By-laws regarding membership.