Southern New England Law Librarians Association

Constitution and Bylaws


Southern New England Law Librarians Association (“SNELLA”)

Section 1: The name of this Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries shall be the SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LAW LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION (“SNELLA”).

Section 2: Its objectives shall be to develop and increase the usefulness and efficiency of law libraries, to promote the interests of librarians and members of their staff, and to encourage cooperation among law libraries.

Section 3: There shall be two classes of membership: individual and student.

Section 4: Any person interested in law librarianship may become an individual member of this Chapter upon the payment of the annual dues.

Section 5: Any person enrolled in either a curriculum of Library and Information Science or Law may become a student member of this Chapter upon the payment of the annual dues.

Section 6: The annual dues from each class of membership shall be set by the Board of Directors and ratified by a majority vote of those members present and voting at the Chapter’s annual meeting.

Section 7: Members failing to pay dues by September 1st of each year shall be dropped from membership.

Section 8: The right to hold office and vote shall be restricted to individual members. Each individual member shall be entitled to only one vote.

Section 9: The Officers shall consist of a President, President-Elect/Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The duties of the Officers shall be those ordinarily assigned to said officers in similar associations and those assigned by the Chapter. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, the Immediate Past President, and two (2) elected Members-at-Large.

Section 10: The President-Elect/Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors shall be elected by ballot, the persons receiving the plurality of vote being declared elected. In case of a tie vote, a run-off election shall be held by distribution of a special ballot. The President-Elect/Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors shall hold office for one (1) year or in the event that their office becomes vacant, until their successors are appointed. The President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency at the end of one year.

Section 11: There shall be such standing or special committees as the Board of Directors shall create. The President shall appoint all members of such committees as the Chapter may deem necessary. Except for the Nominating Committee, the Chair of each committee shall be elected by their committee members.

Section 12: In the event that the office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect/Vice President shall succeed to that office, completing the unexpired term and then serving an additional one (1) year as President. In the event that another office becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to complete the unexpired term.

Section 13: There shall be a Nominating Committee appointed by the Board of Directors to consist of a minimum of two (2) members, none of whom shall be a candidate for office at the   succeeding election. Each member of the committee shall serve for a term of one (1) year. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be designated by the Board of Directors. A vacancy on the Nominating Committee shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

Section 14: The Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each office.  Names of candidates, together with their written acceptances, shall be presented by the Nominating Committee to the Board of Directors no later than April 15th for announcement to the members.

Section 15: The Secretary shall distribute by mail or electronic distribution a copy of the ballot to each member of the Chapter. Voted ballots shall be returned to the Secretary by a specific deadline. The Secretary shall tabulate the votes and announce the results of the election to the members of the Chapter. All candidates shall be notified of the results of the election at the earliest possible time.

Section 16: The Constitution and/or Bylaws may be amended in the manner hereafter provided. Notice and ballots shall be distributed to all members of the Chapter with a return date of at least 20 days. If the majority of ballots received by that return date affirm, the amendment shall stand adopted.

Section 17: The rules of order mandated by the American Association of Law Libraries’ bylaws shall govern all deliberations of the Chapter.

Section 18: Meetings may be held at such time and place as the Board of Directors may determine. The Chapter shall meet at least twice a year at such dates as may be fixed by the Board of Directors.

Section 19: Membership in the Southern New England Law Librarians Association, or participation in any of its activities, shall not be denied or abridged to any individual on account of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Section 20: No part of the Chapter’s earnings or assets shall inure to the benefit of any member or officer except as reasonable compensation for services rendered.

Section 21: The distribution of assets, in event of dissolution, shall be made in the following manner: all assets shall pass to the American Association of Law Libraries, 105 W. Adams St., Suite 3300, Chicago, Illinois, 60603, a nonprofit organization exempt under section 501(c)(5) of the I.R.C., as the beneficiary. If, for any reason, it is not possible for the American Association of Law Libraries to receive the assets, any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Superior Court, or the successor to the Superior Court, in the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organizations, as said court, or its successor, shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

As Amended January 2016


© SNELLA, 2018

SNELLA is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.

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