As amended July 2018.
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this special interest section of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) shall be the Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Section (FCIL-SIS).
ARTICLE II. OBJECT
Section 1.
The object of the FCIL-SIS shall be to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information of foreign, comparative, and international law; and to represent its members’ interests and concerns within the AALL.
Section 2.
It shall conduct its affairs in conformity with the AALL Bylaws.
ARTICLE III. Anti-Discrimination
Participation in any activity of the Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Section 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.
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to any AALL member requesting affiliation with the Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Section as provided in the AALL Bylaws. Membership shall be renewable each year.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1.
There shall be an annual meeting of the FCIL-SIS held in connection with or during the annual meeting of the AALL. The scheduling of the annual meeting during the annual meeting of AALL shall be cleared with the Convention Program Chair or as otherwise provided in the AALL Bylaws. Meetings shall be open to all members of AALL but no person may vote in any meeting who is not a section member in good standing.
Section 2.
A quorum shall consist of ten members.
ARTICLE VI. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
Section 1. Officers
The officers shall consist of a Chair, a Vice-chair/Chair-elect, and a Secretary/Treasurer. The Vice-chair shall automatically become Chair at the end of one year. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected biennially. Officers shall serve until their successors are elected.
Section 2. Duties of Officers
The Chair, Vice-chair/Chair-elect, and Secretary/Treasurer shall perform the duties usually pertaining to their respective offices and such other duties as may be assigned by the Section’s Executive Committee or the membership.
Section 3. Executive Committee
There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the officers named above and the immediate past Chair.
Section 4. Committees and Interest Groups
There shall be a Nominating Committee and such other standing Committees, Special Committees, and Interest Groups as the Executive Committee or the membership shall create.
Interest Groups leaders and Standing Committee chairs shall have two-year terms. The Executive Committee will publicly announce which terms are ending by April 1, via the list and the newsletter, and request volunteers for the position to submit their names to the Committee by May 1. The Executive Committee can post the names to the SIS and request feedback from the SIS membership if they so desire. The Executive Committee will select and announce the new Interest Group leaders and Standing Committee chairs by June 1. Repeat terms will be permissible. The Executive Committee will follow a similar procedure in filling temporary Interest Group leader or Standing Committee chair vacancies, but need not wait until April.
Section 5. Vacancies
The Vice Chair/Chair-elect shall automatically become Chair upon a vacancy in such office and shall continue in that office until the expiration of the term for which that person was originally elected to serve as Chair. All vacancies in other officers shall be filled by the Executive Committee for an interim term until the next regular election of officers, at which time said vacancies shall be filled by election.
ARTICLE VII. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall appoint a chair and two other members of the FCIL-SIS to serve as a Nominating Committee. The members, whose terms shall be for one year, shall not be current officers or candidates at the next election. One candidate shall be nominated for the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-elect and one for the office of Secretary/Treasurer. During the even numbered years there shall be an election for Vice-Chair/Chair-elect. During the odd numbered years there shall be an election for Vice-Chair/Chair-elect and Secretary/Treasurer. In the event the Vice Chair/Chair-elect cannot assume the duties of Chair, the Nominating Committee shall also submit one name of a candidate for the office of Chair for the term of one year.
Section 2.
The Nominating Committee shall submit the names of candidates together with their written acceptances to the Chair in sufficient time to enable the Chair to inform the members of the nominations via publication in the February issue of the SIS newsletter, which may be sent solely in electronic format.
Further nominations may be made upon written petition of five members. Such petitions, with the written acceptances of the nominees, should be filed with the Secretary/Treasurer not later than March 15. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare an official ballot, including nominations by petition.
Section 3.
The election of officers will be conducted every year by electronic ballot. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare an official ballot, including nominations by petition. The professional position of each nominee shall appear on the ballot. The details of conducting the election shall first be approved by the Executive Committee. The Committee shall ensure that an election conducted by electronic balloting is fundamentally fair and preserves the right of secret ballot. The election shall be scheduled to be completed prior to April 15.
The candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected and shall be so reported at the annual meeting by the Secretary/Treasurer. All candidates shall be notified of the results of the election by the Secretary/Treasurer at the earliest possible time. In case of a tie vote, a run-off election shall be held at the annual meeting. Run-off elections shall be by secret ballot. The ballots shall be immediately counted and the candidate with the largest number of votes declared elected, provided there is a quorum. Should the run-off election result in a continuing tie, the candidates shall be named co-officers. In the event the Secretary/Treasurer is a candidate, the Chair shall appoint another member to perform all election-related functions with the exception of the preparation and distribution of the ballot.
Any vacancy occurring after distribution of the ballots and before April 15 shall be filled by a special election. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare the special election ballots in the manner described in the first paragraph of this Section. The Secretary/Treasurer shall distribute the special election ballots. The special election ballots shall be returned to the Secretary/Treasurer before May 10, in the same manner as described in the first paragraph of this Section. Any vacancy occurring after April 15 shall be filled by nomination from the floor and election at the annual meeting. The candidates with the largest number of votes shall be declared elected, provided there is a quorum.
Section 4.
If there are no challenges to the results of the election at the annual section meeting, the ballots may be destroyed by the Secretary/Treasurer after the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
These bylaws may be amended at the Business Meeting of the Section at the AALL Annual Meeting by a majority of the members present and voting; or by majority of the votes cast by electronic ballot conducted by the Secretary/Treasurer at some other time during the year.
Section 2.
If a vote on proposed bylaws amendments is scheduled to be taken at the AALL Annual Meeting, members unable to attend may submit proxy votes to the Secretary/Treasurer no later than 7 days prior to the Business Meeting.
Section 3.
Notice of proposed amendments shall be provided to the AALL Bylaws & Resolutions Committee at least 60 days prior to the election. At least 30 days in advance of the meeting or of the distribution of ballots, notice of proposed amendments shall be provided to the special interest section’s members either in the special interest section’s newsletter or via some other print or electronic communication
ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The AIP Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, in the latest edition, shall govern all deliberations of the section when not in conflict with the Bylaws of the section. The Executive Committee shall appoint a member in advance of the annual meeting of the section to serve as parliamentarian.