ARTICLE ONE—NAME

The name of this organization shall be, “The St. Mary’s County Bar Association.”

ARTICLE TWO—MEMBERSHIP

1. Regular Members: Any member of the Bar of the State of Maryland in good standing who is a resident of St. Mary’s County, or who is actively engaged in the full-time practice of law in St. Mary’s County, shall be eligible for regular membership in this Association. “Actively engaged in the full-time practice of law” shall mean that the person maintains or is employed in an office in St. Mary’s County for the practice of law where he or she is available during normal business hours at least three (3) or more days each working week, Monday through Friday . Regular members shall be entitled to all the privileges of this Association.

2. Associate Members: Any member in good standing of the Bar of any State, District, or Territory of the United States, shall be eligible for associate membership in this Association. Such member shall pay the same dues as a regular member, and shall be entitled to all the privileges of this Association, except the right to vote or hold office.

3. Honorary Members: The Association may extend honorary membership to any member of the Bar or Bench of any State, District, or Territory of the United States. An honorary member shall have none of the obligations of membership in the Association, but shall be entitled to all the privileges, except that an honorary member shall not be entitled to vote or hold office.

4. Membership in Good Standing: A regular member shall be considered to be in good standing if the member is otherwise qualified for regular membership, and the member has paid the dues assessed pursuant to the By-Laws for the current fiscal year of the Association, as well as any arrearage.

5. Election to Membership: Any individual eligible for regular or associate membership in this Association shall first be nominated by a regular member in good standing at a meeting of the Association. The regular members of the Association shall thereupon vote upon said nomination, and a majority vote of the members present shall constitute an election to the membership status to which the nominee is eligible.

ARTICLE THREE—MEETINGS

1. Regular Meetings: Regular meetings shall be held at least quarterly on such days and times as scheduled by the President.

2. Place of Holding Meetings: The President, or party calling the meeting of the Association, shall designate the place of holding meetings, which shall be within St. Mary ‘s County, Maryland, unless otherwise agreed by a majority of a quorum of the members at a duly-called meeting.

3. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called from time to time by any officer, or upon the petition of twenty-five percent of the regular members in good standing. Business transacted at all special meetings of members shall be confined to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of the meeting.

4. Annual Meetings: The annual meeting of the members of the Association shall be held in September of each year for the election of officers and the transaction of such other Association business as may come before the meeting.

5. Quorum: The presence of ten (10) members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at any membership meeting of the Association.

6. Parliamentary Authority: The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases in which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these By-Laws.

7. Notice: Except as required otherwise by these By-Laws, notice of each meeting of the members shall be sent via email to each member of record entitled to vote thereat, at least ten (10) days before the meeting. Each such notice shall state the place, date, and hour at which the meeting is to be held; and in the case of any special meeting, shall state briefly the purpose or purposes thereof. Upon written request, such notice will be mailed, postage prepaid, to each member of record who requests such at the mailing address as it appears on the books of the Association, at least ten (10) days before the meeting. Each member is responsible for providing to the Association a current and accurate email address or mailing address, and giving notice of any change in a timely manner.

8. Conduct of Meetings: Meetings of members shall be presided over by the President of the Association or, if the President is not present, then the President-Elect.

9. Voting: At all meetings of members, every regular member entitled to vote thereat shall have one (1) vote. Such vote shall be in person.

ARTICLE FOUR—OFFICERS

1. Elected Officers: The elected officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, and a Treasurer. These officers shall be selected at the annual meeting and shall hold office until the conclusion of the next annual meeting.

2. President: There shall be a President, who shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and who shall preside at meetings of the Association. The President shall appoint the chairperson(s) of such committees as the regular membership may from time to time create. Any such chairperson(s) so appointed by the President shall serve at the pleasure of the President.

3. President-Elect: There shall be a President-Elect, who shall act in the absence of the President and shall have such other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President or the regular members.

4. Treasurer: There shall be a Treasurer, who shall collect dues, maintain the financial books, records and accounts of the Association, and make disbursements in the manner set forth in these By-Laws, and shall have such other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President or the regular members.

5. Qualifications: Officers shall be elected from the regular members in good standing, pursuant to the provisions of these By-Laws.

6. Vacancies: If a vacancy shall occur in the office of President, the President-Elect shall fill the position of President. In the case of a vacancy occurring in the office of President-Elect or Treasurer, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Association until the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE FIVE—POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The President, President-Elect and Treasurer shall generally manage the affairs of the Association subject to these By-Laws. Their specific powers and duties shall include the following:

A. Manage the financial affairs of the Association. Financial affairs shall include the collection of annual dues and payment of bills or debts incurred on behalf of the Association.

B. Appoint members to serve on outside committees requiring a representative from the St. Mary’s County Bar Association.

C. Schedule the time and place for the regular meetings of the Association.

D. Act upon any special funding or charitable giving requests made upon the Association.

E. Oversee the keeping of the books of account and records of the Association.

F. Create committees and appoint members thereto as deemed necessary by the Association.

G. Generally supervise and manage the affairs of the Association.

H. Keep a record of its proceedings and report upon its activities at the meetings of the Association.

ARTICLE SIX—FINANCES AND DUES

1. Annual dues for regular and associate members of the Bar are currently set at Sixty Dollars ($60.00). The annual dues for the members shall be set by the regular members at the annual meeting; provided, however, that if the members fail to set the annual dues during the annual meeting, then the dues for the previous year shall automatically be deemed the dues for the current year, until such time as the regular members set the dues for the current year. Annual dues shall be submitted to the Bar Association by September 30 of each year.

2. This Association shall have a fiscal year beginning on September 1 and ending on August 31.

3. The membership may provide in the By-Laws for the creation and maintenance of books of account and records, and for banking matters.

ARTICLE SEVEN—SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION

1. Any regular or associate member failing to pay any properly assessed dues within thirty (30) days of notice of said assessment shall, after receipt by the member of notice of the arrearage from any officer of the Association, stand suspended from membership. A suspended member shall be eligible for reinstatement upon payment of the arrearage, provided that said member otherwise qualifies for membership in the Association.

2. Any member of this Association who shall be suspended or disbarred from the practice of law by the Court of Appeals of Maryland or the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, shall be suspended or expelled automatically from membership in this Association unless and until readmitted to the Bar.

ARTICLE EIGHT—JUDICIAL VACANCIES

1. The Officers or other designated committee of the Association shall prepare a ballot containing the names of all applicants for any judicial office in which a vacancy has occurred, including newly-created positions, within fifteen (15) days after the last day on which applications may be submitted.

2. The ballot shall contain the names of all applicants, arranged in alphabetical order, and shall solicit a response, as to each applicant, in only one of the following categories: “highly qualified,” “qualified,” “not qualified,” “qualifications unknown,” or “abstain.” A member may vote upon any one or more or all of the applicants on the list.

3. The Officers or other designated committee of the Association shall determine the deadline for returning ballots, which shall be not less than ten (10) nor more than thirty (30) days after ballots are delivered to the members.

4. The Officers or other designated committee of the Association shall cause to be delivered via mail, email, or hand delivery to each member of the Association eligible to vote, one (1) official ballot, a notice setting out the procedure to be followed in marking ballots and the deadline by which such ballots must be returned to the Association.

5. The Officers or other designated committee of the Association shall tabulate the ballots properly marked and returned, and shall certify the results to the President of the Association.

6. The President shall forward to the appointing authority and to the appropriate Judicial Nominating Committee the results of the balloting.

7. The certified results shall be released to the members of the Association.

8. The certified results shall not be released to the public by the Bar.

ARTICLE NINE–AMENDMENTS

1. Amendments to the By-Laws shall be proposed at any duly-called membership meeting. A proposed amendment shall be in writing and the text thereof shall be made part of the minutes at the meeting at which it shall be presented. The adoption of an amendment shall be voted upon at the next meeting after it shall have been presented, provided that notice of said meeting, including the date, time, place, and purpose of the meeting, along with a copy of the proposed amendment, is sent to all members at least fifteen (15) days before the date of the meeting, by email or postal mail.

2. An affirmative vote of a majority of the regular members in good standing present at the membership meeting following presentation of an amendment shall be necessary and sufficient to adopt and ratify an amendment, there being a quorum present as defined herein.

Most recently amended (addition of Article 8) at regular meeting of members on November 1, 2016.

 

Link to pdf: SMC Bar Assoc Bylaws.