American Constitution Society of Golden Gate University School of Law Constitution

Article I

This organization shall be known as "The American Constitution Society of Golden Gate University School of Law."

Article II

Statement of Purpose

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy is a group of law students, lawyers, judges, policy makers and activists who are concerned about the pervasive conservative orthodoxy in American law and politics. We believe deeply in the importance of law as the mechanism which governs the relationships between and among the individuals and institutions that form our society, and we recognize the direct relationship between legal theory and the broader political debate about the kind of society in which we live.

In recent years, the view has been ascendant that the traditional values of compassion and respect for human dignity have little or no place in legal discourse. This view permeates all aspects of legal debate: academic scholarship, judicial interpretation, and debate about laws proposed for enactment. The cornerstone of this legal view is an approach to understanding the United States Constitution that is essentially devoid of concern for the way in which the law affects the lives of the people who make up the nation in which we live.

We believe, contrary to this conservative orthodoxy, that the law, and, in particular, the Constitution, serves human values. We believe that the Constitution is a charter of liberty, the blueprint for a noble and unique experiment designed to prevent the excesses of government in order to protect the human dignity necessary for individuals to realize the full potential of their lives. The goal of the Constitution, and the United States it created, is to permit people to succeed in the "pursuit of happiness," one of the inalienable rights this nation explicitly was founded to secure to the American people.

We believe that the Constitution, and by extension, many other areas of American law, can be understood only by reference to principles of decency, reason, humanity and compassion. We believe that those who enforce the law must have concern for the way in which it affects the lives of the people who make up the nation in which we live. And we believe these principles should form a starting point for enactment, as well as interpretation, of the law.

The mission of the American Constitution Society is to harness these values of compassion and respect for each individual, and to re-incorporate them into American law and politics, in order to build a stronger and more decent national community. We seek to restore the fundamental principles of respect for human dignity, protection of individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice to their rightful -- and traditionally central -- place in American law. We want to strengthen the intellectual underpinnings of -- and the public case for -- a vision of the law in which these values are paramount. Our goal is a rekindling of the hope that by reason and decency, we can create an America that is better for us all.

Article III

Membership shall be open to all Golden Gate University School of Law students, faculty and staff.

Article IV

The American Constitution Society officers shall be members of the American Constitution Society Executive Board, which will meet periodically to determine the general direction of the American Constitution Society and to decide issues of long-term importance to the American Constitution Society.

Only current Golden Gate University School of Law students, faculty, and staff may serve as officers.

The American Constitution Society officers shall be as follows:

Faculty Advisor: The Faculty Advisor shall serve as a resource for the Society members, facilitate the acquisition of speakers, and serve as a liaison between the local chapter and the advisors of American Constitution Society chapters at other schools.

President: The President shall call Society meetings, coordinate the operations and direction of the Society, and serve as a liaison between the Society and the Golden Gate University School of Law administration.

Vice-President: The Vice-President shall call Society meetings in the President's absence and coordinate the activities of the chairpersons.

Communications Chair: The communications chairperson shall compile and maintain the minutes of meetings and the records of the organization, keep a current list of members, and be responsible for notifying members of meetings and other pertinent events, maintain the listserve and website.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the financial accounts and records of the Society, set forth the Society's budget, submit the Society's financial reports to the Student Bar Association according to SBA guidelines.

Membership Chairperson : The Membership Chairperson shall organize a membership drive in the fall and shall organize additional membership drives as needed to recruit new members and to assign them to committees as well as actively pursuing means to increase membership throughout the year.

Program co-chairs: The Program Chairs shall lead the Program Committee, which shall plan and organize the fall and spring events.

Publicity Chairperson : The Publicity Chairperson shall lead the Publicity Committee, and will be responsible for advertising and publicity for Society events, the membership drive, general membership meetings and any subsequent Society sponsored events.

Article V

The American Constitution Society officers shall be appointed by a majority vote of members in good standing in March or April of each year.

Prior to running for executive office, candidates must prepare a paragraph of intent for their term in office. This letter of intent will be distributed at elections. Candidates for positions may give a one minute speech prior to their election.

In the event that there is no one running for a position, members in good standing may nominate a person who has not submitted a letter of intent.

Each officer will serve for a term of one year.

Members in good standing are defined as those members that have joined the chapter and have attended at least three American Constitution Society events throughout the current academic year.

Article VI

Officers may be removed for good cause by a two-thirds vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board or a three-fourths vote of members in good standing.

Article VII

Amendments to this constitution and to the by-laws shall be adopted by two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and/or three-fourths vote of members in good standing.

Article VIII
Those wishing to attend the annual American Constitution Society Conference shall provide a paragraph describing their intent and goal for attending the conference. This goal statement will be given to members in good standing at an ACS general meeting for a majority approval. If at the general meeting there is less than quorum, the executive board shall vote on conference approval. The attendee’s understand that availability will be determined by the current year’s budget.

Article IX

This organization shall be governed by this Constitution, its bylaws, and the rules and regulations of Golden Gate University School of Law.