LOUISIANA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

BYLAWS

OF THE ANIMAL LAW SECTION

ARTICLE I

Section 1. This section shall be known as the Animal Law Section ("Section") of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Section 2. The purpose of this Section is to:

(1) promote and assist members of the profession in the study and understanding of the laws, regulations, and court decisions dealing with legal issues involving animals; and

(2) provide a forum for members of the profession to consider and discuss the legal issues involved in human beings' relationship and coexistence with animals.

Section 1. Any member in good standing of the Louisiana State Bar Association shall, upon request to the Secretary of the Section, be enrolled as a member of the Section. Members so enrolled whose dues are paid shall constitute the membership of the Section.

Section 2. Each member of the Section must pay to the Treasurer of the Section annual dues of $10.00. Dues are payable upon enrollment and thereafter annually on the same fiscal year basis as Louisiana State Bar Association dues. Members of the judiciary shall not be required to pay dues.

Section 3. Any member of this Section whose annual dues are more than six months past due ceases to be a member of this Section. Enrolled members whose dues have been paid constitute the membership of this Section.

OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of this Section are as follows: Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; and Treasurer.

Section 2. Each officer shall hold office for a term of one year, to begin with the adjournment of the annual meeting of the Section at which the member was elected and to end at the close of the second succeeding annual meeting of the Section; or until such time as a successor shall have been elected.

Section 3. Upon ratification of the Section Bylaws and adoption of the Resolution creating a Section of Animal Law by the membership of the Association, the first Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the President of the Louisiana State Bar Association to serve for two years. Thereafter, the officers shall be elected by the Section membership in the manner hereinafter set forth.

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Nominations. Before the first session of each annual meeting of the Section, the Chair shall appoint a nominating Committee of three members of the Section. This Committee shall make and report one nomination for each office which is to be filled by election in that year, identifying each nominee and including a brief statement of activities undertaken by the nominee in the Section and in the law profession. Upon receipt of the Committee report, the Chair of the Section shall have it published to Section members prior to the Annual Meeting. Added nominations may be made prior to the meeting by means of a petition signed by not less than ten members of the Section.

Section 2. Elections. All elections must be by written ballot unless otherwise ordered by resolution duly adopted by the Section at the annual meeting at which the election is held.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Chair. The Chair shall:

(1) preside at all meetings of the Section and of the Council;

(2) formulate and present at each annual meeting of the Louisiana State Bar Association a report of the work of the Section for the past year; and

(3) perform other duties customary for the Chair.

Section 2. Vice-Chair. Upon the death, resignation, or during the disability of the Chair, or upon the Chair's refusal to act, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the Chair's term except in case of the Chair's disability, and then only so long as the disability continues.

Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary is the custodian of all books, papers, documents, and other property of the Section. The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Section and the Council, whether assembled or acting under submission. The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary shall prepare a summary or digest of the proceedings of the Section at its annual meeting. In conjunction with the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the Secretary as authorized by the Council, shall attend generally to the business of the Section.

Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer is the custodian of all financial books, papers, documents, and funds of the Section. The Treasurer shall deposit the funds of the Section in a separate account in any bank to be selected by the Council, generally in the city where the Treasurer resides, and shall make disbursements from funds as directed and authorized by the Council on checks signed by the Treasurer or either the Chair or Vice-Chair. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all funds appropriated to and expended for the use of the Section. The Treasurer shall submit to the State Bar accounting department on a monthly basis all bank statements, along with all canceled checks and deposit slips and the check register.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COUNCIL

Section 1. There shall be a Council which shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, three members of the Section elected by Section membership, and the retiring Chair, who shall be a non-voting member for two years following retirement.

Section 2. The Council shall have general supervision and control of the affairs of the Section subject to the rules governing the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Bylaws of this Section. The Council shall authorize all commitments or contracts which require the payment of money, and shall authorize the expenditure of all funds.

Section 3. The Council may authorize the Chair, with the Vice-Chair, to appoint committees from Section members to perform duties and exercise the powers as the Council may direct, subject to the limitations of these bylaws and rules governing the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Section 4. The Council, during the interim between annual meetings of the Section, may fill vacancies in its own membership or in the offices of Secretary and Treasurer; or, in the event of a vacancy in both the office of Chair and Vice-Chair, then in the office of Chair. Members of the Council, and officers, so selected serve until the close of the next annual meeting of the Section or until their successors have been elected and qualified.

Section 5. Members of the Council when personally present at a meeting of the Council shall vote in person, but when absent may communicate their vote, in writing, regarding any proposition, to the Secretary and have the vote counted with the same effect as if cast personally at the meeting.

Section 6. The Chair of the Section may, and upon the request of any member of the Council shall, submit or cause to be submitted, in writing, to each of the members of the Council, any proposition upon which the Council may be authorized to act, and the members of the Council may vote regarding that proposition by communicating their vote, in writing over their respective signatures, to the Secretary. The Secretary shall record the vote of each member of the Council, and keep on file the written and signed votes. A vote conducted under this Section of these Bylaws constitutes the vote of the Council the same as if the vote was conducted under Article VI, Section 5 of these Bylaws.

Section 7. The President of the Louisiana State Bar Association shall appoint three members of the Section to serve on the first Council. Such members shall be elected by the President from a slate of six names furnished to the President by the officers of the Section. Each member shall serve for one year. At the expiration of each initial term, members of the Council shall be elected in the same manner set forth for officers to serve a term of one year. Each term will begin with the adjournment of the annual meeting at which the member was elected and will end at the close of the second succeeding annual meeting of the Section.

Section 1. The annual meeting of the Section must be held during the annual meeting of the Louisiana State Bar Association, in the same city as the annual meeting of the Louisiana State Bar Association, with the program and order of business as may be arranged by the Council; provided that to the extent permitted by rules governing sections of the Louisiana State Bar Association, or by variance granted by the Louisiana State Bar Association, the annual meeting of the Section may be held at any place in the State of Louisiana at a time that is within sixty (60) days prior to the time of the Louisiana State Bar Association meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Section may be called by the Chair upon approval of the Council, at a time and place the Council determines.

Section 3. The members of the Section present at any meeting constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 4. A binding action of the Section requires a majority vote of the members present.

Section 5. Any recommendation or declaration of the Section regarding existing or proposed legislation, or regarding proposed governmental regulations or administration, in order to constitute the action of the Section, must first be approved by two-thirds of the members of the Council and then must be approved by a majority of the members of the Section; provided that the action must also be submitted for approval to the Board of Directors of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 1. The fiscal year of the Section is the same as that of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Section 2. No salary or compensation may be paid to any officer or member of this Section except that actual expenses of the Section's officers may be reimbursed if approved by the Council.

Section 3. These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon approval thereof, as required by the Articles and Bylaws of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended at any annual meeting of the Section by a majority vote of the members of the Section present and voting, provided each proposed amendment must have been approved by two-thirds of the members of the Council. No amendment may become effective until approved by the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association.