Family and the Law Section

 

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Download the application here. Deadline is September 2, 2010.

2011 FAMILY AND THE LAW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TERM AND RESPONSIBILITIES

2011 Family and the Law Section Executive Committee:

Immediate Past President: Sheldon Bernstein, effective January 1, 2011
President:  Tricia Scaglia, effective January 1, 2011
President Elect:  TBD
Secretary:  TBD
Member at Large - Domestic:  TBD
Member at Large - Juvenile:  TBD
Member at Large - Probate:  TBD
 
Term of Offices:  Each term is for a one (1) year term from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 

Member at Large Responsibilities

  • Attend section meetings
  • Attend your monthly committee meetings for Family and the Law Section
  • Attend executive committee meetings for the Family and the Law Section
  • Help develop the structure of this new KCMBA section, Family  and the Law
  • Help develop short term and long term goals for this new KCMBA section, Family and the Law
  • Help develop programming or your committee
  • Help develop programming for the Section
  • Assist President in selecting 2011 Committee leadership
  • Recruit and increase members for Section
  • Provide ideas to improve KCMBA

Secretary Responsibilities:

  • In addition to Member at Large responsibilities
  • Assist President as needed
  • Maintain minutes and records of all Section Executive Committee Meetings
  • Maintain minutes and records of all Section Meetings Member of  Nominating Committee

President Elect Responsibilities:

  • In addition to Member at Large responsibilities  
  • Assist President as needed
  • Member of  2012 Nominating Committee

 

BY-LAWS OF THE FAMILY AND THE LAW SECTION OF THE
KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN BAR ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I
NAME, PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The name of the Section shall be the Family and the Law Section of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.

Section 2. The purpose of the Section shall be to:

a. enhance the relationships among attorneys who practice family law or related matters in the state courts of Missouri and Kansas, judges in those courts and others who have an interest in family law;
b. promote the professional development, welfare, interests, and education of the members of the Section;
c. promote the sound administration of justice;
d. provide meaningful services and education programs for the benefit of the members of the Section and the state and federal courts of Missouri and Kansas;
e. encourage involvement of the members in activities of the state courts of  Missouri and Kansas;
f. provide members opportunities to assume leadership roles in the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
g. provide other activities and services consistent with the purposes of this Section as described in these bylaws.

Section 3.              The Section shall be organized as follows:

a. All members of the Section shall comprise the "Membership."
b. The "Executive Committee" shall be comprised as specified in Article III.
c. "Officers" as specified in Article IV and "Members-at-large" as specified in Article III shall be elected and replaced as specified in Article V.
d. "Other Committees" and their "Chairpersons" shall be appointed as specified in Article VI.
e. The "Immediate Past President" is that Section member whose term as President concluded at the end of the calendar year provided that said member remains a member in good standing of the Section. 
f. The following KCMBA committees shall be referred to as “Member Committees:  Probate and Estate Planning, Domestic Law, Juvenile Law.

 

ARTICLE II
SECTION MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Any person who is licensed to practice law in the States of Kansas and/or Missouri and is a member in any category of membership of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, shall be a member of this Section upon request made and payment of Section dues, if applicable.

Section 2. Any member whose license to practice law in the States of Kansas or Missouri is revoked shall automatically be removed as a member of this Section. Any member whose license to practice law in the States of Kansas or Missouri is suspended, or whose KCMBA or, if applicable, Section dues are thirty (30) days' delinquent, shall automatically be suspended from all participation as a member of this Section for so long as the member's law license is suspended, or dues remain delinquent.  Any Section member whose license to practice law in the States of Kansas or Missouri is revoked or suspended shall forfeit all rights and claims in dues paid.

Section 3. The Executive Committee, as defined in Article III, shall have the authority to adopt rules for other bar associations in the Kansas City metropolitan area to become affiliated with this Section, with such being subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association prior to implementation.

ARTICLE III
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Section consisting of the officers of the Section as provided in Article IV, the Immediate Past President of the Section, and the Members at-large as specified in Article III.

Section 2. From each member committee, there shall be elected one member to serve on the Executive Committee and they shall be known as Members-at-large.  A member elected as an officer may not be elected as a Member-at-large in the same election.  If a Member-at-large becomes an officer of the Section while serving as a Member-at-large, said member shall be considered to have resigned the office of Member-at-large. 

Section 3. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be by majority vote of the members actually present at a duly called meeting of the Executive Committee.  Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held by conference call or similar electronic means provided that all members have an opportunity to participate.

Section 4. There shall be a Nominating Committee which shall consist of the President-Elect, the Immediate Past President,  and  three other members of the Section appointed by the President representing each member committee. The Immediate Past President may call a meeting of the Nominating Committee with sufficient notice transmitted by any means to the members of the Nominating Committee and will chair such.  Three members of the Nominating Committee shall constitute a quorum.  Meetings of the Nominating Committee may be held by conference call or similar electronic means provided that all members have the opportunity to participate.  The nominating committee shall select one individual as a nominee for President-elect and Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 5. The Executive Committee shall have the general supervision and control of the affairs of the Section subject to the by-laws of the Section and the by-laws and the governing policies of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.  Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of the Executive Committee and said minutes shall be made available for inspection upon request.
 
Section 6. The Executive Committee shall approve the expenditure of all funds but shall not approve an expenditure beyond funds presently available to the Section.  Any expenditure approval shall be documented by transmitting to the Secretary/Treasurer a document signed or initialed by the officer presiding over the meeting of the Executive Committee at which the expenditure was approved.  Such document shall be marked in a manner indicating that the expenditure was approved by the Executive Committee.  All Section monies will be maintained in a separate fund within the Association budget according to a cash accounting system on a calendar year basis.  Association policies govern the expenditure of these funds. 

Section 7. The Executive Committee shall meet quarterly or at least within one hundred twenty (120) days after its last meeting.  At any meeting of the Executive Committee, it may set the time of its next meeting.  The President may call a meeting of the Executive Committee with sufficient notice transmitted by any reasonable means to the members of the Executive Committee.  A majority of the members of the Executive Committee may call a meeting of the Executive Committee with sufficient notice to the members of the Executive Committee transmitted in writing which is signed by the members calling said meeting.  At any meeting of the Executive Committee, three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.  A simple majority of all voting members present at the meeting is required for approval of actions by the Executive Committee.  Proxy votes will not be permissible at these meetings.

Section 8. The Executive Committee of the Section may recommend annual dues for membership in the Section, subject to approval by the Executive Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors, and dues may not again be increased for a period of one (1) year. 

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

Section 1. The Section shall have three officers: President, President-elect, and Secretary/Treasurer, and each shall serve one term, except as provided by Section 11 of Article V.  The President-elect  and Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected as provided by Article V.

Section 2. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Membership or the Executive Committee.  When the President is absent or unable to preside over a meeting of the Membership or the Executive Committee, the President's responsibilities shall fall first to the President-Elect, then to the Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 3. If no officer is present and able to preside over a duly called meeting of the Membership, then any member of the Executive Committee present may select a member of the Executive Committee to preside over the meeting as Temporary Officer, and said Temporary Officer shall preside over the meeting and shall forthwith make a written report of the proceeding to the President and to the Secretary/Treasurer.  No authorization for the expenditure of funds and no change of the by-laws may be made at a meeting presided over by a Temporary Officer.

Section 4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be the custodian of all books, records, papers, documents and other property of the Section except that which is delegated to another officer by these by-laws.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all Executive Committee meetings and all meetings of the Membership.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Committee.

Section 5. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for preparation of a proposed budget of the Section to submit within the Association budget for consideration of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Finance/Investments Committee.  The Secretary/Treasurer will also monitor the expenditure of funds for the Section. 

Section 6. The President shall represent the Section in any matter with or before any part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, or with or before third parties, and when appropriate the President may delegate such representation to another member of the Section.

ARTICLE V
ELECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Election of officers shall be held at a regular meeting of the Section not later than November 2 of any calendar year except as provided by these by-laws to replace officers.. 

Section 2. The President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of President at the end of the term to which elected, except as provided by Section 11 of this Article.

Section 3. At the end of the terms to which elected, the Secretary/Treasurer may be nominated and elected to a successive term or may be nominated and elected to any other office.

Section 4. Members-at-large shall serve a one year term. 

Section 5. Not less than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled Section membership meeting to elect officers, the Nominating Committee shall publish to the Membership a slate of members nominated for election as officers. 

Section 6. The election of officers shall be based on the members receiving the highest vote totals in the pool of nominees.

Section 7. The President shall conduct elections and supervise the counting of votes.  Those members nominated by the Nominating Committee shall be announced.  Additional nominations may be made from the floor.  The President may conduct a vote by show of hands and immediately announce the winner of the vote, or the President may conduct a vote by written ballot. 

Section 8. In the event that a tie prevents determination of the election of an officer, a run-off election shall be held immediately.  In the event that the run-off is unable to determine the election, a second run-off election shall be held immediately.  In the event that the second run-off is unable to determine the election, the officer shall be elected by the Executive Committee, at its next meeting, from the members who remained in a tie after the second run-off election.

Section 9. The term of office for each officer or Member-at-large shall commence at the beginning of the calendar year following the meeting in which elected. 

Section 10. The word "term" as used in these by-laws means that period of time from the beginning of the calendar year to the end of the calendar year.

Section 11. If the Executive Committee determines that the President is deceased, has resigned or for any other reason is unable or unwilling to meet the responsibilities of office, then by such finding the President-Elect shall immediately succeed to the Office of President, and the President-Elect shall be replaced by a special election of a replacement President-Elect held at a meeting of the Membership called to elect the President-Elect and said election shall be held in the same manner as the regular election of the President-Elect.  In the event that the Executive Committee makes its finding more than 180 days after the election meeting then there shall be no election for President-Elect at the next election meeting but the President and the replacement President-Elect shall continue in office until the next election meeting at which time regular succession and election shall resume.

Section 12. If the Executive Committee determines that the President-Elect is deceased, has resigned or for any other reason is unable or unwilling to meet the responsibilities of office, then the Executive Committee shall replace said officer for the remainder of the term.  In replacing the President-Elect under this section, the Executive Committee may first determine whether an Officer or Member-at-large is willing to serve and if so the Executive Committee may appoint that member to the office for the remainder of the term, or the Executive Committee may call for a special election by the Membership.

Section 13. If the Executive Committee determines that the Secretary/Treasurer is deceased, has resigned or for any other reason is unable or unwilling to meet the responsibilities of office, then the Executive Committee shall replace said officer for the remainder of the term.  In replacing the Secretary/Treasurer under this section, the Executive Committee may first determine whether a Member-at-large is willing to serve and if so the Executive Committee may appoint that member to the office for the remainder of the term, or the Executive Committee may call for a special election by the Membership.

Section 14. In the event that the Executive Committee determines that one Member-at-large is deceased, has resigned or for any other reason is unable or unwilling to meet the responsibilities of office, then the Executive Committee may immediately replace the Member-at-large for the remainder of the term.    The Executive Committee shall select the replacement Member-at-large from the same member committee as represented by the Member-at-large whose position was declared vacant.

 

ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES

Section 1. Establishment.  In addition to the Executive Committee, the Section shall have such other committees as the President, from time to time, may deem necessary, and as approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 2.  Membership.  Members of all committees, other than the Executive Committee, shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Terms and Reports.  Members and chairpersons of all committees shall hold office until their successors are duly designated and appointed as herein provided.  Committee chairpersons shall submit regular reports to the Executive Committee.

               
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. A meeting of the Membership to elect officers and Members-at-large shall be held at least annually and not later than the end of October of any calendar year.

Section 2. The President shall give or cause to be given to the Membership reasonable notice of a meeting of the Membership.  An announcement made in a meeting of the Membership giving the time and place of the next meeting shall constitute sufficient notice to the Membership.  Notice may be given by US Mail, email or Section web site announcement. 

Section 3. Failure by the officers to convene a meeting of the Membership within the time period specified in Section 1 of this Article shall cause the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors to set a special meeting of the Membership at the headquarters of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.

Section 4. All actions of the Membership shall be by majority vote of the members actually present at a meeting of the Membership unless otherwise specified by these by-laws.  Proxy votes will not be accepted.  The Executive Committee may authorize that voting may be conducted electronically.

ARTICLE VIII
BY-LAWS AND SPECIAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. These by-laws shall become effective immediately upon approval by a majority of members present and voting at a duly called meeting of the Executive Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

Section 2. These by-laws may be amended.  In order to amend these by-laws the Executive Committee must approve a proposed amendment which must then be transmitted by the Secretary/Treasurer to the Executive Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors for approval.  If so approved, the proposed amendment shall then be presented by the President of the Section to the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors for approval.  If approved by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors, the amendment shall become effective immediately.

Section 3. If conditions arise which effectively prevent the Section from operating under these by-laws, then control of the Section including amendment of these by-laws shall transfer to the Executive Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors until such time as that Committee may restore control to the Section.
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