Duties of SBA Officials
The following descriptions delineate the duties of SBA Officers and Representatives.
President of the Student Bar Association
The President of the Student Bar Association shall
A. Schedule regular meetings of the Student Bar Association and call special meetings as deemed necessary upon adequate notice;
B. Preside at all Student Bar Association meetings unless there is a conflict of interest or a majority of the voting members have selected another presiding officer;
C. Create and timely publicize the Student Bar Association meeting agenda while incorporating agenda items contributed by other members of the Student Bar Association;
D. Appoint chairpersons to ad hoc committees and nominate chairpersons, subject to Student Bar Association approval, to permanent committees, not appointed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs;
E. Nominate the Director of Community Outreach, subject to Student Bar Association approval;
F. Nominate qualified students to fill vacant positions on the Student Bar Association, subject to Student Bar Association approval;
G. Timely and regularly inform the Student Bar Association of actions he or she is taking;
H. Timely inform the Student Bar Association of relevant communications from administration officials or others regarding Student Bar Association business;
I. Regularly report to and take direction from the Student Bar Association regarding student affairs; and
J. Ensure that the Student Bar Association Constitution is being followed.
Vice President of Academic Affairs
The Vice President of Academic Affairs shall
A. Represent the academic interests of the Student Bar Association to the faculty and administration;
B. Serve on the appropriate faculty and administrative committees;
C. Appoint student members to appropriate faculty and administrative committees, including the Curriculum, Colloquium, and Faculty Appointment committees, subject to SBA approval before the first meeting of each respective committee;
D. Organize and implement the Student Mentor Program;
E. Distribute and collect course evaluation surveys every semester;
F. Regularly report to and take direction from the SBA regarding academic affairs, including informing the SBA regarding possible changes in administration policy;
Vice President of Student Affairs
The Vice President of Student Affairs shall
A. Communicate regularly with the Dean for Student Affairs;
B. Plan, organize, and publicize social events for the Student Bar Association;
C. Serve as coordinator of the Harvest Moon Ball, Barrister's Ball, and weekly "bar reviews";
D. Assist the Dean for Student Affairs in the planning and running of orientation for the incoming 1L class; and
E. Regularly report to and take direction from the SBA regarding student affairs.
Secretary
The Secretary shall
A. Keep minutes of all meetings that include details of the proceedings, presence or absence of members, and votes;
B. Timely publish meeting minutes and in all other ways maintain the Student Bar Association website with help from the Information Technology Department;
C. Serve as Administrator of the Org-Announce listserv;
D. Create and maintain a mechanism for feedback and suggestions from the SBA; and
E. Assist the Vice-President of Academic Affairs in keeping the outline bank up-to-date.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall
A. Administer the financial affairs of the Student Bar Association;
B. Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all receipts and disbursement of funds;
C. Make a monthly accounting to the SBA regarding financial affairs;
D. Prepare the SBA annual budget, by the required date, to be submitted to the Emory University Student Government Association in accordance with the appropriations approved by the SBA;
E. Provide the SBA with a history of appropriation requests by and grants to student organizations in anticipation of the annual organization budget request meeting;
F. Chair the annual organization budget request meeting;
G. When necessary, require an accounting from any law school student organization and Et Al., the law school's SBA-operated store; and
H. Serve as liaison between Et Al. and the SBA and regularly report on its financial affairs and management to the SBA.
Professional Conduct Court Members
The judicial power of the SBA shall be vested in the Professional Conduct Court. The Professional Conduct Court shall perform the duties set forth in the Professional Conduct Code.
The Professional Conduct Court shall consist of two student justices, a prosecutor, a deputy prosecutor, a public defender, and any other such faculty, administrator, or alumna or alumnus as provided for in the Professional Conduct Code. The student members of the Professional Conduct Court shall be elected by the members of the SBA. The prosecutor must be a rising third-year student and the deputy prosecutor must be a rising second-year student.
The student members of the Professional Conduct Court shall
A. Work with the Student Bar Association to engender a sense of honor and professionalism within the Emory Law community consistent with the mission of the SBA;
B. Interpret this constitution at the request of a member of the SBA;
C. Conduct elections of the SBA and the Professional Conduct Court in accordance with procedures outlined in the Elections Code.
D. Preside over impeachment proceedings.
Prosecutor
The student body shall elect a rising third-year student for the purpose of serving as prosecutor under the code. Elections will be held no later than April of each year with the term of office to be twelve months.
Deputy Prosecutor
The student body shall also elect a rising second-year student as deputy prosecutor for the purpose of assisting the prosecutor as requested on a case-by-case basis and serving as prosecutor in the event that the prosecutor is a party to or otherwise unavailable to serve in a particular case. The deputy prosecutor shall be elected for a term of office of twelve months to run concurrently with the term of the prosecutor.
The deputy prosecutor will be encouraged, but is not required, to run for election as prosecutor as a third-year student.
Public Defender
Concurrently with the election of the prosecutor, the student body shall elect a rising third-year student to serve as defense counsel in prosecutions under this code. This student will be available to serve as defense counsel for any student accused of an offense under this code if the student so requests.
Justices
Offenses against the Code of Professional Conduct will be prosecuted before the Professional Conduct Court. The Conduct Court will have five members. Two members of the Court will be Emory Law faculty appointed by the Dean. Appointments will be made no later than April of each year to run for twelve months. One faculty member shall be designated by the Dean as Chief Justice of the Court.
- Two members of the court will be law students elected from the student body.
- Elections will be held no later than April of each year with the term of office to be twelve months.
Representatives and Ex Officio Members
Unlike the officers whose duties are explicit and limited, representatives have the freedom to evaluate the greatest concerns to their constituents and work to respond to those concerns. As such, representatives have the privilege of choosing their own priorities and the attendant obligation to carve out an area of interest and expertise.
Representatives may be called upon to provide assistance to officers. Representatives may also organize themselves into standing or ad hoc committees to work together to address specific issues or broader areas of interest.
Representatives shall serve on at least one standing committee.
Ex-Officio Members: Representatives to the Graduate Senate, the Student Government Association, and the American Bar Association
Ex-officio members, unlike officers and representatives, do not have the right to vote in Student Bar Association meetings. However, they retain all other rights and privileges, including the ability to participate in debate and to sit on and vote in committees, except committee of the whole where they may only engage in debate.
All ex-officio members are expected to attend every SBA meeting. Each member is expected to
A. Represent the interests of Emory University School of Law to their respective body;
B. Act as a liaison between the SBA and the appropriate body; and
C. Make regular reports to the SBA as to upcoming and ongoing activities and actions of the other body to which they are a member.
Director of Community Outreach
The Director of Community Outreach is expected to
A. Provide opportunities for the students, faculty, and administration of Emory Law to participate in community service within the greater Atlanta area and Georgia;
B. Plan and organize volunteer activities, including activities in conjunction with both the Harvest Moon Ball and the Barrister's Ball;
C. When appropriate, provide recognition for outstanding community service; and
D. At his or her own discretion, establish a Community Outreach Committee.
ABA Roles
For more information about the ABA Division representative, go here »
For more information about Graduate Senate representative, go here »
For more information about the Student Government Association, go here »