ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Federal Judges Secretaries
Association. (In March 1999, the Judicial Conference of the
U.S. authorized judges to determine the official title of their
primary secretary as they deem appropriate. For consistency the
name of the organization will be Federal Judges Secretaries Association.)
Note: The Federal Magistrate Judges Secretaries Association
amended its by-laws October 2000 to expand the definition of Judicial
Secretary to include job titles such as Judicial Assistant, Administrative
Assistant, Executive Secretary, Secretary, Assistant, Courtroom
Deputy/Secretary or such other title as determined on the employee’s
Notice of Personnel Action (AO 193) form. Importantly, this
amendment also provided a basis for membership for those who hold
dual appointments, such as Courtroom Deputy/Secretary to a Judge.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Association is to promote the
general welfare of it members, encourage the highest ethical standards
of conduct, and promote continuing education and professional development.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: Judicial secretaries holding
current appointments by Justices of the United States Supreme Court,
Article III Judges, or United States Magistrate Judges shall have
the privilege of voting and holding elective or appointed office.
Section 2
SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP: Sustaining membership may
be attained after retirement or upon resignation from employment
as a Judicial Secretary to a Justice of the United States Supreme
Court, Article III Judge, or United States Magistrate Judge. Such
members shall be entitled to all privileges of membership except
those of holding elective
or appointed office. Sustaining members may, upon application,
transfer to Individual Membership and assume all rights and privileges
when circumstances dictate.
Section 3
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: Judicial secretaries
to members of the judiciary other than United States Supreme Court
Justices, Article III Judges, or United States Magistrate Judges
may attain associate membership. Such members shall be entitled
to all privileges of membership except those of voting or holding
elective or appointed office. This generally constitutes secretaries
to U.S. Bankruptcy Judges, federal Administrative Law Judges, and
Judges of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals
for Veterans Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces,
and U.S. Tax Court. Associate Members may, upon application, transfer
their membership to Individual (Active) Member status and assume
all rights and privileges of the same when circumstances dictate.
Section 4
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP: Honorary Membership is conferred
by the Board of Directors and ratified by a majority vote of the
Membership [present at the Annual Meeting] on those individuals
who have distinguished themselves as having rendered outstanding
assistance or special service to the Association. An Honorary
Member shall have none of the obligations of membership, but shall
be entitled to all of the privileges except those of voting and
holding elective office. This category shall generally, but
not exclusively, include Judges, Court Administrators, Attorneys,
Administrative Office and Federal Judicial Center Staff, or other
Laymen, etc.
ARTICLE IV
DUES
Section 1
The amount of the dues shall be reviewed annually
by the Board of Directors and notice of any proposed increase shall
be given to the members at the time ballots for election of officers
are distributed and shall be accepted or rejected by a majority
of the membership through votes cast. In the event of a dues
increase, dues of retirees shall remain at $25.00.
Section 2
Membership dues for the designated fiscal year shall
be due and payable at the beginning of said fiscal year.
Section 3
A new applicant shall be required to pay in full
the annual dues.
Section 4
Only paid members of record having voting rights
shall be eligible to vote on any matter.
Section 5
Assessments may be imposed on the members by the
Board of Directors if additional funds are required for implementing
programs of benefit to the members.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS AND DUTIES
Section 1
The elected officers of the Association shall be the President,
President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the
Circuit Representatives. During the term of office, an officer
shall be actively employed as a judicial secretary. Insofar
as possible, the President shall be elected alternately each year
from the secretaries to Article III judges and the secretaries
to U.S. Magistrate Judges. In addition, insofar as possible,
the seven members of the Executive Committee (including the Parliamentarian)
shall consist of no more than four members who are secretaries
to Article III judges or no more than four members who are secretaries
to U.S. Magistrate Judges.
The appointed officer of this Association shall be
the Parliamentarian and such other officers as are deemed necessary
by the Executive Committee. Appointment shall be made by the President
subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section 2
The officers shall perform the duties defined as
follows:
President: The President
shall preside at all meetings of the Association, the Executive
Committee, and the Board of Directors, and
in lieu of meetings shall conduct pertinent business by mail, electronic
mail, or telephone; shall appoint committees; shall be an
ex officio member of all committees except Nominations and Elections;
shall sign all instruments requiring execution on behalf of the
Association, and shall sign all resolutions approved at the Annual
Meeting; may sign checks for authorized disbursements in the absence
or inability of the Treasurer; and shall perform such other duties
as ordinarily pertain to this office.
President-Elect: The President-Elect
shall assume the duties of the President in such officer’s
absence and shall perform those tasks specifically assigned by
the Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors.
Vice President: The
Vice President shall assist the President when called upon; shall
chair the Membership Committee; shall serve as the
Historian of the Association; and shall perform such other
duties as ordinarily pertain to this office.
Secretary: The Secretary
shall keep all minutes of the Association,
the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors, and in lieu
of meetings shall conduct pertinent business by mail, electronic
mail, or telephone and shall record all votes taken. The Secretary
shall make notification of meetings and shall perform such
other duties as ordinarily pertain to this office. The Secretary
shall notify members of their election to office and, at the request
of the President, shall notify members of their appointment to
committees or other assignments.
Treasurer: The Treasurer
shall be the custodian of the funds of the Association; shall sign
checks for authorized disbursements; shall furnish a bond in an
amount directed by the Executive Committee when the aggregate balance
of all funds held by the Association exceeds $10,000, the premium
for which shall be paid by the Association; shall keep an itemized
account of all monies received and disbursed and shall make a report
thereof to the Executive Committee or Board of Directors upon request;
shall make a complete annual report to the Association at the end
of the annual term of office; shall serve as Chairman of the Budget
and Finance Committee, and ex
officio member of the Audit Committee; and shall perform such
duties as assigned by the Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall supervise the maintenance of a roster of members,
including court addresses and voting rights; and shall provide
notice of dues changes for inclusion on the ballot. The Treasurer
in cooperation with the full Executive Committee shall prepare
a budget no later than January 1 and shall submit the budget to
the Executive Committee.The Treasurer shall receive membership
dues and inform the appropriate Circuit Representative of the receipt
of any dues.For purposes of continuity, the Treasurer may be elected
for up to four consecutive terms.
Circuit Representatives: Each circuit shall have
a Representative to represent the members thereof:
Supreme Court, DC Circuit
Federal Circuit
First Circuit
ME, MA, NH, RI, Puerto Rico
Second Circuit
CT, NY, VT, Court of International Trade
Third Circuit
DE, NJ, PA, Virgin Islands
Fourth Circuit
MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
Fifth Circuit
LA, MS, TX
Sixth Circuit
KY, MI, OH, TN
Seventh Circuit
IL, IN, WI
Eighth Circuit
AR, IA, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD
Ninth Circuit
AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Tenth Circuit
CO, KS, NM, OK, UT, WY
Eleventh Circuit
AL, FL, GA
The Circuit Representative shall enlist and recruit
membership of the Association; shall maintain an accurate list
of circuit members; shall seek out and recommend to the Board of
Directors various benefits and programs intended to attract and
retain members; and shall act as liaison between officers and members.
Parliamentarian: The parliamentarian will be a non-voting
member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors who
will be in charge of the By-laws of the Association and may make
grammatical, editorial, or correlation changes in these By-laws
or amendments, which in no way alter the intent of the respective
By-law without vote, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. See
Article XV Amendment to By-laws. The parliamentarian shall, when
possible, participate in the meetings of the Executive Committee
and the Board of Directors and see that all motions and votes follow
parliamentary standards.
Section 3
The officers shall conduct business with the membership
through the Circuit Representatives and shall provide letters,
notices, and other mailings for distribution. A minimum
period of fifteen (l5) days and a maximum period of thirty (30)
days from the date of a mailing shall be provided for members to
vote.
Section 4
TERMS OF OFFICE
Officers shall be elected as provided by these By-laws. They
shall take office on November 1 and shall serve for a term of one
year, or until their successors are elected or appointed. An
officer shall not be permitted to serve in the same office for
more than two consecutive terms (except the Treasurer and Circuit
Representatives) and no member shall hold more than one office
at a time. During the term of office, an officer shall hold a current
appointment as a Judicial Secretary to a Justice of the United
States Supreme Court, Article III Judge, or United States Magistrate
Judge.
Section 5
SUCCESSION
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President,
the President-elect shall succeed to that office for the unexpired
term. In the
event of a vacancy in the office of President-elect, the office
shall remain vacant until the following election. The
President, with the approval of the Executive Committee,
shall appoint a qualified member to fill a vacancy in an elective
office.
ARTICLE VI
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the President, President-Elect,
Immediate Past President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Parliamentarian shall be a non-voting member of the Executive
Committee.
The Executive Committee shall transact any business
submitted to it by the President; shall transact any business presented
to it when an emergency arises; shall approve appointments to committees
and to officer vacancies appointed by the President; and
shall approve expenditures over one hundred
dollars ($100), except that the Annual Conference Committee need
not seek approval for expenditures under $500. The Executive Committee
shall give approval prior to the commitment of any funds by the
Annual Conference Committee over $500.
ARTICLE VII
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1
The governing body of the Association shall be the
Board of Directors comprised of the President, President-Elect,
Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer,
and Circuit Representatives. The
Parliamentarian shall be a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.
A majority of the Board of Directors will constitute a quorum.
Section 2
The Board of Directors shall transact any business
submitted to it by the President; shall review annual dues and
propose any new rates for adoption or rejection in accordance with
Article IV, Sec. 1, at least sixty (60) days before elections;
shall determine any assessments; shall approve expenditures over
one thousand dollars ($1000); and shall approve proposed amendments
to the By-laws.
Section 3
Each Board member and committee chair shall maintain
complete records and shall turn the entire file over to a successor
at the Annual Conference, if possible, or as soon as possible after
appointment of the successor. If a successor is not appointed
within six (6) months of the beginning of the fiscal year, then
such Board member or chairperson shall turn the entire file over
to the Secretary.
ARTICLE VIII
COMMITTEES
Section 1
The President shall appoint the following standing committees,
with the approval of the Executive Committee, and shall designate
the chair:
(a) Audit Committee, to consist of at least three (3) members to
be appointed no later than January 1 of each year, and the Treasurer
as ex officio member. It shall be the duty of this committee
to perform audits as provided by Article XIII and Article VIII,
Section 1 (l).
(b) Budget and Finance Committee, to consist of at least three
(3) members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year. It
shall be the duty of this committee to assist the Ways & Means
Committee with the administration of all fund-raising projects. The
Treasurer shall be the Chair of this Committee, and, due to the
nature of the duties, members may serve on both the Budget and
Finance and Ways and Means Committees during the same fiscal year.
(c) By-laws Committee, to consist of at least three (3) members
to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year. It shall
be the duty of this committee to review the By-laws and, in accordance
with Article XV, to submit any proposed amendments to the Board
for approval and to the membership for voting. The ballot
for voting shall be prepared by this committee and furnished to
the Nominations and Elections Committee for inclusion with the
mailing of the ballot for election of officers.
(d) Legislative Committee, to consist of at least three (3) members
to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year. It
shall be the duty of this committee to promote the general welfare
and status of the judicial secretary under the law; to keep abreast
of all legislation, directives and other information of interest
to the Association; and so far as is practicable to keep the membership
advised. It shall also be the duty of this committee to be
of assistance to any Board member for contacting the members, when
time is of the essence, to gather or disseminate vital information.
(e) Long-Range Planning Committee, to consist of at least three
(3) members (one of whom shall be the Immediate Past President)
to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year who shall
serve with the President and President-Elect. It shall be
the duty of this committee to prepare a program of actions to be
taken by the Association for the advancement of judicial secretaries
and for the good of the Association. The Immediate Past President
shall be the Chair of this committee for a period of one year.
(f) Membership Committee, to consist of the Vice President and
the Circuit Representatives, of which the Vice President shall
be the Chair. It shall be the duty of this committee to encourage
and enlist eligible secretaries to become members.
(g) Nominations and Elections Committee, to consist of at least
three (3) members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each
year. It shall be the duty of this committee to seek nominations
and to prepare and distribute ballots as provided in Article IX.
(h) Ways and Means Committee, to consist of at least three (3)
members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year. It
shall be the duty of this committee to implement methods and resources
for raising necessary revenues to help defray expenses of the Association. All
proposals or recommendations shall be approved by the Budget and
Finance Committee and the Board before implementation.
(I) Public Relations/Newsletter Committee, to consist of at least
three (3) members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each
year. It shall be the duty of this committee, with the approval
of the President, to edit, approve and handle all material for
publication sponsored by this Association in accordance with the
By-laws. The FEDERAL JUDGES SECRETARIES ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
shall be the official informational document within which to disseminate
news of the Annual Conferences, officer and committee actions,
legislation, elections, members, etc., and shall be issued three
(3) or four (4) times (at the direction of the Board of Directors)
during each fiscal year at appropriate intervals. The official
name of the newsletter may be changed by majority vote of the Board
of Directors.
(j) Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee,
to consist of at least three (3) members to be appointed no later
than January 1 of each year. It shall be the duty of this
committee to promote professional development and continuing education
throughout the Association by dissemination of information. This
committee shall be responsible for working with the Annual Conference
Committee in structuring the professional development and continuing
education program at the Annual Conference.
(k) History and Archives Committee, to consist of at least three
(3) members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year.
It shall be the duty of this committee to keep a record of the
activities of this Association and to compile a history book.
(l) Annual Conference Committee, to consist of at least three
(3) members to be appointed no later than January 1 of each year.
This committee shall be chaired by an Association member or members
from the host city. The Chair(s) of the Annual Conference Committee
shall make a complete report to the Treasurer as to income and
expenses of the Annual Conference within sixty (60) days of the
completion of the Conference. The Annual Conference Committee shall
submit a budget of estimated expenses and receipts to the Executive
Committee and the Audit Committee for approval prior to the signing
of any hotel contract. The Annual Conference Committee shall further
submit to the Executive Committee and the Audit Committee requests
for approval for any expenditures over $500 prior to committing
funds of the Association.
Section 2
Such other committees as are deemed necessary by the President
and the Executive Committee to carry on the work of the Association
shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the
Executive Committee, and the President shall designate the chair
of each. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees,
except the Nominations and Elections Committee. Committees shall
report, as requested, to the President and the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1
The annual election of officers shall be by written,
mailed ballot and a majority vote of the ballots cast shall elect.
Eligibility to be elected to office shall be the same as eligibility
to vote therefor, as provided in Article III. A member's appointment
to the Nominations and Elections Committee shall not preclude the
member's name from being placed on the ballot as a nominee for
an elective office, provided that such member meets all other qualifications
for such elective office as set forth in these By-laws.
Section 2
Nominations shall be made by the Nominations and
Elections Committee, and there shall be no more than three (3)
nominations for any one office. Members shall submit nominations
to the Nominations and Elections Committee before May 1 of each
year. The Nominations
and Elections Committee shall secure the acceptance of the nominee
and shall prepare a ballot which it shall distribute before June
15 to each member eligible to vote. Each member shall vote
for one candidate for each office and shall return the ballot to
the appointed Teller(s) no later than July 15. A member
shall vote for only one Circuit Representative from the circuit
or grouping in which the member is employed. There shall
be no voting by proxy.
Section 3
The President shall appoint the Teller(s) from the
membership to count ballots. The Teller(s) shall count the
ballots and shall certify the results to the Secretary no later
than July 25. The
Secretary shall notify the newly elected officers of their election
and shall notify the Board of Directors of the results no later
than August 5.
Section 4
The counted ballots shall be retained by the Teller(s)
for six (6) months, after which time they may be destroyed.
Section 5
The officers shall be elected for a term of one (1)
year to commence November 1. The officers shall take the oath of
office at the Annual Conference, provided a conference is held
in that year.
ARTICLE X
FUNDS
Funds shall, soon after receipt by the Treasurer,
be deposited in an account in the name of the Association at a
national bank or credit union convenient to the Treasurer, and
no funds shall be disbursed except by check of the Treasurer and/or
President. Requests for reimbursement of necessary expenses by
officers and committees shall be made to the Treasurer at least
ten (10) days prior to the end of the fiscal year so that the Treasurer's
records will be ready for audit on the last day of the fiscal year.
ARTICLE XI
FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Association shall commence
on January 1 and terminate on December 31 of each year.
ARTICLE XII
QUORUM
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members
present at a properly called meeting, and/or of the members voting
by mail within the time limit specified for voting by mail.
ARTICLE XIII
AUDIT
Section 1
The President, with the approval of the Executive
Committee, shall appoint an Audit Committee from the membership
to audit the financial records of the Treasurer by the end of each
fiscal year. The Audit Committee shall report its findings to the
Executive Committee.
Section 2
If, because of the geographical location of the Treasurer,
audit by a committee of members is not feasible, then the President
may appoint a professional auditor.
ARTICLE XIV
MEETINGS
Meetings may be called by the President and the Board of Directors. In
lieu of meetings, business of the Association shall be conducted
by mail, electronic mail, or telephone. All votes of the
membership shall be by mail.
Regional or circuit meetings may be held at any time, as arranged
by the Circuit Representative. When such a meeting is held,
notice thereof shall be given in advance to the President and minutes
thereof shall be forwarded to the Secretary, with a copy to the
President.
The Annual Conference of this Association shall be held yearly,
insofar as is practical.
Fifteen (15) days' notice shall be given for regional
meetings and thirty (30) days' notice for Annual Conferences.
ARTICLE
XV
AMENDMENT TO BY-LAWS
The By-laws may be amended by a vote of a majority of the votes
cast, provided such amendment has been first submitted to the Board
of Directors for its consideration and recommendation and notice
of the proposed amendment given to the membership at the time ballots
are distributed. Any member may propose an amendment by submitting
the same to the By-Laws Committee on or before April 1 of each
year.
Grammatical, editorial, or correlation changes in
these By-laws or amendments, which in no way alter the intent of
the respective By-law, may be affected by the Parliamentarian without
vote, subject to approval of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XVI
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The Latest Edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly
Revised shall govern the Association in all instances where such
Rules are applicable and where they are not inconsistent with the
By-laws of this Association.
As amended July 2005
