CONSTITUTION

I. - NAME.

This Association shall be called "The New York State Bar Association."

The Association is formed to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, to promote reform in the law, to facilitate the administration of justice, to elevate the standard of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, and to cherish a spirit of brotherhood among the members thereof.

III. - MEMBERS.

The Delegates and Alternates selected to attend the first meeting for the organization of the Association (November 21, 1876) are hereby declared to be members thereof, provided they shall (on or before the 1st day of May, 1877) pay the admission fee and subscribe to this Constitution, or otherwise in writing notify the Secretary of their acceptance of membership.

Any member of the legal profession in good standing, residing or practicing in the State of New York, who shall have been at the Bar of this State at least three years, may become a member by vote of the Association, on open ǹomination after a report of the Committee on Admissions, or of the Executive Committee upon recommendation of the Committee on Admissions; and on subscribing to this Constitution (or otherwise in writing notify the Secretary of his acceptance of membership), and, within the period limited by the By-Laws, paying the annual dues of the current year. But no person shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Association until he shall have been a member for at least six months preceding the said meeting.

The Judges of the United States Courts residing in this State, the Judges of the Court of Appeals, and the several Justices of the Supreme Court of this State shall, during their respective terms of office, be honorary members of this Association.

Other honorary members may be elected by the Association. (Amended January 21, 1903, and January 17, 1906.)

Pursuant to Art. III, the Association, at the Annual Meeting, September, 1882 (Reports, vol. VI, p. 130), it was unanimously

Resolved, That this Association admits among the honorary members such resident members of the Bar of the State of New York as may at any time hold any of the following-named offices, to wit:

President of the United States, Vice-President of the United States, members of the President's Cabinet, United States Senators from this State, Governor of this State, Attorney-General of this State, Envoy or Minister of the United States to any foreign country, member appointed on the part of the United States of any international tribunal, and that the Secretary is directed to enroll them accordingly.

IV. - OFFICERS.

The officers of the Association shall be a President, nine VicePresidents, one to be chosen from each judicial district, an Executive Committee, a Committee on Admissions, a Committee on Grievances, a Committee on Law Reform, a Committee on Prizes, a Committee on Legal Biography, a Committee on the Selection of Candidates for Judicial Office, a Secretary and a Treasurer, all of whom shall (for the period until the 1st day of January, 1878) be elected at the meeting at which this Constitution is adopted. And thereafter they shall be elected in the manner hereinafter prescribed. (Amended January 21, 1902; amended January 24, 1908; amended January 29, 1909.)

The President, or (in his absence) one of the Vice-Presidents, or (in the absence of all of them) one of the members shall preside at all meetings of the Association.

The President shall be ex officio a member of the Executive Committee.

VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

The Executive Committee shall consist of twenty-seven members, of whom three shall reside in, and be selected from each judicial district, and shall compose a District Executive Committee thereof. The Secretary and Treasurer of the Association shall be, ex-officio, members of the Executive Committee. (Amended January 24, 1908; amended January 29, 1909; amended January 19, 1911.)

This Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and By-laws, and shall be vested with the title to all its property, as Trustee thereof, until the Association shall be incorporated, and when incorporated shall have power to accept the act of incorporation for and on behalf of the Association and all its members.

By-laws may be adopted at any annual meeting of the Association by a majority vote of the members present, and the Executive Committee may make By-laws for the Association, subject to amendment by the Association. (Amended January 21, 1902.)

At meetings of this Committee, the member or members in attendance from each judicial district shall be entitled to three votes, to be cast by him or them, separately or together, as he or they may deter

mine. Each District Committee, under direction of the General Committee, may exercise such of its powers, in or for the district, as from time to time shall be authorized by this General Committee, and such other powers as the Constitution and By-laws shall vest in them.

VII. COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS.

The Committee on Admissions shall consist of thirty-six members, of whom four shall reside in and be selected from each judicial district, and compose a District Committee on Admissions thereof, and each of whom shall have practiced law in this State at least ten years. (Amended January 24, 1908; amended January 29, 1909.)

The proceedings of this Committee shall be deemed confidential and shall be kept secret, except so far as written or printed reports of the same shall be necessarily and officially made to the Association.

VIII. - COMMITTEE ON GRIEVANCES.

The Committee shall consist of twenty-seven members. The Committee may receive and hear all complaints preferred against any member of the Bar for misconduct in his profession, provided the same be in writing, plainly and specifically stating the matter complained of, and subscribed by the complainant, and may in its discretion investigate misconduct in his profession of a member of the Bar of which no formal complaint has been made; and with the approval of the Executive Committee it shall take such action thereon in the name of the Association as may be deemed proper.

It shall have like power in the matter of expelling any member of the Association.

But no preferment of charges to an appellate division nor any determination of the rights of membership in this Association shall be had unless the accused has had prior notice and due opportunity to be heard.

On vouchers of the Chairman of the Committee on Grievances, additionally vouched by the Chairman of the sub-committee, if any, by whom charges shall have been investigated, the Treasurer be authorized to pay the expenses incident to such investigations by this Committee. (Amended January 12, 1918.)

IX. - COMMITTEE ON LAW REFORM.

The Committee on Law Reform shall consist of twenty-seven members, no four of whom shall reside in the same judicial district. (Amended January 24, 1908; amended January 29, 1909.)

It shall be the duty of this Committee to consider and report to the Association such amendments of the law as in its opinion should be adopted, also to scrutinize proposed changes of the law, and when

necessary report upon the same, also to observe the practical working of the judicial system of the State, and recommend by written or printed report, from time to time, any changes therein which observation or experience may suggest.

X. - COMMITTEE ON PRIZES.

The Committee on Prizes shall consist of so many members as the Association shall appoint from year to year.

It shall be its duty to make rules for contests for such prizes af may be instituted by, or under the sanction of the Association, and to examine and pass upon the merits of every original production offered in accordance therewith.

XI. COMMITTEE ON LEGAL BIOGRAPHY.

The Committee on Legal Biography shall consist of so many members as the Association shall appoint from year to year.

It shall be its duty to provide for the preservation among the archives of the Association of suitable written or printed memorials of the lives and characters of distinguished deceased members of the Bar of the State.

Every Standing Committee shall, at each stated annual meeting report in writing a summary of its proceedings since its last annual report (except such matters as the Constitution or By-laws require to be kept secret), together with any suggestions deemed suitable and appertaining to its powers, duties or business.

A general summary of all such annual reports and of the proceedings of the annual meetings shall be prepared and printed by and under the direction of the Executive Committee, together with the Constitution and By-laws (as then existing), names and residences of Officers, Standing Committees and members of the Association, as soon as practicable after each annual meeting.

XIII-SECRETARY.

The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Association, and discharge such other duties as shall be required of him by the Association, and by the Executive Committee. (Amended January 21, 1902.)

The Treasurer shall collect and (by order of the Executive Committee) disburse the moneys of the Association, and discharge such

other duties as shall be required of him by the Association or the Executive Committee.

The Treasurer of this Association shall give security in such sum and in such form for the safe-keeping and accounting for moneys of the Association coming into his hands, as shall be required by the Executive Committee. (Amended January 21, 1902.)

XVI. - OTHER COMMITTEES.

The Association may provide in its By-laws for other Standing Committees, and no matter shall be referred to a special committee which is relevant to the function of any Standing Committee.

XVII. - LIABILITIES.

No officer or committee, or other person shall have power to make the Association liable for any debt amounting to more than one-half of the excess of money in the Treasurer's hand, beyond that required to meet prior liabilities, nor to make any contract binding personally any member of the Association.

XVIII. MEETINGS.

This Association shall meet annually on such days and at such place in this State as the Executive Committee may select. Any meeting of the Association may adjourn to any date or to any other place within the State upon a majority vote of those present. (Amended January 21, 1903; January 20, 1910.)

Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or Executive Committee of their own motion; and shall be called by the Secretary upon the request of fifty members, in writing, specifying the purpose thereof. At such Special Meeting no business shall be transacted except such as shall be specified in the notice thereof.

At every meeting of the Association the presence of twenty-five members shall constitute a quorum.

The Executive Committee and the Committee on Law Reform shall meet in joint session on the first Friday in December, or at such other time as the chairman of said committees may order, but before such Annual Meeting, and shall prescribe such subjects for consideration at the Annual Meeting as said committee shall deem advisable. Notice of the time and place for holding the Annual Meeting shall be given by mail to each member of the Association at least fifteen days prior to the time fixed for holding said meeting, which notice shall specify the matters to be brought before the Annual Meeting as ordered by said committees. The actual expenses of said Executive Committee and said Committee on Law Reform, when certified by the Secretary of the Executive Committee, shall be paid by the Association. (Amended January 20, 1910.)