The Thurston County Bar Association uses these By-laws to conduct business for the Association.
These By-Laws are current as of May 13, 2022, any changes are voted on at our Annual May Meeting.
BY-LAWS OF THURSTON COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
I. PURPOSE
This Association has been organized for the following purposes:
- To enhance the working relationship among the members by providing opportunities through periodic meetings and social gatherings to establish contacts with each other.
- To provide opportunities for continuing legal education by periodically offering classes for the members on topics of professional growth and development.
- To provide information about the legal profession and the legal community to the local community through a Speaker’s Program, in which the TCBA membership provides, upon request, at a time mutually convenient and at no charge, an attorney or judge to speak to any school or community organization located in Thurston County.
- To assist nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to the general public for little or no cost, and to encourage its members to assist such nonprofit organizations through donations of time and money.
- To assist the voters in making informed choices about the candidates for judicial positions through the use of a Judicial Elections Bar Poll.
- To advocate for the interests of its members.
II. MEMBERSHIP
- Active Member. Any active member of the Washington State Bar Association residing or practicing law publicly or privately in Thurston County may become an active member of this Association by paying the annual dues of the Association. Active members may vote and are eligible for nomination/election as an Officer or a member of the Board of Directors. Active members whose license has been suspended shall not be entitled to hold any membership in the Association during the period of suspension.
- Associate Member. (a) Any person who has been admitted to practice law in any state of the United States, whether the person’s admission is classified as active, inactive, emeritus pro bono, licensed legal intern or similar classification, (b) any person who was previously a member of the Washington State Bar Association (“WSBA”) who is no longer a member of the WSBA, so long as such person’s membership in the WSBA was not terminated by disbarment or revocation, and (c) any person who is presently enrolled in law school in the United States may become an Associate member of this Association by paying the annual dues of the Association. Associate members shall be entitled to attend any and all meetings of the Association, but shall not hold office or vote. Persons admitted to practice law in any state of the United States whose license in any state has been suspended shall not be entitled to hold any membership in the Association during the period of suspension.
- Honorary Member. Judges of the Supreme Court of the State of Washington, Judges of the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington, and Judges of the Superior and District Courts, Court Commissioners of the Superior and District Courts, and full time Municipal Court Judges of the State of Washington for Thurston County who are attorneys, but not entitled to practice law by virtue of their office, shall be honorary members, shall have the privileges of the Association, but shall not hold office or vote. Anyone qualifying as an honorary member shall not be eligible to be an active member.
III. MEETINGS OF MEMBERSHIP
- The membership shall hold regular meetings at such times and places as may from time to time be designated by the Board of Directors.
- An annual meeting of the membership shall be held once a year; notice of the meeting shall be sent by regular or electronic mail or via legal messenger to each member at least ten (10) days prior thereto.
- Ten percent of the active members shall constitute a quorum to transact business at any meeting of the membership.
- The passage of all motions and resolutions shall be by majority vote of the active members present that represent a quorum at the meeting at which the motion or resolution is considered.
IV. DUES
Annual dues of the Association, payable on or before January 1 of each year, shall be fixed by the directors. Members whose dues are unpaid as of April 1 will be dropped from membership, but may thereafter be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year.
V. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- The business of the Association shall be transacted by the Board of Directors comprised of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past-President, and no fewer than four (4) nor more than seven (7) additional non-officer Directors with designated positions #1 through #4 (or #5, #6, or #7, as the case may be). All Directors must be active members of the Association.
- The Board of Directors shall have the discretion and authority to determine whether there shall be four (4), five (5), six (6) or seven (7) non-officer Directors serving on the Board at any particular time. If the Board expands the number of non-officer Directors, the Board shall fill the position(s) by appointment.
- The Association shall endeavor to have at least one (1) Director who is an active member meeting the Association’s definition of a “Young Lawyer” as provided herein.
- The non-officer Directors shall be elected to serve for two-year terms, the even-position numbers being elected in even years, and the odd-position numbers being elected in odd years.
- Vacancies among the non-officer standard Directors occurring prior to the expiration of a term shall be filled by appointment by the Board for the remainder of the unexpired term.
- The Board of Directors shall meet not less than six (6) times each year at such time and place as it, or the President, may designate from time to time.
- A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction the business.
- The passage of all motions and resolutions shall be by majority vote of those Directors present at the meeting at which the motion or resolution is considered.
- A Director may vote by proxy executed in writing by the Director. Such proxy shall entitle the holder thereof to vote at the time of the meeting.
- Directors shall not be eligible to be nominated by the Association for WSBA’s Local Hero Award.
VI. OFFICERS
- The Officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, and Immediate Past-President who shall serve for terms of one (1) year and who shall compose the Executive Board of the Association.
- The Immediate Past-President shall serve for a one (1) year term immediately following their one (1) year term as President.
- If a non-officer Director becomes an Officer of the Association that Director’s position shall become vacant.
- A vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the unexpired term in the office of the President-Elect, Secretary, or Treasurer shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors for the remainder of the unexpired term.
- If a vacancy occurs in the office of President prior to the expiration of the unexpired term, the President-Elect shall become the President for the remainder of the unexpired term, and the Board of Directors shall fill the office of the President-Elect by appointment.
VII. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
- The President shall be the chief executive of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the membership and Board of Directors. The President shall appoint such committees as may be necessary for the conduct of the business and affairs of the Association and shall have such powers as are usually exercised by a president.
- The President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President during absence or disability of the President; and perform other tasks as appointed by the President.
- The Secretary shall maintain a list of the members of the Association and shall give notice of all the meetings of the membership and Board of Directors as herein provided; keep the minutes of all meetings of the membership and the Board of Directors; update necessary records with the Secretary of State following elections or any appointment to the Board of Directors; and in general perform all duties generally performed by a secretary.
- The Treasurer shall collect, take charge of and disburse funds of the Association; make a financial report at the annual meeting of the membership; provide periodic income and expense statements to the Board of Directors; and otherwise perform all other duties generally performed by a treasurer. The books and records of the Association shall be open to inspection by any member at reasonable times.
VIII. COMMITTEES
- The President shall constitute such committees as the President believes will be useful in carrying out the functions of the Association. The President shall appoint committee Chairpersons. The President or committee Chairperson shall appoint committee members.
- The President shall consider whether any of the following committees should be constituted each year:
- a) Bench/Bar
- b) CLE
- c) Newsletter
- d) Membership
- Elections
- Finance
- The President shall appoint one member of the Board to serve as liaison to each committee. The liaison shall report the activities to the Board of Directors.
IX. SECTIONS
- The President shall appoint Chairpersons of any practice section in which members are interested in participating during the year.
- The President, in consultation with the Board, shall determine the sections that will meet during the year and are in need of a Chairperson. Possible sections include, but are not limited to, the following:
- a) Criminal law
- b) Family law
- c) Real Estate, Land use and Environmental Law
- d) Pro Bono
- e) Thurston County Young Lawyers – Any active member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Thurston County Bar Association shall be a member of the section until the 31st day of December of the year in which such member attains the age of thirty-six (36) years or until the 31st of December of the fifth (5th) year in which any such member has been admitted to practice in any state, whichever is later.
- f) Diversity and Inclusion
X. ELECTIONS
- No later than March 31 of each year, the President shall appoint a nominating committee. Such committee shall nominate one or more members to each office or position to be filled and shall report its nominations to the President prior to the next regular board meeting. No later than April 30 of each year, the President shall announce the nominations. Names of the nominees shall be provided to the membership and additional nominations solicited therefrom. Said additional nominations shall be required to be sent to the Secretary of the Association no later than May 5th.
- If there are no contested positions, elections shall be held without requirement of written ballots at the general membership meeting in May or June.
- If there are contested positions, the candidates for non-officer Directors receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. A majority of the votes cast for the office shall be necessary for election as President, President-Elect, Secretary, or Treasurer. If no candidate receives the required majority, a second ballot with the names of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be taken.
- All ballots shall be tabulated by the incumbent Board of Directors.
- Terms of officer and non-officer Directors shall commence on the 1st day of June/date of the election, whichever is later and shall continue until successors are elected and take office.
XI. BIGELOW AWARD
- Prior to March 16 of each year, the Secretary shall cause to be sent by regular or electronic mail to each member of the Association, a solicitation for nominees for the Bigelow Award to be presented at the annual meeting. All nominations shall be required to be in writing and be received by the Secretary of the Association no later than April 5th of any year.
- Nominees for the Bigelow Award must satisfy the following criteria: (a) the nominee must be a lawyer; (b) the nominee shall not be a current member of the Thurston County Bar Association Board of Directors; and (c) the nominee must have performed outstanding professional and community service during the course of his/her career as a lawyer.
- All nominations shall be considered by the Board of Directors. The award winner shall be determined no earlier than April 6 of each year. A quorum and a majority vote of those Directors at the meeting shall be required for determination of the award winner.
XII. JUDICIAL SELECTION
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- Judicial Appointments Bar Poll. Whenever any vacancy occurs in the office of Judge of the Superior Court for Thurston County for any cause other than the expiration of the term for which the incumbent was elected, the Association shall submit to the appointing authority the results of the Judicial Appointments Bar Poll.
The Judicial Appointments Bar Poll shall be conducted through a process determined by the Board of Directors, which must include an opportunity for any person seeking appointment to be included in the Poll, and an opportunity for each active member of the Association to indicate their preference among those seeking appointment.
The President shall submit the results of the poll to the appointing authority. Should the Washington State Bar Association so require or recommend, said results shall be forwarded to the office of the Washington State Bar Association for submission to the Governor of Washington.
The President shall disclose and release to the news media the results of the Bar Poll including vote tallies.
- Judicial Elections Bar Poll. In all elections where two (2) or more candidates file for the same office of Judge of the Superior or District Court or of the Municipal Court of any municipality located within Thurston County, the Association shall conduct a Judicial Election Bar Poll.
A Judicial Election Bar Boll shall be conducted through a process determined by the Board of Directors, which must include an opportunity for any candidate to be included in the Poll, and an opportunity for each active member of the Association to indicate their preference among the candidates.
The President shall disclose and release to the news media the results of the Judicial Elections Bar Poll including vote tallies.
XIII. JUDICIAL EVALUATION SURVEY
On or about March 1st of each odd numbered year, the Secretary of the Thurston County Bar Association shall cause to be prepared and sent by regular or electronic mail to each active member of the Thurston County Bar Association, a Judicial Evaluation Survey (hereinafter “Survey”) in the form adopted by the Board of Directors. The Survey shall elicit responses on topics including the knowledge, professionalism and effectiveness of each of the Thurston County Superior Court Judges, Thurston County Superior Court Commissioners, Thurston County District Court Judges and Thurston County District Court Commissioners. The Survey shall also include a field within which respondents may write general comments for each judicial officer. The Survey shall include instructions that the Survey is to be completed and submitted by a specific date, not later than thirty (30) days from the date the Survey or electronic link were mailed or e-mailed to the members. The results of the Survey shall be presented by the Secretary to the Board of Directors. The President shall disclose and release the results to the members of the Thurston County Bar Association, and may disclose and release the results to the news media and any other interested parties.
XIV. AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws, or any part thereof, may be amended or repealed, or new By-Laws may be adopted, at any regular meeting of the membership by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the active members present; provided, however, that a notice stating the character of the proposed change and the time and place same will be voted upon, shall be sent by regular or electronic mail to each member at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting.
XV. EFFECTIVE DATE
These By-Laws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption except that the number and terms of the existing Directors shall remain unchanged for the remainder of their unexpired terms.
Last Amended: May 2022