DECISION BOOK

Preface:

The ELSA Lawyers Society is governed by the Assembly Meeting which is normally organized once a year, in conjunction with the International Council Meeting of The European Law Students Association in autumn. During the Assembly Meeting two types of decisions can be taken. The first type concerns the statutory decisions, which must be implemented in the statutes. The second type concerns the other decisions, which need to be implemented or administrated in other documents. Therefore there is a need to compile those other decisions in a Decision book.

The aim of the Decision book is to provide the Executive Committee and its Members with information and give them guidelines on how to deal with some (practical) matters. The juridical nature of this Decision book is the internal rules and regulations, which means that those rules and regulations can be changed without any involvement of notary or other legal figure.

If an Executive Committee or a member wishes to put forward one or more proposals concerning the internal rules and regulations, it has to be made in accordance with the section VIII (The summoning of the AM) and IX (Decisionmaking in the AM) of the statutes. The rules and regulations may not be in breach with the statutes.

We hope that this Decision book provide useful guidelines to make The ELSA Lawyers Society even more professional.

The Executive Committee.

ELS Decision Book 30.10.2010

Definitions:
AM: ELS : ELSA: Exec: ICM: Members: Assembly Meeting of ELS The ELSA Lawyers Society The European Law Students Association Executive Committee International Council Meeting of ELSA Members of ELS

Article 1: Invitation and Working materials for the AM 1. The invitation for the AM must be sent to the Members 60 days before the AM will take place. 2. Working materials must be sent to members 30 days before the AM will take place. 3. The secretary general is in charge of preparing the working materials. Those materials must be converted in pfd and must be sent to ELSA International with a request to publish it on ELS website. After publication, the secretary general sends the weblink to the Members. 4. It is recommended that members read the working materials before the AM and bring it to the AM.

Article 2: Time of the AM 1. The Exec shall convene at least one (1) ordinary AM each year. The AM starts usually on a particular Saturday mentioned in the invitation at 10.00 oclock in the morning. If needed, this point of time can be postponed. In that case the new point of time will be announced properly, for example on a flipchart in the central hall of the accommodation.
2.

All participants of the AM shall be present on time.

Article 3: Voting cards 1. Voting (except regarding the elections for the Exec and Auditors) in the AM shall be carried out by a show of hands. To be sure that all votes are visible and to make the counting of the votes easier, voting cards will be handed out by the secretary general or by other members of the Exec. ELS Decision Book 30.10.2010

2. The voting cards will be handed out at the beginning of the AM. 3. Each member has one (1) vote in the AM and each member may not hold more than two (2) proxies. This means that every member may not receive more than three (3) voting cards. 4. The voting cards contain the day of the voting.

Article 4: Proxies 1. Voting by proxy is allowed when the proxy is submitted to the secretary general prior to the AM. To be sure that the quorum has been reached and therefore the decisions can be made, the secretary general sends the proxies to all members 30 days before the AM; together with the weblink to the working materials. 2. The secretary general verifies regularly before the AM if the quorum will be reached and sends reminders to the members with a request to fill out the proxy if necessary. 3. If the quorum is not likely to be reached one (1) week before the AM, the secretary general informs the rest of the Exec immediately.

Article 5: Election of Exec 1. The members of the Exec are elected by the AM. It is important that the candidates present themselves during the AM. Therefore every candidate gives a (verbal) presentation. After every presentation the members can address questions to that candidate.
2.

If the candidate cannot be present at the AM, he or she can present her / himself by way of a letter with motivation given to a member of the Exec at the AM who will read it aloud.

Article 6: Nomination 1. Before any such elections a nomination committee shall receive written nominations of candidates from the members. The Exec provides the nomination cards, which will be handed out during the announcement of nominations.

ELS Decision Book 30.10.2010

2. The nominations cards contain only a blank format with the following inscription: i) name and signature of the candidate ii) nominators name and signature iii) seconders name and signature 3. The information mentioned in paragraph 2 of this article must be further filled out by the candidate, the nominator and the seconder.

Article 7: List of targets 1. The Exec shall distribute a list of targets for each individual member which specifies targets to be achieved for such member during their one year term in office. 2. The targets shall be SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time bound. 3. The list shall be sent on the ELS mailing list within one (1) month of having been appointed. 4. The activity report of the Exec at the end of the term in office shall conclude what targets have been achieved, to what extent and include an explanation.

Article 8: Activities 1. Twice a year an ICM is held by ELSA. The first ICM is held in spring, the second one in autumn. Before the ICMs, the Exec sets up a social program for its members. 2. The social program concerns at least two (2) last days of the ICM; Friday and Saturday. At least one (1) day or a part of this day is not ELSA related, which means not a program organized for ELSA. 3. The Exec can delegate this task (set up a social program) to ELSA, but the Exec is responsible. 4. The social program is announced by the Exec in the invitation. The invitation must be sent out to the members on time in accordance with the statutes.

ELS Decision Book 30.10.2010