BOARD OF ADVOCATES

CONSTITUTIONSMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE SMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW BOARD OF ADVOCATES

Article I

NAME AND PURPOSE

The name of the organization shall be the “Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Board of Advocates,” hereinafter referred to as “BOA.” The BOA is an advocacy and experiential learning organization whose purpose is the encouragement of oral and written advocacy skills through effective appellate moot court, mock trial, transactional, and other law related competitions. The BOA shall also serve to recognize those law students who have excelled in both on and off-campus competitions.

Article II

PREAMBLE

This document is the Constitution for Southern Methodist University’s Board of Advocates. The BOA is a student-led advocacy organization comprised of law students who oversee all advocacy competitions at Southern Methodist University. As student advocates, we facilitate all communication with administration, faculty, and law school staff. Further, the BOA provides opportunities for law students to interact with the legal community and coordinates public service opportunities related to advocacy.

Article III

OBJECTIVES

The BOA is a student-led organization formed to train and educate law students in transactional and trial and appellate advocacy by means of mock trial, moot court, negotiations, client counseling, arbitration, and other competitions related to the legal profession. The purpose of the BOA is to provide a forum for training effective advocates. Our purpose is furthered by hosting, or assisting, local, regional, or national competitions.

Article IV

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DEFINITIONS

Officer: This is a generic term that refers to both Executive Board Members and Directors. Any use of the term “officer” is meant to indicate that the terms of that provision apply equally to Executive Board members and Directors. Executive Board: This term refers to the governing body of the BOA as a whole. Any provision that applies to a specific position on the Executive Board will be designated by the title for that position (e.g. Chair, or Off-Campus Vice Chair, etc.). If no specific Executive Board position is indicated, the language of that provision applies to all Executive Board members equally.

Chair, and Vice Chair: These positions are described in Appendix A and will be used to specifically indicate provisions that are applicable to specific positions within the Executive board. The Chair is the highest position on the Executive Board. The Chair supervises and directs the activities of all Vice Chairs. Vice Chairs are the highest position within a specific branch of the BOA (e.g. On-Campus, Off-Campus, Student Affairs, etc.). Vice Chairs supervise and direct the activities of all Directors that fall within their respective branch.

Director: Refers to those officers that fall under the supervision of the Executive Board, Chair, or a Vice Chair. Any provision that applies to a specific Director will be designated by the title for that position (e.g. Judge Recruitment Director, On-Campus Competition Director, etc.). If no specific Director is indicated, the language of that provision applies to all Directors equally.

Article V

AFFILIATIONS

The BOA is affiliated with the national Order of Barristers created and maintained by The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. To further the objectives as stated in Article III, the BOA ensures that SMU Dedman School of Law students are involved in competitions sponsored by the American Bar Association, local/regional Bar Associations, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, other law schools, and on-campus Dedman School of Law sponsored competitions.

Article VI

MEMBERSHIP

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SECTION 1. GENERAL RULES OF MEMBERSHIP

Clause 1. Initial Eligibility. All law students of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law automatically become members of the BOA upon earning the required number of administrative and competition points.

(a) To obtain Membership to the BOA, five (5) Competition Points and three (3) Administrative Points are required.

Clause 2. Membership Tiers. Upon earning the required number of points, as stated below in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this clause, a BOA member automatically advances to the next level(s) of membership.

(a) Advocate Level: – Sixteen (16) Competition Points and five (5) Administrative Points.

(b) Master Level – Thirty (30) Competition Points and ten (10) Administrative Points.

Clause 3. Continuing eligibility. Student members of the BOA may continue membership if the student is (a) not on academic probation, (b) not on disciplinary probation, and (c) not facing BOA sanctions.

Clause 4. The Order of Barristers. The Order of Barristers is a national honors society that inducts a limited number of law students every year. Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law grants the honor to no more than ten (10) advocates each year. The inductees are chosen at the end of their graduating year for outstanding oral and written advocacy skills and other contributions to the BOA. This group is chosen by the faculty advisor, after consulting faculty, and after the student’s application is submitted and approved.

SECTION 2. GAINING MEMBERSHIP STATUS

Clause 1. Membership. Membership status is based on the student earning points toward membership as set forth in the Official Points Rules. Membership in the BOA is automatic upon receiving the required number of points as specified in Section 1, clause 1. The point system in the Official Points Rules may be adjusted at the discretion of the BOA Executive Board in a manner that it deems equitable to all students.

(A) Directors. BOA Directors are not automatically members of the BOA even though they are officers of the BOA. Membership status is based on the combination of competition and administrative involvement reflected by points awarded in each category. It is possible to be an active Director in good standing without having reached ‘member’ level within the organization.

SECTION 3. BOA SANCTIONS

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Clause 1. Types of Sanctions. There are two types of BOA Sanctions—Automatic and Discretionary.

(a) Automatic Sanctions – Automatic Sanctions are one-point deductions to a student’s Competition Points or Administrative Points. This type of sanction can only be imposed when students are given notice in advance. Furthermore, automatic sanctions can only be imposed when a student fails to fulfill an obligation to the BOA. Examples include (but are not limited to) failing to show up for a competition, failing to show up to bailiff, or failing to show up to a tryout. This type of sanction is determined by the nature of the students failure. If a student fails in a competition duty – a competition point will be deducted. If a student fails in an administrative duty – an administrative point will be deducted.

(b) Discretionary Sanctions – Discretionary Sanctions are reserved for situations where a student has acted in a manner that is unprofessional, inappropriate, or reflects poorly on the BOA, Dedman School of Law, or SMU generally. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to: dropping out of a competition without appropriate notice to the competition coordinator, and / or team coach; removal from a team; failure to adhere to listed Officer duties as found in the BOA officer description addendum. Discretionary Sanctions may only be imposed in accordance with this Section. Although Automatic Sanctions are limited to the circumstances described in Paragraph (a) of this Clause, the same conduct triggering Automatic Sanctions may warrant Discretionary Sanctions in lieu of or in addition to Automatic Sanctions.

Clause 2. Procedure for Discretionary Sanctions. Any member of the BOA, Coach, SMU Faculty or any other person may bring an allegation of an individual’s misconduct to the BOA. The allegation of misconduct: must be brought within seven (7) days from the origin of the complaint or else the complaint of misconduct is waived, and; must be submitted in writing to a member of the Executive Board. The Executive Board member must then bring the written complaint to the Chair of the BOA as soon as practicable. The BOA Chair must then convene a Disciplinary Board, as defined in Clause 3 of this Section, within seven (7) days of receiving the allegation. The Disciplinary Board must conduct an investigation into the alleged misconduct and determine what sanctions (automatic and/or discretionary), if any, are appropriate. The Disciplinary Board must make a final determination within thirty (30) days from the day it is convened, and immediately inform the Executive Board of its decision.

Clause 3. Disciplinary Board. The Disciplinary Board must be comprised of five

Directors selected at random in any manner deemed appropriate by the BOA Chair. If one of the chosen Directors has a conflict with the individual facing disciplinary action, that Director must be replaced by another randomly selected Director. Once formed, the Disciplinary Board must select one of its members to act as the Chair of the Disciplinary Board. The Chair of the Disciplinary Board speaks for the Disciplinary Board, and acts as the liaison between the accused the Disciplinary Board and the accused student.

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Clause 4. Hearing. When a Disciplinary Board is convened to investigate allegations of misconduct the accused student shall have the option of requesting a hearing in front of the Disciplinary Board as a whole. This request must be made prior to the imposition of any sanction. The purpose of this request is to provide that accused an opportunity to present any evidence that may assist the Disciplinary Board in making a just determination.

Clause 5. Determination of Discretionary Sanctions. Upon conclusion of its investigation, the Disciplinary Board will determine if Discretionary Sanctions are appropriate. Despite a finding that that alleged conduct did occur, the Disciplinary Board may choose, in light of mitigating circumstances, to impose no sanctions. Alternatively, the Disciplinary Board may choose to impose any combination of the following sanctions:

(a) Any points deduction that is also available as an Automatic Sanction;(b) Additional points deducted, if appropriate;(c) Probation and/or suspension from team membership and/or competitions for a

portion of a semester, a whole semester, or an entire year; or(d) A ban from future participation in any BOA event or competition.(e) For BOA Directors and Executive Board Members, recommendation for removal

from position and/or loss of points or hours, if warranted.

Clause 6. Membership Termination. In lieu of the sanctions available under Clause 5 of this Section, the Disciplinary Board may choose to recommend the termination of the student’s membership status. If the Disciplinary Board chooses to recommend this sanction, it must inform the BOA Chair within seven (7) days of making its decision. At the next meeting of the Executive Board, the BOA Chair will instruct the Chair of the Disciplinary Board to present the evidence it has gathered to the entire Executive Board.

(a) Once the evidence is submitted, the Executive Board must vote to determine whether termination of membership status is appropriate. The recommendation shall be voted on by the Executive Board at the next meeting held following the written notice to the student in question.

(b) The student shall be afforded an opportunity to respond to the recommendation before the Executive Board takes its vote on the recommendation.

(c) A two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, not simply those present at the meeting, is necessary to give effect to the recommendation for termination of a student’s membership.

(d) If a student’s BOA membership is terminated, that student loses all competition and administrative points previously earned and is banned from future participation in any BOA event or competition.

(e) If the Executive Board Chair is the student facing membership termination the responsibilities of the Chair shall be passed to another member of the Executive Board (Acting Chair) until the Chair is either cleared or removed.

i. The appointment of the Acting Chair shall be made by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board.

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ii. The authority of the Acting Chair shall become moot upon final adjudication of disciplinary action against the Chair.

iii. Should the Chair be cleared, all previous authority will revert to the Chair. iv. Should the Chair’s membership be terminated the remaining Executive

Board members shall nominate a replacement from among its remaining members and vote to replace the exiting Chair as soon as possible.

Clause 7. Appeals. If a BOA member has received sanctions, that member may appeal the sanction decision to the Executive Board. If a BOA member faces membership termination, that member may appeal, upon written notice to the Executive Board, to the Faculty Advisor. Written notice must be received within seven (7) days of the final determination of sanctions or the member’s notice of sanctions—whichever is later.

Clause 8. Adherence to Procedure

Any individual who fails to adhere to the disciplinary procedure laid out in Section 3. Clause 1-8 of this document shall waive their complaint of misconduct. Such actions that demonstrate a failure to adhere to the disciplinary procedures include but are not limited to: failure to report a complaint, failure to adhere to timelines, or failure to submit a complaint in writing, unless otherwise excused through mitigating circumstances beyond the individual’s control. Any mitigating circumstances proffered to excuse a failure to adhere to these procedures is subject to reasonable investigation.

SECTION 4. SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP

Clause 1. Honorary Membership. Any individuals, even those not currently enrolled in law school, who have actively participated in the promotion of the advocacy program at the SMU Dedman School of Law are eligible for honorary membership in the BOA. Honorary membership status is based on nominations made by any member of the BOA and selections are made by a majority vote of all Executive Board members.

Article VII

SUPERVISORY BOARD

SECTION 1. SELF-REGULATING.

The BOA is a self-regulating student-staffed organization. However, while self-regulating, the BOA is sponsored by the Southern Methodist University and must operate within Southern Methodist University guidelines.

SECTION 2. FACULTY ADVISOR.

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 The BOA faculty adviser supports the organization’s mission and serves as liaison between the BOA and school administration, coaches, individual members, and outside entities. Within this advisory position, the faculty advisor may be asked to hear the appeal of membership terminations imposed by the Disciplinary Board; decide the Order of Barristers; and advise the Executive Board.

Article VIII

OPERATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1. EXECUTIVE BOARD.

The Executive Board of the BOA shall consist of the following positions: BOA Chair and BOA Vice-Chairs. The duties of the Executive Board are set forth herein as Appendix A, Officer Descriptions. The structure of the Executive Board may change from time to time as the needs of the BOA require. The structure must be voted on by the current year’s Executive Board and will take effect for the following school year. However, the current year’s Executive Board can change its own structure by a two-thirds vote of all current Executive Board members.

SECTION 2. MEETINGS.

In addition to performing the duties set forth herein, the Executive Board shall meet at least once a month during the regular academic year to communicate about current and future projects, to consider and act upon, matters concerning the BOA. The BOA Chair shall set the time and place for these meetings.

SECTION 3. RESPONSIBILITY.

The Executive Board shall be the rule-making body within the BOA. In the event a matter is not specifically addressed by the BOA Constitution and its addenda, the Executive Board shall meet and confer on the issue. The issue must be resolved by a two-thirds vote of all Executive Board members.

SECTION 4. INDIVIDUAL OFFICER DUTIES.

These duties are set forth in Appendix A, Officer Descriptions.

SECTION 5. TRANSITION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD.

Within two weeks after the election of the New Executive Board, the Old Executive Board Members shall individually meet with their successors and substantively review their Standard Operating Procedure. A full Board meeting, of both the new and old board, shall meet as soon as reasonably practicable.

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Article IX

SELECTION AND RESIGNATION OF BOA OFFICERS

SECTION 1. SELECTION OF BOA OFFICERS.

Clause 1. Time. BOA Officers shall be selected once every academic year, on a date and time set by the Chair of the BOA.

Clause 2. Qualifications. Any student of the law school who has completed 1L year and is in good standing is eligible to be a candidate for any Officer position in the BOA.

Clause 3. Selection Process. The BOA Chair shall arrange for a meeting of BOA Executive Board to interview potential applicants. New Officers shall be chosen by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board. Any officer position not filled after the interview process is completed shall be appointed by the Chair of the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. RESIGNATION OF AN OFFICER.

Clause 1. Method. A BOA Officer may resign their duties by written notice to the Executive Board. The resigning Officer will immediately turn over all BOA related material and vacate their post. Failure to fulfill these responsibilities is ground for losing membership status.

Clause 2. Replacement. The Executive Board shall replace a resigning officer as soon as reasonably possible after the Executive Board meeting where it received notice of the resignation. Nominations can come from any person on the Executive Board. Nominations shall be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board. Selection to the Board requires a unanimous vote by the current Executive Board.

Article X

RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT

SECTION 1. RATIFICATION OF CONSTITUTION.

This Constitution will be in effect upon its adoption by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES.

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Clause 1. Proposal. An amendment to an article of this Constitution may be proposed by any BOA Officer or by a petition signed by at least 50 percent of the total membership of the BOA. The proposal must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board.

Clause 2. Ratification. The BOA Chair shall arrange for a day to vote on the proposal. The BOA Chair may permit advocacy in favor of, and opposed to, the proposal. The vote shall be by secret written ballot. The vote shall be by BOA advocate level members and above. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast is required to ratify the Amendment.

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Chair

Vice Chair Administration

Membership Director

Technology Director

Public Relations Director

Merchandise Director

Vice Chair Off-Campus Advocacy

Off-Campus Director

Off-Campus Director

Off-Campus Director

Tryout/Shadow Program Director

Reimbursement Director

Vice Chair Off-Campus Appellate

Advocacy

Off-Campus Director

Off-Campus Director

Off-Campus Director

Tryout/Shadow Program Director

Vice Chair On-Campus

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

On-Campus Director

Hosting Director

Judge Recruitment Director

Judge Recruitment Director

Judge Recruitment Director

Vice Chair Student Affairs

DKP DirectorDKP Director

Social DirectorSocial Director

Alumni Director Orientation Director

Workshop Director 1L Rep

1L Rep 1L Rep

Appendix A

Organizational Diagram

General Notes All Director positions receive ten (10) Administrative Points for the entire year of

service. All Executive Board positions receive fifteen (15) Administrative Points for the entire

year of service. All positions receive one hour of non-graded class credit **( all Officers may claim only

one (1) class credit hour for service in their law school career, even if they serve more than two semesters.)**

“†” – Chair or Vice Chair position; responsibilities include supervision of other officers Directorships provide a great way for underclassmen to prepare for and gain experience

to move up in the organization, either to the Chair or Vice Chair positions. Accordingly, the leadership positions are generally awarded to officers with experience.

All Officers must help run Tryouts each semester. Descriptions below are intended to give Directors a broad scope of their duties; they do

not include everything required for the position.

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Chair

† (Briana Blackman for 2018-2019)

The Chair is responsible for the overall image and functionality of the Board of Advocates. Through hard work and communication this position sets the tone for the entire year of Dedman Advocacy. Time commitment is extensive.

Specifically, Chair is responsible for:

Requires knowledge of all types of advocacy, competitions, and BOA related activities Supervise all officers; provide assistance at all times for all functions of the BOA Emcee info sessions, seminars, and meetings Coordinate with the Deans’ Suite regarding competitions, reservations, and relations in

general Plan and conduct student and coach surveys Brainstorm and implement ways to improve every BOA officer position, event, and

process Represent the BOA at a variety of events, including dinners, ceremonies, etc. Facilitate Order of Barristers selection process Plan, coordinate, and obtain Dean-approval of the annual budget. This requires

coordinating with all officers to determine financial needs for off-campus teams, administration, on-campus competitions, education seminars, DKP, etc. (The budget is created in the early part of the summer prior to the academic year)

Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

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Administration Vice-Chair—Administration† (Kristina Smith for 2018-2019)

The Vice-Chair of Administration will act as liaison with the law school for launching new projects and maintaining the structure and organization of the BOA. The Vice-Chair of Administration is also responsible for communicating information regarding competitions, tryouts, and other activities to members, coaches, and judges. Time commitment is extensive.Specifically, the Vice-Chair of Administration is responsible for:

Communicating information about BOA events and progress Maintaining and updating the shared Executive Board Calendar Producing a monthly BOA Newsletter to highlight directors, events, and successes of the

BOA Collaborating with other Executive Board members to establish new events and projects

that improve the function and success of the BOA Maintaining the online Box for institutional documents Spreadsheet with winners of competitions, year-end awards, and barristers Overseeing merchandise designs and procurement Overseeing public relations through social media and on-campus outreach Approve merchandise and social media posts to maintain the professional image of the

BOA Overseeing the BOA website updates and technology improvements Overseeing points and membership Resolving any disputes relating to BOA Points (Taking over BOA Points if necessary) Publicizing to the student body any changes to the By-laws regarding membership Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

a. Membership Director* (one officer)

*The Membership Director and Technology Director roles may be combined or separated based on applicant skills or needsThe Membership Director is responsible for checking and approving/disapproving point submissions, sending out weekly announcements, and updating content. Specifically, the Membership Director is responsible for:

Monitoring and enforcing BOA Membership Rules, such as points deadlines, proper use of points submission forms, etc.

Liaison with other Directors and the Executive Board regarding participation and service points

Maintain alumni database Distributing and processing information for BOA membership Securing results of all competitions, verifying competition points awarded to all BOA

membership applicants with the applicable director, and inputting the points for the BOA applicants on the website

Assisting the Vice-Chair of Administration as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

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b. Technology Director* (one officer)

*The Membership Director and Technology Director roles may be combined or separated based on applicant skills or needsThe Technology Director is responsible for all aspects of the BOA website and point management system. Specifically, the Technology Director is responsible for:

Liaison with LawTech on website needs and issues Ensuring that the SMU BOA website is up to date and accessible to both BOA members

and prospective members regarding upcoming events, general information, awards, procedures, and documents

Collaborating with the entire Executive Board and incorporating their feedback into the development and maintenance of the website and Facebook page

Assisting the Vice-Chair of Administration as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

c. Public Relations Director (one officer)

The Public Relations Director is responsible for social media postings and on-campus outreach. Specifically, the Public Relations Director is responsible for:

Working with the Chair and the Vice-Chair to craft a social media story Updating the BOA’s social media with professional, thoughtful posts Get approval from Vice-Chair of Administration for posts Putting up flyers around campus about the progress and success of the BOA Maintaining the law school’s BOA bulletin board with on-campus competition photos

and results Helping out with tabling sessions to get the word out about BOA events Assisting the Vice-Chair of Administration as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

d. Merchandise Director (one officer)

The Merchandise Director is responsible for managing BOA merchandise and trophies. Specifically, the Merchandise Director is responsible for:

Brainstorm and create designs for new merchandise Get approval from Vice-Chair of Administration for all designs Order approved merchandise and be responsible for it until the items are sold Responsible for the merchandise payments and ensuring all money goes to the BOA Coordinating with the Vice-Chair of Administration for trophy needs and ordering

trophies Helping out with tabling sessions to promote BOA merchandise Assisting the Vice-Chair of Administration as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

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Off-Campus Advocacy

Vice-Chair—Off-Campus Advocacy and Finances† (Austin Hamby for 2018-2019)

The Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Advocacy oversees all matters relating to off-campus non-moot court teams, including the Mock Trial, Negotiations, and Arbitration teams. Both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus Advocacy aid the Chair in setting the budget for the year.

Specifically, this officer is in charge of:

Overseeing tryouts for all Mock Trial, Negotiations, and Client Counseling competition teams.

Determining which advocacy competitions SMU will attend for the year and obtain coaches for each team.

Working with the Chair to create a budget for each team. Plan, coordinate, and obtain Dean-approval of the annual budget. This requires

coordinating with all officers to determine financial needs for off-campus teams, administration, on-campus competitions, education seminars, DKP, etc. The budget is created in the early part of the summer prior to the academic year.

Overseeing registration for each advocacy team with its respective competition. Overseeing all necessary travel (hotel, flights, ground transportation, etc.) arrangements,

and oversees the logistics associated with each competition. Communicating with competitors, coaches, competition organizers, the BOA Executive

Council, the BOA faculty sponsor, and the law school administration regarding off-campus competitions and teams.

Communicating team awards to Technology Director & Dean Suite for recognition. Managing the BOA finances pertaining to advocacy teams during the school year,

monitoring the budget for BOA functions, and processing off-campus team expenditures for reimbursement by the University.

Reviewing team evaluation forms and acting on them, if necessary. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

a. Off-Campus Director (three officers)

The three Off-Campus Directors work under the Off-Campus Vice-Chair, who will assign duties evenly among them. Duties include:

Conducting research into competition rules, deadlines, travel requirements. Gathering necessary information from students for travel arrangements. Registering teams for their competitions. Making travel arrangements for teams, including travel to/from the airport, airfare or

rental car, and hotel accommodations. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA. Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Advocacy as needed

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b. Tryout/Shadow Program Director (one officer)

The Tryout Director/Shadow Program Director is supervised by both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus Advocacy. Duties include:

Tryouts o Working with both Off-Campus Vice-Chairs and with the Advocacy Logistics

Director with planning and implementation of tryouts.o Helping to get the details of tryouts on the BOA website and in all-law

announcements.o Working with Student Affairs Director and Vice-Chair Student Affairs to set up

an AES about tryouts.o Working with Dean Suite (Rebekah Bell) to book rooms for all BOA Off-Campus

events. Budget

o Working with Vice-Chair to keep the budget up-to-date.o Shadow Programo Coordinate with coaches and student shadows (who practice, but do not compete)

on a participation scheduleo In collaboration with the Vice-Chair of Advocacy, ensure that both shadows and

coaches garner a beneficial experience out of the process. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA. Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Advocacy as needed

c. Reimbursement Director (one officer shared between both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus)

The Reimbursement Director is supervised by both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus Advocacy; they will coordinate an informational session and file the completed reimbursement forms.

AES Sessiono Outline the reimbursement process for competition expenses, including permitted

reimbursement items, and non-reimbursable items.o Demonstrate how to properly fill out the appropriate form and receive

reimbursement. Filing Forms

o Collaborating with both Vice-Chairs, ensuring the proper filing of off-campus reimbursement forms with requisite receipts.

o Alerting competitors and coaches of improper reimbursement submissions by returning forms to students and identifying the issue(s) of submission, such as: failure to attach receipts, or filing non-reimbursable purchase, etc.

Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Advocacy as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

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Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy

Vice-Chair—Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy & Finances† (Adrian Galvan for 2018-2019)

The Off-Campus Vice-Chair coordinates all matters pertaining to all moot court interscholastic competitions to which SMU sends teams. Additionally, the Off-Campus Vice-Chair has various financial responsibilities. Time commitment is extensive.

Specifically, this officer is responsible for:

Overseeing tryouts for all moot court interscholastic competition teams. Determining which competitions SMU will attend for the year and obtain coaches for

each team. Working with the Chair to create a budget for each moot court team. Work with other Vice-Chairs to plan, coordinate, and obtain Dean-approval of the annual

budget. This requires coordinating with all officers to determine financial needs for off-campus teams, administration, on-campus competitions, education seminars, DKP, etc. The budget is created in the early part of the summer prior to the academic year.

Overseeing registration for each team with its respective competition. Overseeing all necessary travel (hotel, flights, ground transportation, etc.) arrangements,

and oversees the logistics associated with each moot court competition. Acting as the liaison between the moot court competitors, coaches, competition

organizers, the BOA Executive Council, the BOA faculty sponsor, and the law school administration regarding off-campus competitions and teams.

Communicating moot court team awards to Technology Director & Dean Suite for recognition.

Managing the BOA off-campus finances during the school year, monitoring the budget for BOA functions, and processing moot court off-campus team expenditures for reimbursement by the University.

Reviewing moot court team evaluation forms and acting on them, if necessary. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

a. Off-Campus Director (three officers)

The three Off-Campus Directors work under the Off-Campus Vice-Chair, who will assign duties evenly among them. Duties include:

Helping the Tryout Director with planning and implementation of tryouts. Conducting research into competition rules, deadlines, travel requirements. Gathering necessary information from students for travel arrangements. Registering teams for their competitions. Making travel arrangements for teams, including travel to/from the airport, airfare or

rental car, and hotel accommodations. Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

b. Tryout/Shadow Program Director (one officer)

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The Appellate Advocacy Logistics Director works under the Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy Vice-Chair. Duties include:

Tryoutso Working with both Off-Campus Vice-Chairs and with the Advocacy Logistics

Director with planning and implementation of tryouts.o Helping to get the details of tryouts on the BOA website and in all-law

announcements.o Working with Student Affairs Director and Vice-Chair of Student Affairs to set

up an AES about tryouts if possible. o Working with Dean Suite (Rebekah Bell) to book rooms for all BOA events.

Budget o Working with Vice-Chair and Off-Campus Appellate coaches to determine a

budget for the year. o Working with Vice-Chair to keep the budget up-to-date.

Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

c. Reimbursement Director (one officer shared between both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus)

The Reimbursement Director is supervised by both Vice-Chairs of Off-Campus Advocacy; they will coordinate an informational session and file the completed reimbursement forms.

AES Sessiono Outline the reimbursement process for competition expenses, including permitted

reimbursement items, and non-reimbursable items.o Demonstrate how to properly fill out the appropriate form and receive

reimbursement. Filing Forms

o Collaborating with both Vice-Chairs, ensuring the proper filing of off-campus reimbursement forms with requisite receipts.

o Alerting competitors and coaches of improper reimbursement submissions by returning forms to students and identifying the issue(s) of submission, such as: failure to attach receipts, or filing non-reimbursable purchase, etc.

Assisting the Vice-Chair of Off-Campus Appellate Advocacy as needed Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA

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On-Campus

Vice-Chair—On-Campus Competitions† (Charles Entsminger for 2018-2019)

The On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for planning, coordinating and running intrascholastic competitions with the help of several directors in accordance with the guidance and intent of the Chair. The typical annual competitions are Negotiations, 2L/2E Moot Court, Fall Mock Trial, 1L Closing Argument, Voir Dire, Spring Mock Trial, Top Gun, and Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst Moot Court. These competitions are subject to change, including adding and eliminating competitions if/when required by the Chair and Faculty. The Vice-Chair will work with the Chair and other Vice-Chairs to plan, implement, and monitor an annual budget. Also, the On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for coordinating any interscholastic competitions that SMU is scheduled to host (if necessary a “Hosting Director” position will be authorized*). Time commitment is extensive.

Specifically, the On-Campus Vice-Chair is responsible for:

Coordinating with Student Affairs Directors regarding necessary judges for intrascholastic and interscholastic (when necessary) competitions hosted by SMU Law.

Securing judges' and attorneys' participation in on-campus advocacy events. Maintaining communication with competitors, judges, bailiffs, witnesses, and jurors. Providing judges with directions, competition materials, parking, food, and drinks. Maintaining communication with the Dean's Suite regarding competitions. Coordinating with the Student Affairs Directors regarding AES seminars as info-sessions

for on-campus competitions. Overseeing all on-campus competitions and assigning tasks among the On-Campus

Directors. Creating a budget for On-Campus events and working with the Chair and other Vice-

Chairs to approve an overall BOA budget. Creating competition schedules, brackets, and teams. Fairly determining which On-Campus Directors may compete in which intrascholastic

competitions. Finding or creating competition problems, ballots, and instructions. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

a. On-Campus Director (seven officers)

On-Campus Directors will work directly under the On-Campus Vice-Chair to plan, coordinate, and operate all on-campus competitions in accordance with the guidance and intent of the On-Campus Vice-Chair. Each On-Campus Director is responsible for planning and executing two to three intrascholastic competitions (meaning that they cannot compete in those competitions). Guidance and competition specific instructions will be provided to each Director by the On-Campus Vice-Chair when competitions are assigned. Generally, each On-Campus Director will manage and coordinate one event in the fall semester and one event in the spring semester. The On-Campus Vice-Chair will divide the competitions for the year and assign them to these directors fairly. When not acting as the assigned managing director (primary) for a particular event one (1) other On-Campus Director will be assigned to

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act as secondary for that event, thus ensuring that EVERY event will have two (2) assigned Directors (one acting as primary the other acting as secondary). Directors not assigned to an event are required to assist the primary Director where and when needed.Such duties include:

Finding problems for Interscholastic Competitions. Reserving rooms for competitions (and any other facilities related reservations or work

requests necessary for the competition). Ordering and delivering food for competitions. Working at the competition, which requires being present throughout the competition,

checking in competitors, bailiffs, judges, jurors, and witnesses, as necessary. Tracking participation of student competitors and volunteers to verify, record, and report

necessary point allocations after each event. Cleaning up after the competition is over (including competition rooms). Sending competition information to the Student Affairs Vice-Chair for inclusion in the

BOA’s weekly announcements and in all-law emails. Working with Student Affairs Directors to organize Advocacy Education Series (AES)

meetings for each on-campus competition:o Recruiting a speaker for each information session.o Providing food for each information session.o Working with the Student Affairs Team to advertise the information sessions.

Communicating competition information including the number of required volunteers to the Judge-Recruitment Directors.

Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA. Assisting the Vice-Chair of On-Campus Competitions as needed.

b. Judge Recruitment Director (three officers)

The Judge Recruitment Director recruits and promotes attorney participation in BOA advocacy events. They work closely and directly under the Vice-Chair of On-Campus Competitions. Each is expected to assist their fellow judge recruitment directors to maintain various aspects of the BOA’s relationship with attorneys in the community. Specifically, the Judge Recruitment Director is responsible for:

Maintaining and expanding the BOA Attorney Database with contact information for local attorneys who have judged or expressed interest in judging on-campus competitions.

o Coordinating with On-Campus Directors after each competition to track no-show/late volunteer attorneys.

o Updating the database with inactive or unreliable judges to ensure efficient and consistent attorney participation.

Securing judges' and attorneys' participation in on-campus advocacy events. o This process must start well in advance of each competition, timelines will be

provided by the On-Campus Vice-Chair.o Report the status and number of judges secured for each competition to the On-

Campus Vice-Chair at regular intervals. Providing judges with directions, competition materials, parking, food, and drinks. Assisting the Vice-Chair of On-Campus Competitions as needed. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

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c. Hosting Director* (one officer)

*Position is contingent on SMU hosting interscholastic competitions, not a permanent position* The Hosting Director will work directly under the On-Campus Vice-Chair to plan, coordinate, and operate interscholastic competitions hosted by SMU (e.g. National Trial Competition). In addition to the Director’s hosting responsibilities, the Hosting Director will also aid other on-campus directors with running intrascholastic competitions as needed. The Hosting Director should plan on running at least one on-campus event.Such duties include:

Planning and coordinating all aspects of any interscholastic competition that SMU hosts such as the National Trial Competition (very time intensive).

Communicate with alumni relations in the Dean’s Suite regarding weekly alumni emails to promote alumni awareness and engagement with the BOA.

Assisting On-Campus Directors as needed (see On-Campus Director responsibilities). Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

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Student AffairsVice-Chair—Student Affairs† (Nikki Britten for 2018-2019)

The Vice-Chair of Student Affairs promotes student participation in BOA advocacy event, including Off-Campus and On-Campus competitions. The Vice-Chair of Student Affairs is also responsible for overseeing directors who organize various membership recruitment and community outreach events.

Specifically, The Vice-Chair of Student Affairs is responsible for:

Organizing PR events on campus in the Underwood Law Library pit in order to promote participation in BOA events.

Gathering student contact information to add to the list-serve. Orchestrating BOA participation in the SMU Law Student Organization Fair with the

Student Affairs Director. Planning the annual BOA Advocacy Awards Banquet. Supervising Student Affairs Directors. Supervising and coordinating the Dallas Kid’s Project. Coordinating with the Legal Writing Department for 1L writing workshops and planning

oral advocacy workshops. Attending networking events in order to promote participation in BOA events and gather

attorney contact information to add to the Attorney Database. Assisting with fundraising for BOA events. Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA.

a. Dallas Kids Project Director (two officers)

The Director of DKP is responsible for organizing and overseeing the execution of a mock trial competition for local elementary school children in both the fall and spring semesters. This director will work closely with both SMU and area school administrations to coordinate the dates and times of practices and competition.

Duties include:

Managing volunteer sign-ups Training volunteers Attending and overseeing every practice session Facilitating an SMU campus tour for the children Ensuring the successful completion of the mock trial competition Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

b. Alumni Networking Director (one officer)

The Alumni Networking director is responsible for maintaining relationships with SMU law alumni and planning networking events. In addition, this person is responsible for planning the small, mid-size, and boutique law firm networking event.

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Duties include:

Fundraising Outreach Maintaining and updating a list of alumni contacts Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

c. Writing Workshop Director (one officer)

The 1L Writing Workshop director is responsible for executing fall memo and spring brief writing workshops geared toward 1L students. This person must have strong writing and citation skills.

Duties include:

Creating and hosting writing presentations for 1L students Developing PowerPoint presentations and creating handouts with writing tips for 1Ls Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

d. Social Director (two officers)

The Social Directors are responsible for organizing happy hours, social events, and the BOA end of year Banquet.

Duties include:

Planning events Fundraising Hosting tabling sessions Coordinating with off-campus venues and vendors Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

e. Orientation Director (one officer)

The Orientation Director is responsible for developing the fall and spring Board of Advocates orientation presentations.

Duties include:

Preparing and giving presentations Coordinating the date and venue of the orientations Distributing membership information to 1L’s and non-members Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

f. 1L Representatives* (three officers)

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*The 1L Representatives will be selected from the new 1L class in the fall.

These three students serve as a point of contact between the 1L class and the BOA.

Duties include:

Making in-class announcements about upcoming events Attending tabling sessions Anything else that is required to achieve the goals of the BOA Performing any additional duties as directed by the Vice-Chair

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