Bylaws

ARTICLE I: Name and Purpose

(A) The name of the Organization shall be the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal ("CPILJ").

(B) CPILJ shall be a nonpartisan organization dedicated to furthering discussion of legal aspects of public interest priorities related to the crucial political, economic, and social issues facing underrepresented people.

(C) To further those ends, CPILJ shall:

(1) Publish at least two (2) times per academic year some or all of the following:

(a) Useful, timely, and original articles and commentaries related to public interest issues and composed by preeminent legal scholars, practicing lawyers, academics, and professionals in related and/or interdisciplinary fields.

(b) In accordance with (C)(1)(a), contributions written and submitted for publication per these Bylaws that have been submitted by CPILJ members, nonmember University of Connecticut School of Law ("UCONN Law") students, and students enrolled at other American Bar Association-approved law schools.

(c) Book reviews and other timely contributions as the Editorial Board shall deem worthy of publication.

(2) Maintain an Internet web site on which CPILJ shall publish its editions as well as other relevant and timely information as the Editorial Board deems appropriate.

(3) Sponsor and organize at least one (1) symposium per academic year, which shall be open to the public, and which shall be about a timely topic related to public interest legal issues.

ARTICLE II: Member Selection

(A) Numbers

(1) At least twenty (20), but not to exceed thirty-five (35), UCONN Law students shall be selected for CPILJ membership per year on the basis of their participation in the Supplemental Write-On, and/or the intra-journal Joint Write-On Competition ("Joint Write-On"), and/or the Alternative Application Process (“AAP”) as set forth in section (A)(2) and section (B) of this article, respectively, and collectively referred to as "Write-On," and/or by the Automatic Bids as set forth in Section (F) of this Article.

(2) In addition to the students selected under section (A) of this Article, one (1) replacement member may be selected for each CPILJ member who (i) has resigned from CPILJ during the previous year, or (ii) shall be absent from UCONN Law for at least one (1) semester.

(B) Summer Competitions: CPILJ shall select a minimum of seventy-five (75) percent of its annual new membership through the summer competitions.

(1) Joint Write-on in accordance with the terms of Joint Write-On procedures collectively established and enforced by CPILJ, Connecticut Law Review, Connecticut Insurance Law Journal, and Connecticut Journal of International Law. While CPILJ shall strive to work together with the other journals in establishing and enforcing the procedures for the Joint Write-On, CPILJ shall not, however, be bound by the Connecticut Law Review, the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal, the Connecticut Journal of International Law, or the Joint Write-On procedures in general in determining the proper write-on procedures and processes for CPILJ individually.

2) AAP

(a) CPILJ shall conduct an AAP which shall run concurrently with the Joint Write-On. The AAP shall run for three days and shall take place during the second weekend of the Joint Write-On, from noon on Friday to noon on Monday.

(b) The AAP shall consist of three sections:

i. a 4-6 page article of publishable quality based on a closed universe of sources;

ii. a bluebooking exercise; and

iii. a 1-2 page statement of interest.

(c) Submissions received through the AAP shall be judged in a compatible way to those received through the Write-On.

(C) Supplemental Write-On: At the discretion of the Editorial Board, UCONN Law students, in the day and evening divisions who are precluded from participating in the Joint Write-On described in section (B) of this article, including transfer students, may be offered CPILJ membership based on the submission of an article of publishable quality on a topic of public interest relevance.

(1) At most, the greater of six (6) members, or twenty-five (25) percent of the total number of new members per year may be added through the Supplemental Write-On.

(2) Upper-class members selected through the Supplemental Write-On will be preferred to fill vacant Editorial Board positions, not to include Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Administrative Editor.

(3) To maintain anonymity, only the last four digits of an entrant's social security number and a four-digit number of their choosing shall identify manuscripts submitted through the Supplemental Write-On.

(D) Judging: Every CPILJ member is responsible for assessing Write-On submissions on the basis of legal analysis, organization, creativity, and conformance with the latest edition of A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION, also referred to as the "BLUEBOOK," as well as the most recent edition of THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE, as set forth by the Joint Write-On Competition Committee ("Competition Committee"). Each entry must be assessed by a minimum of three (3) CPILJ members.

(E) Offers Conditioned: All offers of membership shall remain conditional. Full membership is contingent on several factors, including, but not limited to: participation in August Orientation training, performance of required production work, including effective and thorough completion of cite-checking assignments by using THE BLUEBOOK and THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE, regular attendance at CPILJ meetings, and timely completion of mandatory writing requirements, as set forth by the Editor-in-Chief and the Notes and Comments Editors.

(F) Automatic Bids: At the yearly discretion of the Editorial Board, automatic bids for membership to CPILJ may be extended to the top eleven (11) 1L day students and to the top six (6) 1L evening students.

ARTICLE III: Membership Requirements

(A) Leave of Absence: Where a student, once a CPILJ member, is absent from UCONN Law for one (1) semester, for reasons including, but not limited to: study abroad, domestic study at another law school, or leave of absence for personal reasons, their membership on CPILJ shall be suspended for that time, unless other arrangements have been made with the Editorial Board. The student's membership shall be reinstated upon return to UCONN Law if the student petitions the Editor-in-Chief and the Managing Editor and if both agree to reinstate the student. Such an absence may not exceed one (1) semester, and absences exceeding one (1) semester will require reapplication to CPILJ through the Supplemental Write-On process.

(B) Hours Requirement: All CPILJ members are expected to perform all prescribed duties, including but not limited to assigned Office Hours, Journal meetings, and committee-related tasks, to exceed eighty (80) hours of work for CPILJ per semester. Time spent on the completion of a publishable note or comment by the dates set forth by the Notes and Comments Editors, falls outside of the hours requirement.

(C) Revocation of Membership: Any CPILJ member may be removed for just cause by a two-thirds vote of the membership.

(1) "Just cause," for the purpose of these Bylaws, shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (i) failure to comply with all prescribed journal duties, including but not limited to: submission of a note or comment of publishable quality, superior completion of all cite checks (which shall be prescribed by the Editorial Board) with the aid of THE BLUEBOOK and THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE, and adequate and effective participation on the member's CPILJ committee, or (ii) failure to perform the eighty (80) hours per semester of office hours required of all CPILJ members.

(2) Revocation of CPILJ membership will be preceded by a (i) an informal warning administered in person, via telephone, or via UCONN Law e-mail, followed by (ii) a formal, written warning, followed by (iii) an offer for resignation from the Editorial Board, followed by (iv) submission of a written resolution for removal presented by the charging member, which may be approved by a secret ballot, and requires a two-thirds vote.

(3) Once a written resolution for removal is approved by CPILJ membership, the Editor-in-Chief, if not so charged, will notify the member of their removal.

(D) By the last day of classes in the member's first year of membership, each member shall have completed at least one (1) note or comment of at least twenty-five (25) pages or as otherwise dictated by the Editorial Board. Alternatively, and with the approval of their assigned Notes and Comments Editor or the Editor-in-Chief, a member may write two (2) shorter articles of approximately ten (10) to fifteen (15) pages. The first of these shorter articles must be completed in publishable form prior to April 15 of the member's first year of membership. Failure to comply with the writing requirement will result in revocation of CPILJ membership.

ARTICLE IV: Officers

(A) For the purpose of these Bylaws, the governing structure of CPILJ shall be in the order of officers stated below:

(1) EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: There shall be an Editor-in-Chief, who shall be responsible to CPILJ to uphold and enforce these Bylaws, preside over all Journal meetings, supervise the assignment and editing of all work, arrange for the publication of CPILJ and oversee all administrative duties and editorial functions incident to the successful operation and publication of CPILJ. The Editor-in-Chief shall also serve as a principal member of the Competition Committee along with the Administrative Editor. The Editor-in-Chief shall be a member of the CPILJ Executive Board.

(2) MANAGING EDITOR: There shall be a Managing Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief, and shall assist the Editor-in-Chief in formulating the long-term policies and goals of CPILJ. The Managing Editor shall have operational responsibility for the assignment of all production work of CPILJ and shall maintain and supervise an efficient system for coordinating the work of the Journal's various editors and committees. The Managing Editor shall also have the responsibility of taking notes at all Journal meetings and distributing such notes to all members.The Managing Editor shall also serve as a member of the Competition Committee. The Managing Editor shall be a member of the CPILJ Executive Board.

(3) ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR: There shall be an Administrative Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for all business and financial affairs of the CPILJ. The Administrative Editor shall maintain the subscription list, arrange for advertising, supervise all fundraising and development necessary for CPILJ, manage any Journal investments, and serve as a general administrator of the Competition Committee. The Administrative Editor shall be a member of the CPILJ Executive Board.

(4) SENIOR ARTICLES EDITOR: There shall be a Senior Articles Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for coordinating the intake of all electronic and hardcopy submissions; disseminating all submissions among the Articles Editors for review; and notifying the authors of all submissions whether his or her work is accepted or rejected for publication by CPILJ. The Senior Articles Editor shall be a member of the CPILJ Executive Board.

(5) PRODUCTION EDITOR: There shall be a Production Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Managing Editor, and shall assist the Managing Editor. The Production Editor shall have operational responsibility for maintaining the style and layout of the journal.

(6) COMPETITION EDITOR(S): There shall be a minimum of one (1) Competition Editor who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for effectively conducting the summer Write-On Competition and the Supplemental Write-On Competition if one is held. The Competition Editor shall work closely with the Editor-in-Chief to administer the summer Write-On Competition and the Supplemental Write-On Competition if one is held. The Competition Editor's duties shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: attending all meetings regarding the Write-On Competition, conducting research for the Write-On problem, administering the Write-On materials, collecting the Write-On materials, distributing the submissions to all 3L CPILJ members, collecting the 3Ls' scores for the submissions, and composing a master list of competitors for the selection process to be used to draft 2L members. The Competition Editor shall serve as a member of the Competition Committee.

(7) SYMPOSIUM EDITOR(S): There shall be a minimum of one (1) Symposium Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for the organization and coordination of any and all symposia sponsored by CPILJ.

(8) TECHNOLOGY EDITOR(S): There shall be a minimum of one (1) Technology Editor, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for maintaining CPILJ's web site and computer equipment.

(9) ARTICLES EDITORS: There shall be a minimum of three (3) Articles editors, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for the solicitation and selection of all articles (other than student submissions) for publication in the CPILJ, and for the editing of articles selected for publication.

(10) EXECUTIVE EDITORS: There shall be a minimum of three (3) Executive Editors, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for the technical accuracy of all articles published in CPILJ. In the execution of their duties, the Executive Editors shall work in tandem with the Managing Editor to ensure timely publication of CPILJ.

(11) NOTES & COMMENT EDITORS: There shall be a minimum of three (3) Notes and Comments Editors, who shall be directly responsible to the Editor-in-Chief for, and shall have direct supervisory control of, all student submissions to CPILJ, and the editing of those submissions for publication in CPILJ.

(12) SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS: All members who are eligible for election to the Editorial Board and are not so elected shall become Senior Associate Editors. Senior Associate Editors shall have editorial and production responsibilities and production responsibilities as assigned to them by the Managing Editor.

ARTICLE V: Elections

(A) Each year, between March 1 and March 21, on a date selected by the Editorial Board, the positions set forth in Article V of these Bylaws shall be filled by secret ballot at a meeting attended by at least three-fourths of the membership; three-fourths of the membership shall be present at all times. Proxies shall not be used to cast ballots or to fulfill the attendance requirement. The order of the election shall follow the governing structure of officers as described in Article IV. Any member of CPILJ may make nominations for positions. All members in good standing who shall be enrolled at UCONN Law in the Fall and Spring semesters following elections shall be eligible to be candidates for office. The balloting shall be subject to the procedures of Article V(B) and shall be conducted as follows:

(1) For the offices of Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Administrative Editor, and Senior Articles Editor: each member, including candidates, shall be allowed one (1) vote. No person shall be elected to office without receiving a majority of the votes cast. In the event that no candidate shall receive a majority of any ballot, the candidate receiving the least number of votes on the ballot shall be eliminated. The balloting shall continue until one (1) candidate is selected.

(2) For the offices of Symposium Editor(s), Technology Editor(s), Competition Editor(s), Article Editors, Executive Editors, and Notes and Comments Editors:

(a) If there shall be more than four (4) candidates for the positions available, a preliminary ballot shall be held to reduce the number to four (4), as follows. Members, including candidates, shall vote for up to three (3) different candidates. The four (4) candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall advance to the next ballot, to be conducted as described in Article V (A) (2)(b) below. In the event of a tie vote for fourth place, the tied candidates shall advance in the next ballot.

(b) If there shall be four (4) or fewer candidates, members, including candidates, shall vote for up to the number of spots available per position. Those candidates receiving the votes of a majority of members present and voting shall be elected. If there is a tie between two (2) or more candidates for one (1) open position, then there shall be a re-vote with the tied candidates. If there is a tie after a re-vote, then the Editor-in-Chief shall cast an extra ballot. The balloting shall continue until all positions have been filled.

(B) Prior to the vote for each office, each candidate may give a brief speech and answer questions, of less than five (5) minutes, setting forth their qualifications and goals for the position. The candidates shall then leave the room and during their absence, members may discuss the candidates' qualifications and any issues regarding their abilities to function in the office sought. The Editor-in-Chief shall monitor the discussion but shall not contribute in a way that would indicate support or non-support of any particular candidate. The Editor-in-Chief shall not comment in support or non-support of any particular candidate. The Editor-in-Chief shall not comment on the candidates other than acting as monitor. However, if a member seeking office has been subject to a formal disciplinary action or written warning initiated by the Editor-in-Chief under Article III(C) of these Bylaws, then the Editor-in-Chief shall freely, and in the presence of the member, summarize the nature of the action, the response of the member in question to that action, and the ultimate resolution or disposition of the matter. Discussion shall center on topics relevant to the candidates' capacities to fulfill the responsibilities of the office, including skills, teamwork, and participation and timeliness in CPILJ duties. The Editor-in-Chief shall halt all derogatory remarks and any other comments irrelevant to the candidates' qualifications. If any member feels that a candidate should have the issue presented to the candidate upon their return to the room, then the ultimate decision regarding whether the issue shall be presented to a candidate shall rest with the Editorial Board, which on its own initiative may also require the issue to be presented to the candidate, without such request from a member. The member raising the issue shall not be identified. Areas of discussion are limited to those issues concerning commitment to and reputation of CPILJ.

(C) The officers so elected shall officially begin their duties and take office on the graduation day following their election and shall continue in office for one (1) year.

(D) Subject to Article V(E) and the election procedures of Article V Sections (A) and (B), special elections shall be held to fill any vacant office at the next general membership meeting following the vacancy. Notice of the election shall be given at least seven (7) days in advance.

(E) In the event the Editor-in-Chief shall become vacant, the Managing Editor shall assume that position until a special election is held in accordance with the provisions of Article V(D). If the Managing Editor is unable to carry out those duties, the Editorial Board, by a vote of the majority, shall elect one of the Articles Editors or the Senior Articles Editor to assume the position until the special election.

ARTICLE VI: Editorial Board

(A) The Editorial Board shall be the governing body of CPILJ. The Editorial Board shall consist of the positions sets forth in Article IV, excluding Senior Associate Editors.

(B) The Executive Board shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of CPILJ and shall consist of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing Editor, the Administrative Editor, and the Senior Articles Editor.

(C) Editorial Board meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, or Administrative Editor.

(D) The Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, or Administrative Editor shall announce Editorial Board meetings at least three (3) days in advance by posting a message in the CPILJ office and by sending an e-mail. The notices shall include the time, date, and place of the meeting and notice of any special matters to be considered at the meeting.

(E) All Editorial Board meetings shall be chaired by the Editor-in-Chief or his/her designee.

(F) A quorum, which is a simple majority of the Editorial Board, shall be present for the Board to conduct its business. The Editorial Board shall take action by a simple majority vote of the quorum and qualified proxies.

(G) Attendance at all Editorial Board meetings is required unless the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, or Administrative Editor excuses an Editor from attending.

ARTICLE VII: General Membership Meetings

(A) General membership meetings shall be called either by the Editor-in-Chief or two-thirds of the Editorial Board when necessary.

(B) General Membership meetings shall be announced pursuant to the procedures of Article VI(C) of these Bylaws.

(C) All general membership meetings shall be chaired by the Editor-in-Chief or his/her designee.

(D) Attendance at all general membership meetings shall be required unless the Editor-in-Chief excuses a member from attending.

ARTICLE VIII: Student Submissions

(A) Each member shall submit at least one (1) case note or comment of publishable quality as determined by the Editorial Board. The submitted piece should be at least twenty-five (25) pages in length. Alternatively, a member may submit two (2) shorter articles of at least ten (10) to fifteen (15) pages each with the approval of either a member's Notes and Comments Editor or the Editor-in-Chief.

(B) The piece(s) described in (A) shall be completed prior to the end of the member's first year on CPILJ unless an extension is granted by both the current Editor-in-Chief and the Editor-in-Chief for the term in which the extension will expire..

(C) Any current student of UCONN Law shall also be eligible to publish work in CPILJ. The Editor-in-Chief, in concert with the Editorial Board shall determine standards for submissions. As appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief shall publish guidelines for student submissions and otherwise notify the Law School of said guidelines.

ARTICLE IX: Faculty Advisory Board

The Journal shall have a Faculty Advisory Board consisting of two (2) to five (5) members of the UCONN Law faculty and/or faculty from other accredited institutions. The Faculty Advisory Board members shall serve serve until either the individual faculty member requests to be released from the position, or until the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Administrative Editor decide to release the individual faculty member from his or her advisory position on CPILJ for any reason or reasons deemed appropriate and reasonable by the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Administrative Editor There is no limit to the number of terms or years that a faculty member may serve on the Faculty Advisory Board.

ARTICLE X: Budgets

The Administrative Editor, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor, shall submit to the Editorial Board for its approval a proposed budget. The budget shall be prepared in compliance with state auditing procedure and shall cover the period from July 1 following the Administrative Editor's election to the following year on June 30. The budget may be revised at any time by a majority vote of the full Editorial Board. In addition, the Administrative Editor shall be responsible for preparing CPILJ budget request for the Student Bar Association ("SBA") each Fall, and for working with the SBA Treasurer and keeping record of all CPILJ transactions with the SBA. CPILJ shall maintain an account with UCONN Law School Foundation. The account shall contain all charitable contributions made by Alumni, friends, and members of CPILJ. These funds shall be spent on capital assets insofar as practical after approval by the Editorial Board. The Administrative Editor shall prepare a budget of proposed capital expenditures to be made with a Foundation function at the same time that the operating budget is approved. All CPILJ budget expenditures shall be approved by the Editorial Board.

ARTICLE XI: Bylaw Procedure

(A) These Bylaws may be amended from time to time, and the proposed amendments may be drafted by any member of the Editorial Board in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Administrative Editor. Notice of intent to amend, together with the text of the amendment(s), shall be given to the General Membership at least seven (7) days prior to a meeting at which the amendment(s) shall be put to a vote. A two-thirds vote of the quorum shall be required to effect any change in these Bylaws. On motion by the floor of one (1) member and subsequently seconded by at least three (3) other members, votes to amend the Bylaws shall be via secret ballot.

(B) Any member may vote at any membership meeting, except elections, and any officer may vote at any Editorial Board meeting, by use of a proxy executed by said member or officer.

ARTICLE XII: Intellectual Property Rights

The Editor-in-Chief shall ensure that appropriate intellectual property rights in works to be published are assigned by written instrument to the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal in return for publication. If the author or copyright holder refuses to transfer all copyrights in a work to CPILJ, the Editor-in-Chief or his/her designee shall secure at a minimum CPILJ's right to reproduce and distribute copies of the work. The Editor-in-Chief has sole discretion whether CPILJ will accept less than full transfer of rights and he/she will consider factors such as the professional reputation of the author, the quality and timeliness of the work and additional difficulties CPILJ may encounter when its rights in published works are not uniform. The assignment of rights shall be specific as to what rights each party retains and an original of such assignment shall be retained by CPILJ for an appropriate time.

ARTICLE XIII: Operations Manual

(A) CPILJ shall draft, enact, promulgate, and maintain a CPILJ Operations Manual (“Operations Manual”) in order to address practical operational issues and specific regulations specific to CPILJ. All members of CPILJ agree to be governed by the Operations Manual. Nothing in the Operations Manual shall be in direct conflict with any provisions set forth in these bylaws.

(B) The Managing Editor, or his/her designee, shall oversee the maintenance of the Operations Manual and shall have the power to draft and enact new regulations.

(C) All Regulations enacted or amended pursuant to this Article, shall be approved by the majority of the Executive Board and shall be promulgated to the membership. All regulations pursuant to this Article shall become effective no earlier than the date of the next general membership meeting or fourteen (14) days from the date of notice to the membership; whichever is longer.

(D) All Regulations enacted or amended pursuant to this Article may be repealed by (i) the Managing Editor, (ii) the majority of the Executive Board, or (iii) by a two-thirds vote of the membership.