ARTICLE I: Name
Southwest Riverside County Bar Association, a California mutual benefit non-profit corporation, (the "Association") shall operate under the name set forth in its Articles of Incorporation except that the Board of Directors may establish names for programs, activities, sections and committees.
<back up to top>

ARTICLE II: Purpose and Geographic Area
Section 1 - Purpose: The Association is established for the specific and primary purposes of advancing the science of jurisprudence, upholding and defending the constitution of the United States and the State of California, maintaining representative government, promoting the administration of justice and the uniformity of legislation of judicial decisions, encouraging a thorough legal education for all candidates for admission to the Bar, applying the knowledge and experience of its members in the field of law to the promotion of the public good, maintaining the honor and dignity of the profession of the law, and assisting the public in obtaining proper legal services. The general purposes and powers are to do all things and perform any act and exercise any right and any power which California mutual benefit non-profit corporations now are, or may hereafter be, permitted by law to do, for the purpose of accomplishing or furthering directly or indirectly any of the specific and primary purposes set forth above. The Association is not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings will inure to the benefit of any member, private shareholder or individual.
Section 2 - Geographic Area: The Association shall primarily serve that portion of Southwest Riverside County located within the Three Lakes Judicial District.
<back up to top>

ARTICLE III: Membership
Section 1 - Active Members: Any active member in good standing of the State Bar of California who is a resident of or practices law in the Three Lakes Judicial District of Southwest Riverside County may become an active member of this Association after being admitted to membership as provided herein. An application for active membership shall be submitted on the form provided by the Association for such purpose to the Secretary of that Association together with payment of the current annual dues. Upon receipt of that application, the Secretary shall give oral notice of the application at a regular or special meeting of the members or written notice of the application to the active members of the Association by either publishing such notice in the next regular Association bulletin or circulating a comparable notice by mail to the active membership. After notice has been given as set forth above, any active member who objects to approval of the application for membership may file written objections to approval of the application with the Association Secretary. If written objections are not received by the Secretary from two (2) or more active members within thirty (30) days after such notice, the applicant shall be deemed admitted to membership. If written objections are received from two (2) or more active members within thirty (30) days after such notice, the application shall be considered by the Board of Directors at its next regular meeting or at a special meeting called for such purpose. After reviewing the matter and receiving such evidence as it deems appropriate, the Board of Directors may decide the issue or submit the matter to the general membership. Thereafter the Secretary shall give written notice to the applicant and to all active members of the recommendation of the Board of Directors and of the time and place of the meeting of members at which such application will be considered. At the meeting, the application and the recommendation of the Board of Directors shall be presented to the active members present and a secret ballot conducted. If a majority of the active members present and voting approve the application, the applicant shall be admitted to membership. The applicant shall have the right to be heard at the meeting at which his/her application is considered.
Section 2 - Ex-Officio Members: Persons holding, appointed, or elected to judicial office within the Three Lakes Judicial District of Southwest Riverside County, who were or are qualified for membership at the time of such election or appointment, during the time they shall hold said office, shall be ex-officio members of this Association without the payment of dues or assessments and with all the privileges of membership, except that of voting.
Section 3 - Retired Members: Any active member who has retired from the active practice of law but who continues to maintain residence in the Three Lakes Judicial District of Southwest Riverside County, may upon written request, be transferred to the status of a retired member, whereupon the member shall be entitled to all of the privileges of the membership, without dues except that of voting. At any time thereafter, upon written request, the member may be restored to active membership if otherwise qualified, upon payment of current dues.
Section 4 - Honorary Members: The Association may elect to bestow honorary membership on persons not qualified for other classes of membership, upon such terms and conditions as may be fixed at the time of such election, provided that honorary members shall have no privileges other than the right to attend meetings and social functions of the Association and to receive its publication.
Section 5 - Student Members: Any law student regularly attending a law school in the State of California who is in his/her final year of study and who is a resident of or who attends law school in the Three Lakes Judicial District of Southwest Riverside County may become a student member of this Association after being admitted pursuant to Section I hereof. Such student member shall be entitled to all of the privileges of membership, at half the regular dues, except that of voting.
Section 6 - Revocation of License: Any member whose license to practice in the State of California is revoked or suspended shall automatically cease to be a member of this Association, as shall any member who resigns from membership in this Association or from the State Bar of California, and reinstatement shall be only in the manner provided for the admission of active members.
Section 7 - Suspension and Expulsion: The Board of Directors may adopt policies and procedures for expelling, suspending and/or terminating members and the grounds for such expulsion, suspension and/or termination provided that such policies and procedures shall be effective beginning not sooner than thirty (30) days after notice of the policies and procedures has been given to all members in writing. All members shall be notified annually of the current policies and procedures for expelling, suspending and/or terminating members at any time at which such policies and procedures are in effect.
<back up to top>

ARTICLE IV: Dues and Assessments
Section 1: The annual dues of this Association shall be set by the Board on an annual basis. The Board of Directors, may upon motion duly made and adopted, waive all or a portion of any dues called for herein. Any member who shall fail for a period of four (4) months after notice from the Treasurer to pay the annual dues or any assessments, shall be dropped from the active membership rolls. Notice of action taken shall be given in writing by the Secretary to such delinquent member. With the approval of the Board of Directors, any delinquent member so suspended maybe restored to membership upon payment of: (a) the delinquent sums and all subsequent assessments and dues which have become payable; or (b) the dues and any assessments for the current year.
Section 2: In addition to the annual dues, the members may, by majority vote, levy assessments from time to time in the event of necessity, which shall be the same for all active members.
<back up to top>

ARTICLE V: Officers and Elections
Section 1: The officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 2: The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as other directors, shall be elected by secret written ballot no later than November 15 of each year and shall hold office from January 1 to December 31. The President-Elect elected for the preceding year shall be declared elected as President and serve from January 1 to December 31. If, before he/she assumes the office of President, it becomes known to the Board of Directors that the President-Elect is unable or unwilling to serve, then the office of President shall be filled at the annual election or, if necessary, by a special election called by the Board of Directors.
Section 3: The Board of Directors or its designees shall serve as nominating committee of the Association. The nominating committee shall nominate one or more members of the Association for each of the offices of President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. Any active member of the Association shall be eligible for the offices of President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 4: The President shall announce, no later than the regular or special October meeting of the members, the recommendations of the nominating committee. Additional nominations for any office may be made by filing with the Secretary of the Association at anytime before October 31 a written nomination of an active member signed by five (5) members of the Association in good standing entitled to vote.
Section 5: On or before November 15, a ballot containing the names of all nominees with a blank "write-in" space for each office, shall be mailed to each member entitled to vote in such form and with such instructions as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors subject to the provisions of this Article.
Section 6: Vacancies in the office of Secretary or Treasurer shall be filled by the appointment of an active member by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors. If the vacancy occurs within two (2) months before said election, the office shall remain vacant until the next regular election. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the present President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President and serve as such during the unexpired term as well as for the following year.



<back up to top>