Section 1: The name of this Association shall be SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LAW LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION ("SNELLA"), a chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries.

Section 2: Its objectives shall be to develop and increase the usefulness and efficiency of law libraries, to promote the interests of librarians and members of their staff and to encourage cooperation among law libraries.

Section 3: There shall be four classes of membership as provided for in the by-laws.

Section 4: The Officers shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, the Immediate Past President, and two (2) elected members-at-large. The Editor of the newsletter and the Chair of the Publicity Committee shall be ex officio members with full voting rights. Elections will be held as designated in the by-laws.

Section 5: The duties of the Officers shall be those ordinarily assigned to said officers in similar associations and those assigned by the Association.

Section 6: A Nominating Committee of three members shall be elected by mail ballot. Election and duties are as provided in the by-laws.

Section 7: The President shall appoint all members of such committees as the Association may deem necessary. The editor of the newsletter and the Chair of the Publicity Committee shall be elected by their committees.

Section 8: Meetings may be held at such time and place as the Officers may determine.

Section 9: Any by-laws may be amended, suspended or repealed by the majority of voters cast in a mail ballot with a return date of not less than 20 days.

Section 10: The distribution of assets in the event of dissolution will be provided in the by-laws.

Section 11: This Constitution may be amended in the manner provided for in the by-laws.

Bylaws

Section 1: The four classes of membership are individual, associate, student, and life.

Section 2: Any person directly connected with a law library or with a separately maintained law section of a general library within the last seven (7) years, located in the area of Southern New England, may become an individual member of this Association upon the payment of the annual dues.

Section 3: Any person not directly connected with a law library or with a separately maintained law section of a general library may be elected to associate membership.

Section 4: Any person enrolled in either a curriculum of Library of Information Science or Law may become a student member upon payment of 1/2 of the regular membership dues.

Section 5: The Association may at any meeting, by a two-thirds vote of those present, elect life members who shall be exempt from the payment of dues. AALL life members in Southern New England are considered life members of SNELLA.

Section 6: The right to hold office and vote shall be restricted to individual members. Each individual member shall be entitled to only one vote.

Section 7: The Annual Dues of individual and associate members shall be $10.00 and are due and payable on January 1st.

Section 8: Members failing to pay dues by March 31st of each year shall be dropped from membership.

Section 9a: The President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and members-at-large of the Board of Directors shall be elected by a mail ballot, the persons receiving the plurality of vote being declared elected. The President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and members-at-large of the Board of Directors shall hold office for one year or in the event that their office becomes vacant, until their successors are appointed. The President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency at the end of one year. The Editor of the newsletter and the Publicity Chair shall be elected by their committees.

Section 9b: In the event that the office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall succeed to that office, completing the unexpired term and then serving an additional one year as President. In the event that another office becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to complete the unexpired term.

Section 10: The Nominating Committee shall be elected by mail ballot and shall serve for one year, the person receiving the plurality of votes being declared elected. The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership through an announcement in the newsletter and then shall prepare a slate of Officers, members-at-large and Nominating Committee members to be presented to the Board of Directors no later than April 15th. Membership of the association shall be mailed a ballot at least 20 days prior to the annual meeting. The results of the election shall be announced at the annual meeting.

A vacancy on the Nominating Committee shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

Section 11: The Constitution and/or By-laws may be amended in the manner hereafter provided. Notice and mail-in ballots shall be sent to all members of the Association with a return date of at least 20 days. If the majority of ballots received by that return date affirm, the amendment shall stand adopted.

Section 12: Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the Association.

Section 13: The Association shall meet at least twice a year at such dates as my be fixed by the Officers.

Section 14: Membership in this Chapter shall not be denied to anyone of the basis or race, color, sex, national origin, or religious or political affiliation.

Section 15: The distribution of assets, in event of dissolution, shall be made in the following manner: all assets shall pass to the American Association of Law Libraries, 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 940, Chicago, Illinois, 60604, a nonprofit organization exempt under section 501(c)(5) of the I.R.C., as the beneficiary. If, for any reason, it is not possible for the American Association of Law Libraries to receive the assets, any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Superior Court, or the successor to the Superior Court, in the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organizations, as said court, or its successor, shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Section 16: This constitution and bylaws shall take effect ten days following the annual meeting at which they are adopted.