CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS,

PREAMBLE.

The undersigned, members of the Bar of the State of Virginia, in Convention assembled at Virginia Beach, in the said State, on the 6th day of July, 1888, do hereby constitute and declare ourselves an Association under the name and for the purposes hereinafter set forth, and do make and adopt the following Constitution and By-Laws for the organization and government of the said Association.

CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.
ΝΑΜΕ.

This Association shall be called "THE VIRGINIA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION."

ARTICLE II.
OBJECTS.

This Association is formed to cultivate and advance the science of jurisprudence; to promote reform in the law and in judicial procedure; to facilitate the administration of justice in this State; and to uphold and to elevate the standard of honor, integrity and courtesy in the legal profession.

ARTICLE III.

MEMBERS.

1. Active Members.-Those members of the Bar who attend the Convention at which this Association is formed, and, who shall then and there subscribe to this Constitution and pay the admission fee, are hereby declared to be members of this Association.

Any member of the Bar, in good standing, residing and practising in the State of Virginia, who shall have been at the Bar of this State at least one year, and any teacher in a regularly-organized law school, may become a member by vote of the Committee on Admissions, as may be provided in the By-Laws, and upon subscribing to this Constitution, or otherwise signifying in writing his acceptance of membership, and paying the admission fee.

2. Honorary Members.-All judges of the courts of this State who are not eligible to membership under the preceding clause of this Article, and the judges of the Federal courts who are citizens of Virginia, are hereby declared to be honorary members of the Association, and shall continue such during their terms of office and no longer.

Honorary members shall not be eligible to any office in this Association, but shall be entitled, without the payment of fees, to all of its privileges and to participate in its proceedings, except such as may be had in connection with complaints against individuals which may be made in matters affecting the interest of the legal profession, the practice of the law, and the administration of justice.

ARTICLE IV.
OFFICERS.

The officers of this Association shall be a President, five Vice-Presidents-one to be selected from each of the following five grand divisions of the State, viz: The Southwest, The Southside, Tidewater, Piedmont, and The Valley-and a Secretary and Treasurer, whose duties shall be such as may be prescribed in the By-Laws. They shall be elected at the annual meetings hereinafter provided for, except those first elected under this Constitution.

They shall hold office from the adjournment of the meeting at which they are elected until the adjournment of the next succeeding annual meeting, except those first elected under this Constitution, whose terms shall commence upon their election and expire at the adjournment of the first annual meeting. The President and the Vice-Presidents shall be ineligible for re-election until one year after the expiration of their terms of office.

The offices of Secretary and Treasurer shall be filled by one person, who shall receive as compensation for his services the sum of three hundred dollars per annum, payable quarterly.

All elections shall be by ballot.

ARTICLE V.

STANDING COMMITTEES.

There shall be the following Standing Committees of this Association, to be chosen as hereinafter provided, whose duties shall be such as may be prescribed in the By-Laws :

1. Executive Committee, to consist of six members.

2. Committee on Admissions, to consist of seventeen members, one to be selected from each of the judicial circuits of the State.

3. Committee on Legislation and Law Reform, to consist of seventeen members, one to be selected from each of the judicial circuits of the State.

4. Judiciary Committee, to consist of seventeen members, one to be selected from each of the judicial circuits of the State.

5. Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, to consist of five members.

6. Committee on Library and Legal Literature, to consist of five members.

7. Committee on Grievances, to consist of seventeen members, one to be selected from each of the judicial circuits of the State.

The members of the Executive Committee shall hold office as may be prescribed in the By-Laws, and no member thereof shall be eligible or re-election until one year after the expiration of his term of office.