stitution and By-Laws of said corporation until the same shall be altered or amended by said corporation. All property, rights, and interests of said Association now held by any or either of the officers thereof or any person or persons for its use and benefit, shall, by virtue of this act, vest in and become the property of the corporation hereby created, subject to the payment of the debts of the said Association. 6. This act shall be in force from its passage. Constitution and By-Laws AS ADOPTED AND AMENDED AT THE Ninth Annual Meeting of the Association August 3rd to 5th, 1897 WITH SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS. PREAMBLE Whereas, the following Constitution and By-Laws were adopted by the unincorporated Association known as The Virginia State Bar Association, at Virginia Beach, on the 6th day of July, 1888; and whereas, thereafter, in pursuance of the provisions of the same, a charter of incorporation for the said Association was obtained from the Legislature of Virginia—to-wit, on the 28th of February, 1890, which incorporated into such Association all the members of the unincorporated Association which had met at Virginia Beach on July 6, 1888; and whereas, the said charter conferred upon the corporation the power to make and adopt a constitution and by-laws, but such right has not been heretofore formally exercised: Therefore, Resolved: 1. That we, the Virginia State Bar Association, in convention assembled at the Hot Springs of Virginia, on this, the 3d day of August, 1897, being the same persons or their associates and successors who assembled at Virginia Beach on July 6, 1888, and declared and called themselves the Virginia State Bar Association, do hereby formally adopt and accept a charter granted to William J. Robertson, R. G. H. Kean, and others, in the name of the Virginia State Bar Association, by the Legislature of the State of Virginia, on the 28th day of February, 1890. 2. That we, as the Virginia State Bar Association, incorporated as aforesaid, do hereby ratify and approve and adopt all the transactions of the Virginia State Bar Association heretofore done and performed, as shown in the minutes and published proceedings of the same heretofore issued. 3. That we, in the exercise of our corporate powers as aforesaid, do hereby adopt the following Constitution and By-Laws for the government of the said Association: CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I. NAME. 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 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 entitled to sit in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 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 vicepresidents-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 *Amended August 5, 1897-Vol. X, p. 71. 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 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 the President and six members (to be chosen as hereinafter provided). 2. Committee on Admissions, to consist of one member from each of the judicial circuits of the State. 3. Committee on Legislation and Law Reform, to consist of five members. 4. Judiciary Committee, to consist of five members. 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 five members. 8. Committee on Presentments, to consist of one member from each of the judicial circuits of the State. 9. Committee on International Arbitration, to consist of nine members, five of whom each year are to be selected from the same locality of the State, and three members to constitute a quorum of the committee. *Amended August 4, 1897-Vol. X, p. 67. Further Amended July 29, 1913-Vol. XXVI, p. 49 |