The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Articles of Agreement

[History] [List of Past Presidents] [Articles of Incorporation] [Bylaws]

Section 1. This Association shall be called, "The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis."

ARTICLE II.

Object

Section 1. This Association is established to maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of the law; to cultivate social intercourse among its members; to promote legal science and the administration of justice; to promote and maintain the efficiency and integrity of the Judicial Departments of the Government; to provide and establish organized facilities for the furnishing of legal services to all citizens at a cost within their means; to conduct educational programs for its members and others concerning matters relating to the law; to develop and implement continuing professional and legal education for lawyers, judges, and the public; to promote the study of law and research therein, and to promote suitable standards of legal education to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and maintain representative government; and to apply its knowledge and experience in the field of law to the promotion of the public good.

Membership

Section 1. Any person admitted to practice law before the highest court of any state, territory or the District of Columbia and in good standing before such court, may become a member by affirmative vote of the Executive Committee, as provided in the Bylaws; or any vote of the Board of Governors may establish a class of membership for those educated in law-related work, or being a full time student, beyond the first year, of an accredited law school.

Section 2. If any member of this Association shall be suspended or disbarred from the practice of the law by final order, judgment or decree of a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction, such member shall ipso facto and without further notice or hearing be hereby expelled from the membership in this Association and his/her membership shall terminate forthwith upon such suspension or disbarment.

Section 3. The Bylaws may provide for classes of membership, may regulate the rights and liabilities of the classes of members and may define what shall constitute membership of the profession in good standing within the meaning of Section 1 of this Article III.

ARTICLE IV.

Board of Governors, Officers and Committees

Section 1. The Board of Governors, Officers and Executive Committee of this Association shall be as provided by the Bylaws.

Section 2. The Association may provide by its Bylaws for such other standing and special committees as it may deem necessary.

Section 3. The Board of Governors shall be responsible for addressing the substantive policy issues of the profession and for the development of policies of the Association, subject to these Articles and the Bylaws. The Board of Governors shall make the final determination in any questions as to the scope of authority between the Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.

Section 4. The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association, implement the policies of the Association developed by the Board of Governors and generally have the responsibility for the governance of the Association, subject to these Articles and the Bylaws.

ARTICLE V.

Meetings

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held on the first Monday of April. Special meetings shall be called by the Executive Committee as deemed necessary by it or by the Secretary upon the written request of ten (10) members of the Association.

Section 2. All powers of the Association may be exercised at the Annual Meeting or any special meeting called by the Executive Committee. At a special meeting called by the Secretary on request of members, no business shall be transacted except such as shall be specified in the request of members and the call thereof.

Section 3. The presence of fifty (50) members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Association.

Annual Dues

Section 1. The dues to be paid by members of any class shall be fixed by the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VII.

Elections and Appointments

Section 1. All elections shall be by ballot. In case of a vacancy in any office, it shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee until the next annual election, except in the case of a vacancy occurring in the office of President, which shall be filled by the Association at its first special meeting occurring more than ten (10) days after the happening of such vacancy.

Section 2. Any vacancy arising in the Board of Governors or the Executive Committee shall be filled by the appointment of the Executive Committee for the remainder of such term.

ARTICLE VIII.

Amendments

Section 1. These Articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any special or annual meeting of the Association, provided that notice of the proposed amendments be given as provided by the Bylaws.

Forfeiture, Suspension and Expulsion of Membership

Section 1. Any member of the Association who shall fail or neglect to pay his/her annual dues to the Association for a period of six (6) months from the date upon which any such dues are payable, shall, after prior written notice of at least ten (10) days thereby forfeit his/her membership in this Association, and it shall be the duty of the Treasurer to notify the Secretary of the fact of such forfeiture, and the Secretary shall thereupon cause the name of the member so forfeiting to be stricken from the roll of members.

Section 2. The Executive Committee, upon written application of any member or former member, may in its discretion for good cause shown, abate, cancel, postpone, or forego the collection of the delinquent dues or any portion thereof of such person where the failure to pay such delinquent dues has been occasioned by illness, accident, disability or other similar misfortune beyond the control of such member or former member.

Section 3. The Executive Committee in its discretion may suspend for such period as the Executive Committee may determine, or forfeit, the membership of any member who is delinquent in the payment of any obligation to the Association other than dues.

Section 4. Any member of the Association may be suspended or expelled for misconduct in his/her relations to this Association or in his/her profession, on conviction thereof in such manner as may be prescribed by the Bylaws.

ARTICLE X.

Sections and Divisions

Section 1. There shall be such Sections and Divisions of this Association as may be provided in the Bylaws or authorized by the Board of Governors from time to time; and such Sections and Divisions may be given the power to elect officers and to adopt Bylaws for the regulation of their functions not inconsistent with these Articles and the Bylaws of the Association and subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.

Adopted December 13, 1993.