Student Bar Association

Article X of the SBA Constitution provides information on budget processes and reimbursement.

• Reimbursement and Check Request Form (Revised 8/24/15)
• General Student Groups (GSG) Report (Revised Fall 2015)
• Treasurer Policy Acknowledgment Form (Revised Fall 2015)

The SBA President and the ABA Representative serve as the School’s liaisons to the American Bar Association (ABA). Each semester, the liaisons attend the ABA Law School Division meeting to discuss concerns facing schools in our region.

Ad Hoc Committees

Unless stated otherwise, each SBA member will participate in one of the following ad hoc committees of their choice. The ad hoc committee shall expire at the end of the SBA President's term, unless extended by the SBA Executive Council or new SBA President.

1. Academic Achievement Committee: This committee supports student academic development and fosters a strong cooperative learning environment. The committee maintains academic support systems for students as well as hosts programming to foster a strong cooperative learning environment. 
2. Career Development Committee: This committee coordinates with the Career Development Office (CDO) to address the needs of students seeking internships, clerkships and job placement.
3. Award Committee: This committee runs the annual ABA awards for faculty staff and adjuncts. The committee will review the current processes for nominating award recipients. Moreover, the committee will also help plan the award ceremony for students.

Budget Committee

The SBA Treasurer chairs the eight-member budget committee, which consists of the class presidents or their designees, and the second year day class vice president or in their absence, the third year day class vice president and further in their absence another day division class board member. Each fall the committee proposes an annual budget for the SBA and campus groups, in addition to a supplemental budget each spring. The Budget Committee's functions are further detailed in the budget article of the Constitution.

Community Service Committee

The committee explores, plans, and implements outreach programs for law students to serve the community. This committee will also work with other student organizations to assist them in designing effective community service programs.

Constitution and Rules Committee

The committee is chaired by the SBA Parliamentarian. The committee shall maintain a computerized copy of the SBA Constitution and By-Laws, and a computerized copy of the Standing Rules. The committee shall propose timely changes to these documents on its own initiative, or upon request of the SBA Executive Council. The committee shall particularly take note of all interpretations of the Constitution by the SBA President.

Election

The committee is chaired by the SBA Parliamentarian. The committee shall propose Campaign and Election Rules and the dates for election events as provided for in the Constitution.

Honor Board

The eight-member Board is composed of the Honor Board Chairperson and seven (7) representatives; one from each class. The Honor Board is governed by the Honor Code, which the SBA can amend by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, with the concurrence of the Faculty Council. The Honor Board Chairperson shall file regular reports to the SBA Vice President pursuant to that officer's duties in the Constitution.

Student Organization Oversight Committee

This committee will be chaired by the SBA Vice President. This committee serves as the liaison to the student organizations. The committee makes the student organizations aware of SBA policies and procedures (including those set by the Budget Committee) and monitors the organizations’ compliance. At the end of each semester, the committee submits a report to the Budget Committee for its review during the budget allocation process.

Thurgood Marshall Lecture Committee

The committee works in conjunction with the SBA vice-president to organize and administer the annual Thurgood Marshall Lecture.

USGA Committee

The committee is composed of all elected University Student Government Association (USGA) Senators. The committee shall meet when necessary to discuss items of interest to the law school before the USGA, and shall assist law schools groups.

Joint Faculty-Student Committees

Every year students are selected by the Student Bar Association to sit on numerous law school committees. These committees are an integral part of the law school governance system and issues concerning the entire law school population are decided in these forums. It is not only an opportunity to share in the governance of your school; it is a privilege that carries certain responsibilities and duties as outlined below: A student member of a law school committee has full voting rights. The Student Bar Association will recruit students who are willing to participate in governance of the law school by being on a law school committee no later than the last day of September of each academic year.

To contact a Joint Faculty/Student Committee member, please email sba@law.umaryland.edu.

Administrative Committee

The committee considers campus and university policies in recommending and revising law school policies with respect to Faculty and Student Handbooks. The student representative cannot be a member or alternate on the Honor Board.

Admissions Committee

Student members participate in discussions of policy issues which may affect the admissions process and work with the Director of Admissions in the design and implementation of recruiting activities.

Appointments Committee

The committee is responsible for interviewing candidates for faculty positions and making recommendations to the Faculty Council concerning candidates who should be offered faculty positions. The student members of the committee assist in reviewing resumes, helping decide who to interview, who to invite to campus for full-day interviews, and who to recommend to the Faculty Council for offers of faculty positions. The student members should be available to attend the American Association of Law Schools' Faculty Recruitment Conference in Washington, D.C. during their appointment (each member is asked to attend one of the two days). The student members of the committee are responsible for organizing groups of students to meet with faculty candidates during the on-campus interviews and for summarizing the students' reactions to the candidates. The student members of the committee also are extremely valuable in providing faculty candidates with students' perspectives on the quality of our school.

Curriculum Committee

This committee makes recommendations to the Faculty Council as to the establishment and abolition of individual courses and as to any other matters pertaining to the curriculum.

Library and Technology Committee

The committee meets on an ad hoc basis to develop policies and make recommendations to the Faculty Council on classroom technology, the use of technology on exams, technology resources for academic purpose and library resources, use and planning. Past committee accomplishments include: workshops on teaching with technology; selection of computer lock-down software for exams and policies for taking exams using computers.

Professionalism and Diversity Committee

This committee exists to encourage the Law School community to learn from its diversity in race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, language, class, and other perspectives. The committee's goal is to encourage professionalism and engagement, and to create a supportive community for all. To help in achieving this goal, the committee currently is divided into four sub-committees: The Curriculum Sub-committee organizes meetings of faculty to share ideas, materials, and experiences in dealing with challenging issues in the classroom; the Orientation Sub-committee focuses on how best to introduce new students to the Law School environment; the Rapid Response Sub-Committee is designed to respond to incidents or perceptions of bias or unprofessional conduct in the Law School community; and the Professionalism Sub-committee addresses issues that students may face in employment interviews, summer, or part time employment.

Download the full constitution here (SBA Constitution).  

Standing Rules

1. These Standing Rules shall govern all meetings of the SBA Executive Council ("The Body") as provided in Article VIII of the SBA Constitution and By-Laws. The SBA Constitution and By-Laws takes precedence over this document. All votes shall occur pursuant to the guidelines established in these rules and the SBA Constitution and By-Laws.
2. The SBA President or his/her designee (“the Chair”) shall recognize all speakers prior to any debate or discussion. The chair may use a speaker's list, or alternate between proponents and opponents of the measure, at his or her discretion. The chair shall take care that only one (1) question is pending before the body at any one time.
3. Any member proposing changes to, or the creation of, any written document which governs the SBA, shall submit the proposed changes or document in writing to the SBA Secretary at least 6 days prior to the SBA Executive Council meeting during which it will be considered. Within 24 hours of receipt, the SBA Secretary will transmit the document to the SBA body.
   1. Proposed documents should show Deletions enclosed in [Brackets]; Additions in ALL CAPS; 
      and Amendments should be Underlined.
4. Prior to debate, an SBA member must make a motion to approve the given proposal or item, which shall be properly seconded. The item must come properly before the body, pursuant to the SBA Constitution and By-Laws and these rules.
5. Upon recognition by the SBA President or their designee (“the Chair”), a student or SBA member may speak up to two (2) minutes. The chair may grant additional time extensions at his or her discretion. The member may yield for questions at his or her discretion, however the time continues to run.
6. Each main motion or proposal shall consume no more than twenty (20) minutes of debate. A simple majority vote of the body extends debate for an additional twenty (20) minutes, unless a shorter time period is specified. Upon expiration of all debate time, the body shall proceed to an immediate vote.
7. Any member may propose an amendment to the main motion or proposal before the floor. Debate on an amendment shall not exceed five (5) minutes. A simple majority vote of the body extends debate for an additional five (5) minutes.
8. Any member may call the question at any time, to bring debate to close and bring the pending question to a vote. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote is required to call the question leading to an immediate vote on the original motion.
9. Prior to bringing the question to a vote, the chair will read the motion or proposal in its final form, including any amendments accepted by the person originally bringing the motion.
10. The proxy system shall be in effect according to these requirements:
    1. Voting members may request that their allotted vote be cast by another member of their class delegation, however, no member may hold more than one proxy vote.
    2. The requesting member must notify the SBA Secretary prior to one hour before the start of the meeting for which proxy is being assigned.
    3. The Request must name the member that will hold proxy.
    4. The proxy will expire automatically at the adjournment of the meeting for which it was assigned.
    5. Members of the Executive Board may not hold nor request a proxy.
    6. All votes in which proxy votes are cast will note which way proxy votes were cast for the record.