Standing Rules

Legal Assistant Division
of the
Utah State Bar

Standing Rules
(Adopted 4/99)

I.      Officers and Directors
II.    Committees
III.   Directors and Geographic Regions
IV.   Reports
V.    Records and Files
VI. Amendments to the Standing Rules

I. Officers and Directors

A. Chair

1. The Chair's first responsibility is to the Legal Assistant Division ("LAD") membership.

2. The Chair presides at all meetings of the LAD and the board of directors.

3. The Chair represents the LAD at official functions.

4. The Chair oversees the work of other elected and appointed officers, directors and committee chairs and delegates assignments as required.

5. The Chair makes appointments for approval by board of directors.

6. The Chair prepares a meeting agenda and prior to the meeting furnishes a copy of the agenda to all officers, directors and committee chairs.

7. Prior to LAD membership meetings, the Chair fully advises the membership of the pertinent business expected at membership meetings. This may be accomplished by publication of a detailed agenda in the official notice of the meeting.

8. The Chair shall prepare the Annual Report of the board of directors for the annual meeting. The report may include a summary of LAD goals, accomplishments and milestones, appointments, and budget projections.

B. Chair-Elect

1. The Chair-Elect automatically succeeds to the office of the Chair.

2. In the event of the Chair's absence, incapacity or disqualification, the Chair-Elect performs the duties of the Chair.

3. The Chair-Elect shall be familiar with the bylaws and be prepared to assist the Chair at any time requested.

C. Secretary

1. The Secretary maintains the permanent files and records of all meetings and correspondence.

2. The Secretary records the minutes of all meetings and shall submit a draft to the board of directors for approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting. After obtaining the board's approval of the minutes, the Secretary shall finalize the minutes and forward copies to the directors within 30 days of approval.

D. Finance Officer

1. The Finance Officer receives and reviews all requests for disbursements and reimbursements, obtains the approval of two members of the Executive Committee and submits the approved requests for payment to the Bar's accounts payable department.

2. The Finance Officer reviews and reconciles financial reports provided by the Bar and submits written financial reports at all board and membership meetings.

3. The Finance Officer prepares an annual budget for approval by the board of directors and the membership.

4. At the Board's discretion, directors and others may be reimbursed for mileage expenses for:

a. attendance at the first meeting of the Board of Directors;

b. attendance at the Bar's annual and mid-year meetings;

c. attendance at the LAD annual meeting; and

d. attendance at other meetings at which attendance is required.

Reimbursement shall be at the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service for charitable activities.

E. Bar Commission Liaison

1. The Bar Commission Liaison serves as the contact between the LAD and the Board of Bar Commissioners. The Liaison will, under the direction of the board of directors, communicate the LAD's goals, objectives and philosophies to the Commission and keep it apprised of the various activities in which the LAD is involved and which may be of interest to the Commission and Bar members. The Delegate will also keep the LAD's board of directors advised of Bar activities which are of interest to legal assistants.

2. The Bar Commission Liaison shall attend and participate at the Bar's mid-year and annual meetings.

3. The Bar Commission Liaison shall sit as an ex-officio member of the Board of Bar Commissioners, representing LAD by attending and participating in all Bar Commission meetings and functions.

F. Parliamentarian

1. The Parliamentarian supervises parliamentary procedure at all meetings, counseling the board of directors as appropriate.

2. The Parliamentarian updates bylaws and standing rules as necessary.

3. The Parliamentarian drafts notices of membership meetings for approval by the Chair. Upon approval, notices shall be mailed to all members or published in the newsletter in accordance with the Bylaws.

4. The Parliamentarian issues a call for nominations and declaration of candidacy for directors of the LAD not later than 90 days prior to the annual meeting.

a. "At large" directors may be nominated by an LAD member in any region.

b. Regional directors must be nominated by an LAD member in their respective geographic region.

c. Each nominee may be nominated for a single position in any given election.

5. The Parliamentarian presents a slate of candidates to the membership 30 days prior to the date on which ballots will be counted.

6. The Parliamentarian obtains the consent of nominees for office as no candidate's name may be listed on the slate without the consent of the candidate.

7. The Parliamentarian makes sure that nominees for office are qualified.

II. Committees

A. Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee approves all mailings to members and articles for publication.

B. Education

1. The Education Committee plans and presents seminars with the approval of the Executive Committee.

2. The Education Committee coordinates seminars with the Bar's CLE Department, including preparation of materials to be published or disseminated.

C. Marketing

1. The Marking Committee develops programs to promote projects and activities of the LAD and develop community service and other projects including member forums and the annual meeting.

2. The Marketing Committee coordinates with the Publications Committee to develop promotional brochures and other media for the LAD and the profession.

3. The Marketing Committee establishes contacts and acts as liaison to other community and professional organizations.

4. The Marketing Committee serves as the LAD's appointee to the Bar's annual and mid-year meeting committees.

D. Membership

1. The Membership Committee coordinates with the Bar office in mailing membership cards or certificates to all members as applications are approved.

2. The Membership Committee maintains a current roster of membership and provides all officers and chairmen with a copy at least quarterly or as requested.

3. The Membership Committee coordinates with the Finance Officer and the Bar staff for mailing annual dues statements.

4. The Membership Committee is responsible for drafting and revising applications for membership in accordance with the requirements of the Bar and the Standards for Membership attached hereto as Appendix A.

5. The Membership Committee, in cooperation with the Marketing Committee, develops programs to encourage membership in the LAD.

E. Ethics Committee

1. The Ethics Committee provides guidance to the membership in the area of legal and professional ethics in accordance with the Canons of Ethics for Legal Assistants attached hereto as Appendix B.

2. The Ethics Committee refers complaints of suspected ethical violations to the Office of Bar Counsel for consideration.

3. The Ethics Committee in cooperation with the Office of Professional Conduct develops programs to educate LAD members, attorneys and others on the ethical utilization of legal assistants.

F. Professional Standards Committee

1. The Professional Standards Committee may research compensation, benefits, working hours and conditions, education requirements, type of functions legal assistants perform, etc., in accordance with the Guidelines for the Utilization of Legal Assistants, attached hereto as Appendix C.

2. The Professional Standards Committee tracks legislative agenda items of licensing, regulation or any statute, rule or ordinance pertaining to the legal assistant profession.

3. The Professional Standards Committee tracks educational programs offered by training schools in this state.

G. Publications

1. One committee member shall be the appointee to the Bar Journal Committee.

2. The Publications Committee coordinates the preparation of and edits articles submitted for publication in the Bar Journal.

3. The Publications Committee coordinates with the Bar staff to place articles of interest to the LAD and legal assistants in general in the Bar Journal.

4. The Publications Committee coordinates with the Marketing Committee to develop promotional brochures and other media for the LAD and the profession.

5. The Publications Committee edits, approves and disseminates for publication any and all material pertaining to the LAD and submits the same to the Chair for approval.

III. Directors and Geographic Regions

A. In accordance with the Bylaws, the Board will regularly evaluate the distribution of LAD membership and determine geographic regions for the purposes of electing directors. A map of the geographic regions is attached hereto as Appendix D.

B. There shall be at a total of nine directors with five elected at large and one from each of the four geographic regions.

IV. Reports

A. Each director and committee chair shall make an annual written report to the membership at the annual meeting. The reports shall be submitted to the Chair at least 10 days prior to the annual meeting.

V. Records and Files

A. All files of directors and committee chairs shall be delivered to the incoming officers, committee chairs and directors immediately following installation. If no successor has been appointed, files shall be given to the Chair.

B. The following permanent files shall be maintained:

1. Finance Officer: Books and financial records

2. Parliamentarian: Bylaws and Standing Rules, election records

3. Secretary: Minutes and correspondence

C. With the exception of the permanent files listed above, files of the officers, directors and committee chairs shall consist of necessary permanent files and informative files for the current year plus the preceding two years with a list of the duties, procedures and deadline dates. Officers, directors and committee chairs shall be responsible for destruction of obsolete and miscellaneous material and correspondence.

VI. Amendments to the Standing Rules

A. A majority vote of the board of directors shall be required to adopt, amend or suspend a Standing Rule.

B. The Standing Rules shall automatically reflect any Bylaw amendments insofar as they affect said Rules.

updated on website - October 5, 1999