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Meeting of the Dalhousie Law Students’ Society Board of Directors

March 3, 2009

1. Call to order – motion from Michelle, seconded by Brian, 7:11 pm

2. Roll call of members present
1.  Gord McGuire – President
2.  Adam Picotte – VP Academic
3.  Alia Rosenstock – VP Executive
4.  Frederic Perron-Welch – VP External
5.  Michelle McBride – VP Finance
6.  Michelle Black – DALSA Representative
7.  Jessica Upshaw – DBLSA Representative – sends her regrets
8.  Melissa Grover – First Year Representative
9.  Jade Buchanan - First Year Representative
10.  Stewart Carstairs - First Year Representative
11.  Greg Gilhooly - Second Year Representative – sends his regrets
12.  Brian Kuchar - Second Year Representative
13.  Erin Tolfo - Second Year Representative  - sends her regrets
14.  Dan McGruder – Third Year Representative
15.  Mark Leung– Third Year Representative
16.  Gill Carter – Secretary
17.  Sean Fraser – Chair

3. Adoption of Agenda – motion from Frederic, seconded by Stewart, unanimously carried.

4. Approval of Last Meeting’s Minutes  - motion from Michelle, seconded by Stewart, unanimously carried.

5. Chair’s Remarks
1. AGM Quorum Requirements – regular meeting quorum 50%, for AGM need 20 members in good standing (students at law school and includes LSS members), but if proposing resolutions need 30 – no proxy votes are allowed, need 2 weeks notice about the meeting

6. Questions from Public – N/A

7. Reports of the Executive
1. President’s Report

-elections upon us, nomination forms due Thurs March 5 at 5:00pm

-law hour w/ Justice Binnie this Thursday, reception afterwards from 1-2pm

-JD/LLB debate – will be passing a motion tonight reflecting LSS stance on issue, Faculty Council meeting next Friday bring motion to strike a committee or existing committee – at meeting will do pitch about making change

-started draft of submission for Faculty Council

2. VP Executive Report

-lock cutting was successful – can contact security personally to have locks cut

3. VP Finance Report

-update on money regarding Scotiabank – can sign bond of indemnity to reissue, waive endorsement and have it within the bank – happened in April 2003 – spoke with individual, draft payable to Vue and Ad – may be company retained by yearbook committee to procur ads, likely not in existence, tried to contact yearbook but no evidence, couldn’t find invoice that yearbook owed them anything for services – someone may have lost draft instrument, and Bank only just found it – all information from past executives – his suggestion is that you might want to make a file for other administrations, said could be outside limitation period

-main concern is a) getting it back into account, b) deciding what to do with it

-would like a budget committee meeting regarding this

4. VP Academic Report – nothing to report

5. VP External Report

-DSU elections taking place – running for Board of Governors

-did matches for mentorship committee – going well, want recruitment campaign b/c have more mentors than students

-1^st year reps could talk to their sections so that 1^st years when in 2^nd year can be set up with mentors – looking for younger members on mentorship committee for next year

8. Representative’s Reports
1. DALSA Representative’s Report – nothing to report
2. DBLSA Representative’s Report – N/A
3. First Year Representatives’ Report
1. Melissa Grover – nothing to report
2. Jade Buchanan – winners have prizes, roughly 60 new CANS added
3. Stewart Carstairs – nothing to report
4. Second Year Representatives’ Report
1. Brian Kuchar – have Greg’s proxy vote
2. Erin Tolfo – N/A
5. Third Year Representatives’ Report
1. Mark Leung – Grad committee considering having Aboriginal presentation at the beginning of graduation
2. Dan McGruder – curriculum reform 1) what goals of curriculum should be, 2) are we achieving them now, 3) what can be done better – pizza lunch will be provided by the Dean; Tues Mar 10, rm 104 12:00

9. Old Business
1. Support for LRW Petition

-at this point have support from all three sections of first year

-petition requests that the lecture regarding factum writing is provided to better prepare students – motion for support from the LSS from Stewart, seconded by Melissa, unanimously carried.

10. New Business
1. Resolution of Support for JD Degree Designation

-debate over wording of the LSS official support for the JD degree designation – amendment made to include Dalhousie Law Students’ Society as opposed to “the Society”; “to determine student support for the JJ degree designation” to change to ‘to determine student preference for the degree designation” motion from Gord, seconded by Stewart, unanimously carried.

-motion to adopt the resolution as an internal motion for the LSS -motion unanimously carried

2. Constitutional Amendments

-amended some of the executive responsibilities, changed some spelling errors, updated appointment process for selection committee

-changes to VP Exec position – role for maintaining Master Calendar and liaising with society presidents

- proposal of new definition “societies” article 1.01 definitions – refers to “all  law student societies under the umbrella of the Society” and wherever it says societies to change to societies and LSS committees

-motion from Michelle to remove providing funding information for societies from the role of the VP Exec, seconded by Alia, debate on the motion – motion withdrawn

-suggested amendment “working with the VP Finance” to provision s.5.02(v)(4)

-additions to VP Finance position – maintain and update existing budget policy from previous VP Finance and maintain LSS’ incorporation under the Societies Act of NS

-First Year Rep responsibilities liaise with webmaster to ensure up to date LSS page, including posting minutes, put up a monthly poster, yearly CAN drive, “supported by LSS funding if necessary”

-proposal to have Chair duties to include compliance with Constitution monthly (that board members are meeting their duties) and Secretary duties to include creating and maintaining a listserve of all LSS members and circulate the meeting agenda and approved minutes – proposal to have Chair’s duties to include “ensure compliance of the Constitution via a monthly review of the Constitution and bring any inconsistencies to the attention of the President” – motion to amend Constitution as such, motion carried

-First Year Student reps to assist with Pith and Substance amended to ”solicit volunteers and organize” Pith and Substance

-strike proposed amendment in 6.07 from the Consitution re: management of paper in LSS office – will instead bill directly through Geordie

-Article 16 – selection procedures for committees of the society – in 16.01 added “orientation committee, sports committee, law games committee and yearbook committed” – no objection to amendments

-17.01 – 2^nd studies member will be from executive who sits on Faculty Council (1^st studies member is chosen from student body at large) –friendly amendment for now, will discuss further at next meeting regarding functioning of LSS member on Studies Committee – motion to amend to “both student positions on the Studies Committee shall be selected by the Officers based on applications from interested Members of the Society”

motion from Jade to accept all of the proposed amendments, pass them omnibus (mindful of exception regarding studies committee that we may withdraw at AGM), seconded by Adam, unanimously carried.

3. Pith and Substance Plaque

-don’t have a plaque currently, may purchase in the future –support from the board for this

11. Announcements
1. Second Semester Social Date

12. Adjournment – motion to adjourn from Jade, seconded by Michelle, unanimously carried 9:21 pm.