The Constitution of the Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter of the
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
Article I – Name
This organization shall be known as the “Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter of
the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy,” or the “ACS Washington, D.C.
Lawyer Chapter,” and is a chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and
Policy.
Article II – Mission and Activities
The American Constitution Society (ACS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational
organization. It is a national organization of members who are law students, lawyers,
scholars, judges, policymakers, activists and other concerned individuals working to
ensure that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties,
genuine equality and access to justice are accorded their rightful, central place in
American law.
ACS and its growing network of members and student and lawyer chapters are
working every day to:

promote a progressive vision of the Constitution, the law and public policy
through speaking programs, an annual convention, a speakers bureau of leading
scholars and practitioners, media outreach, research, publications and projects
designed to turn the tide of legal debate both locally and nationally;

educate lawyers, law students, decision-makers and the public about the
legitimacy and vitality of such a vision, and its importance for the lives of real
people;

strengthen the intellectual underpinnings for progressive law and policy in the
United States; and

build a diverse and dynamic national network of students, lawyers, academics,
judges, policymakers and others that can play an important role in debates about
the vital issues of law and policy facing America both today and in the future.
The ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter shall only engage in activities
consistent with ACS’s mission, policies and 501(c)(3) status. The ACS Washington,
D.C. Lawyer Chapter shall not lobby, litigate or take positions on specific legal or policy
initiatives, cases, legislation or nominations. The ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer
Chapter shall engage in absolutely no partisan political activity. ACS and the ACS
Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter encourage their members to express their views;
disseminate their work to the legal community, policymakers, the media and the public;
and engage in projects that will bring positive change to the law.
Article III – Membership
Any individual may become a member of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer
Chapter. Members shall be required to join the national American Constitution Society
as a condition of their membership in the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter.
Members shall not be required to belong to any other organization as a condition of their
membership in the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter.
Article IV – Board and Chapter Representative
At a minimum, the Board of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter shall be
comprised of a Board Chair and the chairs of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter
Board committees (two of whom may be designated Secretary and Treasurer). This
group of Board members shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Board and shall
meet periodically to manage the activities of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter.
The Executive Committee may be assisted in its duties by as many At-Large Members
and/or committees as may be set up by the Board from time to time. In addition to the
specific responsibilities that attach to their offices, all ACS Executive Committee
members shall work to ensure that the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter and all
ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter events and projects are as successful as possible.
The ACS Washington, D.C. Board Chair shall also designate herself or himself or
one of the members of the Executive Committee as the Chapter Representative to be
responsible for communicating with the national ACS office on a regular basis,
submitting lawyer chapter funding requests, maintaining financial records of chapter
activities and submitting other information needed by the national ACS office, including
the identification of and contact information of chapter Board members.
Article V – ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter Committees
The ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter committees may include the
following:
1. Social Committee: The Social Committee shall be responsible for organizing
social and networking events and for such other matters as may be assigned to it
by the Board.
2. Outreach Committee: The Outreach Committee shall be responsible for
increasing the membership of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter with
lawyers from all types of employers (large law firms, small law firms and trial
lawyers, the government, academia, and the non-profit sector); for promoting
diversity within the chapter’s membership; and for such other matters as may be
assigned to it by the Board. The Outreach Committee shall distribute
informational packets to potential members, organize membership drives as
needed to recruit new members, and work to ensure the recruitment of new
members through chapter events. The Outreach Committee shall facilitate efforts
to interact with other entities on projects, events, and other matters.
3. Mentoring Committee: The Mentoring Committee shall be responsible for
arranging mentorship programs to foster professional relationships among senior
members of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter, junior members of the
ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter, and local Student Chapter members and
for such other matters as may be assigned to it by the Board.
4. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall be responsible for
organizing and managing events, including determining program content,
identifying speakers, and coordinating event logistics. The Program Committee
may create subcommittees for special events as needed. The Program Committee
also shall be responsible for such other matters as may be assigned to it by the
Board.
5. Communications Committee: The Communications Committee shall be
responsible for updating content on the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter
website; for drafting promotional materials for the ACS Washington, D.C.
Lawyer Chapter; and for such other matters as may be assigned to it by the Board.
6. Book Club Committee: The Book Club Committee shall be responsible for
organizing one or more book clubs or reading groups and for such other matters
as may be assigned to it by the Board.
7. Special Projects Committee: The Special Projects Committee shall be
responsible for assisting the national ACS office with various activities, such as
election protection, teaching events, and moot court competitions; for responding
to initiatives for collaboration proposed by local Student Chapters; and for such
other matters as may be assigned to it by the Board. The Special Projects
Committee may also establish and coordinate projects enabling members to work
for positive change, including coordinating research and writing and connecting
members with projects of other organizations.
Article VI – Election of Board
The Founding Board Directors of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter and
the initial Chapter Representative are listed in Attachment A. Future members of the
Board of the ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter shall be elected annually by the
majority vote of the members in attendance at the annual meeting of the membership. A
slate of nominees prepared by the outgoing Board shall be presented to the membership
at the election. The outgoing Board shall give the full membership at least three weeks
notice of the date on which the Board will be elected and shall provide the full
membership with information about the positions to be filled. A mechanism shall be
provided to give individual chapter members a reasonable time prior to the election to
make their interest in holding a Board position known to the outgoing Board. Members
of the board are not limited to single terms, and may serve additional terms.
Article VII – Removal of Board Members
A Board member may be removed for good cause by two-thirds vote of the other
members of the Board.
Article VII – Constitution and Amendments
The ACS Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter shall be governed by this
constitution and any by-laws adopted by two-thirds vote of the Board and approved by
the ACS Executive Director. Amendments to this constitution and to any by-laws shall
be adopted by two-thirds vote of the Board and shall become effective upon approval of
the ACS Executive Director.
Article VIII – Effective Date
This constitution shall become effective upon its acceptance by the national ACS
office, as signified by the signature of the ACS Executive Director in the space provided
below.
ACCEPTED BY:
___________________________
Lisa Brown
Executive Director
__________________
Date
ATTACHMENT A
Founding board members of the
ACS Washington, D.C. Chapter
Chair and Chapter Representative – Robert Mahini
Social Committee Co-Chairs – Deborah Golden, David Mortlock
Outreach Committee Co-Chairs – Emily Chatterjee, Elliot Williams
Programming Committee Co-Chairs – Phil Goldberg, Joi Chaney, Jen Swedish
Special Projects Committee Co-Chairs – Rita Aguilar, Ami Sanchez, Rita Siemion