CONSTITUTION OF THE LEGAL MANAGEMENT SOCIETY

PREAMBLE

We, the Legal Management Students of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, imploring the aid of
Almighty God through the intercession of our patron saint, Saint Thomas Moore, cognizant of the
statutes of the University of Santo Tomas, in order to establish a society that shall embody our ideals
and aspirations, promote our welfare, protect our rights and interests, do ordain and promulgate this
Constitution.

ARTICLE I. NAME AND SEAL

Section 1 This organization shall be known as the Legal Management Society of the Faculty of
Arts and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas.

Section 2 This organization shall have its official seal that will embody the fundamental ideals
and principles for which the Legal Management Society stands for.

ARTICLE II. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

Section 1 The Society shall work for the responsible representation of the Legal Management
Society in its relationship with various offices and organizations within and outside the university,
particularly with the administration, the Office of the Dean, and Student Council of the Faculty of Arts
and Letters.

Section 2 The Society shall recognize and uphold the rights of every member to participate in
its activities wherein the decision of the majority will always prevail regardless of any decision of the
Executive Board.

Section 3 The Society will encourage the active involvement of Legal Management students in
activities which would lead to the promotion of academic excellence, academic freedom, and
intellectual formation, civic and moral awareness and active participation in pertinent issues relevant
to the Society.

Section 4 The society shall have the right to present its official position on matters directly
concerning the welfare of its members.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 Except for the Coordinator and members of the Faculty who teach in Legal
Management, a person shall automatically become a member of the Legal Management Society
provided he/she is a bona fide member of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and currently taking up
Legal Management.
Section 2 A person who has graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Letters with a degree in
Legal Management shall retain their membership in the Legal Management Society. All debarred
students shall automatically relinquish their membership.

ARTICLE IV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

Section 1 The Legal Management Society shall have the following rights and obligations:

1.1 The right to discuss any question or matter regarding the present Constitution.

1.2 The right to be actively involved and fully supportive of all the activities of the Society.

1.3 The right to question any of the rules, policies, and regulations formulated by the Society,
through the Executive Board.

1.4 The obligation to abide by the rules, policies, and regulations formulated by the Society
through the Executive Board.

1.5 The obligation to attend all general assemblies, official meetings, symposia and fora called for
by the Society.

Section 2 The Legal Management Society may delegate its functions and responsibilities to the
Executive Board as the need arises for speedy and immediate implementation of basic services to
the members.

Section 3 The Legal Management Society shall meet on a regular basis taking into
consideration time, date, and venue.

Section 4 Each member of the Legal Management Society shall be entitled to one vote.

Section 5 Decisions of the Legal Management Society entailing issues not particularized in this
Constitution shall be made by a majority vote of the members present on the meeting called for the
purpose.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1 There shall be a Legal Management Society Executive Board, which shall be
composed of the members coming from the representative of each Legal Management Section.

Section 2 The Executive Power shall be vested on the Executive Board which shall be the
administrative, implementing, and coordinating body of the Society.

Section 3 Two Legal Management Representatives shall be elected by a simple majority vote
(50% + 1) of the class from which they came from. Each elected representative shall automatically
resign from their respective class they are currently holding.
Section 4 The Executive Board shall convene and hold the elections for the Executive
Committee and the appointment of the Executive Chairs.

Section 5 The Executive Committee shall be composed of the following:

a. President

b. Vice President, External

c. Vice President, Internal

d. Secretary

e. Treasurer

f. Auditor

g. Public Relations Officer

The position of the President and the Treasurer shall come from the senior class.

Section 6 In the event that a committee must be organized, it should conform with the
necessary and reasonable needs of the Society for speedy implementation of its activities. Each
committee’s powers and obligations shall be determined by the Executive Board.

Section 7 An Auditor shall be appointed by the Society Adviser and shall come from the
Executive Board who is not holding Executive Committee positions.

Section 8 The President shall:

a. come from the senior class

b. be the executive head of the Society

c. call and preside meetings of the Executive Board

d. coordinate all the activities of the Society

e. have the power to create and dissolve ad hoc committees

f. authorize expenditures of the appropriate budget and prescribe duties to other officers and
members which may not be specifically prescribed in this Constitution as long as the budget and
duties are approved by the Executive Board.

Section 9 The Vice President External shall:

a. assist the President in his work, specifically in matters concerning his particular functions.

b. be responsible for the projects and activities designated to pursue the Society’s external plans
and goals.

c. assume the power, duties and responsibilities of the President, in case of absence,
resignation, disability, or no confidence.

d. perform such other function as may be necessary and delegated by the President.

Section 10 The Vice President Internal shall:

a. be responsible for projects and activities for the internal well – being and development of the
Society

b. perform such other function as may be delegated by the President.

Section 11 The Secretary shall:

a. record all the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board

b. have all complete and pertinent information about Society members

c. call the roll in every meeting of the Executive Board

d. prepare all the correspondences needed by the Board

e. perform such other function as may be delegated by the President.

Section 12 The Treasurer shall:

a. come from the senior year

b. keep in trust and safekeeping all the Society funds

c. keep full and accurate account of all the income and expenses of the Society

d. submit on a regular basis, or whenever required, a statement of Society’s financial status to

the body, the President and other concerned parties

e. perform such other function as may be delegated by the President.

Section 13 The Auditor shall:

a. come from the sophomore year

b. be responsible for keeping the finances of the Society transparent and accessible to any Legal
Management Student as well as other concerned parties

c. coordinate with the Society Treasurer concerning the proper safekeeping, disbursement and
documentation of Society funds

d. perform such other function as may be necessary and delegated by the Society Adviser.

Should the Auditor fail to perform his duties, the Society Adviser may, at his sole prerogative, cause
his removal from his office.

Section 14 The Public Relations Officer shall:

a. be responsible for the dissemination of information about the achievements of the Society

b. be responsible for the efficient management of pressing and relevant concerns of every
member of the Society

c. perform such other function as may be delegated by the President.

ARTICLE VI. THE CLASS REPRESENTATIVE

Section 1 The Class Representative shall:

a. be responsible for the dissemination of any information handed down by the Executive Board
to their respective classes.

b. Communicate to the Executive Board any inquiries, comments, suggestions and/or complaints
pertaining to matters that are relevant to the Society and its members.

c. Be mandated to be present in all meetings called for by the President

d. perform such other function as may be necessary and delegated by the President.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

Section 1 The quorum for any meeting shall consist at least the majority of all the members of
the Society.

Section 2 The order of business for any meeting shall be as follows:

a. call to order

b. reading and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting

c. reading of committee reports

d. discussion of agenda

e. discussion of the business at hand

f. conclusion or adjournment of the meeting

Section 3 The decision of any meeting shall be valid only upon the approval by a simple
majority vote (50% + 1) of the members of the society present. However, no meeting shall be held
without prior notice to the Legal Management Society.

Section 4 Any Society officer, committee or society member who has incurred three (3)
absences in regular meetings without valid reason may be subject to disciplinary action by the body
concerned after due notice and hearing.

Section 5 Any Society officer, committee or society member may be ejected from the meeting
by the presiding officer through a two-thirds vote of all members present for contempt or disorderly
conduct.

Section 6 A reasonable fine shall be imposed on any member or officer who fails to arrive
within fifteen (15) minutes from the agreed schedule of the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. ELECTIONS

Section 1 The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) shall enforce and administer all laws and
regulations for the election of class representatives and officers and members of the Executive
Committee. They shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating to the
elections, and proclamation of the winners shall also be vested exclusively upon them, which shall be
final and executory.

Section 2 The Commission on Elections shall be composed of the Coordinator and at least one
(1) other member of the faculty of the Legal Management Department.

Section 3 No person may run for office unless he/she has been duly elected as a class
representative.

Section 4 The class representatives shall be elected by popular vote of his/her corresponding
section and shall be declared winner(s) by a simple majority (50% + 1).

Section 5 The members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by popular vote of the
Executive Board and shall be declared winners by a simple majority (50% + 1). Once the President
has been elected, he subsequently loses his right to vote for other positions of the Executive
Committee.
Section 6 Election of the class representatives and of the Executive Committee shall be made
in person and only by secret ballot.

Section 7 The date of elections of the Legal Management Society shall be held not later than
the first week of March.

ARTICLE IX. VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE

Section 1 A vote of no confidence shall be the ground for the removal of an Executive Board
member form office.

Section 2 The vote of no confidence shall have the concurrence of 4/5 majority vote of the
entire Executive Board.

Section 3 The following shall be the grounds for a vote of no confidence:

a. immorality

b. gross imprudence

c. violation of the Student’s Handbook on provisions on major offenses

d. grave abuse of authority and/or power

e. when guilty of fraud, gross negligence or when his integrity and/or honesty are in grave
question

f. willful and culpable violation of any provision of the Constitution

g. For any other acts inimical to the image and welfare of the Society and the Department as a
whole.

Section 4 The Society Adviser shall ratify said vote of no confidence.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS

Section 1 Any amendments to, or revisions of this Constitution shall be initiated by at least
twenty-five percent (25%) of all the members of this Society and it shall be done by filing a petition
duly signed by them to the Executive Committee.

Section 2 Any amendments to, or revisions of this Constitution shall be revised by a

Constitutional Committee organized for this purpose. Such committee shall be composed of (2)
representatives from each class. The ratification must be supported by a two – thirds (2/3) affirmative
vote of all members of the Society.
ARTICLE XI. TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

Section 1 The term of office of all the elected members of the Executive Board is one year,
beginning from the date of their oath of office and shall end on the date a new set of officers shall
have been elected and qualified and have taken their oath of office.

Section 2 Decisions made and resolutions passed by the Executive Board has effectivity for
the current school year.

Section 3 The Society shall have a Faculty Adviser who is a member of the Legal Management
Faculty.

Section 4 In case of vacancy in office in any position as a result of death, no confidence,

resignation, or incapacity, the same shall be filled by an election at least one week after the vacancy
occurs, unless such vacancy occurs within thirty (30) days prior to the next scheduled election.

Section 5 Every member of the Legal Management Society shall be provided with a copy of this
Constitution. A special fund shall be appropriated for the purpose.

ARTICLE XII. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE

Section 1 No part of this Constitution shall be repealed, amended or revised within the next four
(4) school years, unless the need for such repeal, amendment or revision is of extreme necessity,
which the Legal Management Coordinator, the Legal Management Society Adviser and the current
Executive Board shall exclusively and jointly determine.

Section 2 This constitution shall take effect upon the oath of office of the Executive Board for
the Academic year 2005 – 2006.