(as amended in 2025)
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL).
Article II. Duration
The period of duration of the Association is perpetual.
Article III. Incorporation
The Association shall be incorporated, and its legal residence shall be in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Article IV. Purpose
The purpose of the Association is to promote engagement and facilitate cooperation among law librarians and legal information professionals worldwide.
Article V. Members
Section 1. CLASSES OF MEMBERS. IALL provides the following classes of membership: Regular, Student, Retired, Life, and Honorary.
Section 2. REGULAR MEMBERS. Any person involved in the creation, distribution, or use of legal information may become a Regular member upon the payment of membership dues. Only Regular members may be elected as officers or members of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. STUDENT MEMBERS. A Student member must be enrolled in a degree program related to law librarianship and becomes a Student member upon payment of membership dues. Membership in this category is limited to five consecutive years.
Section 4. RETIRED MEMBERS. Any person who is interested in the objectives of the Association and has retired from full-time work within the field of legal information may become a Retired member upon payment of membership dues.
Section 5. LIFE MEMBERS. Any person who has been a Regular member of the Association for more than twelve years and who has retired may be elected a Life member of the Association by the Board of Directors.
Section 6. HONORARY MEMBERS. Any person may be elected an Honorary member of the Association by the Board of Directors for outstanding and distinguished service to the Association.
Section 7. MEMBERSHIP DUES. The Board of Directors shall determine membership dues to be paid by all categories of members, except Life and Honorary members who shall not be required to pay dues. Changes in dues will be proposed during the Annual General Meeting of the Association by resolution and voted upon. Notification of changes in dues will be sent to all members no later than sixty days before the start of the next fiscal year.
Article VI. Officers
The officers of the Association shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer to be elected by all members of the Association. Each shall serve a three-year term. Officers shall serve no more than two successive terms in the same office. Terms are to commence at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. In the event no such meeting is held, terms will commence on October 1.
Only residents of the United States may serve as Treasurer for the Association.
In the event of the resignation or death of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President for the remainder of the term or until a successor is elected. In the case of the resignation or death of the Secretary or Treasurer, the President may fill the office for the remainder of the term by resolution and a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Vacancies due to resignation or death among other officers or members of the Board of Directors shall be filled for the remainder of their respective terms by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Annual reports shall be prepared by the President, Secretary, and Treasurer and distributed to all classes of members of the Association. Reporting for the annual reports shall be based on the Association’s fiscal year.
Article VII. Board of Directors
Section 1. COMPOSITION. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers specified in Article VI and seven additional general members. The seven general Board members shall be elected by the members of the Association. There shall be two ex officio members of the Board of Directors: the Editor of the International Journal of Legal Information and the Immediate Past President. Ex officio members shall carry out all of the duties of the Board of Directors but shall not be voting members.
All general members of the Board and the ex officio Editor of the International Journal of Legal Information shall serve three-year terms. Terms are to commence at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. In the event that no such meeting is held, terms will commence on October 1. General members of the Board of Directors, other than the ex officio members, shall serve no more than two successive terms as general members of the Board. The office of Immediate Past President shall be held for one year immediately following the election of a new Board of Directors.
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Directors shall exercise all the powers of the Association between membership meetings, except those specifically reserved to the members in this constitution. The Board shall keep members informed of Association activities, and it may poll or consult them on important questions.
Section 3. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND GENERAL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The election of the officers and general members of the Board of Directors will take place at least four months prior to the Annual General Meeting in the election year. In the event that no such meeting is held, the election will take place no later than April 1 in the election year.
The Board shall propose a Nominating Committee consisting of three IALL members who are not current Board members. The role of the Nominating Committee is to ensure there are enough qualified candidates for the election. They are also tasked with ensuring diversity among the candidates.
Regular members may nominate themselves as candidates for an officer or general member position. The self-nomination period shall be open for at least thirty days. Self-nominations shall be submitted to the Nominating Committee. Self-nominations shall be reviewed by the Nominating Committee to ensure eligibility and ability to serve; if qualifications are met, such candidates shall be included on the ballot.
The Nominating Committee shall poll Regular members to stand as candidates for an officer or general member position as required. Those polled by the Nominating Committee and who have agreed to stand as candidates shall also be included on the ballot.
At least one month prior to the election, the Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of candidates to the Secretary. The Secretary shall provide notice of the proposed list of candidates to all members at least fourteen days prior to the election. The Secretary shall conduct the election by ballot containing the names submitted by the Nominating Committee using current technology.
Article VIII. Committees
The President may appoint such additional committees as appropriate and designate the chair to serve during the term of the presidency. Subcommittees may be established by a committee to assist it in its work. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
Article IX. Membership Meetings
Membership meetings shall be held annually in conjunction with the annual course and may be called by the President from time to time as circumstances dictate. When a membership meeting is called, members should be given as much advance notice of the time, place, and agenda as is practicable. The Board of Directors shall provide for the preparation of a suitable program, and those in attendance shall be given an opportunity to discuss questions of such interest or importance to the Association, and they may vote on such issues.
Article X. Voting
The members of the Board of Directors at meetings of the Directors, and all classes of members at membership meetings, may vote on any issue. They may also vote by ballot using current technology. Unless otherwise specifically provided by this constitution, any issue before the members by ballot shall be determined by a simple majority of those voting on the issue in question. A quorum consisting of at least thirty-five members of the Association shall be required for any vote at a membership meeting. A simple majority of members of the Board of Directors shall be required for voting on any issue before the Board of Directors.
Article XI. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31.
Article XII. Amendments
This constitution may be amended only by a vote of members in which a majority of those voting are in favor of the proposed amendment. The Board of Directors or ten percent of the members in good standing may propose an amendment to the constitution. When an amendment is proposed by members, a copy shall be submitted to the Secretary using current technology. The Secretary shall, within ninety days, distribute the text of the proposed amendment to all classes of members and provide them the opportunity to vote by ballot for or against the proposed change.