Vote on Amendments to the IALL Constitution
By Trung Quach – IALL Secretary
The IALL constitution needs an update. The current constitution, which can be found here, was last amended in 2016. Some provisions are no longer applicable. Others need clarification and improvement. The IALL Board has discussed the need to amend the constitution and have voted to in favour of a new constitution.
Any amendment to the constitution requires a vote of the membership. Individual members will soon receive an email with a ballot to vote for or against the proposed changes. Voting will be open from 16-30 November 2024. If a majority of those voting are in favour of the amendments, then the new constitution will come into effect on 1 January 2025.
The purpose of this post is to explain the proposed changes to constitution and reasons why the Board feels these changes are necessary.
Classes of Members
Currently, you can be a member of IALL in one of the following categories: individual, student, retired, associate, life, or honorary member. Only individual members have voting rights. The new constitution will allow all classes of members to be able to vote. Additionally, it would also allow all classes of members to be able to serve on IALL committees.
The reason for this change is because the Board wants more engagement from our members. Members who are not able to vote or be able serve on committees often feel less connected to the organisation. This is especially true for honorary and life members. Honorary and life memberships are awarded to those who have provided outstanding and distinguished services to IALL. In the past, some have elected not to accept these awards because they would lose their voting rights. Honorary and life members should not be penalized this way.
Other changes to members include removing the associate membership category. IALL has not allowed institutions to be associate members for quite some time.
The category of individual member will have a name change to “regular” member. Only regular members may be elected to the Board, which is the same under the current constitution.
Nomination and Board Elections
With a Board election coming up in 2025, it is a good time to update the constitution provisions on nomination and election of Board members. The current constitution creates a confusing and inefficient election process. A Nominating Committee is first tasked with polling members to find suitable candidates for Board positions. After the Nominating Committee has created a slate of candidates, they submit this list to the Secretary. The Secretary then provides the names the proposed list of candidates to all members for at least 60 days. During this period, any individual member can self-nominate for a Board position. A self-nominated candidate must then be reviewed by the Nominating Committee to ensure eligibility and ability to serve on the Board. If they are qualified to serve, their names are added to the ballot. This process doubles the work of the Nominating Committee by forcing them to review self-nominated candidates after the slate of candidates have been submitted.
The proposed changes to the constitution would streamline the work of the Nominating Committee and create a more democratic process. In the new constitution, self-nomination is the first step. Any regular member may nominate themself to be a candidate. Once the self-nomination period has closed, the Nominating Committee will review the self-nominations to ensure eligibility and ability to serve. If qualifications are met, the self-nominated candidates are added to the ballot.
The role of the Nominating Committee is to ensure there are enough qualified candidates and a diversity among the candidates. If needed the Nominating Committee may poll additional members to stand as candidates. Those polled and who have agreed to stand as candidates shall also be added to the ballot. A slate of candidates consisting of self-nominations and those put forward by the Nominating Committee shall then be submitted to the Secretary for the Board election. In the new constitution, the role of the Nominating Committee is clarified and streamlined.
Other Changes
The Board has also taken the opportunity to make some minor changes to the constitution. These include the language describing the purpose of the organisation. The exception for the Treasurer being a non-resident of the United States has been removed due to IALL’s banking requirements.
The table below provides a full list of the proposed amendments to the IALL constitution. To be thorough, any minor changes are included below (such as when a comma is added for removed).
| Current Constitution | Proposed Changes |
| Article I. Name The name of this organization shall be the International Association of Law Libraries. | 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. | No changes proposed |
| Article III. Incorporation The Association shall be incorporated and its legal residence shall be in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. | 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 on a worldwide, cooperative and nonprofit basis the work of individuals, libraries, and other institutions and organizations concerned with all aspects of legal information and to facilitate the use of such information. | 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: individual, student, retired, associate, life and honorary. Section 2. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. Any person involved in the creation, distribution or use of legal information may become an individual member upon the payment of membership dues. Only individual members have the right to vote in elections and to be elected as officers or members of the Board of Directors. Each individual member has one vote. Individual members are also eligible for Board appointment to serve on IALL committees. 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. Student members have no voting rights and may not serve on the Board of Directors or IALL committees. 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. Retired members have no voting rights and may not serve on the Board of Directors or IALL committees. Section 5. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. Any institution may become an associate member upon payment of membership dues. Each associate member must designate a person as its representative and notify the Secretary of the Association of such person’s name. Associate members have no voting rights, may not serve on the Board of Directors or IALL committees, and are not eligible for Individual member benefits. Section 6. LIFE MEMBERS. Any person who has been an Individual member of the Association for more than twelve years and who has retired may be elected life member of the Association by the Board of Directors. Life members have no voting rights and may not serve on the Board of Directors. Section 7. HONORARY MEMBERS. Any person may be elected honorary member of the Association by the Board of Directors for outstanding and distinguished service to the Association. Honorary members have no voting rights and may not serve on the Board of Directors. Section 8. 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 60 days before the start of the next fiscal year. | 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 the Individual members of the Association. Each shall serve a three year term or until his or her successor is elected. Terms are to commence at the conclusion of the annual course. In the event no such meeting is held, terms will commence on October 1. In the discretion of the Board of Directors, the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined in the same person who thereafter shall be entitled to one vote on the Board of Directors. Officers shall serve no more than two successive terms in the same office. Only residents of the United States may serve as Treasurer for the Association, except in extraordinary circumstances when the Treasurer is replaced and no U.S. resident is able to assume the office. The officers shall perform the duties usually ascribed to their respective offices. 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 his or her term or until his or her 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 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 members. The seven Board members shall be elected by the Individual members of the Association. There shall be two ex-officio members of the Board of Directors: the Editor of the 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 regular members of the Board and the ex-officio Editor of the Journal of Legal Information shall serve for terms of three years. Terms are to commence at the conclusion of the annual course. In the event that no such meeting is held, terms will commence on October 1. Regular members of the Board of Directors, other than the ex-officio members, shall serve no more than two successive terms as regular members of the Board. The office of immediate past president shall be held for one year. Section 2. POWERS. The Board shall exercise all of 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 MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Prior to the Annual General Meeting in the year preceding an election year, Individual members will be asked to submit the names of nominees for the Nominating Committee to the Board. The Board shall propose a Nominating Committee consisting of three Individual members from among the names submitted for approval at the Annual General meeting preceding the election. The Nominating Committee shall poll members for proposed candidates for the offices described in Articles VI and VII, with the exception of the ex officio members. The Nominating Committee shall submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary by February 1 of the year in which the election is to be held. The Secretary shall provide notice of the proposed list of candidates to all members for at least 60 days. During this period names of Individual members may also be submitted as candidates for any elected office by petition. Such nominations shall be submitted to the secretary by April 1. Nominations by petition shall be reviewed by the Nominating Committee to ensure eligibility and ability to serve; if qualifications are met such candidates shall be included in the ballot. The Secretary shall conduct the election by ballot containing the names submitted as provided above using current technology. Such election shall be completed no later than July 1. | 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 he or she believes appropriate, and designate the chair to serve during his or her presidency. Sub-committees 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 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 indicate. 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 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 the Individual 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 Individual members by ballot shall be determined by a simple majority of those voting on the issue involved. A quorum consisting of at least 35 Individual members of the Association shall be required for any vote in 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 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. | No changes proposed |
| Article XII. Amendments This constitution may be amended only by a vote of the Individual members in which a majority of those voting are in favor of the proposed amendment. The Board of Directors or ten percent of the regular members in good standing may propose an amendment to the constitution. When an amendment is proposed by the Individual members, a copy shall be submitted to the Secretary using current technology. The Secretary shall, within 90 days, distribute the text of the proposed amendment to all of the Individual members and provide them the opportunity to vote by ballot for or against the proposed change. | 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. |