SEABOTA BYLAWS
I. Name
The name of the organization shall be the Southeast Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA).
II. Purpose
The specific purposes of this organization are:
1. To elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession.
2. To support and encourage education and training programs in the local chapters that elevates the skill of its members and of all civil trial lawyers.
3. To work for the preservation of our jury system; to improve methods of procedure of our present trial court system; to serve as an informational center; to discuss and study matters of interest to trial lawyers; and to advance the skill of its members as trial attorneys.
4. To establish relations and cooperate with other legal organizations and associations for the purposes of promoting the efficient administration of justice and constant improvement of the law.
5. To cultivate a spirit of loyalty, fellowship and professionalism among our members.
6. To advance the interests of the members of the organization professionally and to enable trial lawyers as a group to have an active organization of standing in the community and nation through which they may learn and be heard.
7. To investigate and consider responding to negative, and unfair criticism of all sitting State, Federal, Appellate and Supreme Court judges.
III. Limitations
All actions of the organization shall comply with all provisions of the National Constitution and Bylaws of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Neither this organization nor the chapters of ABOTA in the Southeast Region shall take public positions inconsistent with the published Resolutions of National ABOTA.
IV. Membership
Section 1. Board Members
All members of the American Board of Trial Advocates within the chapters of the Southeast Region shall automatically be Board members of the Southeast Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
V. Executive Committee
Section 1. Executive Committee
(a) The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers, immediate Past President, Past SEABOTA Presidents, three members at large with one being a National Board Member, and SEABOTA Presidential Appointees known as the SEABOTA Advisory Board.
(b) The officers shall be the President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
(c) The officer terms are from January 1 to December 31, at which time the President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President, the Vice President shall succeed to the office of President-Elect, the Secretary shall succeed to the office of Vice President, and the Treasurer shall succeed to the office of Secretary. Officers for the following year shall be sworn in at the Annual Spring Meeting of SEABOTA.
(d) The Executive Committee shall have the power and authority to act upon issues by voting at a meeting of the Executive Committee or by electronic mail. Said actions will be effective until the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, at which time those decisions shall be reviewed, if necessary, and ratified, reversed or modified.
Section 2. President
The President shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To establish meeting places and times for all meetings.
2. To appoint committees, chairs and their committee members.
3. To appoint special committees.
4. To establish meeting agendas.
5. To lead meetings.
6. To communicate with the SEABOTA members regarding matters of concern.
7. To establish and implement with the help of the Treasurer and Executive Director a budget for Board approval.
8. To suggest reasonable goals for the Board’s accomplishment
9. To represent SEABOTA at SEABOTA chapter, Regional and National meetings.
10. To be the liaison between the Southeast Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the National Board of the American Board of the Trial Advocates.
Section 3. President-Elect and Vice President
The President-Elect and the Vice President shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To assist the President in assigned tasks.
2. To preside over meetings in absence of the President.
3. To participate in Executive Committee discussions.
Section 4. Secretary
The Secretary shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Shall keep a complete record of all proceedings and correspondence for Board approval.
2. Shall send notices of meetings to members of the Region as may be required, shall keep a current roll of the members of the Chapter.
3. To assist the President in assigned tasks.
4. To participate in Executive Committee discussions.
Section 5. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Together with the President and Executive Director, establish and implement a budget for Board approval.
2. Shall keep an accurate account of the revenue and expenditures of the Region and shall, at least once each year, report promptly to the appropriate person at National ABOTA on the finances.
3. To participate in Executive Committee discussions
Section 6. Immediate Past President
The Immediate Past President shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Be available to provide history of business decisions from their time on the Board.
2. To assist the President in assigned tasks.
3. To participate in Executive Committee discussions.
Section 7. Past SEABOTA Presidents
The Past SEABOTA Presidents shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Be available to provide history of business decisions from their time on the Board.
2. To assist the President in assigned tasks.
3. To participate in Executive Committee discussions.
4. Serve on the Nominating Committee
Section 8. Members at large and Advisory Board
There shall be three members at large, with one being a National Board Member. Those on the Advisory Board can be any member within the SEABOTA region and not necessarily an elected chapter officer. They may volunteer to be on the board or appointed by the SEABOTA President. All appointments shall be approved by the SEABOTA Executive Committee at its fall Executive Committee Meeting. The President shall have the right to appoint a reasonable number of appointees to the Advisory Board. The appointment is a one-year appointment. Those on the Advisory Board are encouraged to attend all SEABOTA meetings and are not permitted to receive financial reimbursement.
VI. Meetings of the Organization
Section 1. Board Meetings
The organization shall hold an Annual Meeting at a place selected by the President. The annual meeting is encouraged to take place in the spring and not to be booked until after the National spring and International Board Meetings are booked. The annual meeting should take place within the Southeastern Region of SEABOTA.
During such annual meeting, there shall be a general meeting of the membership of the organization. A program to provide its attendees continuing legal education credits (CLE) is encouraged but not mandatory. All members of SEABOTA shall be notified of the time and place of the meeting at least six months in advance.
Section 2. Conduct of Business
The Board shall conduct its business at regularly held meetings as further set forth in the Bylaws. The meetings shall be presided over by the President, or in the absence of the President, by the President-Elect, or the Vice President. The Board shall decide on matters submitted to it for decision.
Section 3. Quorum
There shall be ten Board members present to conduct business. Business shall be decided based on a majority vote of those members present
Section 4. Order of Annual Meeting
At the Annual Meeting, the business shall take place on a day at the discretion of the President. The decision will be based on the overall logistics and needs of the meeting. The order of business shall include the following:
1. Report by the President
2. Business report by the Secretary
3. Financial report by the Treasurer
4. Reports by individual chapters
5. Committee Reports
Section 5. Time
The time of the meetings shall be held when may be fixed by the president.
Section 6. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board may be held at such places within the region of SEABOTA. All members of SEABOTA shall be notified of the time and place of the meeting at least 10 days in advance.
Section 7. Notice of Meetings
Notice of the Annual Meeting and all meetings of SEABOTA shall be, at the minimum, communicated by email.
Section 8. Nominating Committee Meeting and Election of Treasurer
(a) The Nominating Committee shall consist of all SEABOTA Past President and current SEABOTA officers: President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
(b) The Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating a SEABOTA member for the office of Treasurer.
(c) The nominations will take place by conference call in August/September of each year.
(d) Those nominated members will be notified to inquire of their interest.
(e) Voting for the position of the Treasurer will take place electronically and open to all SEABOTA members. Voting will be open for two weeks.
Section 9. Special Elections
Should any officer, for any reason be unable to complete their term, the Executive Committee will meet in person or by conference call and recommend individuals to fill the term for the year. The following year a special election will be conducted for the unfilled seat under the same nominating terms and election timeline set forth for the nomination of the Treasurer.
VII. Spending Power
The Officers of the Executive Committee, by a vote of at least two such members shall have the authority to spend up to $5000.00. All other expenditures made on behalf of SEABOTA by the Executive Committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee at a regularly scheduled meeting. In the event that authority for spending by the Executive Committee must be decided before a regularly scheduled meeting, consent for spending in excess of $5000, may be obtained by review of the Executive Committee members and authority obtained in writing by email. The Executive Committee shall acknowledge the decision for such spending and enter upon the minutes that the authority was properly given.
VIII. Amendment of Articles and Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the Board in attendance at any meeting:
(a) Provided such amendments are not inconsistent with the ABOTA Constitution or National Bylaws.
(b) Provided notice of any such proposed amendment has been given at 10-days before the meeting at which the amendments will be considered. The Bylaw changes shall be considered by those Board members attending a regularly held meeting of the Board and shall decide by majority vote of a meeting at which a quorum is in attendance.
IX. Dues and Assessments
Section 1. Fees
The National Board of Directors will set Initiation Fees, Annual Dues and other assessments for ABOTA membership.
Section 2. Regional Assessments and Fees
In addition, Regional assessments and fees may be imposed at any time by an affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum of the members present and voting at any meeting of the Region. In addition to the National membership dues, the dues for the Southeast Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates is $100.00 per member.
X. Revocation of Previous Bylaws
By adopting these Bylaws, the Southeast Region revokes all previously adopted Bylaws of the Region.
ADOPTED by vote of the Southeast Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates and RATIFIED by the Executive Committee of SEABOTA on the 15 day of April 2023.
Ashleigh R. Madison, President
M. Scott Bucci, President-Elect
Gray Culbreath, Vice President
Christina D. Crow, Secretary
Sheila P. Hiestand, Treasurer
