Guidelines for RPLS Officers

Guidelines for Officers, Delegates to House of Delegates, Members-at-Large and District Representatives (09/19/05)

A. Chair

1. Schedule and preside over all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee; prepare an agenda for each meeting.
2. Assign officers to act as liaison to the District Representatives and the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committees.
3. Annually in June reappoint Chairs of the Standing Committees, Delegates to House of Delegates and Members-at-Large for terms beginning June 1; appoint two additional members of the Nominating Committee (which consists of immediate past chair and two prior past chairs).
4. Arrange for response to requests for information or action by the Section.

B. First Vice-Chair

1. Act as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
2. Plan and arrange for the Summer Meeting preceding the year in which he or she becomes Chair, including the CLE program, featuring committee activities.
3. Plan and arrange for the Annual Meeting preceding the year in which he or she becomes Chair, including the CLE program, featuring committee activities.
4. Act as liaison to the District Representatives and the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committees as requested by the Chair.
5. Assist the Chair as requested.

C. Second Vice-Chair

1. Act as Chair in the absence of the Chair and First Vice-Chair.
2. Monitor the Section’s budget and report to the Executive Committee.
3. Act as liaison to the District Representatives and the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committees, as requested by the Chair.
4. Select location and date of Summer Meeting preceding the year in which he or she becomes Chair.
5. Assist the Chair as requested.

D. Secretary

1. Keep a record of all proceedings at all meetings of the Section and the Executive Committee, including taking attendance at meetings of the Executive Committee.
2. Mail or cause to be mailed notices of all meetings of the Executive Committee.
3. Act as custodian of all books, papers, documents and other property of the Section, except money.
4. Assist the Chair as requested.

E. Delegates to House of Delegates

1. Attend meetings of House of Delegates as representatives of the Executive Committee. In absence of guidance from the Executive Committee, obtain guidance from the Chair as to reports to make to and votes in the House of Delegates.
2. Report back to the Section on meetings of the House of Delegates.

F. Members-at-Large

1. Assist the Chair as requested.

G. District Representatives

1. Identify the committees or sections of local bar associations that deal with real property law issues (e.g., the Real Property Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York) and act as liaison to those committees/sections, including requesting and forwarding to the Executive Committee copies of minutes of the proceedings of those committees/sections and other written material obtained from them.
2. Forward to local real property law committees/sections copies of minutes of Executive Committee meetings and other written material that has been circulated to Executive Committee members.
3. Coordinate recruiting efforts with the Chair and members of the Membership Committee, and actively promote among lawyers in the District membership in the NYSBA and the Real Property Law Section.
4. Represent Real Property Law Section members who practice in the District by advising them of current issues being dealt with by the Executive Committee, soliciting the views of members and conveying those views to the Executive Committee. (See below about active roles in surveys of Section members.)
5. Establish and maintain contact with law schools within the District, advising law students of the opportunities and benefits of membership in the NYSBA, and generally acting as liaison between law schools and the NYSBA and the Real Property Law Section.
6. Advise the Executive Committee of local legislation, legal developments, etc., that might be of general interest.
7. Take an active role in soliciting responses to surveys or other inquiries from the Section, such as a survey dealing with recently enacted or pending legislation or other issues being addressed by the Executive Committee.
8. Generally assist the Executive Committee & its officers with Committee and Section activities.