Iranian Bar Associations

ATTORNEYSHIP LAW/CODE(Page 23)
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Index:

* American Bar Association - CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
section 3 og 4
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* American Bar Association - CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
section 3 og 4

Article 30. Sections
§30.1 Creation or Combination.
(a) The House of Delegates, by a two-thirds vote of the members present, may create a new section or combine existing sections after a report by the Board of Governors on the proposal stating the views of the Board and showing compliance with subsection (b).

(b) At least six months before the meeting of the House at which action on the proposal is taken, the proponents must file with the Secretary a statement setting forth:
(1) the need for the proposed section;
(2) the contemplated jurisdiction of the section, which must be within the purposes of the Association and must not substantially conflict with the jurisdiction of any section or committee whose continuance is contemplated;
(3) the proposed bylaws of the section, including a description of its jurisdiction;
(4) the proposed committees of the section;
(5) the proposed budget for the section for the first two years of its operation;
(6) a list of present or prospective members of the Association who have signed statements that they will apply for membership in the section; and
(7) in the case of a combination of sections any jurisdiction of the constituent sections that would not be included in that of the new.

§30.2 Discontinuance and Change of Name. The House of Delegates, by a two-thirds vote of the members present, may discontinue or change the name of any section after a report by the Board of Governors.

§30.3 Notice. Notice must be given to the members of the Association at least 30 days before the meeting of the House of Delegates at which a proposal to establish, combine, discontinue, or change the name of a section is to be considered. However, for a proposal to establish a section, notice may be given instead to the proponents and members of the House and, for a proposal to combine sections, it may be given to the members of their councils and members of the House.

§30.4 General Membership. Members of sections must be members of the Association and must meet the requirements of the bylaws of the respective sections. This limitation does not prevent cooperation or affiliation that the Board of Governors has approved between sections and non-member groups.

§30.5 Officers and Council. A section shall have a chair. It may also have a chair-elect and such other officers as its bylaws may provide. It shall also have a council consisting of the officers and such other members as its bylaws may provide. Notwithstanding any provisions of this section, non-members may serve on the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar as its bylaws may provide and non-U.S. lawyer associate members may serve on the Council and in its leadership of the Section of International Law as its bylaws may provide.

§30.6 Dues. With the approval of the House of Delegates, section members may be required to pay dues.

§30.7 Meetings. A section shall meet immediately before or during the annual meeting, as provided by the Board of Governors. The times and places of other meetings must be approved by the Board.

§30.8 Section Officers Conference. The Section Officers Conference is composed of the officers of each section and forum committee with such voting rights as determined by the Conference. The Conference shall meet at least once a year.

§30.9 Law Student Division. This Article does not apply to the Law Student Division.

Article 31. Committees
§31.1 General Duties. A committee shall carry out its recommendations to the extent and in the manner authorized by the House of Delegates.

§31.2 Appointment. Unless the resolution creating the committee provides otherwise:
(a) Appointments to a committee, including the annual appointment of its chair, shall be made by the President.
(b) If a member resigns, dies, or becomes ineligible, the President shall appoint a successor for the unexpired term.
(c) If a member does not participate in the work of the committee, the President may appoint a successor for the unexpired term.

§31.3 Standing Committees.
(a) Standing Committees shall investigate and study continuing or recurring matters related to the purposes or business of the Association.
(b) Unless

§31.7 provides otherwise, a standing committee consists of seven Association members each of whose term expires upon the adjournment of the third annual meeting following appointment and from among whom the President shall annually designate a chair. In the original appointment of a seven-member committee, the President shall designate two members to serve until the adjournment of the first annual meeting following their appointment, two to serve until the adjournment of the second annual meeting following their appointment, and three to serve until the adjournment of the third annual meeting following their appointment. In the original appointment of committees having other than seven members, the President shall designate for each of the one, two, and three-year terms as nearly an equal number of members as possible.

§31.4 Special Committees. (a) Special committees, which may be created by resolution of the House of Delegates defining their powers and duties, shall investigate and study immediate or nonrecurring matters relating to the purposes or business of the Association. Unless it is continued by the House, a special committee terminates upon the adjournment of the first annual meeting after its creation.

(b) A special committee consists of five Association members unless the resolution creating it provides for a different number. Each member shall be appointed for a term of one Association year.

§31.5 Advisory Committees or Commissions. (a) Advisory committees or commissions, which may be created by resolution of the House of Delegates, shall advise the standing or special committees or commissions to which they are respectively related and under whose direction and supervision they operate. The term of an advisory committee or commission coincides with that of its related committee or commission, unless it is sooner terminated by resolution of the House.

(b) The number of members of an advisory committee shall be designated by the resolution creating it. Each member shall be appointed for a term of one Association year.

§31.6 Commissions.
(a) Commissions, which may be created by resolution of the House of Delegates defining their powers and duties, shall investigate and study specific matters relating to the purposes or business of the Association. Unless it is continued by the House, a commission terminates upon the adjournment of the first annual meeting after its creation.

(b) The number of members of a commission shall be designated by the resolution creating it. Each member shall be appointed for a term of one Association year. A majority of the members, including the chair, must be members of the Association.

§31.7 Designation, Jurisdiction, and Special Tenures of Standing Committees. The designation, jurisdiction, and special tenures of standing committees are as follows:

Amicus Curiae Briefs. The Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs shall review and make appropriate recommendations on all proposed amicus curiae briefs, including whether the proposed brief is a fair representation of the policy position of the Association and whether the brief is of high professional quality.

Armed Forces Law. The Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law shall consist of seven members. The Committee shall have jurisdiction over matters relating to law in the Armed Forces. It shall study and make recommendations on:

(a) the administration of laws, regulations and practices in the Armed Forces and the court-martial system;
(b) the protection of the legal rights and constitutional guarantees of personnel in the Armed Forces; and
(c) the ability of lawyers and judges in the Armed Forces to practice in conformity with all applicable Association standards.

Audit.
(a) The Standing Committee on Audit consists of seven members including the Treasurer, who is a member ex-officio with a vote. Three members of the Committee shall be Association members who are not members of the Board of Governors. Three members of the committee, other than the Treasurer, shall be members of the Board of Governors representing each of the three Association years of the term on the Board. At the Annual Meeting in 2005 and each succeeding third year, one of these members shall be appointed. At the Annual Meeting in 2006 and each succeeding third year, one of these members shall be appointed. At the annual meeting in 2007 and each succeeding third year, one of these members shall be appointed. Members other than the Treasurer shall be appointed by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the President. The President shall annually
designate a chair. All members should be financially knowledgeable and have no relationship that may interfere with the exercise of their independence with respect to the Association and its management.

(b) The Audit Committee shall:
(1) recommend the selection, retention, and compensation of the Association’s independent auditors for approval by the Board of Governors;
(2) ascertain that the Association’s auditors are independent from the Association and its management and are ultimately accountable to the Board of Governors;
(3) review for the Association and all organizations required to be consolidated with the Association under generally accepted accounting principles
(a) the results of the annual external audits of all financial statements and records;
(b) the reports of independent auditors on the applicable financial statements;
(c) any matters required to be communicated to the Committee by the independent auditors under generally accepted auditing standards and the disclosure requirements of the Independence Standards Board;
(d) the system of internal controls;
(e) the independent auditors’ letter of recommendations; and
(f) the Association management’s responses to the letter of recommendations;

(4) review the internal audit function of the Association including
(a) the independence and authority of its reporting obligations;
(b) the proposed internal audit plan for each fiscal year; and
(c) all reports issued by the internal audit department; and
(5) receive, investigate when necessary, and cause response to be made to inquiries or complaints by any member or employee of the Association concerning financial operations of the Association.

Bar Activities and Services. The Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services consists of nine members and shall:
(a) with the assistance of the Division for Bar Services, promote and coordinate Association programs involving state or local bar associations;
(b) oversee the operations of the Division;
(c) maintain effective liaison and, where appropriate, collaborate with state and local bar associations; and
(d) inform the officers, Board of Governors, and House of Delegates of the Association about relevant problems and programs of state and local bar associations and inform state and local bar associations about relevant Association programs.

Client Protection. The Standing Committee on Client Protection, which consists of seven members, shall:
(a) promote and enhance client protection mechanisms, including programs to reimburse financial loss caused by lawyers’ misappropriation of client funds and other causes of client loss, as deemed appropriate;
(b) promote and enhance mechanisms for the arbitration of client-lawyer fee disputes;
(c) promote and enhance mechanisms for the mediation of clientlawyer disputes;
(d) identify and comment on emerging issues in the regulation of the unlicensed practice of law in conjunction with other ABA entities and, where advisable, refer appropriate matters to other Association entities; and

(e) identify and comment on emerging issues in the regulation of the practice of law, including the multijurisdictional practice of law, in coordination with other ABA entities and, where advisable, refer appropriate matters to other Association entities and the House of Delegates.

Constitution and Bylaws. The Standing Committee on Constitution and Bylaws shall:
(a) study and make appropriate recommendations on all proposals to amend the Constitution or the Bylaws, other than on the substantive merit of proposals submitted by the Committee on Scope and Correlation of Work to discontinue or alter the jurisdiction of Association entities, and

(b) upon request of the Committee on Rules and Calendar of the
House of Delegates, study and make appropriate recommendations, other than on substantive merit, on all proposals to amend the Rules of Procedure of the House.

Continuing Legal Education.
(a) The Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education consists of ten members, three of whom shall be appointed from persons nominated under paragraph (b).

(b) The Chair of each section shall, not later than March 1 of each year, submit in writing to the President two nominations for appointment to the Committee. The President shall appoint three members from nominations made under this paragraph. If a vacancy occurs during the term of a member appointed from nominations under this paragraph, the President shall appoint a replacement from the most recent group of nominees. Persons nominated from the same section may not serve concurrently.

(c) The Committee shall organize, coordinate, conduct, and implement continuing legal education activities sponsored or co-sponsored by the Association or any of its entities. It shall cooperate with state or local bar associations, law schools, and other organizations concerned with continuing legal education.

Delivery of Legal Services. The Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, which consists of nine members, has jurisdiction over innovative methods designed to enhance access to legal services and improve the delivery of civil justice to moderate income persons. In carrying out its function, the Committee shall:
(a) Encourage the ABA, other bar associations and other legal groups to actively respond to the unmet legal needs of moderate income persons;

(b) Identify the unmet legal needs of moderate income persons and develop mechanisms that better enable moderate income persons with legal needs to be served by practicing lawyers who are capable of meeting those needs in affordable ways;

(c) Encourage, identify and promote exemplary methods, both traditional and innovative, of meeting the unmet legal needs of moderate income persons; and
(d) Develop and support practices, policies, rules and laws that reduce or obviate unnecessary requirements for representation by lawyers.

Election Law. The Standing Committee on Election Law shall examine and develop ways for improving election law and voter participation.

Environmental Law. The Standing Committee on Environmental Law, which consists of not more than 11 members, shall facilitate liaison among the several committees, sections and agencies of the Association concerned with environmental matters, and shall undertake special projects in the field of environmental law.

Ethics and Professional Responsibility. The Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which consists of ten members, may:
(a) by the concurrence of a majority of its members, express its opinion on proper professional or judicial conduct, either on its own initiative or when requested to do so by a member of the bar or the judiciary;
(b) periodically publish its opinions to the profession in summary or complete form and, on request, provide copies of opinions to members of the bar, the judiciary, and the public;

(c) provide under its supervision informal responses to ethics inquiries the answers to which are substantially governed by applicable ethical codes and existing written opinions;

(d) on request, advise or otherwise assist professional organizations and courts in their activities relating to the development, modification and interpretation of statements of the ethical standards of the profession such as the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the predecessor Model Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct;

(e) recommend amendments to, or clarifications of, the Model Rules of Professional Conduct or the Code of Judicial Conduct; and

(f) adopt rules relating to the procedures to be used in issuing opinions, effective when approved by the Board of Governors.

Federal Judicial Improvements. The Standing Committee on Federal Judicial Improvements, which consists of not more than nine members, shall:
(a) coordinate activities within the Association relating to improvements in the federal judicial system;

(b) maintain effective liaison with other institutions working on judicial reform and with the federal judiciary and other appropriate government officials; and

(c) study and make recommendations for improving the federal judicial system.

Federal Judiciary. The Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary consists of 15 members, two from the ninth federal judicial circuit, one from each other federal judicial circuit, one representing the Federal Circuit, and one at-large who serves for one year. The Committee may, on behalf of the Association, promote the nomination and confirmation of competent persons for appointment as judges of courts of the United States. It may also oppose the nomination and confirmation of persons who it considers insufficiently qualified. It may also report to the House of Delegates on questions relating to the behavior of federal judges and on matters relating to the sufficiency of the number of federal judges.

Gavel Awards. The Standing Committee on Gavel Awards consists of 18 members. The Committee shall supervise the Association’s awards for noteworthy published articles, radio and television broadcasts, books, and films that:
(a) foster greater public understanding of the inherent values of the American legal and judicial system;
(b) inform and educate citizens as to the roles in society of the law, the courts, law enforcement agencies, and the legal profession;

(c) disclose practices or procedures needing correction or improvement so as to encourage and promote local, state, and federal efforts to improve and modernize the nation’slaws, courts, and law enforcement agencies; or
(d) help the legal profession and the judiciary to attain the goals set by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Code of Judicial Conduct. To assist in judging entries, the chair may enlist the help of non-committee members.

Governmental Affairs. The Standing Committee on Governmental Affairs consists of not more than 11 members. The Committee has jurisdiction over matters relating to the Association’s governmental affairs program. In carrying out its functions, the Committee shall:

(a) Make recommendations to the Board of Governors regarding the governmental affairs program;
(b) Provide assistance to the Governmental Affairs Office;
(c) Review the legislative and governmental priorities recommendations of the Governmental Affairs Office;
(d) Make Committee recommendations to the Board of Governors on legislative and governmental priorities as it deems appropriate; and
(e) Select the members of Congress to receive recognition at ABA Day in Washington.

Group and Prepaid Legal Services. The Standing Committee on Group and Prepaid Legal Services has jurisdiction over matters relating to prepaid and group legal services. In carrying out its functions, the Committee shall:
(a) Monitor the growth of the group and prepaid legal services industry and recommend to the House of Delegates action to be taken in removing various regulatory and other barriers which may prevent the free market development of prepaid and group legal services;

(b) Encourage state and local bar associations to foster lawyer and public interest in prepaid and group legal services as an effective means of assuring that legal services are more widely available to moderate income persons at reasonable cost in their jurisdictions;

(c) Provide a forum for discussion of statutory and overly restrictive ethical barriers which may prevent the participation of lawyers as providers of legal services for prepaid and group legal service plans in their jurisdictions; and

(d) Provide oversight of and support to the American Prepaid Legal Services Institute and assist it in developing educational programs, publications and legislative activities aimed at carrying out Association policy in this area.

Judicial Independence. The Standing Committee on Judicial Independence shall have eleven members and shall:
(a) assist courts, administrative judiciaries and state, local and territorial bar associations in considering and effectuating responses to infringement of judicial independence;
(b) encourage public awareness and appreciation of the importance of judicial independence and merit selection to the American judicial system and the rule of law;

(c) make recommendations on ways to improve and enhance the institutional independence and efficiency of state, territorial and local judiciaries and encourage appropriate accountability to enhance judicial independence and the efficient administration of justice; and

(d) act as a clearinghouse for the Association’s activities dealing with the judicial independence of state, local and administrative judiciaries.

Law and National Security. The Standing Committee on Law and National Security consists of 11 members. It shall conduct studies, sponsor programs and conferences, and administer working groups on law and national security and related issues. The Committee’s activities are designed to assist policymakers, to educate lawyers, the media, and the public, and to enable the Committee to make recommendations, where appropriate, to the American Bar Association.

Law Library of Congress. The Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress shall cooperate in maintaining and expanding the facilities of the Law Library of Congress.

Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
(a) The Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Service, which consists of not more than ten members, has jurisdiction over matters relating to lawyer referral and information services for the purpose of assisting them in making affordable legal services more readily available to the public.

(b) In carrying out its functions, the Committee shall:
(1) support and seek to improve existing services and, as appropriate, develop new ones;
(2) seek to develop and improve materials and model standards;
(3) disseminate appropriate information;
(4) encourage the implementation of existing standards; and
(5) encourage and otherwise help state or local bar associations and other interested organizations.

Lawyers’ Professional Liability. The Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability shall:
(a) study and keep the Association and state and local bar associations informed about (1) developments in the professional liability of lawyers and (2) the availability, coverage, and cost of liability insurance and the feasibility of self-insurance;
(b) work with such bar associations and the insurance industry to develop programs to assist lawyers in avoiding or dealing with professional liability claims; and
(c) make appropriate recommendations concerning Association sponsorship of lawyers' professional liability programs.

Lawyers’ Title Guaranty Funds. The Standing Committee on Lawyers' Title Guaranty Funds shall study title insurance and title guaranty funds, cooperate with state and local bar associations indicating an interest in lawyers' title guaranty funds, and stimulate efforts among lawyers and others to recognize the essential role of the lawyer in real estate transactions.

Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants. The Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, which consists of not more than eleven members, has jurisdiction over matters relating to legal aid and defender services respecting:
(a) the administration of justice as it affects the poor;
(b) remedial measures intended to help the poor protect their legal rights; and
(c) the establishment and efficient maintenance of legal aid and defender organizations and cooperation with other interested agencies, whether public or private.

Legal Assistance for Military Personnel. The Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel has jurisdiction over matters relating to legal assistance for military personnel and their dependents. It shall foster the continued growth of the military legal assistance programs. It shall promote the delivery of legal services to military personnel and their dependents and to persons accompanying the armed forces outside the United States, on their personal legal affairs (except those involving proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice). It shall maintain close liaison with the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation with respect to the U.S. Coast Guard, the military services, bar associations and appropriate committees of the Association to enhance the scope, quality and delivery of free or affordable legal services to eligible legal assistance clients.

Medical Professional Liability. The Standing Committee on Medical Professional Liability consists of not more than nine members.

The Committee’s responsibilities shall be:
(a) To review pending and future proposals relating to medical professional liability in light of existing ABA policies;
(b) To identify policy areas, if any, as to which new policy is needed; and
(c) To serve as a focal point for activity within the ABA on issues relating to medical professional liability.

Meetings and Travel. The Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel shall develop plans for the maintenance, improvement and integration of meeting and travel programs and procedures.

Membership.
(a) The Standing Committee on Membership, which consists of ten members, shall encourage applications for membership in the Association and formulate plans for maintaining and increasing membership.

(b) In making appointments to the Committee, the President shall consider diversity in geographical area.

(c) The President shall also appoint one Association member in each state as state chair of membership to conduct the membership program of the Association in that state. The term of each person so appointed ends with the adjournment of the third annual meeting after appointment, except that the term of an appointment of a person to fill a vacancy ends with the end of the term in which the vacancy occurred. A state chair may serve for two successive three-year terms and no longer, except that earlier service under an appointment to fill a vacancy may not be counted.

(d) The Committee may invite the chair or co-chair for membership of the Young Lawyers Division and the national chair for membership of the Law Student Division to attend any of its meetings, and reimburse their incurred expenses as if they were members of the Committee.

Paralegals. The Standing Committee on Paralegals has jurisdiction over matters relating to the education, employment, training, and effective use of paralegals.

Pro Bono and Public Service. The Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, which consists of ten members, has jurisdiction over matters enabling and encouraging lawyers to fulfill their responsibility to provide pro bono public service without fee or at a substantially reduced fee. In carrying out its functions, the Committee shall:

(a) review, evaluate and foster the development of pro bono publico programs and activities by law firms, bar associations, corporate law departments, and other legal practitioners within the framework of delivery of legal services by the profession;

(b) analyze and define the appropriate scope, function and objectives of pro bono publico programs;
(c) establish and develop liaison with state and local bar associations and other groups interested in such programs;
(d) propose and review legislation which impacts on the ability of lawyers to provide pro bono publico service; and
(e) undertake such further activities as may be necessary and proper for the fulfillment of these responsibilities.

Professional Discipline. The Standing Committee on Professional Discipline consists of 9 members. The Committee is responsible for developing, promoting, coordinating, and strengthening professional disciplinary and regulatory programs and procedures throughout the nation, including developing and promoting Association activities relating to professional discipline, model rules for disciplinary enforcement and standards for the imposition of sanctions. The Committee is also responsible for maintaining the ABA National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank.

Professionalism. The Standing Committee on Professionalism shall preserve and promote within the entire legal community principles of professionalism, including integrity, competence, fairness, independence, courage, respect for the legal system and a devotion to public service. It shall initiate and encourage professionalism programs, be responsible for the coordination of efforts in this area within the Association, and provide a central clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information on professionalism and lawyer advertising within the legal community. To accomplish these goals, the Committee shall:

(a) Encourage, make recommendations and provide assistance to ABA entities in the development and coordination of professionalism initiatives;
(b) Encourage and provide assistance to state and local bar associations, the judiciary, the law schools and the legal community in their efforts to improve lawyer professionalism and competence;
(c) Educate members of the legal profession, the judiciary, the law school community and the public about professionalism, competence and advertising issues; and

(d) Evaluate and report on trends and developments impacting lawyer professionalism, competence and advertising and recommend initiatives and policies to address them.

Public Education. The Standing Committee on Public Education shall consist of fifteen members, one of whom shall be a designated national Law Day chair, appointed annually by the President, and the chair of the Standing Committee on Gavel Awards, who shall serve ex officio. The Standing Committee shall:
(a) Provide policy direction and oversight for the Division for Public Education and coordinate the activities of its component entities;
(b) Assist Association activities designed to improve public understanding about the law;
(c) Promote activities of, and assist, state and local bar associations, other legal groups, and nonlegal organizations in educating the public about the law; and
(d) Foster and promote comprehensive, multifaceted school and community-based public education programs, including the development and implementation of model public education programs for youth, college and adult audiences.

Publishing Oversight. The Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight is composed of twelve members: 8 representatives from among those recommended by the Section Officers Conference to the ABA President from Sections, Divisions and Forum Committees with existing publishing programs, and four at-large members. Members will serve three-year staggered terms and be eligible for reappointment to a second three-year term. The Committee shall:

(a) Study and recommend publishing policies and strategies to the Board of Governors and House of Delegates;
(b) Provide policy oversight, supervision and direction to ABA publishing, exclusive of the ABA Journal; and
(c) Work closely with the Director of ABA Publishing, who will be responsible for implementing the Association’s publication policies and developing publishing and marketing initiatives designed to meet changing needs of members, produce new/increased revenues, or support other Association goals.

Specialization. The Standing Committee on Specialization has jurisdiction over matters relating to specialization in the practice of law.

Strategic Communications. The Standing Committee on Strategic Communications consists of nine members, five of whom shall be members-at-large, one of whom shall represent the Section Officers Conference and three of whom shall be communication professionals, who need not be lawyers.

The Committee’s responsibilities shall be:
(a) To develop and recommend Association communication priorities and goals;
(b) To develop and evaluate integrated communication messages, plans and strategies; and
(c) To coordinate and assist the Association and its entities with respect to their communication plans and activities.

Substance Abuse. The Standing Committee on Substance Abuse shall collaborate with other American Bar Association entities; federal, state and local public/private organizations; and state and local bars to address issues of substance abuse. In carrying out its function, the Committee shall:

(a) Encourage state and local bar associations to actively develop and foster lawyer and public participation in community anti-drug coalitions as an effective means of addressing substance abuse;

(b) Encourage, support, and initiate discussion and examination by ABA entities of exemplary methods that address substance abuse;

(c) Develop, after consultation with other appropriate ABA entities, and then implement a communications strategy to inform and educate lawyers and the public on exemplary programs which address substance abuse; and

(d) Make appropriate recommendations to develop and promote practices and policies that support prevention, education, and treatment of substance abuse.

Technology and Information Systems. The Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems consists of eleven members. The Committee shall:

(a) Provide volunteer oversight for the Association’s use of technology and information resources, the Legal Technology Resource Center, Information Systems, and the Association’s technology plan;

(b) Coordinate and monitor the technological aspects of the Lawyers Communication Network’s programming;
(c) Identify, develop and promote technology-related member benefits;
(d) Identify strategies by which technology can be applied to improve the efficiency and quality of legal services and the activities of the Association;

(e) Provide member coordination for the implementation of structural improvements to the Association’s technological and information systems;

(f) Promote member and public awareness of the Association’s internal and external technology and information projects and programs; and

(g) Establish liaisons with Association entities and state, territorial and local bar associations to further coordination and communication in this area.

§31.8 Coordinating Groups.
(a) The House of Delegates may create a coordinating group to coordinate the activities of all participating ABA entities having a common interest in a specified area relating to the purposes or business of the Association.

(b) Unless the resolution creating it provides otherwise, (1) a coordinating group consists of one representative of each participating ABA entity appointed to the group by the President, and (2) additional ''at-large'' members may be appointed at the discretion of the President, the number of which may not exceed one less than the number of participating ABA entities. The President shall annually designate a chair from the at-large members. In the original appointment, the President shall designate members to serve one, two, and three-year terms in as nearly an equal number as possible.

(c) As a condition to representation on the coordinating group, each participating entity shall contribute its pro rata share of the group’s total operating budget, based on the total number of group members.

Article 32. Forum Committees
§32.1 Forum Committees.
(a) The House of Delegates may, by a majority vote, create a forum committee to carry out, in a specified field, a responsibility that is principally to educate its members in that field, is within the purposes of the Association, and is not otherwise served within the Association. The forum committee shall also investigate and study the matters within its responsibilities.

(b) During each Association year, a forum committee shall hold one or more educational meetings, open to any member of the Association.

(c) A forum committee is unlimited in number and indefinite in duration. Any member of a section of the Association may be a member.

Each forum committee shall adopt bylaws not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws. The bylaws become effective when approved by the House.

(d) Each forum committee shall have a governing committee selected in accordance with that committee’s bylaws.

(e) In carrying out its responsibilities under this section, a forum committee shall coordinate its activities with those of each section or other committee of the Association that is concerned with a matter that is also within the committee’s responsibilities.

(f) To cover its expenses, a forum committee may impose such dues as the Board of Governors approves.

(g) The House may discontinue or change the name of a forum committee. The House shall discontinue a forum committee if, for any Association year, its expenditures exceed the dues received and advance provision has not been made to cover the excess.

Article 33. Publications
§33.1 American Bar Association Journal.
(a) The American Bar Association Journal shall be published by a Board of Editors consisting of the President, the President-Elect, the Chair of the House of Delegates, and the Treasurer, who are members ex-officio, and nine Association members elected by the Board of Governors as vacancies occur.

(b) The Board of Editors shall elect one of its members as Chair. The Chair shall act as liaison with the Board of Governors and, on the invitation of the President, shall report to it and attend its meetings.

(c) Members of the Board elected by the Board of Governors serve for three-year terms and are ineligible to serve more than two terms. However, a member who is serving as Chair when his or her second term expires is eligible to serve a third term.

§33.2 Authority of Board of Editors. The Board of Editors shall manage the Journal and its financial affairs. It may employ an editor and such other employees as it considers necessary. It may create an advisory board. The proceedings of the Board of Editors shall be reported to the Board of Governors which, by a majority vote of its entire membership, may disapprove, change, or rescind any action or appointment of the Board of Editors.

§33.3 Revenues. The revenues of the Journal are a part of the general funds of the Association.

§33.4 Annual Reports. A printed report of the Association’s proceedings, the reports of committees and sections and the action taken with respect to them by the House of Delegates for the preceding Association year, and such other information as the Board of Governors determines to be useful to the members, shall be published annually under the supervision of the Secretary. The report shall be made available at a reasonable charge to each member who, upon notice, requests a copy in the manner prescribed by the House.

§33.5 Other Publications. Other publications of the Association or its sections or committees shall be issued and distributed on such terms as the House of Delegates prescribes.
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