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Articles of Association |
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
PITTSBURGH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this Association shall be the "PITTSBURGH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW ASSOCIATION."
ARTICLE II - OBJECTS
The objects of this Association shall be to promote social intercourse among its members, and the exchange of views
upon subjects of professional interest; and to consider and take appropriate concerted action concerning matters
which may arise affecting the Patent, Trademark and Copyright and other Intellectual Property Laws and the administration
thereof.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. There shall be four classes of membership in the Association--Honorary, Active, Associate and Student.
Section 2. Honorary Members
All judges of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Pennsylvania shall be Honorary
Members of the Association, subject to their acceptance, and shall be entitled to all privileges, except that of
voting and shall be exempt from payment of dues. All active members who retire from active practice shall upon
approval by the Board be eligible as Honorary Members of the Association and shall be entitled to all privileges,
except that of voting and shall be exempt from payment of dues.
Section 3. Active Members
Any member of the bar of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Pennsylvania or the
Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania making a specialty of the practice of intellectual property law,
and others, not being members of said bar, who are registered as attorneys or agents in the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, of good character, and who at the time of their selection to membership shall be inhabitants
of or have their principal office within the jurisdiction of the District Court of the United States for the Western
District of Pennsylvania, and actively engaged in the soliciting of patents or trademarks as a profession, shall
be eligible for election to active membership.
Section 4. Associate Members
All other persons making a specialty of the practice of intellectual property law and dwelling or having their
only or principal office beyond the jurisdiction of the District Court of the United States for the Western District
of Pennsylvania shall be eligible for election to associate membership. Such Associate Members shall have the powers
and privileges of Active Members.
Section 5. Student Members
Law students currently attending a law school within, or having legal residence in, the jurisdiction of the District
Court of the United States for the Western District of Pennsylvania, shall be eligible for election to student
membership, said membership entitling the law school student to all powers and privileges of Active Members except
that of voting and holding office. Such student memberships shall terminate nine (9) months from the student's
graduation from law school.
Section 6. Application for Membership
Applications for membership shall be made in writing to the Board of Managers and delivered with the first year's
dues to the Secretary, which dues in the event the application is rejected will be returned to the applicant. Every
application shall be signed by the applicant, and shall be endorsed in writing by at least two (2) members, either
on the application itself or by separate letter. Upon receipt of a complete application in proper form the Secretary
shall send a notice thereof to each member of the Association, and for ten (10) days after the sending of such
notices no action shall be taken on the application. After the expiration of said period of ten (10) days the application
shall be acted upon by the Board of Managers, and two (2) adverse votes shall operate as a rejection of the application.
Section 7. Any member of this Association who, after a full hearing by the Board of Managers, shall be found by
the affirmative vote of five (5) members of said Board to have conducted his/her profession in an unethical or
unprofessional manner, shall be expelled from this Association.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND BOARD OF MANAGERS
Section 1. The Officers of this Association shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary who shall also
perform the duties of Treasurer and Librarian. These officers, together with four (4) members of the Association
shall constitute a Board of seven (7) Managers. The Managers and other officers of this Association shall hold
their respective offices until their successors shall have been elected and shall have accepted such election.
The President, the Vice President, and the Secretary shall be elected for one (1) year, and the other members of
the Board of Managers shall be elected for two (2) years, as hereinafter provided.
Section 2. President and Vice President
The president shall preside over all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Managers; and in his/her absence
the Vice President shall preside over all such meetings. The President shall further discharge the duties usually
pertaining to the office of President.
Section 3. Secretary
The Secretary shall, until the further order of the Association, also act as Treasurer an Librarian and shall discharge
all the duties usually pertaining to the said respective offices, including the issuing of notices of all meetings,
hereinafter provided.
Section 4. The Board of Managers shall have general charge of the affairs, funds, and property of the Association.
It shall consist of seven (7) members, of whom three (3) shall be officers of the Association, as provided in Section
1 of this Article. There remaining four (4) managers shall be elected at the first election two (2) for one (1)
year and two (2) for two (2) years. Thereafter the successors of the members whose term expires shall be elected
to serve for two (2) years.
The Board of Managers shall have power to fill by appointment any vacancy which may occur in any office or in the
membership of the Board, such appointment to be for a term not longer than until the next annual election and the
acceptance of office by the person elected to fill such vacancy.
Five (5) members of the Board of Managers shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except the
election of members, in which case a vote of at least six (6) members of the Board shall be required.
The President, the Vice President during the absence of the President, or any two (2) members of the Board of Managers,
may call a meeting of said Board.
ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Annual meetings of the Association shall be held at such time during the month of April of each year
as may be selected by the Board of Managers, and notice thereof shall be mailed to each member at least seven (7)
days prior to such meeting. Other meetings of the Association may be held at such times as may be determined by
the Board of Managers, and special meetings may be called at any time by the President, or in his/her absence by
the Vice President, or by three (3) members of the Board of Managers, or by ten (10) members of the Association,
upon reasonable notice.
Section 2. At the annual meeting of the Association, officers and managers according to their classes, shall be
elected by ballot. Nominators for such offices and managers shall be made as follows:
The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee to consist of three (3) members, not the President, Vice President
or Secretary and Treasurer, at least thirty (30) days before the annual meeting. It shall be the duty of the Nominating
Committee to select and prepare a list of candidates for the various offices to be filled at the annual election.
The Committee shall report its nominations to the Secretary, and notice of such nominations shall be mailed to
the members of the Association at least one (1) week before the annual meeting. Candidates other than those presented
by the Nominating Committee may be nominated from the floor and full opportunity shall be given for this purpose.
In case more than one candidate shall be nominated for any office, the election shall be by ballot.
Section 3. The Active Members of the membership present at any regularly called meeting of the Association shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE VI - INDEBTEDNESS DUES AND MEMBERSHIP FEES
The Board of Managers shall not incur indebtedness in excess of the actual funds in the treasury at any time.
The member serving as Secretary of this Association shall be exempt from the payment of annual dues.
The annual dues shall be payable on or before the first day of July as follows:
(a) Active Members, Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00)
(b) Associate Members, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00)
(c) Student Members, Ten Dollars ($10.00)
Any member whose dues are in arrears for a period in excess of one (1) year and who fails to pay them within (30)
days after being notified by mail of such deficiency by the Secretary shall be dropped from the roll of members,
but such members shall have the right to appeal to the Board of Managers for reinstatement and the conditions of
reinstatement shall be within their discretion.
ARTICLE VII - NOTICES
The Secretary shall mail notices to the last address of each member of the Association as the same may appear upon
the books of the Association, of all annual and special meetings of the Association, for the annual meeting seven
(7) days in advance thereof and for special meetings of the Association five (5) days in advance thereof.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENT
Amendments to these Articles may be made at any regularly called business meeting of the Association by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the members present. PROVIDED that the proposed amendment shall have been approved by a majority
vote of the board of Managers or by ten (10) members in writing, but not otherwise. Notice of the proposed Amendment
and a copy of the same shall be mailed to each member at least five (5) days before such meeting.
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