AP-LS Bylaws

Article I: Name and Purpose Article II: Membership Article III: Officers
Article IV: Committees Article V: Activities Article VI: Amendments


Article I: Name and Purpose

  1. The name of this organization shall be: The American Psychology-Law Society (Society)/Division 41 of the American Psychological Association (Association).
  2. The purposes of the Society shall be:
    1. To advance the contributions of psychology to the understanding of law and legal institutions through basic and applied research;
    2. To promote the education of psychologists in matters of law and the education of legal personnel in matters of psychology, including the appropriate use of psychologists in the legal system; and
    3. To inform the psychological and legal communities and the general public of current research, educational, and service activities in the field of psychology and law.

Article II: Membership

  1. There shall be six categories of members in the Society: Members in the Association, Associates in the Association, Members-at-large, Associates-at-large, Fellows of the Division, Fellows of the Society, and Affiliates.
  2. Members and Associates affiliated with the American Psychological Association shall be designated in accordance with the By-Laws of the Association, as follows:
    1.  Members shall be those members who are also members of the American Psychological Association and who are elected as members in accordance with the provision of Section 5 of Article II of the By-Laws for the Association.
    2.  Associates shall be those who are also Associates of the American Psychological Association and who are elected as Associates in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 of Article II of the By-Laws for the Association.
  3. Members-at-large shall be members who, by reason of their competence in fields bearing upon the central interests of the Society, wish to aid the Society in the attainments of its objectives, but who do not hold membership in the American Psychological Association.
    1. Ordinarily, eligibility for Member-at-large shall require a doctorate in psychology or a related behavioral science or a law degree. However, these requirements may be waived by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Executive Committee, given submission of evidence satisfactory to the Executive Committee of contributions by an individual to the field of Psychology and Law.
    2.  Eligibility for membership as an Associate-at-large shall require the master's degree in psychology from a regionally accredited graduate or professional school.” Initially, Associates may not vote or hold office within the Association. shall be enrolled in law school or in a graduate or undergraduate program in a social or behavioral science.
  4. Affiliates shall be members who, by reason of their interest in fields bearing upon the central interests of the Society, wish to aid the Society in the attainment of its objectives, but who do not hold membership in the American Psychological Association, and who do not meet the eligibility criteria for affiliation as a Member-at-large. Affiliates include International Affiliates, Student Affiliates (including High School Student, Undergraduate Student, and Graduate Student), High School Teacher Affiliates, and Community College Teacher Affiliates.  Student Affiliates will be represented in the Division through the Student Section of the Society, in accordance with the provisions of Article IV, Section 6.
  5.  Members, Associates, and Affiliates of the American Psychological Association who apply for Society membership in the same status held in the Association, and persons who apply to the Society for status as Members-at-large, Associates-at-Large, or Affiliate, may be admitted to the Society subject to review by the Secretary, and approval of the membership of the Society at its annual business meeting.
  6. Members nominated for Fellow in the Division or Fellow in the Society must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. All candidates for Division Fellow must be endorsed by at least one Fellow of the Division and all candidates for Society Fellow must be endorsed by at least one Fellow of the Society.  In addition, all candidates for Division Fellow must meet the requirements of the by-laws of the American Psychological Association.  All members who are determined to meet the requirements for Fellow of the Division are also granted status as Fellow of the Society./li>
  7. Voting in the Society shall follow the criteria established in the By-Laws of the American Psychological Association, except that Associates and Affiliates may vote as a member of any committee on which they serve.
  8. Minimum membership dues are set by vote of the Executive Committee and may be imposed on all Fellows, Members, Members-at-large, Associates, Associates-at-large, and Affiliates. Non-payment of dues for two consecutive years shall be considered as equivalent to resignation from the Society.
  9. Life membership is automatically conferred on members of the American Psychological Association who have reached the age of 65 years and have been members of the Society for at least 25 years.  On their initiative, Members-at-large who are at least 65 and have been members of the Society for at least 25 years may submit a written request for life membership.  Life Members shall be exempt from paying that portion of their dues not attributable for Journal or Newsletter costs and shall retain all other rights and privileges of members of the Society.

 

Article III: Officers

  1. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a President-elect, a past-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, three Council Members and such other officers as may be elected in accordance with the provisions of this Article. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in these By-Laws or assigned by the Executive Committee.
    1. President: The President shall be the principal officer of the Society and shall in general supervise all of the business and affairs of the Society. The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Executive Committee and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Executive Committee from time to time. The President shall be elected for a three year term, serving the first year as President-Elect, the second year as President, and the third year as Immediate Past-President. In the absence of the President or in the event of the President's inability to act, the President-elect shall perform the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The President-elect shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Committee.  
    2.  Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the Society, receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the Society, deposit all such monies in the name of the Society in such banks or other depositories as shall be selected by the Executive Committee of the Society, prepare an annual financial report and a budget for the upcoming year for the Society, and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall serve for a five-year term of office, this term being staggered with the term of the Secretary in such a manner as to provide continuity for the Executive Committee and the Society.  Nothing in this Section shall be construed to bar collection by the Association or any other entity designated by majority vote of the Executive Committee of funds due and payable to the Society. When such collection occurs, the Treasurer shall have charge of ensuring ultimate deposit of such funds in the accounts of the Society and maintaining appropriate accounting of their receipt.
    3. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the members of the Executive Committee, be the custodian of the Society records, secure and review evidence concerning the qualifications of all candidates for membership or changes in membership status in the Society, maintain an annually-updated membership list, disseminate information regarding the Society's activities to the membership, and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall submit a budget for necessary operating expenses to the Executive Committee for approval, and shall have the authority to hire an Administrative Assistant according to the amount approved for such expenses. The Secretary shall serve for a three-year term of office, this term being staggered with the term of the Treasurer in such a manner as to provide continuity for the Executive Committee and the Society 
    4. Council Members One Council Member shall be responsible for working with the Society’s Program Committee and current and future program chairs with respect to preparing and developing the Society’s annual scientific programs.  One Council Member shall be responsible for working with the Society’s Student Committee.  Council Members may also take on other duties as assigned by the President, in consultation with the Executive Committee.  Council Members shall be elected by Society membership and shall serve terms of three years, these terms being staggered so that one Council Member is elected each year.
  2. There shall be Divisional Representatives to the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association in numbers permitted by the By-Laws of the Association. Representatives shall be elected for a five-year term of office.  In the event that there is more than one Divisional Representative allotted by the American Psychological Association, their terms will be staggered in such a manner as to provide continuity in representation to the Council. Divisional Representatives of the Association shall be members of the Association and shall be chosen by and only by the members of the Society who are also members of the Association.
  3. Candidates for office in the Society shall be Fellows, Members, or Members-at-large of the Society, with the exception of Divisional Representatives who must also be members of the American Psychological Association. Officers and Divisional Representatives shall be elected by preferential mail ballot.

Article IV: Committees

  1. The President, in appropriate consultation with officers of the Executive Committee, may designate and appoint one or more committees, each of which shall consist of two or more Members, Members-at-large, Fellows, Associates, Associates-at-large, or Affiliates. In addition, Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the President to address matters of relevance to the Society. The Committees of the Society shall consist of such standing committees as may be provided by the By-Laws and such special committees as may be established by the Executive Committee. However, no such committee shall have the authority of the Executive Committee in reference to amending, altering, or repealing the By-Laws; electing, appointing, or removing any officer of the Society; or amending or repealing any resolution of the Executive Committee; nor shall the appointment of any such committee and the delegation thereto of authority relieve the Executive Committee or any individual Executive Committee member of any responsibility imposed upon it by these By-Laws. In accordance with Article V, Section 7, of the By-Laws of the American Psychological Association, all committees shall be subject to a review by the Association's Board of Directors.
  2. Executive Committee:
    1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Society, consisting of the President, the President-elect, the immediate past-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Divisional Representatives, three Council Members, the newsletter editor, the editor of the society's journal, the book series editor, the chair of the student section of the Society, and such other officers as may be elected in accordance with the provisions of this Article. The newsletter editor, the editor of the society's journal, and the book series editor are non-voting, ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. Any vacancy occurring in the Executive Committee shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining members, though less than a quorum of the Executive Committee, provided that the position is not filled by the immediate past-President, past-Secretary, or past-Treasurer of the Society. A Member elected to fill a vacancy on the Executive Committee shall be elected for the unexpired term of the predecessor in that office. All outgoing and incoming members of the Executive Committee shall be present at the annual meeting of the Executive Committee. With the consideration of new business, the President-elect shall assume the office of President and the incoming Executive Committee shall take office.
    2. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society, performing the duties and abiding by the limitations specified in these By-Laws. Actions of the Executive Committee affecting Society policy are subject to approval by majority vote of the membership voting. The voting for such matters shall be conducted at an annual meeting or by electronic or mail ballot, as decided by the Executive Committee.
    3.  The Executive Committee shall meet at least annually. Other meetings may be held on the call of the President, by consensus of the Secretary and Treasurer, or by consensus of a simple majority of the Executive Committee. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of a majority of the entire membership of the Executive Committee. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of Executive Committee members present at a meeting.
    4. Executive Committee members, other than the journal editor and book series editor, shall receive no salaries for their services to the Society. Executive Committee members will be reimbursed for travel to Society executive meetings according to the reimbursement policies then in effect, such policies to be determined by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee in light of overall financial resources and responsibilities of the Society.
  3. Fellowship Committee: The Committee on Fellows shall consist of three Fellows of the Division appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Fellows to review all nominations for Fellowship, to collect and consider such supporting materials as are necessary, and to recommend nominees for Fellow status in the Division or Fellow in the Society in accordance with the By-Laws of the Division/Society and of the Association.
  4. Nomination and Awards Committee: The Nomination and Awards Committee shall consist of the past-President as Chairperson, the current President, and three other non-Executive Committee members appointed by the President.
    1. The Nomination and Awards Committee shall nominate at least two persons for each office for which election is being held, taking care to assure broad representation in the administration of the Society. In addition, any Member, Member-at-large, or Fellow of the Society who gains the support of 25 of the membership of the Society on a petition for nomination shall be nominated for the office. Membership of the Society shall be reminded of this option in a timely manner, prior to the holding of elections. The Nomination and Awards Committee shall ascertain whether Members, Members-at-large, or Fellows so nominated meet requirements for office as specified in the By-Laws and are willing to serve if elected. The Committee shall also nominate, in consultation with the Publications and Communications Committee, candidates to assume editorial duties of Society publications as openings occur.
    2. The Nomination and Awards Committee shall present nominations for any awards offered by the Society to the Executive Committee, which will select recipients of these awards by a majority vote.
  5. Program Committee: The President shall appoint two persons designated as Co-Chairs to serve on the Program Committee. This committee shall be responsible for planning the Society's program for the annual convention of the Association and the program for the annual meeting of the Society.
  6. Student Committee:
    1.  This Committee shall work to further the participation of students in the activities of the Society, promote and support psycholegal research and practice efforts of students, enhance communication between students interested in the interface of psychology and law, and assist in the professional development of students in careers involving psychology and law.
    2.  Officers of the Student Section of the Society shall be elected according to the provisions for such elections established in the Student Section Guidelines, such guidelines and any modifications thereto subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Student Section shall participate in the Executive Committee of the Society as an ex-officio, voting member.
    3. The Student Section shall be appropriated a budget to further its prescribed activities. The Student Section shall prepare an annual budget for review, revision, and approval by the Executive Committee at its annual meeting. The Section also shall submit, at the annual meeting, a formal written accounting of the past year's expenditures in light of the established budget for the previous year.
  7.  Publications and Communications Committee: There shall be a Publications and Communications Committee consisting of the editor of the Society journal (Chair), the editor of the Society newsletter, and the editor of the Society book series. This committee shall: be responsible for publication of the Society's newsletter, journal, and book series; advise the Nominations and Awards Committee on candidates to assume editorial duties of Society publications as openings occur; oversee such journals, newsletters, books, book series, pamphlets, and other materials as will inform the psychological and legal communities and the public about research and practice in the area of  law and psychology; and make recommendations to the Executive Committee to ensure that the membership receives all communication and information relevant to Society affairs to the maximum extent feasible.

Article V: Activities

  1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society for the presentation of scientific papers and the discussion of professional matters in the field of the Society's interest. The Society shall coordinate its programs with, and participate in, the programs of the Association.
  2. The Secretary of the Society, directly or through the Central Office of the Association, shall notify new Members, Members-at-large, Associates, Associates-at-large, and Affiliates of the Society of their election into the Society immediately after the annual meeting. Students shall be notified directly by the Secretary of their membership status in the Society. The Secretary shall maintain and update a current list of eligible voters.
  3. The Society shall publish a Newsletter for purposes of coordinating and disseminating news relevant to the membership of the Society and for conducting Society business.
    1. As a part of its mandate, the Newsletter shall publish the minutes of each Executive Committee meeting, the annual budget for the Society, announcements of the petition process as outlined in Article IV, Section 4 of these By-Laws, and final nominations for Society offices.
    2. The editor of the Newsletter shall be nominated by the Nominations and Awards Committee, in consultation with the Publications and Communications Committee, such appointment subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor shall be appointed to a three-year term and shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee. By mutual consent of the newsletter editor and the Executive Committee, the appointment may be extended for one additional three-year term, for a maximum of six years.
  4. The Society shall publish a journal with the goal of disseminating results of research and scholarly writing in the area of psychology and law. The editor of the Journal shall be nominated by the Nominations and Awards Committee, in consultation with the Publications and Communications Committee, such appointment subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor shall be appointed to a five year term without possibility of extensions, and shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
  5. The Society shall publish a book series with the goal of disseminating results of research and scholarly writing in the area of psychology and law. The editor of the book series shall be nominated by the Nominations and Awards Committee, in consultation with the Publications and Communications Committee, such appointment subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor shall be appointed for a five-year term and shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. By mutual consent of the book series Editor and the Executive Committee, the appointment may be extended for an additional five year term, for a maximum of ten years.
  6. An annual meeting of the Society will be held at a time different from the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.

Article VI: Amendments

  1. Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a majority vote of the membership present at any annual meeting. Ratification of the amendment proposed requires a two-thirds majority of those of the membership voting by electronic or mail ballot, or by a two thirds vote of those members attending any annual meeting, providing that notice of the vote on the proposed By-Law Amendment was advertised in at least one issue of the Society newsletter that was distributed prior to the annual meeting at which the vote on the proposed By-Law amendment occurs.