Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name. This Section shall be known as the Section on Intellectual Property Law.

Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to promote the communication of ideas, interests, and activities among members and to make recommendations on matters of interest in the teaching and improvement of the law relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights and unfair competition.

Article II. Membership

Section 1. Membership.
(a) Membership in the section is open to a faculty member of a law school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (hereinafter referred to as AALS) and to Canadian Associates.
(b) Associate membership is open to any other person who is concerned with the law of intellectual property.

Section 2. Privileges of Members.
(a) Regular members may vote in person at a section meeting.
(b) Associate members may participate in the programs, meetings and activities of the section, but may not vote or hold office in the section.

Article III. Officers, Committees

Section 1. Officers. The officers of this section are the Chairperson and the Chairperson-elect, and may also include a Secretary and Treasurer. The Chairperson-elect shall be elected at each annual meeting of the Association, shall qualify by acceptance and shall succeed to the office of Chairperson at the close of the next annual meeting. An officer shall serve until his successor has been elected and qualified.

Section 2. The Executive Committee.
(a) The Executive Committee of the section is the Chairperson of the section, Chairperson- elect and at least two other members elected annually. (It is assumed that if there are Secretary and Treasurer, they would be part of the Executive Committee, and there may be additional members as well).
(b) The Executive Committee shall act in the interval between annual meetings and may create standing and special committees.

Article IV. Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominations. The Nominating Committee for the subsequent year shall be appointed at or immediately following the annual meeting. The Nominating Committee shall consist of at least three members of the section and shall include at least one past Chairperson of the section. The Nominating Committee shall receive and consider suggestions of persons to serve as officers for the section and shall report a slate of nominees to the section for election at the business meeting of the section at the annual meeting of the AALS.

Section 2. Elections. The Officers of the section shall be elected at the annual meeting. Nominations shall be received from the Nominating Committee and from the floor. Elections may be by voice or secret ballot, as the Chairperson determines.

Article V. Duties of Officers

Section 1. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the section and of the Executive Committee. The Chairperson shall present at each annual meeting of the AALS a report of the section for the prior year and shall be responsible for the program of the section . The Chairperson shall appoint the members of standing and special committees.

Section 2. Chairperson-Elect. The Chairperson-elect of the section shall assist the Chairperson, as the Chairperson may request, and shall perform the duties of the Chairperson during absence or disability of the Chairperson. If the office of the Chairperson becomes vacant, the Chairperson-elect shall succeed to the office of the Chairperson.

Article VI. Policy Statements

Section 1. Policy Statements. Because sections are part of the AALS, statements of policy adopted by a section or similar positions may be made public only after they are approved by the Executive Committee of the AALS.

Article VII. Amendments

Section 1. Amendments. These bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting of the section by a majority of the regular members of the section present and voting. The amendment takes effect when it is approved by the Executive Committee of the AALS.

Amended January 2006, Washington, D.C.