NYU School of Law - Environmental Law Journal

102. Purpose
The purposes of the Association are to prepare for publication and to distribute a legal periodical known as the New York University Environmental Law Journal (hereinafter "the Journal") in pursuit of the objectives of the Journal as described in the Journal's Statement of Purpose. The Association is not organized for monetary profit.

103. Offices
The Offices of the Association shall be located at the New York University School of Law, New York, New York..

ARTICLE II: Association Structure

201. The Association shall be composed of an operating Staff, Faculty Advisor(s) and an Advisory Board.

202. ELJ Operating Staff
202.a. The ELJ operating Staff (hereinafter "the Staff") shall be composed of an Editorial Board, as described in Article III, and Staff Editors, as described in Article IV. All members of the Staff shall be students at the New York University School of Law.

203. Faculty Advisor(s)
203.a. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall (1) assist the Staff in soliciting articles, (2) assist Staff members who are writing articles in their area of expertise by suggesting people or other sources for information, (3) assist the Staff members who are editing articles in their area of expertise by reviewing articles as needed, and (4) advise and assist the Staff on matters necessary to the efficient production of the journal.
203.b. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall be chosen, from time to time, at the will of and in a manner approved by the Staff..

204. Advisory Board
204.a. An Advisory Board shall (1) assist the Staff in soliciting articles, (2) assist Staff members who are writing article in their area of expertise by suggesting people or other sources for information, (3) assist the Staff members who are editing articles in their area of expertise by reviewing articles as needed, and (4) advise and assist the Staff on matters necessary to the efficient production of the journal.
204.b. The Advisory Board shall be composed of academic and practicing members of the environmental law, policy and scientific community
204.c. New members shall be added to the Advisory Board as deemed appropriate. New Advisory Board members shall be nominated and approved by a majority at a regularly scheduled general Staff meeting. The Editors-in-Chief from each year become Advisory Board members for one year.

ARTICLE III: Editorial Board Responsibilities

301. General Provision
The Editorial Board of the Journal (hereinafter "the Board") shall exist to ensure the furtherance and successful completion of the purposes of the Association, as stated in ' 102, above, as well as in the Journal's Statement of Purpose. The Board, acting to fulfill its responsibility to maintain the integrity and purpose of the Journal, has the general authority to make decisions and to otherwise manage the affairs of the Journal in a responsible and credible manner.

302. Academic Credit
302.a.1.The EICs shall be responsible for the certification to the New York University School of Law for the academic credits, if any, to be awarded to an Editorial Board Member or Staff Editor for her or his participation on the Staff of the Journal.
302.a.2.The Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for posting, and otherwise giving notice regarding, the date when credit determination shall occur. The Editors-in-Chief are responsible for ensuring that such determination is properly conveyed to the proper authorities at the law school.
302.a.3.The award of academic credit to journal members shall occur at a regularly scheduled Board meeting; all Board members shall be eligible to vote to award such credit.
302.a.4. Journal members shall be able to receive up to two (2) academic credits per academic year (four (4) credits over the maximum two year formal position on the Staff of the Journal) for their work on the Journal.
302.a.5. Academic credit for participation on the journal shall be awarded according to the following formula:

Note incorporation

2 credits; except
- If note is written for a seminar and Receives other academic, the note shall receive only 1 credit from the journal.
- If the note was written for directed research and received credit as such, the not will receive no Journal credits
3L Senoir editing staff: 1 credit
Membership on the Board: 2 credit
Credit for note, Board 1 credit
or extra work as SSE (within the discretion on the EICs):

Note: The note/Board credit (line d) may be awarded in addition to credit received under lines a, b, or c and should only be awarded for exceptional work on the journal.

303. Responsibilities of Individual Board Members
303.a.1. Editors-in-Chief
There shall be two Editors-in-Chief. They are responsible for ensuring that well-reasoned and appropriate final decisions are made regarding the editorial, administrative and managerial aspects of the Journal. Editors-in-Chief are also responsible for ensuring the effective running of the Association and the Journal, at least one Editor-in-Chief being present at each Board, Staff or Association meeting. The Editors-in-Chief also supervise the student article writing process to ensure that all Staff Editors complete articles and receive the support they need. The responsibilities of the Editors-in-Chief are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.2. Managing Editor
The primary responsibilities of the Managing Editor are the organization of all Staff Editor assignments, acting as liaison to alumni and the Advisory Board, and control of financial matters, including the budget process. The specific responsibilities of the Managing Editor are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.3. Executive Editor
There shall be two or three Executive Editors. The primary responsibility of the Executive Editor position is to ensure that each issue of the Journal is technically correct according to text and citation rules. The Executive Editors are also responsible for training Staff Editors in proper Bluebook form. The responsibilities of the Executive Editors are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.4. Developments Editor
The primary responsibilities of the Developments Editor are solicitation of articles and book reviews, development of student article topics, as well as initial review of articles and book reviews submitted for publication. The specific responsibilities of the Developments Editor are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.5. On-line Editor
The On-line Editor is primarily responsible for the Journal's computer facilities. The On-line Editor shall update and maintain the Journal's computers and work as a liaison between ELJ the on-line research resources (WESTLAW, LEXIS). The On-line Editor shall provide computer training and assistance to the entire staff. The specific responsibilities of the On-line Editor are detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.6. Colloquium Editor
The Colloquium Editor is responsible for planning, budgeting and in all ways coordinating an annual Journal colloquium. The specific responsibilities of the Colloquium Editor are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.7. Articles Editor
The number of Articles Editors to be elected will be determined by the outgoing board prior to elections, but there must be at least five and no more than eight. The primary responsibilities of the Articles Editors are to review draft manuscripts, to prepare articles for editing, and to supervise and provide feedback to Staff Editors who are editing the piece. The specific responsibilities of the Articles Editors are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.8. Senior Notes Editor
The Senior Notes Editor is responsible for organizing the Notes Editors. The Senior Notes Editor is also responsible for the duties required of the Notes Editors. The specific responsibilities of the Senior Notes Editor are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.
303.a.9. Notes Editors
The primary responsibilities of the three Notes Editors are development of student article topics, helping students in writing and revising their notes, arranging and conducting "reads," and representing ELJ in the coordination and distribution of the writing competition. Notes Editors will perform the functions of Articles Editors as necessary. The specific responsibilities of the Notes Editors are further detailed in the Journal Handbook.

ARTICLE IV: Staff Editor Responsibilities

401. Responsibilities of Staff Editors
The Staff Editors are primarily responsible for fulfilling the writing requirement as outlined in subsection 401.a, performing editorial and C&S duties as assigned, including office hours as deemed necessary by the Editors-in-Chief, proofreading as assigned, and participating in an ELJ committee. Academic credit, as described in section 302, shall be awarded to each Staff Editor who successfully completes these responsibilities. Each Staff Editor who expects to receive a full four (4) credits for journal participation must sign up to receive two (2) credits for journal participation in her 2L year, in order to comply with NYU policy limited journal credits to a maximum of two (2) per year.
401.a. Staff Editor Writing Requirement Each Staff Editor must substantially complete ONE of the following:

a scholarly note of publishable quality on an environmental topic;
a scholarly comment on a case, legislation, executive orders, etc. of publishable quality concerning an environmental topic;
a book review of publishable quality concerning an environmental topic and a production related project at the discretion of a Notes Editor;
any TWO of the following:
1. a class related to environmental law
2. a scholarly note of publishable quality on a non-environmental topic
3. any other academic project approved by the Editorial Board.

401.b. The Board will determine compliance with all requirements in subsection 401.a.

402. Senior Staff Editors
402.a. Eligibility to Become a Senior Staff Editor
The position of Senior Staff Editor will be open to any member of New York University School of Law who previously served as a Staff Editor or comparable position on a Journal during a previous academic year.
402.b. Selection of Senior Staff Editors
Staff Editors in good standing with the journal are automatically eligible for a position as a Senior Staff Editor in their third year. If the SE is not in good standing with the journal, but would like to remain on the journal, the EICs shall inform the SE of the lack of good standing and discuss with the Staff Editor the reasons for such lack of good standing, and make an individual determination whether or not the SE should be allowed to participate as a Senior Staff Editor. If the EICs deny the SE’s application for a position as a Senior Staff Editor, the SE may appeal to the Board, provide a reasoned statement explaining the lack of good standing and any efforts the SE may be willing to take to rectify such lack of good standing. A simple majority vote of the Board shall determine whether such an SE shall be extended an offer.
402.c. Responsibilities of Senior Staff Editors
The responsibilities of each Senior Staff Editor shall be determined on an individual basis by the Board. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, writing a student article, performing editorial and C&S duties as assigned, proofreading as assigned, preparing a piece for publication, and assisting Board members in carrying out their respective duties. Senior Staff Editors may also be required to edit student articles as an Articles Editor.
402.d. Guidelines for Awarding Credit to Senior Staff Editors
Academic credit, as further described in the Journal Handbook and section 302, shall be awarded to each senior Staff Editor who satisfactorily completes his or her assigned responsibilities. In no instance shall the total number of academic credits awarded to any Senior Staff Editor exceed four (4) academic credits, including those issued to an individual by another Journal. Credits shall be awarded according to the formula given in section 302.a.5 above.

ARTICLE V: Organization and Function

501. Advisory Board Meetings
501.a. The Advisory Board shall meet annually with the EICs to review the year's work and to recognize the contribution of various Association members. The agenda and logistics of this meeting shall be the responsibility of the EICs, as determined in Article III of these Bylaws and in the Journal Handbook.
501.b.The Advisory Board may also convene at any other time that it or the Board deems appropriate, including emergency situations. When the Board determines that a meeting of the Advisory Board shall be called, the Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for convening the meeting and determining its agenda.

502. Board Meetings
502.a. Frequency
The Board shall hold regular meetings at least twice a month throughout the academic year. Additional meetings may be convened by the Editors-in-Chief, or at the request of one third of the Board members.
502.b. Meeting Moderator, Agenda and Records
The Editors-in-Chief shall be primarily responsible for ensuring that Board meetings function regularly, efficiently and effectively. The Editors-in-Chief shall alternate moderating the Board meetings, including setting the agenda for these meetings. To this end, the Editors-in-Chief shall circulate a proposed agenda before the meeting. The Editor-in-Chief not moderating the meeting shall be responsible for ensuring that proper records of all Board meetings are kept and that these minutes are typed up and posted within a week after the Board meeting takes place.
502.c. Quorum and Attendance
A quorum of the Board shall be 50% + 1 of the sitting Board. All votes of the Board are only valid if a quorum of the Board is present. Board members should attempt to participate in each Board meeting. Missing three consecutive, regularly scheduled Board meetings, or ten regularly scheduled Board meetings over the course of a member's term, shall be considered indicative of the editor's not fulfilling her or his responsibilities to the Association.
502.d. Voting Procedure
502.d.1. Eligibility
Each Board member present at a Board meeting shall have one vote.
502.d.2. Absentee and Abstaining Votes
Board members must be present to vote. There shall be no votes by proxy. Board members may abstain from voting on a given issue.
502.d.3. Proposal Procedure
Any voting member present may present a motion for the Board's approval. A simple majority is required to pass all motions of the Board, with the following exception. A plural majority of the sitting Board members shall be required to reverse a decision previously made by the Board. Board polls, as described in ' 502.e.2., are also an exception. Amendments to an original proposal from the floor accepted by the original proponent as "friendly" will be incorporated into the proposal without a vote. The amendments judged "unfriendly" by the original proponent must be seconded and affirmed by the floor before being incorporated into the proposal. The Editors-in-Chief shall decide on any other issues of procedure subject to an override by a plural majority of the remaining Board members.
502.e. Emergency Board Procedures
502.e.1. Emergency Board Meetings
When special circumstances occur, emergency meetings of the Board may be called by the Editors-in-Chief or by one third of the Board members. When such a meeting is called, the Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for contacting each Board member individually. In addition, the Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for ensuring that proper records of such a meeting are kept and, if time permits, for posting an agenda. .
502.e.2. Emergency Board Decisions
Whenever the Editors-in-Chief or any one third of the Board determines that it is not practical to hold a meeting of the Board before an important decision must be made, the Editors-in-Chief, or a designee, may conduct a poll of the Board. If a good faith effort is made to contact every Board member, and at least three-quarters of the members are actually consulted, the decision reached as a result of such a poll shall be a decision of the Board. Whenever this procedure is followed, a written description of the polling and results shall be posted and put into the minutes of the following Board meeting.

503. General Staff Meetings
503.a. Frequency
The Board shall be responsible for convening regular meetings of the Journal Staff at least once a semester and otherwise as deemed necessary. Additional meetings may be convened by the Editors-in-Chief, at the request of one third of the Board members or at the request of one third of the Journal Staff.
503.b. Meeting Moderator, Agenda and Records
The Editors-in-Chief shall be primarily responsible for ensuring that general Staff meetings function regularly, efficiently and effectively. The Editors-in-Chief shall alternate moderating the general Staff meetings and setting the agenda for these meetings. To this end, the Editors-in-Chief shall circulate a proposed agenda before the meeting. The Editors-in-Chief not moderating the meeting is responsible for ensuring that proper records of all general Staff meetings are kept and that these minutes are typed up and posted within one week after the general Staff meeting takes place.
503.c. Quorum and Attendance
A quorum of the general Staff shall be 50% + 1 of the sitting general Staff. All votes of the Staff are only valid if a quorum of the Staff is present. Staff members should attempt to participate in each general Staff meeting. Missing three consecutive, regularly scheduled general Staff meetings, or six regularly scheduled general Staff meetings over the course of a members term, shall be considered indicative of the Staff member's not fulfilling her or his responsibilities to the Association.
503.d. Voting Procedure
503.d.1. Eligibility
Each Staff member present at a general Staff meeting shall have one vote, except during the process of selecting a new Board, as described in ' 602.b.
503.d.2. Absentee and Abstaining Votes
Staff members must be present to vote. There shall be no votes by proxy. Staff members may abstain from voting on a given issue.
503.d.3. Proposal Procedure
Any voting member present may present a motion for the Staff's approval. A simple majority is required to pass all motions of the Staff, with the following exception. A plural majority of the Staff members shall be required to reverse a decision previously made by the Staff. Amendments to an original proposal from the floor accepted by the original proponent as "friendly" will be incorporated into the proposal without a vote. The amendments judged "unfriendly" by the original proponent must be seconded and affirmed by the floor before being incorporated into the proposal.
503.e. Emergency Staff Procedures
503.e.1. Emergency Staff Meetings
When special circumstances occur, emergency meetings of the Staff may be called by the Editors-in-Chief or by one third of the Board members. When such a meeting is called, the Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for contacting Staff members and ensuring that proper records of such a meeting are kept and, if time permits, for posting an agenda.

504. Handbook
The Editors-in-Chief, or a designee, shall be responsible for the establishment and the updating of a Journal Handbook that serves as a guidebook for the policies and practices of Journal operations. The Handbook will include, at least, a version of the final Bylaws, a guide to articles development, a description of the structure of the Association and a list of specific responsibilities of all staff members.

505. Training Manual
The Editors-in-Chief, or a designee, shall be responsible for the establishment of a Training Manual that will aid in the training of Staff Editors. The Training Manual will include, at least, a C&S Guide, a Proofreading Guide, and an Environmental Law Research Guide. At the will of the Board the training manual may be incorporated into the Journal Handbook.

506. Education
As part of the purpose of the Journal, the structure and function of the Association shall support and promote environmental education, as described in Article IX.

ARTICLE VI: Editorial Board Selection

601. Eligibility
601.a. All Staff Editors who are second year students and LL.M. students with prior law journal experience and are in good standing with the Journal are eligible to run for the Board. “Good standing” includes making a good faith effort by the end of Febraury towards fulfilling the writing requirement.
601.b. Any eligible Board candidate may be a candidate for as many seats as she or he desires. However, once elected, an editor cannot run for another seat.
601.c.If, upon completion of the election held according to Section 602, no Staff Editor is elected to the position of On-line Editor, the Board may take appropriate measures necessary to fill the position.

602. Election Process
602.a. Election Timetable
602.a.1. In February of each year, a letter shall be sent to each Staff Editor announcing the annual election meeting, suggesting that each person review the description of editorial positions as listed in the Journal Handbook, inviting Staff members to contemplate running for such positions, and generally making current Board members available for questions regarding their duties.
602.a.2. The new Board shall be elected at an annual election meeting to be held in early or mid February, and prior to the law school's spring recess. The Board, as well as the Staff Editors, shall be invited to attend this meeting.
602.b. Voting in Editorial Board Elections
602.b.1. The entire Staff, including all members of the outgoing Board, shall be eligible to vote for the new Board. For the purposes of the selection of the new Board only, each Board member shall have two votes and each Senior Staff Editor and Staff Editor shall have one vote. However, Board members that are second year law students shall be treated as Staff Editors during the election process. No proxies are permitted in Board elections.
602.b.2. Voting: For elections of every position except Articles Editors, those members present at the election will indicate both a first choice and a second choice preference. For elections of Articles Editors, those members present at the election will indicate a first, second, and third choice preference.
602.b.3 Vote Counting: For elections of all positions for which there is only one position (Managing Editor, Senior Notes Editor, Developments Editor, and Colloquium Editor) all of the first choice votes will be counted to determine if a candidate has a plural majority (50% + 1 of all votes cast, regardless of the number of members in attendance at the election meeting). If a candidate has a plural majority of first choice votes, then that candidate is elected. If there is no candidate with such a plural majority, then all votes will be counted, allocating 2 votes for all first choice preferences (4 for Board members) and 1 vote for all second choice preferences (2 for Board members). The candidate with an absolute majority (the highest number of votes) is then elected. If there is a tie, then the tie will be broken by counting first place votes. In a tie vote, the candidate with the highest number of first place votes is then elected. (If a tie remains, there will be a runoff between those two candidates.)

For elections of all editorial offices for which there is more than one position (EICs, Executive Editors, Articles Editors, and Notes Editors), all preferences will be counted. For Articles Editors, first choice preferences receive 3 votes (6 for Board members), second choice preferences receive 2 votes (4 for Board members), and third choice preferences receive 1 vote (2 for board members). For EICs and Notes Editors, first choice preferences receive 2 votes (4 for Board members) and second choice preferences receive 1 vote (2 for Board members). The candidates (2 for EICs & Notes Editors; 5 for Articles Editors) with the highest number of votes are then elected. If there is a tie, then the tie will be broken by counting first place votes, followed by second place votes, followed by third place votes for Articles Editors. If a tie remains, then the candidates with the highest votes will be elected and there will be a runoff between all remaining candidates.
602.c. Election Procedure
602.c.1. One Editor-in-Chief shall moderate the annual Board election meeting while the other keeps minutes.
602.c.2. A quorum of the electorate, for the purpose of the annual election meeting, shall be 50% + 1 of the current Staff of the Journal.
602.c.3. The order of the elections shall follow either the order in which the editors are listed in Article III of these Bylaws, or an order agreed upon by the Board not less than three weeks prior to the annual election meeting. The order that is ultimately agreed upon shall be prominently posted.
602.c.4. At the annual elections meeting, the moderator shall call for nominations for the editorial position. Both self-nominations and third person nominations shall be valid. In the case of a third person nomination, the nominee must agree to the nomination.
602.c.5. The moderator, when receiving no further nominations, shall officially close nominations. The moderator shall then allow each candidate, in alphabetical order, to say a few words about her or his own qualifications. These remarks shall not exceed two minutes.
602.c.6. Upon completion of the remarks, the moderator shall open the floor to five minutes of general questions and discussion. This discussion should be limited to the qualifications of the candidates and the needs of the Journal overall. This discussion may be waived.
602.c.7. At the end of the discussion period, the moderator shall call for a vote, at which time voting shall occur by secret ballot. The ballots shall be counted by the moderator or an impartial designee, and shall be available for confirmation of the results.
602.c.8. As described in ' 602.b.2., if no person is elected in the first round of voting, the moderator shall eliminate the nominee with the fewest votes from the ballot, and shall hold another round of voting. It is not necessary to allow the candidates to make remarks, or to open discussion, before latter rounds. However, these procedures may be employed by the moderator at her or his discretion, if it shall add to the validity of the ultimate decision.
602.d. Supplemental Election Procedure
In the event that a newly-elected Editor decides to go abroad during her third year, the Board may, at its discretion, hold a supplemental election to elect either a replacement or a co-Editor for that position. If the replacement or co-Editor was previously elected for another position on the Board, the Board may also elect a replacement Editor for that member. Supplemental elections will follow the procedures set forth in Article VI.

603. Tenure
The tenure of each Board member shall be approximately one year, beginning after the transition period, as described in ' 604, below, and continuing until the end of the transition period of the following Board.

604. Transition
604.a. Responsibilities During Transition
The outgoing Board is responsible for ensuring a smooth and constructive transition. Outgoing Board members are responsible for helping new Board members to understand their new positions.
604.a.1.Upon the completion of Board elections, and once all incoming Board members have accepted their positions, the incoming Board will begin a transition period which shall last no longer than three weeks. The outgoing Board should determine the exact date at which the transition period ends. The transition period should end in April. At the end of the transition period, the incoming Board shall officially take over the editorial duties of the Board. However, as described below, certain administrative duties shall remain with the outgoing Board. Additionally, all outgoing Articles Editors, who are required to complete certain article edits in order to receive academic credit, shall be required to complete their edits.
604.a.2. The administrative duties that shall remain vested in the outgoing Board shall include: the award of academic credit; the details of the transition of the outgoing Board to the incoming Board; and any other administrative matters pertaining to the completion of any Journal issues associated with the outgoing Board that are necessary.
604.b. Transition Process
The transition period will consist of, at a minimum, the following: 2 Board meetings of the outgoing Board attended by the incoming Board members; one meeting of incoming and outgoing EICs and Managing Editors to discuss the ELJ budget and other administrative matters; one Articles Editors meeting chaired by the outgoing Senior Articles Editor; and one Notes Editors meeting chaired by the outgoing Senior Notes Editor. There shall be meetings as necessary between incoming and outgoing EICs, Managing Editors, Executive Editors, Developments Editors, and Colloquium Editors. The purpose of the specific editors' meetings is to introduce incoming editors to the specific responsibilities of their position and to offer suggestions.

ARTICLE VII: Staff Editor Selection

701. General Responsibility
The selection of Staff Editors shall be the exclusive responsibility of the Board. Senior staff editors may assist in the process of staff editor selection at the discretion of the Board.

702. Eligibility
702.a. Students who have completed their first year of law school shall be eligible to be Staff Editors.
702.b. LL.M. students with no previous journal experience are eligible to become Staff Editors. Joint degree candidates are eligible to apply to become Staff Editors for either of the academic years coinciding with their middle years of school attendance.
702.c. Transfer students entering the law school in their second year shall be eligible to become Staff Editors during the fall when they matriculate at New York University School of Law.

703. Selection Process
703.a. Selection Criteria
703.a.1. The Staff shall select new Staff Editors by means of a writing competition (hereinafter, "essay") in conjunction with the writing competition of the other NYU journals.
703.a.2. All entrants shall be required to submit a personal statement. The length of the personal statement will be determined by the Board.
703.a.3. The personal statement may discuss anything the entrant feels is relevant. The Board may, as it sees fit, emphasize that certain topics are appropriate for a personal statement.
703.a.4. The personal statement shall be evaluated based on: the entrant's quality and care in presentation; the entrant's genuine interest in environmental issues; the diversity of the entrant's background and experience; the entrant’s leadership experience and participation in extracurricular activities; and the sincerity of the entrant's desire to learn and work for an Environmental Law Journal of the highest quality.
703.a.5. The essay shall be evaluated based on: the substance and organization of the discussion; the clarity of the writing; the grammar; and the relevancy and technical accuracy of the endnotes.
703.b. Selection Timetable
703.b.1. The Senior Notes Editor will be responsible for coordinating the selection process. Each year, at the outset of the selection process, the Senior Notes Editor, together with the Editors-in-Chief will recommend to the Board policies and mechanisms for that year's selection process. Such recommendations may include length of personal statement, selection criteria, affirmative action efforts, and grading guidelines.
703.b.2. Each Spring, the incoming EICs and the Senior Notes Editor shall coordinate, publicize and hold at least one informational meeting for all 1Ls to discuss the Staff Editor selection process.
703.b.3. The Senior Notes Editor shall coordinate the creation and distribution of writing competition packets to any interested 1Ls.
703.b.4. The newly elected Editorial Board, along with Senior Staff editors, will read and rank each entry according to the process described in 703.a. and 703.c.
703.b.5. As soon as possible after the process is complete the Board shall notify entrants by letter that they have either been accepted on the journal, are on the waiting list, or have been rejected. The Board shall request a response from the accepted 1Ls as soon as possible, but no response shall be required before all entrants who participate in the other journals' writing competition are notified of the results.
703.b.6. After all accepted 1Ls have responded, or the deadline for responding has passed, whichever is sooner, the Board shall determine if any Staff Editor positions remain vacant. Any vacant positions shall be filled by 1Ls who were originally placed on the waiting list.
703.b.7. When appropriate, the Staff shall publicize and hold an informational meeting for all transfer students to discuss the Staff Editor selection process, and ensure that writing competition packets are distributed to all interested transfer students.
703.b.8. The Editorial Board, along with Senior Staff editors, will read and rank each entry from the transfer students according to the process described in 703.a and 703.c.
703.b.9. Within two weeks of receiving the completed transfer student entries, the Editorial Board shall notify entrants by letter that they have either been accepted on the journal, or have been rejected. The Board shall request a response from the accepted transfer students within one week.

703.c. Evaluation Process
703.c.1. The Senior Notes Editor shall ensure that 1) the entries received conform to the requirements set out in 703.a, 2) each entrant's identification number is on each page of her or his entry, 3) cover sheets and any extraneous information are discarded, 4) personal statements and essays are separated, and 5) enough copies of each entry, as indicated according to the number of readers determined under 703.c.4, are on hand to facilitate the scoring process.
703.c.2. The Senior Notes Editor shall provide to the newly elected Editors-in-Chief a list of the entrant identification numbers and one set of original entries.
703.c.3. Before the commencement of the scoring period, the newly-elected Board and Senior Staff editors shall meet to discuss the evaluation of personal statements and essays. The Board shall discuss the range of characteristics to be evaluated in the personal statement as described in 703.a.4, and in the essay as described in 703.a.5.
703.c.4. Each entry will be read by several of the newly elected Board members or Senior Staff editors. The exact number of Board members who will read each entry is to be decided upon receipt of all entries. The assignment of Board members to read each entry will be random and confidential.
703.c.5. When the evaluation begins, each Board member shall read the entries, as assigned. The Board member shall evaluate each entry based upon the characteristics described in 703.a.4 and 703.a.5, and discussed in detail at the meeting. The Board member shall assign a score to each assigned personal statement and essay. The scoring guidelines will be determined by the Board after a recommendation has been made by the Editors-in-Chief and the Senior Notes Editor. The scoring guidelines will attempt to fairly distinguish between the highest quality and lowest quality entrants.
703.c.6. At the end of the evaluation period, all entries shall be given, with their scores, to the Senior Notes Editor. The Senior Notes Editor shall determine each entry's total final score by combining the personal statement and essay scores for each entry using a ratio established by the Board. The Senior Notes Editor shall then rank the entries according to their total scores. The Senior Notes Editor shall compile the results of this tabulation, and shall give to the Editors-in-Chief a ranked list of the entrants, complete with their identification numbers, names, addresses and telephone numbers.
703.c.7. The Board shall determine how many entrants will be extended offers and shall extend that number of offers to the entrants with the highest total scores. The Board shall also determine how many entrants will be placed on a waiting list and shall notify the entrants with the next highest scores that they are on the waiting list. The Board shall notify all other entrants that they have been rejected.

ARTICLE VIII: Removal and Replacement

801. Removal
801.a. Any Staff member may be removed for cause from membership in the Association or suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Board.
801.b. The following circumstances create a presumption that cause exists for removing a Staff member and normally shall result in the removal of that editor:
801.b.1. failure to fulfill one's Journal responsibilities over the summer,
801.b.2. failure to attend to one's Journal responsibilities for four consecutive weeks during the school year; or
801.b.3. representations that the Staff member has performed Journal work which she or he has in fact neglected to do.
801.c. When the Board is considering action against an Editorial Board member under this section, with respect to the official discussion of the matter and the final decision regarding the Board member's status, all Board members except the Board member against whom the action is proposed shall be eligible to vote.

802. Replacement
802.a. A vacant position on the Board, other than that of an Editor-in-Chief, shall be filled if the Board determines that the position should be filled.
802.a.1. A non-Editor-in-Chief Board position shall be filled by a self-nominated member of the Staff elected by a vote of the Staff.
802.a.2. Whenever there are more than two candidates to fill a non-Editor-in-Chief vacancy of the Board, and no candidate is elected by a majority of the Staff membership, then the candidate with the least amount of votes shall be eliminated from the election and a new vote shall be taken.
802.b. A vacant Editor-in-Chief position shall be filled by an affirmative vote of a plural majority of the Staff soon after the vacancy becomes apparent.
802.b.1. The election to fill an Editor-in-Chief vacancy shall be complete within three weeks of the occurrence of the vacancy if the vacancy occurs during the school year. If the vacancy occurs during either summer or winter vacation, the vacancy shall be filled within three weeks after the resumption of classes.
802.c. A vacant Staff member position shall be filled at the discretion of the Board. Such a vacancy shall be filled, if it is determined that it should be filled, by a procedure respecting the method in which Staff members were originally selected.

803. Resignation
803.a. General Rule
In order to address unforeseeable or uncontrollable circumstances that arise during the course of the year and inhibit the ability of a staff member to fulfill his or her journal duties, staff members may resign in good standing if they have good cause and give proper notice. Resignation in good standing will result in notification of such to the Vice Dean of Academic Services and the Office of Career Services and will render a staff member ineligible to receive the ELJ notation on their transcript and any academic credit for which the member had registered in that semester. Resignation in good standing is intended to distinguish those members who resign for good cause and make an effort to minimize the disruption their exit might cause from others who either quit ELJ without good cause and without concern for the impact of their decision or those who are removed by the Editorial Board.
803.b.1 Staff members who wish to resign their positions in good standing must submit a written statement explaining their reason for resignation to the EICs. The EICs will then submit the written statement to the entire Board for a vote, as soon as practicable, as to whether the statement provides a sufficient justification for allowing the resigning member to retain the status of “good standing” with the Board. The EICs may include their own evaluation of the resigning member along with the resigning member’s own statement to help the Board reach a full and fair decision.
803.b.2. Resigning members must have completed any and all outstanding assignments (other than the writing requirement) at the time of resignation in order to retain the status of “good standing.”
803.b.3. “Good cause” shall be determined by the Board and generally shall not include any foreseeable or controllable circumstance directly related to the position (for example, a desire to free up time from one’s schedule does not count as “good cause,” since one can foresee and control one’s schedule; conversely, medical disability may constitute “good cause” if it materially affects the ability of the Staff member to comply with journal requirements).
803.c.1. If the Board determines that the written statement does not constitute “good cause” for resignation, the Board shall notify the resigning member that resignation may result in a finding of “poor standing.” The resigning member shall have the right to amend their written statement and apply for a rehearing or reconsider their decision to leave the journal.
803.c.1.i Removal or suspension from the Staff of the ELJ, in accordance with the removal provisions as established in § 801.
803.c.1.ii Notification of the Vice Dean of Academic Services and the Office of Career Counselling and Placement of the changed status of the member as having been “removed from the journal in poor standing.”
803.c.1.iii A member in “poor standing” shall not receive any credit awards for the year in which the finding is made.
803.d. The provisions in this section do not alter the Board’s power to independently initiate the removal a member under §801.

ARTICLE IX: Education and Colloquium

901. General Provision
In furtherance of its goal of promoting awareness about environmental issues, as stated in the Journal Statement of Purpose, the Association shall support and engage in educational events focused both at its own members and at members of the greater New York University community.

902. Colloquium
The Association shall sponsor an annual colloquium at the discretion of the Staff.

903. Special Journal Issues
The Association may publish a special issue at the discretion of the Staff.

904. Special Committees
Each Staff Editor is required to choose one of the following committees on which to work throughout the year: Colloquium Committee, Development Committee, Management and Alumni Committee, or any other committee which the Editors-in-Chief deem necessary. These committees are described in detail in the Handbook. Each committee presents opportunities for Staff Editors to use their initiative and to participate in the management of the journal.

ARTICLE X: Bylaw Amendment

1001.a. Once ratified by the Staff, the Bylaws shall remain in full force and effect. The Bylaws are subject to the approval of the Board.
1001.b.The Bylaws may be amended at the will of the Staff.
1001.b.1. Any member of the Staff may propose an amendment to the Bylaws.
1001.b.2. A proposal to amend the Bylaws must be submitted to the Staff for consideration at a general Staff meeting.
1001.b.3. The Bylaws may only be amended by a vote of two-thirds of those present at the general Staff meeting where the amendment has been proposed. Note also the (50% + 1) quorum requirements of ' 503.c.
1001.c. These Bylaws took effect on August 25, 1991, and were last amended September 22, 2003.