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Handbook | Membership

Purpose

The purpose of the Law Society Membership Committee is to:

  1. Support and assist in the maintenance of the Law Society Member Database (“Main Database”) and the Student Division Member Database (“Student Database”) which are housed on a server at the J. Reuben Clark Law School; and
  2. Assist in locating member information so that individual member records maintained in the Main Database and Student Database can be as accurate as possible; and
  3. Assist Lawyer Chapters and Student Chapters in the transference of accurate data to Main Database and Student Database; and
  4. Assist Lawyer Chapters in recruiting and retaining members; and
  5. Facilitate a process for transferring student members to the Main Database as well as helping newly-graduated student members become active members in their Lawyer Chapter.

Principles

Effective communication is an important principle for any successful organization, hence the need for accurate contact information located in a central database. In addition, the regular infusion of new members into a Law Society Chapter, whether a Student Chapter or Lawyer Chapter, creates excitement, enthusiasm, and a feeling of progress. Each Chapter Membership Committee should have two primary objectives:

  1. Collection and transfer of accurate member contact information to the Main Database and Student Database; and
  2. Identifying and inviting new members to join the Law Society.

Requirements for Membership

Membership in the Law Society is multi-faith and is open to any person who holds a law degree, or is actively pursuing a law degree, and who shares in the values and objectives of the Law Society as stated in the mission statement:

We affirm the strength brought to the law by a lawyer’s personal religious conviction. We strive through public service and professional exercise to promote fairness and virtue founded upon the rule of law.

Those who are currently enrolled in law school and actively pursuing a law degree, but have not yet obtained one, and share in the values and objectives of the Law Society will be members of the Student Division of the Law Society and are eligible to be members of Student Chapters.

Individuals may become members of the Law Society by completing and submitting a membership form provided by the Law Society. The basic membership should be without charge consistent with membership in the International Law Society. The Chapter can decide on other benefits, membership categories and fees.

Benefits of Having Your Members in the Main Database

In order to receive all Law Society benefits, Chapter members must be listed in the Main Database. Benefits of International Membership (i.e. your member record in the Main Database) include:

  • Invitations to the Annual Fireside, the General Conference Reception and other International Law Society and J. Reuben Clark Law School Events;
  • Hardcopy subscription to the Clark Memorandum, the semi-annual magazine on law and religion topics
  • Access to the online membership directory which includes close to 9,000 lawyers worldwide (useful for professional contacts and referrals)
  • Website access to past firesides and articles, calendar, leadership information and many other items
  • Service opportunities, including membership in the “Advising Network” (the opportunity to counsel with and help young LDS law students from law schools all over the country)
  • Access to BYU Law School’s Law Society Job Bank, including email announcements of job postings

Helping Maintain an Accurate, Centralized Database

Coordinate and compare your list with that of the Main Database. To see who is listed in the Main Database for your Chapter:

  1. Go to jrcls.org
  2. Click on the “Membership” Tab, then on “Leader Resources”
  3. Click on “Chapter Chair Utilities”
  4. Log in with your username and password (contact the database coordinator at dbcoord@lawgate.byu.edu or call (801) 422-5514 if you need this information)
  5. “Download Member Information” will let you download a list of members on file with the Main Database
    • The function will give you options on which information you would like to include as well as instructions on downloading the file, should you need it.

If local Chapters keep a separate database, Membership Committee chairs should give a complete list of Chapter members to the Law Society Database Coordinator, who can be reached at dbcoord@lawgate.byu.edu or 801-422-5514. The local Chapter should only be sending names and contact information to the Main Database of individuals they know are interested in being in the Law Society and who are willing to receive Law Society communications. Please communicate frequently to ensure that all Chapter members are listed with accurate information. When new members join your Chapter, be sure and contact the Database Coordinator to make sure the person is placed in the Main Database.

On to Next Chapter (Technology)

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