VII.—COMMITTEES.

In pursuance of Article X of the Constitution, there shall be the following standing committees:

1. A Committee of Jurisprudence and Law Reform, who shall be charged with the duty of attention to desirable changes in the substantive law and of recommending such as, in their opinion, may be entitled to favorable consideration of the Association.

2. A Committee on Judicial Administration and Remedial Procedure, who shall be charged with the duty of the observation of the working of our judicial system, the collection of information, the entertaining and examination of projects for a change or reform in the system and in the law of procedure and of recommending to the Association such action as they may deem expedient.

3. A Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, who shall be charged with the duty of examining and reporting what change it is expected to propose in the system into effect, if not already adopted by the Association, and of the profession in the State of Tennessee.

4. A Committee on Legislation, to whom shall stand referred all matters of legislation recommended by the Association at any of its meetings, and who shall be charged with the duty of framing suitable bills to carry such recommendation into effect, if not already adopted by the Association, and of taking all proper measures to aid in securing the enactment of the same by the Legislature.

5. A Committee on Publication, who shall be charged with the duty of examining and reporting upon all matters proposed to be published by authority of the Association, and pertaining to any of the subjects for the advancement of which the Association is created.

6. A Committee on Grievances, who shall be charged with the hearing of all complaints which may be made in matters affecting the interest of the legal profession and the practice of law, and the administration of justice, and to report the same to this Association, with such recommendation as they may deem advisable; and said Committee shall in behalf of the Association

institute and carry on proceedings against offenders: Provided, however, that when complaints are made by the Grievance Committee the Central Council or a Special Committee thereof appointed by the President shall hear said complaints, and report their action to the Association.

Said Grievance Committee is hereby empowered, when consulted, to advise inquirers respecting questions of proper professional conduct, reporting its action to the President from time to time.

7. A Committee on Obituaries and Memorials, who shall prepare and submit at each meeting of the Association obituaries and memorials of all members of the Association who have died during the preceding year.

VIII.-APPOINTMENT.

Each of the standing committees shall be appointed annually by the President of the Association, and shall continue in office until the annual meeting of the Association next year after their appointment, and until their successors are appointed, with power to adopt rules for their own government, not inconsistent with the Constitution or these By-Laws. Any standing committee of the Association may, by rule, provide that three successive absences from the meetings of the committee, unexcused, shall be deemed a resignation by the member so absent from his place upon the committee. Any standing committee of the Association may, by rule impose upon its members a fine for non-attendance, and may provide for the disposition of the fines collected under such rule.

IX.-CHARGES AGAINST MEMBERS.

Whenever any complaint shall be preferred against a member of the Association for misconduct in his relation to this Association or in his profession, the member or members preferring such complaint shall present it to the Committee on Grievances, in writing, and subscribed by him or them, plainly stating the matter complained of, with particulars of time, place and circumstances.

The committee shall thereupon examine the complaint, and if they are of the opinion that the matter therein alleged is of sufficient importance, shall cause a copy of the complaint, together with a notice of not less than five days, of the time and place when the committee will meet for the consideration of, either personally or by leaving at his place of business during office hours properly addressed to him. If, after hearing his explanations, the committee shall deem it proper and there shall be a trial of the charge, they shall cause a similar notice of five days of the time and place of trial to be served on the party complained of.

The committee shall be furnished with a list of witnesses, their names and places of residence, who it is proposed shall be examined to sustain the charge, which shall accompany the complaint when made to the committee; and when the day is set for trial the member complained of, upon his demand therefor, shall be entitled to a copy of said list of witnesses. At the time and place appointed for the trial, or at such other time as may be granted by the committee, the member complained of shall file a written answer or defense. Should he fail to do so, the committee may proceed thereupon to the consideration of this complaint.

The committee shall thereupon, and at such other times and places as they may adjourn to, proceed to hear the evidence adduced and try the complaint, and shall determine all questions of evidence.

The complainant, and the member complained of, shall each be allowed to appear personally and by counsel, who must be members of the Association; and the complainant, and the member complained of, shall each be competent witnesses. The witnesses shall vouch for the truth of their statements on their word of honor. The committee shall have power to summon witnesses; if any such witnesses are members of the Association, a neglect or refusal to appear may be reported to the Association by the Committee, and treated as a misconduct.

The committee, of whom at least four must be present at the trial, except that a less number may adjourn from time to time, shall hear and decide the allegations submitted to them; and if they find the complaint or any material part of it, to be true,

they shall so report to the Association, with their recommendations as to the action to be taken thereon.

The decision of the committee shall be served on the member complained of, and if the decision be that the complaint, or any material part thereof, is true, and in that case only, the committee shall also serve a copy of the complaint, answer, if there be an answer and decision on the President of the Association; and if requested, either by the member or members complaining, or the member complained of, shall annex thereto a copy of the evidence taken, which said document shall be regarded as a report of the committee to the Association.

Every such report shall be acted on only by the Association at an annual, stated or adjourned meeting of the Association, and of which the member complained of shall have due notice, to be served upon him by direction of the committee. The committee shall thereupon proceed to take such action on said report as they may see fit, provided only that no member shall be expelled unless by the vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting.

cause;

Whenever any trial shall be determined on, the member complained of may object, for cause, to any of the members of said committee. Thereupon the committee shall report the facts to the President, and inclose to him a copy of the objections for and the President shall forthwith summon the Central Council to meet with him and determine what weight, if any, the objections for cause are justly entitled to have; and if the President and a majority of the Central Committee present and voting shall determine that the objections for cause are not well taken, and the same are overruled, the President shall so inform the Committee on Grievances; but if the President and a majority of the Central Council, as aforesaid, shall determine that any of said objections for cause, to any member of the Committee on Grievances is well taken, then the President shall so inform said committee, and forthwith appoint another member or members to supply the temporary vacancy caused thereby; and the method herein provided shall be resorted to until a committee is obtained against whom the member complained of urges no just objection for cause.

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If any member of the Bar of the State of Tennessee shall collect money in his professional capacity for a client, and wrongfully fail or refuse to account for the same, it shall be the duty of the President, or any Vice-President of the Bar Association of Tennessee, on complaint being made to him by any person, to appoint a suitable committee from among the members of this Association to investigate the case, and report the facts to the officer appointing this committee; and if, in the judgment of that officer, a case can be made out against the offender, said appointing officer shall order same or another committee to prosecute the offender in the courts for disbarment.

If any member of the Bar Association of Tennessee shall be guilty of any unprofessional conduct, for which he could, under the then existing laws of the land, be disbarred, it shall be the duty of the President and Vice-President of the Bar Association of Tennessee to proceed to have him disbarred, as indicated in the by-law just preceding this.

All the foregoing proceedings shall be kept secret, except as their publication is hereinbefore provided for, unless otherwise provided for by this Association.

X.-NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.

Nominations of candidates to fill the respective offices may be made at the time of election by any member, and as many candidates may be nominated for each office as members may wish to name, but all elections, whether to office or membership, must be by ballot. A majority of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect to office, but five negative votes shall be sufficient to defeat an election to membership.

XI-SUPPLYING VACANCIES.

All vacancies in any office or committee of this Association shall be filled by appointment of the President, and the person thus appointed shall hold for the unexpired term of his predecessor, but if a vacancy occur in the office of President, it shall be filled by the Association at its first stated meeting occurring more than ten days after the happening of such vacancy, and the person elected shall hold for the unexpired term of his prede

cessor.