Become An Affiliate

 

Contact Affiliate Committee Chairs for questions.

Process: Once Bylaws are submitted to TCDLA your association will be voted on at next TCDLA Board Meeting. Once approved association will be placed on TCDLA website and an Affiliate Certificate will be mailed. 

Requirements:

Article IV—Affiliate Association Membership

Sec. 1.Other Associations.

The Board of Directors may establish procedures and requirements by which other voluntary bar associations may affiliate with this the Association.

Sec. 2.Qualifications of Affiliate Associations.

To be eligible to become an affiliate association, a voluntary bar association must:

(a) Be composed of persons of professional competence, integrity, and good moral character, who are actively engaged in the defense of criminal cases, and who would otherwise qualify for membership in this association.

(b) Have objectives and purposes, as part of its own bylaws or operating rules, which are consistent with the by-laws, objectives, and purposes of the Association, as determined by the Board of Directors.

(c) Not accept or allow members who are employed by any city, state or federal government or other entity as a prosecutor of the criminal law, or who work in any other capacity which is in conflict with the objectives and purposes of the Association. Notwithstanding this provision, affiliate associations may accept or allow members who accept an appointment as a temporary prosecutor or as a temporary police legal advisor, so long as their acceptance of that position is not inconsistent with the objectives and purposes of this association as set forth in Article II of these bylaws. This provision shall not place a more restrictive mem­bership requirement on an affiliate as­so­ciation than the association places on itself under Article III, Sections 1-7 of these bylaws. 

Sec. 3.Application for Affiliation.

(a) Voluntary bar associations may request affiliation with this association by submitting an application, on a form available from the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Executive Director.

(b) An application for affiliation shall be referred by the Executive Director to the executive committee, which shall review it and make a recommendation for approval or denial to the Board of Directors.

(c) Approval or denial of an application for affiliation shall be by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Sec. 4.Rights and Privileges of Affiliate Associations.

(a) The Board of Directors of this association may, by a majority vote, grant such rights and privileges to affiliate associations as it deems necessary and proper, but said rights and privileges shall be no greater than that combined within the bylaws of the Association.

(b) Any rights and privileges granted to an affiliate association shall be reduced to writing as a standing board policy, and shall be made available to any member of affiliate association upon request.

Sec. 5.Revocation of Affiliation.

Affiliate association status may be revoked after due notice and opportunity to be heard, for good cause, by three-quarters majority vote of the Board of Directors in any lawfully called meeting.

Sec. 6.Contested Revocation.

Procedure. In the event an affiliate asso­cia­tion is revoked for cause, the following pro­cedure shall govern if the affiliate association contests its revocation:

(a) The secretary shall notify that association of its revocation by certified United States mail. A written petition for reinstatement and request for an appearance by a rep­resentative must by submitted to the asso­ciation office in Austin within thirty (30) days from the date the notice was mailed.

(b) Copies of the petition shall be transmitted to the Board of Directors. The matter will be remanded to the President or his or her designee to conduct an inquiry, in which the petitioner will have pertinent proof to show good and just cause as to why the petitioner is entitled to reinstatement.

(c) The President shall forthwith prepare and file a report to the Board of Directors, with a nonbinding recommendation for sustaining the petition or rejecting the petition.

(d) The Board of Directors shall vote to reinstate or to uphold the revocation. A majority vote of the Board of Directors shall be final.