Elections

PILS Executive Board Positions

Elections for the inaugural PILS executive board are held annually in the spring semester. Elections for the 2022-23 executive board have already concluded. Information about further elections will be distributed via our mailing list.

The Student Activities Office mandates certain positions for student organizations at Boston University: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. While BU SAO requires these positions, students organizations have significant flexibility in redefining these roles, and creating new or companion roles. Please do not let the list below limit your own imagination about the possible leadership and community roles next year’s E-Board might create and fill, nor should you consider this list of definitions for each role to be definitive. Elections will be held for the following positions:

  • President/Co-President: responsibilities include presiding over executive board and general body meetings, overseeing projects and events, and resolving disputes within the board
  • Vice President: responsibilities include standing in for the president, assuming the president’s duties if they resign, overseeing projects as needed and supporting General Board Members in their responsibilities
  • Treasurer: responsibilities include managing fiscal matters for the organization and acting as the signatory for organization funds
  • Secretary: responsibilities include maintaining records of executive board and general body meetings, maintaining the organization membership list, and managing communication to and from the organization
  • General Board Members: PILS also relies on the support fr0m additional executive board members to execute the organization’s plans. After elections, the Co-Presidents, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and general board members will work together to assign general board members to specific roles based on the goals they foresee for PILS. The official title of each General Board member will be finalized shortly after the election. These roles could include:
    • Mentorship Chair
    • Events/Retreat Chair
    • Pro Bono Chair
    • Student Group Liaison
    • Publicity Chair
    • Networking Chair
    • Other roles proposed by students

Election Format

Starting with candidates for President, each candidate will have the option of speaking for up to 2 minutes about their candidacy. If an individual wishes to run for a position but is unable to attend the election, they will have the option to submit a prepared statement ahead of time that will be read by a current PILS board member. Once all candidates have had the opportunity to speak or have their statement read, votes will be taken anonymously. All BU Law students present at the election can cast a vote. The candidate with a simple majority of votes will be declared the winner. In the event that there are more than two candidates for a position and no candidates get a simple majority of votes, there will be a run-off between the two highest vote-getters to determine the winner, unless candidates agree to both assume the position (e.g. as co-Vice Presidents).

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Prior to elections, members of the current boards will be available to discuss elections and the various responsibilities of each role on dates that will be announced prior to the election. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at buslpils@gmail.com.