Article VI: Committees, Secretariat and Liaisons


  1. Standing Committees.
    (a) The Conference may establish standing committees for the purpose of providing information and making recommendations on matters relevant to the activities of the Conference.
    (b) A standing committee may be established or dissolved by a vote of the members of the Conference at any annual, midyear, or special meeting.
    (c) The Conference shall approve a role statement for each standing committee at the time of its establishment.  Such statement shall include the subject matter, scope, and general mission for the committee.
    (d) The chair or at least one member of a standing committee shall be a member of the Board of Directors.  Standing committees may include persons who are not members of the Conference.
    (e) The President-elect shall appoint the members of the standing committees.  The proposed committee appointments shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval at the annual meeting and shall become effective at the conclusion of the annual meeting.  All standing committee appointments made by the President-elect shall terminate at the conclusion of his or her term as President.

  2. Other Committees.
    (a) The President may establish other committees to conduct the activities of the Conference.  The President-elect may establish other committees with the approval of the Board of Directors.
    (b) The President or President-elect shall appoint all members to other committees.  All committee appointments made by the President or President-elect shall terminate at the conclusion of his or her term as President.
    (c) Other committees shall be dissolved automatically at the conclusion of the term of office as president of the person making the appointment unless continued by his or her successor.

  3. Joint Committees. 
    On or before April 1 of each year the President-elect shall, after consultation with the Board of Directors, confer with the President-elect of the Conference of Chief Justices  and together, the two Presidents-elect may jointly designate one or more of the Conferences’ committees as Joint CCJ/COSCA Committees.  After such designation each President-elect shall appoint members to a joint committee from his or her Conference pursuant to Article VI, Section 1(e).  A joint committee shall be co-chaired by a member of each Conference designated by the respective Presidents-elect.  The decision of who shall chair any particular meeting of a joint committee shall be made by the co-chairs.  The Board of Directors of COSCA and CCJ may adopt guidelines and procedures to govern the operation of all joint committees.

  4. Nominating Committee. 
    The President shall appoint a nominating committee composed of five members of the Conference and shall designate one of the members as chair.  The Nominating Committee is charged with recommending to the Conference members who are qualified and willing to serve the Conference as officers and as members of the Board of Directors and who are reflective of the demographic diversity and geographic make-up of the Conference.

    On or before September 1 of each year, the chair of the Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of Board and officer positions which will become vacant at the next annual meeting.  On or before September 15, NCSC staff shall provide to all COSCA members information about the nomination process and provide an opportunity to suggest nominees to the Committee.  On or before November 15, the Committee shall receive and discuss all recommendations received from the membership.  Members of the Committee may offer additional names for consideration.  The Committee shall prepare and present for the information of the membership a recommended slate of officers and Board members at the midyear meeting.  An election, based upon the recommendations of the Committee and any further nominations received from the floor, shall take place at the annual meeting.

  5. Secretariat. 
    The National Center for State Courts shall act as Secretariat for the Conference and shall be the primary staff resource to the Board of Directors and the Conference.  The National Center staff individual assigned to the Board of Directors with the Board’s approval will, at the direction of the President, prepare committee agendas, coordinate meeting preparations, evaluate site locations and facilities, draft summaries of committee proceedings, and guide the preparation of concept, position, and policy papers and documents.

  6. Liaisons
    (a)   COSCA members may be appointed as liaisons to other organizations for the purpose of identifying issues of common importance, advancing COSCA's policies and position papers, providing COSCA expertise, and promoting better communication and collaboration with such organizations.
    (b) The Board of Directors shall designate a limited number of formal liaisons to those organizations to which COSCA has the closest ties and the routine activities of which are most likely to be of direct importance to COSCA. The presidents of such organizations shall be invited to COSCA's mid-year and annual conferences.
    (c) Appointment of COSCA members as formal liaisons shall be made by the president-elect after the Spring Board meeting but before the annual conference.
    (d) The president-elect of COSCSA may also designate temporary, additional liaisons to other organizations on an ad hoc basis and shall inform the Board.
    (e) Formal liaisons shall be appointed for a one year term, subject to renewal.
    (f) Liaisons shall keep the Board apprised of issues and activities of mutual interest and shall provide the Board with a written report before the annual meeting. The Board shall determine whether the reports or information in the reports should be disseminated to the general membership.