Law Student Organizations

Applications for new student organizations are accepted biannually for the first two weeks of each semester. Students who submit applications for approval outside of this window will be asked to resubmit their application during the next application period.

Before submitting an application and receiving approval, students may meet informally to gauge interest in their prospective organization and prepare their application. However, until a student organization is formally recognized and the officers have completed all required student organization trainings, the organization may not reserve rooms, hold on-campus events, invite speakers, co-sponsor events, advertise in the announce account, or represent themselves as a recognized or affiliated Lewis & Clark Law School student organization.

Student organizations must submit a mission statement and statement of need with their application for approval.

Your mission statement should clearly outline the objectives and purpose of your prospective student organization, and must include a description of how your organization will contribute to the law school community. Your goals might include fostering a stronger sense of community on campus, increasing recreational offerings, providing opportunities for professional development, or connecting students with practitioners.

The statement of need should outline how your prospective student organization differs from existing groups, and identify the unmet needs that it will serve in our law school community. This statement should focus on differentiating your prospective organization from the mission and programming of existing organizations. This requirement is intended to ensure that funds and resources are distributed equitably, that students are able to clearly differentiate between organizations, and that the maximum number of organizations are able to maintain a sustaining membership.

The mission statement and statement of need of every prospective organization must be consistent with Lewis & Clark Law School’s institutional policies and educational objectives. A student organization whose mission statement or statement of need is not consistent with these policies and objectives may be denied recognition. We encourage you to carefully consider both your mission statement and statement of need, and to review the criteria above before submitting your application.

In order to help students navigate the organizations that are available to them, the Office of Student Affairs recognizes the following categories of student organizations:

Academic Interest Organizations - student organizations organized primarily to promote a specific legal academic focus or professional specialization. (Ex.: Tax Law Society)

Affinity Organizations - student organizations organized primarily to promote the participation, inclusion, achievements, history, and sense of community of a specific population in the legal profession or law school community. These organizations are formed around this common purpose, but do not require that members share any specific identity. (Ex.: Women’s Law Caucus)

Recreation Organizations - student organizations organized primarily to promote entertainment, travel, athletic opportunities, or general student wellbeing. (Ex.: Surf Club)

Service Organizations - student organizations organized primarily to promote public service, public interest opportunities, community service, or pro bono legal services. (Ex.: Public Interest Law Project)

Spiritual Life Organizations - student organizations organized primarily to provide spiritual or religious connection, or to promote the participation, inclusion, achievements, history, and sense of community of a specific spiritual or religious population in the legal profession or law school community. (Ex.: Jewish Legal Society)

You must select at least one category on your application. If your prospective student group falls into more than one category, you may select multiple categories.

Several student organizations operate as chapters, affiliates, or representatives of larger parent organizations. Examples of this model include student organizations such as the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society. If your prospective student organization will have any affiliation with an outside entity, you must indicate that on your application and provide the name and contact information of the affiliated entity. The affiliated entity cannot require the student organization to operate under policies that violate our institutional policies, including our non-discrimination policy.

To form a new student organization and to maintain active status, each student organization must maintain a minimum of two officers: a president and a treasurer. (These officers must be two different individual students.)

If the student organization recognizes additional officers, their names and titles should be included on the initial application and provided to the Office of Student Affairs. Student organizations have a continuing responsibility to provide the Office of Student Affairs notice of any changes to each organization’s officers. There is no limit to the number of officer or executive board positions that any student organization may create.

The responsibilities of the president include:

• Completing, signing, and submitting the initial application for recognition;
• Reviewing all student organization and applicable institutional policies;
• Ensuring, to the best of their ability, that the student organization follows all student organization and institutional policies;
• Overseeing the student organization’s election process and submitting the names of new officers to the Office of Student Affairs;
• Assisting in the transition and training of new officers;
• Ensuring that the student organization holds at least one open interest meeting per semester, as well as regular open meetings throughout the semester;
• Ensuring that the group Gmail account is regularly checked and maintained;
• Attending all required student organization leadership trainings;
• Complying with all budgetary, reimbursement, and spending requirements for student organizations;
• Submitting and signing an annual renewal if the student organization plans to continue for the following academic year, or notifying the Office of Student Affairs if the organization plans to dissolve.

The responsibilities of the treasurer include:

• Reviewing all student organization policies;
• Submitting requests for funding, purchases, and reimbursements, in accordance with the student organization budget procedures;
• Complying with all budgetary, reimbursement, and spending requirements for student organizations;
• Assisting in the transition and training of the new treasurer;
• Attending all required student organization leadership trainings.

Organizations may internally use any organizational structure that they choose, including a “flat” or non-hierarchical decision-making structure, provided that the president and treasurer assume ultimate responsibility for the above duties.

Whenever possible, student organization officers should be selected by an open election. A student organization may create procedures to appoint officers for a limited term in the event that an elected officer is unable to serve or fulfill their term.

All student organizations are required to have an advisor. The role of the advisor is primarily to serve as a source of information and support for your student organization. Advisors may act as a liaison between a larger parent organization and your chapter affiliate, suggest speakers to bring to campus, and help your organization to make decisions or mediate conflict. Advisors may also supervise evening and weekend events on campus.

The following staff and faculty members are eligible to serve as a student organization advisor:

• Regular (non-adjunct) faculty, including clinical faculty;
• Full time staff members who hold a Juris Doctor degree.

A closed committee consisting of two representatives from the Office of Student Affairs and two student representatives from the Student Bar Association Executive Board (typically, the President and Vice President of Student Affairs) will convene after the close of each application period to review applications for new student organizations using the above criteria. The goal of the committee is to approve all organizations that meet the criteria above. The committee will determine whether:

• The prospective student organization meets the criteria for formation and is approved as an official student organization; or
• The prospective student organization needs to provide additional information to the committee for consideration or amend its initial application to clearly demonstrate that it can meet the criteria for formation; or
• The prospective student organization does not meet the criteria for formation and therefore, the application is denied.

Both approvals and denials will be communicated by email to the student who signed and submitted the application for approval.

There are two required training sessions for student organizations’ leaders. Both are offered at the beginning of each semester. A student organization’s president is responsible for attending the leadership training offered each semester. A student organization’s treasurer is responsible for attending the treasurer training offered each semester. Student leaders who do not attend these sessions will be required to attend a make-up session prior to accessing funds, meeting, or planning events.

The leadership training covers basic student organization policies, event planning, fundraising, leadership skills, and resources that are available to student organizations.

The treasurer training covers policies for reimbursement, credit card usage, fundraising, prohibited expenses, applying for supplemental funding, and financial planning for student organizations.

These training sessions are offered again in May after the conclusion of finals. Attendance at the May sessions is optional. Student organizations are welcome to invite additional officers to attend any of the training sessions.

At the beginning of each academic year, the Office of Student Affairs organizes a student organization fair. This event provides an opportunity for student organizations to table and meet interested 1L and upper division students. Many student organizations use this opportunity to advertise their first open meeting and to sign students up for their email list.

Your student organization must designate at least one representative for this event. The representative can be any member of the organization. The Office of Student Affairs will reach out to your student organization at the end of the summer to request the name of your representative. Closer to the event, your representative will receive instructions on how to participate in the fair.

The Office of Student Affairs features student organizations on the Student Life webpage and gives each organization a subpage to edit. This subpage allows prospective students, current students, and outside community members to learn more about your student organization.

The Lewis & Clark webpage is supported by the LiveWhale platform. Editor access for your organization’s subpage is available to one officer that your organization designates each academic year. At the end of the academic year, editor access must be transitioned if the prior officer is no longer serving in that role. To request editor access, please email lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu. To learn more about how to edit your subpage, visit New Media.

Your student organization should, at minimum, include the following on your subpage:

• A current list of officers;
• The name of your student organization’s staff/faculty advisor;
• Your official student organization email address;
• Your logo;
• A link to any LiveWhale events created to advertise your organization’s events.

Content placed by your student organization on your subpage must be in compliance with all institutional policies, including our non-discrimination policy and policies promulgated by the Office of Communications.

Student organizations who have or want to create social media accounts for their organization must follow these guidelines:

1. Maintain transparency.
    Only messages posted from Lewis & Clark Law School’s main social media accounts are considered official Law School communications/social accounts. Clearly state your connection to the Law School and do not indicate or imply that you speak for the Law School as an institution or use the Law School’s branding without prior permission from the Communications office.
   Be honest about yourself and your organization. Ensure that your name, image, bio, and links accurately represent who you are.
2. Post consistently.
    Social media sites run on algorithms that are built to favor active accounts that post at least a few times each week. To be effective and to build an audience, you should post regularly.
3. Act professionally.
   People viewing your account will associate your account with Lewis & Clark Law School. Consider how your posts reflect on you, members of the Law School community, and the Law School itself. 
   
4. Respect others and their property.
   If you are posting photos, videos, audio, or other content that you did not create, ensure that you have the proper permissions for publishing them. Credit others for their work as appropriate.
   
5. Honor privacy.
   Before you post a photo or tag the accounts of private individuals, confirm that they are comfortable with being featured or mentioned in a public-facing post. Moderate any comments that violate the privacy of individuals and report them to the platform as necessary.
   
6. Confirm the accuracy of your posts.
   Verify that what you are posting is true. If you make a factual error, correct the post if possible or delete it entirely. Issue corrections as needed.
   
7. Follow accessibility guidelines.
   Ensure that your posts can be viewed by persons with disabilities. Review and use the accessibility features of the platforms that you are using.
   
8. Optimize your photos and videos for social media.
   Each platform has ideal dimensions and sizes for photos and videos that are uploaded to their applications, and these specifications can change over time. Be mindful of how the assets you’re publishing will appear to users on mobile and desktop platforms.
   
9. Consider the platform.
   Social media platforms have specific advantages and disadvantages. Use your goals and target audiences to inform the platform that you use. Become familiar with the individual tools available to you on that channel and structure your strategy based on what the platform allows you (or doesn’t allow you) to do. 
   
10. Speak authentically.
    Use a tone that is appropriate for the group you’re representing and for your audience. Share news and photos that are relevant to your group’s mission.
    
11. Be timely.
    Promote events with enough time for people to register to attend. Ensure that posts that you share, especially scheduled ones, don’t refer to outdated news.
    
12. Use your best judgment.
    Consider how your posts could be received by the public, including by people who don’t know you and who don’t follow your account. Bear in mind that posts can be taken out of context and that posts can spread widely and quickly across social media.
    
13. Ask for help!
    Please contact Judy Asbury, Assistant Dean of Communication and Development (jasbury@lclark.edu) for more assistance with specific strategies based on your goals and social platform of interest.

Adapted from Columbia Law School’s Social Media Guide.

To reduce our environmental impact, student organizations are not permitted to post physical flyers on campus.

After your organization is formally recognized and approved, your organization may request that Student Affairs create a group Gmail/G Suite account by emailing lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu.

Please allow 1-3 weeks to create your account.

Once your account is created, you will receive an email to pick up a default password from the Office of Student Affairs. You will need to promptly change this password in person with computing services, in compliance with institutional password requirements.

Only current officers should have access to your organization’s password; we encourage you to limit the number of officers with access to your account to as few as practicable. Student organization passwords must be changed annually. If your organization’s password is compromised, if you are locked out of your account, or if your organization needs to reset its password, please contact lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu.

Your student organization account must be used for the following:

• Room, speaker, and event space requests;
• Submitting your annual renewal application;
• Budget and reimbursement communications;
• Placing announcements in the daily announcements.

Individual student @lclark.edu accounts may not be used for the above purposes for student organization activities.

You may also use your student organization account for the following:

• Establishing a group listserv;
• Communicating with community members, outside speakers, and outside organizations relevant to the mission and purpose of the organization;
• Maintaining meeting minutes, documents, presentations, or other materials on the associated G Suite Drive;
• As an associated email for organizational social media accounts;
• Any other purpose directly related to the organization’s activities, within the scope of our institutional policies.

Emails sent within our community to other @lclark.edu addresses from student organization accounts should be signed with the name and role of the person accessing the account.

While student organization accounts are not regularly monitored, these accounts are subject to administrative review to ensure compliance with institutional policies and the requirements of this section.

Student organizations are required to regularly monitor organizational Gmail accounts. This is the primary account that the Office of Student Affairs, Business Services, Events, and other institutional offices will use to contact your student organization. Failure to monitor the account or respond to communications may result in inactivation of your account.

Student organization Gmail/G Suite accounts may be inactivated or suspended for the following reasons:

• The student organization fails to annually renew its status as an active organization;
• The account is unmonitored for an extended period;
• There is a concern regarding access to the account or the account’s security;
• The account is used in a manner inconsistent with this section and/or institutional policies.

Each student organization may request an award of funds for the following academic year on the annual renewal application.

There is no requirement to request funds. If your student organization does not anticipate a need for funding in the next academic year, either because your organization has outside financial support or no financial need, you can choose to waive funding. This will increase the amount of funding available for other student organizations.

If your student organization requests funding on the renewal application and your application is approved, your student organization is guaranteed to receive funds. Your organization does not need to explain their intended use for these funds, and may generally use the funds for any purpose except for the prohibited purposes described in this section. All approved organizations will receive an equal amount of baseline funding. The amount may change annually, due to changes in the number of organizations and the total available funding.

The Office of Student Affairs will notify all active student organizations in late spring of their baseline allocation at their official student organization email account. These funds will be available to spend at the beginning of the summer.

Submission and Timing

The online application for supplemental funding (linked above) must be submitted by your student organization’s treasurer. Applications submitted by other members or officers of the organization will be denied.

Student organizations should generally plan to apply for supplemental funding as early as possible, once they have identified a need for funding. While the application remains open for most of the academic year, there is a priority deadline each semester and a final deadline for funding within the current semester.

The priority deadline for applications is two weeks after the start of each academic semester for funds that will be used before the end of the semester. Student organizations should try to meet this deadline when possible, to maximize their chances of receiving funding.

The final deadline for submitting an application for funds that will be used in the current semester is four weeks before the start of the final examination period.

Consideration of Other Funding Sources

The Office of Student Affairs has limited funding to support student organizations. To ensure an equitable distribution of funds, supplemental funding will generally not be available to student organizations until they have exhausted their baseline allocation and any additional or available funding.

On the application, your student organization will be asked to document:

• How your student organization used (or has committed to use) its baseline allocation;

• Any donations that your student organization has received;

• Any additional funding sources that your student organization has explored (for instance, sponsorship from a parent organization, sponsorship from an Oregon State Bar or national affinity organization, sponsorship from a Lewis & Clark Law School department, etc.);

• Any fundraising efforts that your student organization considered or plans to undertake;

• Any efforts that your student organization made or considered to minimize the cost of the proposed event or expenditure.

Funding Committee

Requests for supplemental funding will be reviewed by a committee consisting of the Associate Director of Student Affairs, a member of the Events Team and the SBA Treasurer. All applications for supplemental funding will be treated as confidential until a decision is made.

The committee will meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month during the Fall and Spring semesters. The committee makes diligent efforts to meet and render a decision as soon as possible. 

Proposed Use of Supplemental Funds

Your student organization must describe the proposed use of supplemental funds in detail. The more information that your student organization provides, the better able the committee will be to assess your proposal.

For funding proposals that will be used for events, please describe:

• The proposed date, or date range, of the event;

• For speaker or panelist events, the proposed speakers and subject matter;

• For other events, a description of the proposed event or program (for example: “a student-led interviewing workshop to prepare for the NW Public Service Career Fair”);

• The location of the proposed event;

• The estimated attendance at the event and the targeted audience;

• The estimated costs of your proposed event, broken down by item (for example: “$150 for drinks and refreshments for ten guests from Baja Fresh”);

• How your event connects to one or more of the funding priorities identified in this section;

• Whether this event will involve collaboration with another student organization. The committee will typically prefer applications from student organizations that collaborate together with other student organizations, provided that all participating organizations have exhausted their baseline allocations and other financial resources.

• Whether the proposed event is a new event for your student organization or an event that your student organization regularly or annually executes (for example: the annual PILP auction). Some preference may be given to events with an established track record of successful execution and student engagement, however, all student organizations are encouraged to apply for funding for new events.

For funding proposals that will be used for supplies, materials, or any other expenditure, please describe:

• The proposed purchase or use of funding, including a detailed description of the cost (for example: “purchasing four yoga mats at $15/piece to be kept available in Gantenbein for the benefit of all students”);

• Whether the expense provides a one-time benefit or an ongoing benefit to the student organization or student body;

• Any other information that provides context to the committee to understand the purpose, intent, and use of the expenditure.

Funding Priorities

The Office of Student Affairs, utilizing feedback received from SBA and the student body, sets funding priorities for supporting student organizations. This criteria is listed below, with the goal of providing transparency to student organizations that apply for funding.

The committee aims to award relatively equal amounts of funding in the fall and spring semesters, to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of funds, to prioritize thoughtful and complete applications, and to provide all applicant organizations with an equitable opportunity to receive funding.

Further, the committee prioritizes specific purposes for funding that reflect our institutional values and educational objectives. When applying for funding, your organization should describe which of the following categories the request for funding falls under and why that category is appropriate:

• Wellness: Events, activities, or expenditures that focus on promoting mental or physical wellbeing in the legal profession or law school community.

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Events, activities, or expenditures that focus on promoting the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the legal profession or law school community. This funding is available to both affinity organizations and non-affinity organizations; the primary consideration will be the specific use of funds.

• Evening Program and Non-JD Students: Events, activities, or expenditures that focus on providing opportunities targeted towards students in the evening program and/or LLM or MSL programs. Student organizations applying for this funding should describe how the event or expenditure will be accessible to these students and will specifically address the unique needs of these students.

• Career Exploration and Professional Development: Events, activities, or expenditures that focus on providing opportunities for career exploration, networking, training in professional responsibility or practical lawyering skills, or professional development. Student organizations applying for this funding must partner with a law school department and/or meet the criteria for the event to qualify for the 2L Foundations graduation requirement.

• Access to Justice: Events, activities, or expenditures that focus on providing pro bono legal services or volunteer opportunities, increasing access to civil legal representation, or increasing awareness of access to justice issues facing the profession.

• Other: Events, activities, or expenditures that do not meet the criteria of a category listed above. These requests may receive lower priority than requests that meet the above criteria.

Award of Funding and Unspent Funds

Student organizations will be notified of a funding award at their official student organization email address. The award will also be reflected on the student organization’s tab of the budget tracking spreadsheet.

Supplemental funds are awarded for a specific purpose only. Any excess funds that remain after the event or expenditure for which they were awarded must be immediately returned to the Office of Student Affairs for reallocation. Student organizations have an affirmative duty to notify the Office of Student Affairs of excess supplemental funds.

Student organizations may not use their baseline allocation or supplemental funding for any of the following purposes:

• Alcoholic beverages, on or off campus; (Student organizations are allowed to partner with the Student Bar Association, law school departments, and off-campus organizations/sponsors and the partner is allowed to donate funds to cover the costs of alcoholic beverages. The full cost of the alcoholic beverages must be covered by the donated funds.)
• Travel expenses (students may apply to the SBA Travel fund for these funds);
• Honorariums or speaker fees;
• Any use that benefits an individual student(s) as opposed to the student body or student organization as a whole and/or any use that is not made available on an equal basis to all students.
  • Note: Supplies or purchases made by a student organization belong to the organization, not to individual students, and must remain with the organization. For example, a recreation club that purchases soccer equipment must leave the equipment at the law school, available for future use.
  • Note: Student organizations must use their funds in a manner that allows any student an equal chance to benefit from the funding. For example, a student organization may provide a limited number of lunches at an event, but must allow all students an equal opportunity to participate. Providing lunch to the first 40 students who RSVP to an event is a permissible use of funds; purchasing lunch solely for officers of the organization is an impermissible use of funds.

The Office of Student Affairs expects student organizations to responsibly manage their funds and to avoid incurring expenses that exceed their available and awarded funding. Responsible financial stewardship is a professional responsibility of attorneys, and an institutional expectation of student organization leaders. Overdrafted accounts directly, inequitably reduce the availability of funding for other student organizations.

Student organizations that exceed their available funding at any point during the year will be required to meet with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs may impose penalties for account overdrafts, including but not limited to a period of ineligibility for further funding. Student organizations should be aware that outstanding student reimbursements may be denied once a student organization’s account reaches a zero balance.

As a reminder, officers and members of student organizations are bound by all provisions of the Student Honor & Conduct Code in all student organization-related activities and matters.

Any misrepresentation related to, or falsification of, receipts, expenditures, reimbursements, donations, usage of the cash box, usage of the credit card machine, awarded funds, or any other financial matter may result in penalties including disciplinary action, loss of eligibility for further funding, administrative suspension of your student organization, and potential criminal liability.

Student organizations may not use their funding for prohibited purposes. 

The student organization funding cycle runs from June 1st - April 15th each year. Student organizations will receive notice from the Office of Student Affairs when baseline funds are made available each year in early June. Throughout the year, additional funds received from donations, fundraising, and Student Affairs are deposited into student organizations’ accounts.

Student organizations retain their funds until April 15th. After that date, all unspent funds, derived from any source, return to the Office of Student Affairs to support end-of-year initiatives that benefit the entire student body.

The treasurer of each student organization will receive a link to a shared budget tracking Google sheet to track both their available funds and their expenditures. There is a new sheet generated each academic year. Your organization will have view-only access to this document. Updates can only be made by the Events team, the Student Affairs team, the Development team, and the Business Services team.

The sheet reflects your available funds, subject to any outstanding charges or reimbursements, including your organization’s baseline allocation of funding, donations, fundraising proceeds, and any supplemental funds that your organization receives throughout the year from the Office of Student Affairs.

The sheet also reflects expenditures made by the Events team or Business Services on your organization’s behalf, processed reimbursements, and processed invoices.

Your student organization’s treasurer is responsible for processing outstanding student reimbursements and depositing any incoming funds with the Business Services office or as soon as possible. Timely processing ensures that the tracking sheet accurately reflects your current balance. As noted elsewhere in this guide, the Office of Student Affairs expects student organizations to responsibly manage their funds and to avoid incurring expenses that exceed their available funding.

There are two ways to spend student organization funds:

• Law school purchasing/invoicing: Your student organization can work directly with the Business Services office (or Events team) to have the law school order food, drinks, tickets, equipment, supplies, or online purchases, often at competitive pricing. The law school will also pay for services on behalf of your organization, such as DJs, auctioneers, or entertainers. This direct purchasing/invoicing is the easiest and best way to spend your organization’s funds. This option allows the law school to quickly and accurately update your budget, and does not require a student to advance their own funds and wait to be reimbursed.

To discuss the best way to make a purchase, set up a time to meet with the Law Business Services Office. Contact email: lawbussvcs@lclark.edu

Whenever possible, student organizations should utilize this option. You must use this option when paying for services. Services cannot be reimbursed.

If you are uncertain whether a purchase constitutes a goodor a service, consult with Business Services prior to making the purchase.

• Reimbursement: If your student organization cannot have the law school make a purchase directly, your organization may have a student make the purchase with their personal funds and submit for immediate reimbursement through your organization’s treasurer. This option is disfavored because it requires a student to advance the funds, and because reimbursements may be denied if the policies and procedures are not followed.

All reimbursements require an itemized receipt. Reimbursements should always be submitted as quickly as possible, ideally within one business day. Reimbursements must be submitted by the earlier of the end-of-semester deadline or 60 days from purchase.

The fastest and easiest way for students to receive reimbursements is to ensure that their direct deposit information is up to date in WebAdvisor. Please note: the direct deposit information that students enter in WebAdvisor is separate from the direct deposit information that students provide to Financial Aid or student employment, and must be updated separately.

You may not receive reimbursement for prohibited purchases (including alcoholic beverages) or services. No reimbursements will be processed without an itemized receipt.

Student organizations engaged in fundraising or sales may need to handle cash or utilize a cash box to make change and keep funds secure. Business services can provide a cash box with sufficient notice, and can process cash deposits into student organizations’ accounts.

Student organizations should provide a minimum of three business days’ notice to the Business Services office to check out a cash box with bills to make change. This request must come from the organization’s treasurer. The following rules apply to use of the cash box:

• The cash box cannot be used for reimbursements - solely to make change and securely take in funds.
• The cash box cannot be held by a student organization overnight. Typically, it must be returned to the Business Services office by the end of the day, within standard business hours. With advance permission from the Business Services office, organizations may be able to return the cash box to the Events team or their advisor if they are using it for an evening or weekend event.
• The cash box cannot be removed from the law school campus.
• The cash box is intended for true sales only - never for donations or gifts that require a tax receipt.
• The cash box will be checked out to one individual student whose name is provided to the Business Services office by the organization’s treasurer. The cash box must remain in the exclusive possession of that student. It is a violation of the Student Honor & Conduct Code to transfer possession of the cash box to another person without the express permission of the Business Services office.
• All cash that a student organization receives belongs to the organization. Tipping (where funds are collected for the benefit of an individual student or students) is prohibited in all circumstances.
• Student organizations are financially responsible for any discrepancies when the cash box is returned to the Business Services office, and for any loss of or damage to the cash box. If the cash box is lost, damaged, or stolen, you must immediately notify both the Business Services office and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

To request the cash box or for more information, contact the Law Business Services Office at lawbussvcs@lclark.edu

All other cash that a student organization receives from sales or fundraising efforts must be deposited with the Business Services office the same day.

Business Services offers a credit card processing machine to student organizations to allow organizations to accept credit and debit card payments. Student organizations should provide a minimum of three business days’ notice to the Business Services office to check out the machine. This request must come from the organization’s treasurer. The following rules apply to use of the credit card processing machine:

• The credit card processing machine cannot be held by a student organization overnight. Typically, it must be returned to the Business Services office by the end of the day, within standard business hours. With advance permission from the Business Services office, organizations may be able to return the credit card machine to the Events team or their advisor if they are using it for an evening or weekend event.
• The credit card processing machine cannot be removed from the law school campus.
• The credit card processing machine is intended for true sales only - never for donations or gifts that require a tax receipt.
• The credit card processing machine will be checked out to one individual student whose name is provided to the Business Services office by the organization’s treasurer. The credit card processing machine must remain in the exclusive possession of that student. It is a violation of the Student Honor & Conduct Code to transfer possession of the credit card processing machine to another person without the express permission of the Business Services office.
• If your student organization needs to refund a purchase, you must immediately notify the Business Services office.
• Student organizations are financially responsible for loss of or damage to the credit card processing machine. If the machine is lost, damaged, or stolen, you must immediately notify both the Business Services office and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The Business Services office will allocate all charges made during the time that your organization holds the machine to your group’s account. To request the credit card processing machine or for more information, contact the Law Business Services Office at lawbussvcs@lclark.edu

As a reminder, officers and members of student organizations are bound by all provisions of the Student Honor & Conduct Code in all student organization-related activities and matters.

Any misrepresentation related to, or falsification of, receipts, expenditures, reimbursements, donations, usage of the cash box, usage of the credit card machine, awarded funds, or any other financial matter may result in penalties including disciplinary action, loss of eligibility for further funding, administrative suspension of your student organization, and potential criminal liability.

Student organizations may not use their funding for prohibited purposes. (See the funding section for more information.)

Student organizations may fundraise on their own behalf, in compliance with the fundraising guidelines described in this section.

Prior to beginning fundraising efforts, student organizations must meet with the Office of Student Affairs to discuss the purpose for fundraising. This is not intended to dissuade students from participating in fundraising; rather, the law school wants to ensure that student organizations take full advantage of existing funds and resources for events, travel, supplies, and other needs. Student organizations may also be directed to meet with the Development Office and Business Services Office before organizing a fundraiser, depending on the scope and method of proposed fundraising.

Student organizations that fundraise on their own behalf may want to consider the following:

• What is our purpose for fundraising? (Travel, purchasing, etc.) How does this connect to our mission statement?

• What is our fundraising goal? Is it realistic to raise this amount in a limited time frame?

• When would we plan to utilize the funds that we raise? Is it within the current budget year? (See “Understanding Unrestricted Accounts” below)

• Who do we intend to solicit to support our organization? Students? Law firms? Alumni?

• Who would be responsible for fundraising efforts within our organization?

• What method of fundraising would we use? (An event, a bake sale, etc.)

• What alternatives have we considered to meet our organization’s needs? Are there institutional resources available that we could explore?

Many student organizations organize successful fundraising efforts for causes and organizations that relate to their mission.

Student organizations that want to fundraise through bake sales, events, auctions, raffles, or any other means for the benefit of an outside organization are strongly encouraged to have students/guests make donations directly to the outside organization. For example:

In place of a traditional bake sale, a student organization places a QR code on a table that directs donors to an outside organization’s donation page. The student organization then provides a donut to any student who shows proof of a donation to the outside organization. In this circumstance, neither the student organization nor the law school ever holds the donor’s funds or directly facilitates the transfer.

If the student organization elects to collect the funds that are intended to be donated to an outside organization, they must receive approval prior to setting the date and advertising the fundraiser. To initiate the approval process, please contact Heidi Locke, Director of Business Services, at hlocke@lclark.edu. Please provide details on the means (type of event and methods of collecting payment) of fundraising and the organization to which the funds are intended to be donated. Student organizations are prohibited from using individual student Venmo or other app payment systems to collect funds on behalf of the student organization.

The Development Office works with student organizations to ensure that their fundraising efforts are effective, publicized, and compliant with tax regulations. As most student organizations and law students are new to fundraising, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of their team’s knowledge and experience. The Development Office is available to:

• Assist with communication strategies, including promotion through the school’s social media accounts, if appropriate.

• Help your student organization consider which strategies may be more or less effective, and consider the potential donors your organization may want to approach.

• • Note: If your student organization intends to solicit significant law firm/corporate donations, please reach out to Molly Moshofsky Matheson, Associate Director of Development, at mollym@lclark.edu. (There may be a pre-existing fundraising plan in place that requires coordination.)

• Help your student organization understand the specific rules that apply to certain types of fundraising, sales, and gifts.

• Connect your student organization with alumni that may be interested in becoming involved with or supporting your student organization;

• Ensure that the gifts your student organization receives are allocated appropriately.

• Help your student organization engage in effective donor stewardship.

To set up a meeting with the Development team, please contact Judy Asbury, Assistant Dean of Communications and External Relations, at jasbury@lclark.edu.

The law school is able to accept donations and payments in a variety of ways, through both the Business Services Office and the Development Office. Here are some of the common ways that your organization may receive funds, as well as how to process these funds:

• Checks: Checks should be made payable to Lewis & Clark Law School, with a memo line designation of the purpose of the funds and reference to your student organization, if possible. Please immediately bring all checks that you receive to the Development Office upon receipt.

• Online donations through the Lewis & Clark Website: Donors may use the Give Online link to donate to your student organization. Donors should select “other” under “My Gift Should Benefit” and then specify the name of your student organization. (Please note that corporate donations cannot be made online.)

• Cash Donations: Cash donations should be brought immediately to the Business Services office. (For the full policies, please refer to the Working with Business Services section.)

• Electronic Payment Platforms (Venmo, CashApp, etc.): The law school can accept donations directly via several online payment platforms. This transfer must be made directly between the donor and the law school’s online payment accounts; never personally accept funds from a donor through an online payment platform with the intention of transferring those funds to the law school. For more information on this option, contact the Development Office.

For student organizations that operate as affiliate chapters of larger parent organizations (for example, the Federalist Society, the American Constitution Society, etc.) please keep in mind that any financial support received from your parent organization, including gifts-in-kind, must also be processed through the law school as a donation.

Your student organization can help ensure that donors continue to support your organization and the law school community as a whole by engaging in effective donor stewardship. We encourage you to personally thank your donors with a thank you letter from your student organization’s leaders. If you need contact information or any additional assistance in thanking a donor, please reach out to the Development team.

Any item of value that your student organization receives may be considered a donation or gift, and therefore must be processed as such for tax purposes. If your student organization receives any item of value (gift certificates, supplies, alcohol, food, vacation properties, vouchers, etc.) from any source, please contact the Development Office immediately. Generally, your student organization will need to provide the donor’s contact information, the value (as provided by the donor), and a description of the item.

If your student organization intends to solicit any item of value from any outside source, please contact the Development Office in advance.

Most student organizations that receive funds have their funds deposited into what is known as an unrestricted account. Funds in this type of account do not rollover from year to year, meaning that your student organization should generally plan to spend these funds within the current school year. If your student organization does not spend these funds prior to the end of the budget year, they will be reallocated.

If you have any questions about your student organization’s account, please contact lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu or the Business Services office.

Many of our faculty and staff generously support student organizations’ efforts. As with all funds collected by a student organization, these funds must be processed through the law school. Your organization may not accept and utilize direct donations, even from faculty and staff, without processing them through the Development or Business Services office. If a faculty or staff member wishes to donate to your organization, please direct them to the Development Office.

Your student organization’s main administrative contacts when planning events and reserving space will be the Law School Events Department (lawevent@lclark.edu). You are welcome to contact the Events Department with any questions about law school events.

We encourage your student organization to plan as far ahead as possible when considering meetings, events, tabling, fundraisers, and other activities. Ideally, a student organization’s officers will meet at least once over the summer to map out their major events for the year; if that is not possible, we encourage student organizations to discuss event planning at the beginning of the academic year.

Early planning serves two purposes: First, it ensures that your student organization has the time and resources to create a successful event. Second, with many student organizations and law school events competing for limited time, space, and engagement, advance notice allows for our staff to provide adequate resources to your organization. As soon as your student organization starts considering hosting an event - even if you are early in the planning stages - we encourage you to reach out to the events team.

Student organizations can reserve the following spaces on the law school campus for student events, subject to availability and planning needs:

• Classrooms 1-8
• Wood Hall Seminar Smith and Lezak
• LRC Room 336
• LRC Seminar A
• LRC Lower and Upper Student Lounge
• Tabling space in the LRC or McCarty Walkway
• Amphitheater

To reserve space on the law school campus, student organizations should review the event planning policies and then complete the online reservation form while logged into their official student organization Google profile. Students should not complete the form using their individual lclark.edu Google profiles.

Once your reservation is accepted, you will receive a confirmation email. We encourage you not to proceed with event planning, spending, or inviting guests until you receive this confirmation. You may indicate a preferred room, date, and time on the reservation form; please note, however, that all requests are subject to availability and planning needs.

Most student organization events occur during the lunch period. If you are requesting space during this time, please consider the following when completing the reservation form:

• All lunch hour events scheduled in a classroom that is in use until 12:00 PM will have a start time of 12:10 PM or later. No room reservations will be made prior to this time for a lunch-time event, unless the classroom is unoccupied prior to the lunch hour. Groups hosting the event must have a representative onsite no later than 12:00 PM in order to keep event attendees from disrupting classes in anticipation of the event start.
• All lunch hour events scheduled in a classroom that has a class scheduled to begin at 1:20 PM must end no later than 1:10 PM. This allows time for the room to be cleared and cleaned up by the start of the 1:20 PM class. No room reservations will extend past 1:10 PM unless the classroom is not in use immediately following the event.

Student organizations hosting small meetings should attempt to book study rooms in Wood Hall using the Boley Library online reservation system before requesting classroom space.

Student organizations that wish to reserve space on the College of Arts and Sciences Campus should contact the CAS Events team directly by calling 503-768-7235 

Occasionally, due to conferences, large events, weather conditions, safety concerns, staff availability, or other considerations, the Events team may designate certain dates as unavailable for student organizations to reserve space. Student organizations are always encouraged to confirm the availability of desired dates as early as possible.

Student organizations may not reserve space or hold events on campus during:

• Orientation
• Reading Periods
• Thanksgiving Break
• Final Exams
• Winter Break
• Commencement

Student organizations can confirm the dates of the above periods by referencing the Academic Calendar.

Student organizations that reserve space for events on-campus must promote their event through the daily announcements at least two weeks in advance. This is intended to allow all interested students to participate, and to ensure that students, staff, and faculty are aware of events taking place on campus.

Student organizations that are holding events off-campus may promote their events through the daily announcements.

To submit an announcement to the daily announcements, include your announcement in your room reservation request or email announce@lclark.edu using the following format:

Title (include the name of your student organization)

Date, Zoom Registration Link/Location, Time

50 words to describe the event- You can include a link to an outside page.

The proposed announcement must come from your official student organization email account.

Student organizations can use LiveWhale, the law school’s website platform, to advertise their events online. LiveWhale allows groups to promote their events, collect RSVPs, and place events on the law school calendar. Student organizations can reference the LiveWhale guide to creating events and create their event directly using their student organization website profile, or request support from the events team to create an online event. Please note that once your room reservation request has been confirmed, the events team will set up a placeholder LiveWhale page to get you started and editor access will be shared with your student organization for further editing.

Student organizations may reserve space for tabling in the LRC or McCarty walkway. Multiple student groups may reserve table space at the same time; student organizations are asked to be respectful of other tables and of students using these spaces for other purposes.

Reservations for tabling space include setup and breakdown time within the reserved time period. Students are responsible for removing all materials from the space at the end of their reservation and are encouraged not to leave materials unattended. Tablecloths are not included in a reservation for tabling space; if you would like to request a tablecloth, please include your request when completing the online reservation form.

We welcome outside speakers, guests, and visitors to our campus. If your student organization is inviting guests from outside of our campus community to your student event, you must provide notice of the name of each visitor to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The names of outside speakers and guests should be provided at least three weeks in advance of your event. Any exception to this rule must be approved by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The purpose of this policy is not to restrict the speakers that student organizations may invite or the perspectives that can be shared. The notice requirement is intended to ensure that the institution can provide adequate support, planning, and security for the event, and to ensure that in any emergency circumstance, we are aware of the presence of guests on our campus.

When planning events and meetings, we encourage student organizations to consider accessibility and inclusive practices from the outset. The Events team, as well as the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Academic Resources, are available to meet with you to discuss any specific accessibility needs or concerns that you may have when planning your event.

Student organizations are encouraged to review and provide invited visitors with the Law School Access Map, which shows the locations of accessible parking, wheelchair access, elevators, and automated doors, as well as the Gender-Inclusive Restroom Map, which shows the location of gender-inclusive restrooms on campus.

If your student organization plans to record an event, recording must be done through Zoom, a similar online platform, or self-provided AV equipment; student organizations may not use the classroom Panopto system to record events due to storage limitations. If you have outside guests or speakers at your event, they must complete a Speaker Release Form prior to the event to allow for recording.

Most student organization events and meetings are not recorded. Unless there is a compelling reason to record or preserve your event, we encourage your organization to consider whether recording is to your advantage. Often, attendance is lower at events where students anticipate an event being recorded. Recording may also make some participants less comfortable speaking candidly if you are trying to encourage an open exchange.

Subject to space limitations and the provisions of the Student Honor & Conduct Code, on-campus student organization events should remain open to all students. If you would like to request an exception to this policy, please contact the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

Student organizations should carefully consider how to effectively use their budgets when planning events.

The most significant cost for most events, both on-campus and off-campus, is food & beverage. Student organizations may want to consider the following:

• Does the event need food to draw a crowd?
• If so, have we considered providing less expensive options, such as snacks or light appetizers, over a full meal service?
• How many students/guests do we anticipate attending the event? What does this mean for our food budget per person?
• Have we compared the costs of on-campus and off-campus catering options? (See below for more information.)
• If applicable, have we factored in delivery costs and tips?
• Do the members of my organization have any dietary restrictions? Can we provide options that are vegan, gluten-free, Kosher, Halal, peanut-free, etc.?
• How long will it take to distribute food? Will this cut into event time?
• How long will cleanup take? Who will manage this?
• Do we plan to serve alcoholic beverages? If so, have we considered the cost of servers? Will we limit drink service in some way?

Other common event expenses that your organization may need to plan for are parking fees/permits, nametags, decor, labor charges, and outside vendors. The law school Events team can meet with you to help estimate other costs and potentially find free or low-cost alternatives (for example, utilizing the law school AV equipment in lieu of renting a sound system).

For more information on reimbursement, invoicing, and use of the law school credit card for expenses that your organization incurs, please see the Working with Business Services section.

The law school utilizes an on-campus catering service, Bon Appetit, that is familiar with servicing a wide variety of events at the law school. If you wish to provide food or beverages at your event, using this provider is often one of the most convenient and cost-effective options. Bon Appetit can provide buffet options, box lunch options, non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and alcohol service, and appetizer platters, including vegan and gluten-free options. Students can review the catering menu on the Bon Appetit website. To place an order or obtain a quote, please contact the Events team at leastthree weeks prior to your event.

Students may also use outside vendors, delivery services, and caterers to provide food service. The law school Events team maintains a list of providers that other student organizations have used and can help coordinate set-up and delivery. The law school is not responsible for outside vendors.

Student organizations may provide alcohol service at on-campus events, subject to the policies below and approval of an Alcohol Use Application. Please keep in mind the following:

• All servers must hold a valid service permit from the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission (OLCC) and liability insurance. Law students cannot provide alcohol service at student organization events, even with a valid service permit. Servers may terminate alcohol service at any time. There is a labor charge for servers.
• Alcoholic beverages may consist of wine, beer,champagne, and malt beverages only.
• Non-alcoholic beverages (including, but not exclusively, water) and at least two types of substantial food must be available at all times in all locations where alcohol is consumed or sold.
• If payment/purchase of alcoholic beverages is required, or if donations of money are accepted for alcohol or for entry/admission, or for any product or service, a Temporary Sales License (TSL) from the OLCC may be needed. In this case the Applicant must obtain the TSL well in advance of the proposed event (the OLCC requires a minimum of 10 business days to process Temporary Sales License applications).
• Identification shall be checked for all guests who appear to be under 26 years of age.
• Security may be required, at the student organization’s expense, for events where minors may be in attendance or when deemed necessary by law school administration.

If you have any questions about providing alcoholic beverages or completing the Alcohol Use Application, please contact the Events team.

Student organizations should consider any special set-up and breakdown needs that they have when reserving on-campus space. This includes the need to move tables, provide a podium or AV equipment, set up a bar or food station, and more. The law school Events team can work with you to design a plan for your event and coordinate with our Facilities team. It is important to provide the Events team with as much information as early as possible, to allow them to ensure adequate coverage on the day of your event.

If your event requires specific signage, such as parking lot signs or signs directing traffic to a specific location, please inform the Events team.

We encourage your group to consider using nametags for events that involve outside guests. Many attorneys and judges expect nametags to be available at professional events, particularly at events that have a strong emphasis on networking.

With adequate notice, the Events team can prepare nametags for your event. Pronoun stickers can be made available upon request.

If a student organization no longer intends to operate, or no longer has students willing to serve in the two required officer roles, the organization should provide timely notice to the Office of Student Affairs at lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu.

The organization must resolve any outstanding reimbursements or requests from the Business Services office prior to dissolution. Any unrestricted funds allocated to the organization at the time of dissolution will be returned to the Office of Student Affairs.

When the organization ceases to be active, the Office of Student Affairs will remove website editor privileges, as well as access to the organization’s Gmail and G Suite account, if applicable. The organization should make all possible efforts to hide or remove social media accounts that refer to the organization as an officially recognized student organization affiliated with Lewis & Clark Law School.

The Office of Student Affairs may administratively deactivate a student organization under the following circumstances:

• The organization does not fulfill the annual renewal requirements;
• The organization is unable to fill the two required officer positions;
• The organization fails to respond to inquiries from the Office of Student Affairs.

Administrative inactivation of your student organization includes:

• Deactivation of your student organization webpage and removal of editor privileges, if applicable;
• Deactivation of your student organization Gmail and associated G Suite account;
• Loss of the ability to reserve rooms, place announcements in the daily announcements, and hold on-campus events;
• Loss of the ability to participate in the student organization fair;
• Forfeiture of any remaining student organization funds to the Office of Student Affairs and ineligibility for further funding;
• A requirement to deactivate or alter social media accounts and other communications that refer to the organization as an officially recognized and law school-affiliated organization.

Organizations that wish to reactivate their organization after an administrative inactivation should refer to the reactivation procedures below.

In rare circumstances, the Office of Student Affairs may administratively suspend a student organization. The reasons for an administrative suspension include, but are not limited to:

• Members of the student organization, acting on behalf of the student organization, violate an institutional policy or policies and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs determines that remedial action against individual members is insufficient to remedy the situation, ensure a safe learning environment, or prevent future violations;
• The mission statement and purpose of every organization must be consistent with Lewis & Clark Law School’s institutional policies and educational objectives. A student organization whose mission statement or purpose becomes inconsistent with these policies and objectives may be administratively suspended if the Associate Dean of Student Affairs determines that other remedial measures are insufficient to bring the organization into compliance.

Administrative suspension includes the loss of all privileges that accompany an administrative inactivation (above), in addition to other administrative penalties that may be imposed.

If a formerly recognized student organization wishes to reactivate after dissolution, inactivation, or suspension, the prospective officers are encouraged to reach out to lawstudentorgs@lclark.edu. The prospective officers will be notified as to the next steps for potential reactivation.

Depending on the period of inactivity, the organization may be able to regain access to the previous website and Gmail/G Suite; however, in the event that extensive time has elapsed since the group was active, be aware that these accounts may not be recoverable.

Student organizations are required to take several steps to maintain active status each year. Prior to submitting an application for renewal, an organization must:

• Hold elections and elect officers for the following academic year;
• Create a transition plan for the new officers;
• Confirm that their advisor will continue to serve in the role the following academic year, or submit the name of a new advisor who will agree to fill this position;
• Resolve all outstanding reimbursement requests and financial obligations with Business Services;
• Provide the Office of Student Affairs with any proposed updates to the organization’s mission statement, name, officers, affiliation, or purpose.

To ensure a smooth and successful transition, student organizations are required to hold elections for the officers who will lead the organization in the next academic year before applying for renewal. To meet this requirement, student organizations should plan to hold elections no later than March 15th.

After elections are held, your student organization’s current officers will continue to serve in their roles through the end of the current academic year. During this period, we encourage student organizations to create a transition plan. Your current officers should consider taking the following steps, if applicable, when preparing your new officers for leadership:

• Document your processes for annual events and internal procedures, focusing on important points of contact, timelines, and the division of responsibility among members;
• Ensure that your new officer(s) have access to the organization’s Gmail/G Suite account and that auto-forwarding is set up;
• Remove graduating students from your group listserv;
• Transition control of organizational social media accounts;
• Move any group documents from personal lclark.edu accounts to the organizational Gmail/G Suite account. This is to ensure that your organization does not lose access to these documents when a student graduates or no longer has access to their account;
• Forecast budgetary needs and start to plan major events for the next academic year;
• Review your organization’s mission statement, affiliation, and purpose, and determine if updates are needed;
• Update your officer information on your organization’s website;
• Determine who will represent the organization at the student organization fair at the start of the fall semester.

Renewal applications are processed by the Office of Student Affairs. Provided that your application is complete, all requirements for renewal are met, and there are no concerns regarding changes to your organization’s mission statement, affiliation, or purpose, your application will be approved. Once your student organization’s renewal application is approved, you will receive an email to your official student organization account. Your organization is then considered to be active for the following academic year.

If your renewal application requires further review, particularly if there are changes to your organization’s mission statement, affiliation, or purpose, the Office of Student Affairs may refer the renewal application to the committee that reviews new applications for student organizations.

If your student organization fails to submit a timely and complete renewal application, or if your application is denied, your student organization will be administratively inactivated.

An organization’s application for renewal may be denied for the following reasons:

• Failure to timely respond to a request for additional information;
• Failure to comply with renewal requirements;
• Changes to the mission statement or purpose of the organization that are inconsistent with Lewis & Clark Law School’s institutional policies and educational objectives.

Administrative inactivation of your student organization includes:

• Deactivation of the student organization webpage;
• Deactivation of the student organization Gmail and associated G Suite account;
• Loss of the ability to reserve rooms, place announcements in the daily announcements, and hold on-campus events;
• Loss of the ability to participate in the student organization fair;
• Forfeiture of remaining student organization funds and ineligibility for further funding;
• A requirement to deactivate or alter social media accounts and other communications that refer to the organization as an officially recognized and law school-affiliated organization.

For more information on inactivation, please refer to the Dissolution, Inactivation, and Suspension section of this guide.

Student organizations that are concerned about an individual student are encouraged to report their concerns either to the Student Affairs team or through the Welfare Intervention Network.

Students seeking individual support are encouraged to review our student wellness resources.

All members of student organizations are expected to understand and abide by our institutional policies concerning sexual misconduct and harassment and hate- or bias-motivated conduct. These policies apply to all official student organization events, group communications, and activities, whether they occur on or off campus. To report a violation of these policies or a concerning situation, please use this form or contact the Office of Student Affairs.

The Student Bar Association is available to provide training and guidance to student organizations, as well as to serve as a liaison between students and the law school’s administration.

The Ombuds Office can help to confidentially and impartially navigate a range of issues and concerns, including interpersonal conflicts that may arise within a student organization. To contact the Ombuds Office, email ombuds@lclark.edu.