August 14, 2020

Ms. Crystal Andrade

Student Bar Association, President

St. Mary’s University School of Law

Petition in Support of Amendment of 1L Election Rules

Dear Ms. Andrade:

Let this petition serve as the St. May's Law School Class of 2023/2024’s support of the amendment of the 1L election rules. We agree that the rules should be amended so that each section elects its own senators. We believe, as opposed to the current process wherein the entire class votes for the senators, votes per section will ensure direct representation of the Class of 2023/2024.

It is the members of the section that are most familiar with the candidate’s work ethic, professionalism, integrity, and other qualities required of the section’s representative. Moreover, the amendment to the election rules would follow the constituency and voting practices of our state and national elections. A resident of Texas does not vote for Florida senators; neither should a member of Section A vote for Section B senators.

As you have become recently aware, our class has a new “Section O”, which was created in response to this unprecedented Covid-19 era. Members of this strictly remote section will not have the privilege to meet and network with classmates of other sections on an in-person basis. Members of our class will be unfamiliar with the members of Section O as a result of unfortunate but necessary social distancing. Therefore, it would be unfair for candidates of Section O to be beholden to a voting block that is unfamiliar with their unique situation.

We are confident that the Board of the Student Bar Association will take this matter into serious consideration and accept the amendment of the 1L election rules so that each section votes only for their section’s senators.

Respectfully,

The Class of 2023/2024