If you are interested in reaching BLSA leadership to learn more about the organization, email [email protected].
BLSA also raises awareness within the Law School community about issues disproportionately impacting poor, minority, and black communities. BLSA actively facilitates student relationships with alumni, professors, practitioners, potential employers, and university administrators.
The group organizes numerous events throughout the year to create opportunities for students to explore their interests. These events include career panels, speaker series and alumni mixers. Students are empowered to succeed through programming like the Resume Workshop, the Interview Workshop, and the Charting Your Course Academic Series. Additionally, events like Profiling Practice Areas, the Diversity Fireside Chat, and Succeeding in the Law Firm gives membership the insight necessary to facilitate firm selection during the recruiting season.
It is equally critical for BLSA to build its community. Through events like the Faculty Dinner, the Fall Retreat, and the Alumni Reception, BLSA creates a sense of community among members and the larger Columbia community. BLSA's marquee events, the Paul Robeson Conference and Gala, highlight academic scholarship and innovative practices across legal disciplines. The events also serve as an opportunity to honor the sponsors who support BLSA throughout the year and celebrate the strength of the Columbia BLSA community.
BLSA is a chapter of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA). NBLSA is the largest student-run organization in the United States, with more than 200 chapters at law schools nationwide. These chapters represent more than 6,000 black law students. The organization’s purpose is two-fold: to facilitate the academic and professional development of African-American students in U.S. law schools and to instill in them a greater commitment to the needs of the black community.