Mentoring new students and helping them navigate the first year of law school. Especially helping them to understand the unwritten rules that jeopardized the success of so many black students.
The friendships. BLSA blessed me with some of my closest friends and a reminder that life (and law school) is a gift that is best centered on thoughtful, giving, and intentional relationships.
Balancing our desire to be social engineers that impacted the Law School (both for BLSA members and our classmates) with actual classwork.
The most rewarding aspect of serving BLSA was to facilitate a sense of community among the African American students at UVA Law. There were 120 African American students at UVA Law during my tenure which constituted a "heyday" if you will. We were a large chapter that wielded influence on the regional and national level.
BLSA has been such an important community for me in law school. Now that I have the opportunity to serve on the Executive Board, the experience has been extremely rewarding because I can have a hand in cultivating part of what makes BLSA such a strong source of community for its members. Moreover, with my specific position, I am able to make BLSA an educational resource for its members. As a 1L, I benefitted heavily from BLSA educational events.
The most rewarding part of being on the BLSA Executive Board was the opportunity to spend time working with people I liked. It provided a great platform for building relationships.
My time on the BLSA Executive Board predated social media. As a result, I would list external communication and engagement as a challenge. Connecting with other BLSA chapters and UVA alumni was a much more difficult task then than now.
The honor of representing BLSA and serving on the Executive Board with my closest friends. Our Executive Board started the BLSA Alumni Spotlight award, facilitated over eighty events, and won Chapter of the Year regionally and nationally.
The most rewarding experience I had as part of the Board was putting together sessions and providing resources (guides and outline bank) that students could use to prepare for exams. Exams are the most stress-inducing part of law school. Feeling like I was helping others prepare and cope was really fulfilling.
Watching our impact spread beyond our chapter members and to the law school as a whole. We sponsored events other than parties that were well attended by a diverse group of students and faculty. We ended up being voted the best student organization at the law school.
Meeting other aspiring attorneys who supported social and racial justice. Will always remember going to the NBLSA convention in Compton, CA (yes, Compton) and changing the agenda on the fly to participate in protest in L.A.
Finding the balance between ensuring BLSA was a Black-serving organization while not running afoul of the rules at schools about equal access.
The comradery and networking.
Isolation as a group in a racially inhospitable school and community environment.
The Board gave me early, invaluable leadership experience.
