Energized SBA aims to connect with students

The Student Bar Association at USC is working hard this academic year to provide law students with a stronger sense of community, a closer connection with the school’s famed alumni network and more social events than just the weekly “bar review,” say top SBA representatives.

So far, the SBA has sponsored several major initiatives to raise the profile of the student organization, including: a charity effort to collect food, toys and clothes to benefit victims of the Southland fires last year; a tailgate party at a Trojan football game against Washington State that was attended by more than 100 current and former law students; and a volleyball tournament co-sponsored with the Public Interest Law Foundation.

In particular, SBA President Danny Guggenheim says the well-attended tailgate party was a major success because it offered a fun occasion for students to relax and connect with alumni.

“The strong alumni network is one of the many reasons we came to USC,” Guggenheim says. “Some students felt that this wasn’t being expressed in the daily life of USC Law.”

SBA Vice President Breann Swann adds, “I wanted the SBA to take on the responsibility of creating a user-friendly atmosphere in the Law School. Students have expressed to me that other graduate schools had more activities to balance out the high stress of studying. So my focus has been putting on events that draw people together outside of the physical confines of USC Law … There is just a renewed energy to plan as much as possible for students.”

Along with sponsoring social events, the SBA also hopes to be more responsive to students needs, Guggenheim says. Toward that goal, the SBA has been working with various Law School deans to facilitate substantive, longterm changes.

“We want to be an organization that students feel comfortable turning to when they need advice or have concerns about any aspect of our Law School, be it administrative, academic, or social.” he says. “We want to establish a bigger presence in the school, and thus far we have been extremely pleased with the deans’ receptiveness to this goal.”

In the coming months, the SBA plans to host the second annual Spring Gala, sponsor class trips to local ski resorts and Las Vegas, and hold an alumni softball tournament.