BLSA wins national award for outreach efforts

The Black Law Students Association at USC has engaged in a yearlong effort to energize the student organization with robust initiatives in community service, academic mentorship, alumni relations, career planning and social networking.

All of this activity has made BLSA among the most active student groups at the Law School. And it has garnered national recognition. Earlier this month, BLSA received the 2003-2004 National Black Law Students Association-Western Region Chapter of the Year Award.

“The goal of the entire board has been to do more outreach and to have a bigger presence,” says BLSA President Maritza Knight. “We had a really great board this year and we were able to come up with a pretty full calendar throughout the year.”

The national theme for this year was “Redefining the Struggle, Preparing for Action.” Toward that end, BLSA worked to create a stronger sense of community within USC Law and with members of USC’s famed alumni network and practicing attorneys. The group developed and maintained mentor programs matching first-year students with upperclassmen, current law students with USC undergraduates and students from Crenshaw High School, and current law students with accomplished alumni in various fields.

“One of our biggest goals is to be a support network for the first-year students,” Knight says. “We want to provide our members with as much academic support as possible as they strive for excellence.”

To meet that goal, BLSA has held workshops on class preparation, exam-taking and interviewing skills. The group also co-sponsored with the Career Services Office a panel on summer jobs featuring BLSA and La Raza students who formerly held public interest, clinical, research and law firm positions. In addition, BLSA has hosted an alumni mixer and will hold its annual alumni dinner in April.

The student organization also organized a plethora of activities to celebrate Black History Month, including a dialogue on race relations with professors Jody Armour and Tom Griffith, a screening of the documentary film “Boycott” and a visit to the California African American Museum’s exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

According to Knight, BLSA’s efforts throughout the year have encouraged law students to “prepare for action” by striving for excellence now and after they leave USC Law.

“In order to continue the legacy of those who have forged the path before us,” she says, “our activities focus on developing our members and ensuring that they will contribute not only to the legal community but also to the community at large.”