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Thank you for taking time to review the Georgetown Black Law Students Association Fall 2013 Programming Guide. Over the course of the year, Georgetown BLSA will host a variety of programs and events aimed at enriching our members academically, professionally, and personally.
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One$of$the$largest$and$most$active$student$organization$on$Georgetown$Law’s$campus,$Georgetown$‘s$BLSA$has$supported$diversity$both$in$the$legal$
profession$and$educational$settings$for$over$40$years.$
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“Empowering!Members!to!Empower!the!Community”!Georgetown!University!Law!Center!Chapter!of!
The!Black!Law!Students!Association!600!New!Jersey!Avenue!NW!|!Washington,!DC!20001!
Fall 2013 Programming
Guide
2013-2014 Georgetown BLSA Executive Board
Contents
2.!Greetings!from!our!President!!3.!Academic!Programming!!4.!Career!Programming!!5.!Social!Action!Initiatives!!6.!Community!Service!Programming!!7.!Recruitment!and!Retention!Initiatives!!8.!Alumni!Outreach!!9.!Faculty!Support!Programming!!10.!Social!and!Cultural!Programming!!11.!Salutations!from!our!Corporate!!
Relations!Chair!
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Empowering$Members$to$Empower$the$Community$Fall!2013!
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Greetings!!!Thank! you! for! taking! time! to! review! the! Georgetown! Black! Law! Students!Association! (BLSA)! Fall! 2013! Programming! Guide.! ! This! year,! Georgetown!BLSA’s! theme! is! “empowering!members! to! empower! the! community.”! Over!the!course!of!the!year,!BLSA!will!host!a!variety!of!programs!and!events!aimed!at! enriching! our! members! academically,! professionally,! and! personally.!!These! programs,! which! include! everything! from! a! speed! networking!reception! and! alumni! brunch! to! an! outlining! and! exam! preparation!workshop,! are! designed! to! empower! our! members! with! all! the! tools!necessary! to! be! successful! law! students! and! practicing! attorneys.!!Additionally,! BLSA! will! hold! a! variety! of! events! aimed! at! social! justice!advocacy! and! service.! ! From! our! Peers! Organizing! with! an! Emphasis! on!Results!Social!Action!Initiative!(P.O.W.E.R.!Initiative)!to!our!tutoring!program!with! Tyler! Elementary,! BLSA! provides! ample! opportunities! for! students! to!become!dynamic!and!involved!members!of!the!Washington,!D.C.!community.!!BLSA’s!ability!to!provide!quality!resources!and!programs!is!made!possible!by!the! generous! contributions! of! our! partners! firms.! ! Through! our! Firm!Partnership! Program,! we! aim! to! foster! strong,! meaningful! relationships!between! BLSA! members! and! Partner! Firm! attorneys.! ! From! recruiting! to!mentorship,!our!Partnership!Program!provides!Partner!Firm!attorneys!with!an! abundance! of! opportunity! to! foster! strong! and!meaningful! relationships!with!our!students.!!I! invite! you! to! peruse! this! guide.! ! It! provides! a! snapshot! of! the! types! of!programs! and! events! BLSA! offers.! ! Should! you! have! any! feedback! or!questions,! please! feel! free! to! reach! out! to! me! directly! [email protected].! !Thank!you! in!advance! for!your!support.! !BLSA!looks!forward!to!working!with!you!this!year!!!Sincerely,!!!Ashley!Hodges!!Ashley!R.!Hodges!President!Georgetown!Black!Law!Students!Association!2013c2014!
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Empowering$Members$to$Empower$the$Community$Fall!2013!
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BLSA is committed to ensuring students are equipped with all the tools necessary to excel academically. Each year students often reflect on BLSA’s academic programming as providing the guideposts needed to navigate through first year and beyond. Our academic programming includes the following programs this fall:
1L Camp !
This academic program is geared towards preparing 1Ls for their first week and semester of law school all at once. Through case briefing sessions and professor talks, the Annual 1L Boot Camp e of the highlights of BLSA’s academic programming and has been instrumental in the success of our students each year.
!emo Writing Workshop
!In collaboration with Westlaw and Lexis, BLSA will organize a workshop to prepare 1L students on the basics of legal research and writing. This event focuses on e tools needed to do effective research, the resources available to practice legal writing before the first semester memos are due, and provides a forum for 2L and 3L members to share advice.
!Preparation Workshops
!Led by BLSA members who have excelled academically and in partnership with professors, this workshop provides course reviews and tips on outlining and exam strategy.
!Looking Forward into the Spring !
Barrister’s Council: Advocacy Preparation !Mock Trial Workshop Journal Workshop Clinic Workshop
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August!!
Annual!1L!Boot!Camp!!
October!!
Outlining!Workshop!!
November!!
Memo!Writing!Workshop!!
Exam!Preparation!Workshop!!
For more information contact Academic Chair,
Kenneth Barton,
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BLSA consistently aims to provide our members with comprehensive professional development programming. Through our network of alumni and community partners, BLSA members have the opportunity to explore their options and receive individual guidance throughout the job search process. Assisting our students in their career development is a process that begins 1L year and continues well beyond graduation.
One-on-One Resume Review !
In advance of the NALP deadline, this program is an opportunity for first-year students to receive one-on-one feedback on their resume. Attorneys from the private sector, public interest attorneys, and recruiting professionals assist in coaching students on the particulars of a legal resume.
Speed Networking Reception
In its second year, this program brings over 40 attorneys from the public and private sector to campus for short one-on-one networking sessions with BLSA members. The reception begins with a short panel on the “do’s and don’ts” of networking and, following the individual sessions, ends with an informal networking reception over wine and hors d’oeuvres.
!Bringing together our nearly 200 members with representatives and attorneys from local and national law firms, the reception provides the ideal setting for students to learn more about each firm, ask questions to junior associates and partners alike, and begin to build relationships that will last throughout their law school and legal careers.
Looking Forward into the Spring
Public Interest Series
Transaction and Litigation Brown Bag Lunches
Mock Interview Workshop
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October!!
OneconcOne!Resume!Review!!
November!!
Speed!Networking!Reception!!
December!!
Diversity!Reception!!!
!For more information contact
Career Co- Chairs, Ashley Grisham,
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BLSA was founded on the principles of service and activism. Georgetown’s BLSA chapter fulfills that mission by remaining a powerful force advocating for political, social, and economic change in the largely African American residential population of DC and surrounding areas. Through direct community engagement, panels, and partnerships with other advocacy organizations, BLSA ensures that our memberships stays abreast of and involved in the socioeconomic and political issues of the day.
Weekend !!Georgetown BLSA participates in the events and programs hosted and organized by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the National Black Law Students Association for the annual Congressional Black Caucus Weekend. We join thousands of African-Americans from across the country that come together to discuss the socioeconomic issues affecting our community, to celebrate our accomplishments, and to network and empower one another. In 2013, Georgetown’s BLSA was a host school for the NBLSA CBC events.
!Community Action Talks and Partnership with Anacostia High School !
This year, Georgetown BLSA is partnering with the parents, students, and faculty of Anacostia High School to host a series of monthly community action talks. These talks are designed to facilitate constructive conversations about the problems that affect our schools and communities. The talks are designed to be solution-oriented, with an emphasis on generating ideas, making connections, and ultimately developing and executing a plan of action. Each month, we will continue the discussion, introduce new topics, and measure our progress. !
Peers Organizing with an Emphasis on Results (P.O.W.E.R.) Initiative !
The P.O.W.E.R. Initiative is Georgetown BLSA’s comprehensive program aimed at addressing the various social issues that contribute to mass incarceration in America. Each month, we will focus on a new issue and take concrete actions toward combatting the issue. Issues of focus for the fall include education, voting rights, and poverty.
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!September!
!CBC!Weekend!
!Community!Action!Talk!!!
!!October!=!November!
!P.O.W.E.R.!Initiative!Activities!
!Voter!Protection!Law!Panel!
!Toy!Drive!
!For more information
contact Attorney General, Ryan Wilson,
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BLSA’s reach extends beyond the classroom walls as we aim to ensure our members are engaged in the local community. We are active in many organizations throughout the DC area: serving as tutors for elementary school students, partnering with programs needing volunteers, and raising awareness about the needs of the underserved and underprivileged in the DC community. !
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Georgetown BLSA along with other local BLSA chapters will be participating in the annual DC AIDS Walk benefiting the Whitman-Walker Clinic. This clinic is a non- profit community-based health organization providing comprehensive health care to those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Youth Empowerment This year, a number of our community service events are structured around our youth empowerment initiative. To this end, we have partnered with the following organizations:
Tyler Elementary School, providing tutoring and mentorship to elementary school students;! Youth for Human Rights, educating young people about human rights and giving them tools to be advocates for tolerance; Young Lives, providing mentorship to teen mothers.
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September!!
AIDS!Walk!Bake!Sale!!
Ongoing!!
Youth!for!Human!Rights!!Advocacy!Education!
!Tyler!Elementary!Tutoring!
!Young!Lives!
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For more information contact
David Carlisle,
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BLSA is actively involved in working to increase the number of diverse candidates, and particularly African-Americans, at Georgetown Law Center and, in turn, in the legal profession. As one of the largest BLSA chapters nationwide, we are dedicated to the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds.
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The Mentor-Mentee program continues to be the c providing each incoming 1L with the support needed to thrive in the law school environment. Through various programming year-round, students are able to receive academic and professional guidance on a more personalized level. The program usually kicks off with a Mentor-Mentee Brunch that provides a place for students to begin their mentoring relationship. This program has proven to be one of BLSA’s most successful endeavors.
Student of Color Outreach Day Georgetown BLSA invites prospective law students from across the nation to the Georgetown Law campus for a day of application assistance, personal statement guidance, and immersion into the law school experience. Student attendees receive a warm welcome from Georgetown Law’s Dean of Admissions and a mock lecture by an esteemed faculty member of color. Through the bonds made on campus, attendees increase their likelihood of admittance into law school, and particularly, into Georgetown Law.
Looking Forward into the Spring !
Admitted Students Phone-Banking Admitted Students Receptions
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September!!
MentorcMentee!Brunch!!
October!!
Student!of!Color!Outreach!Day!!
November!!
LSAC!Diversity!Fairs!!
For more information contact
Nia Newton,
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Through our Alumni programming, BLSA coordinates eve s a ed at reconnecting Georgetown alums with BLSA, Georgetown, and their fellow alumni. The Georgetown BLSA network is rich with knowledge, wisdom, and experience. It is important that Georgetown BLSA facilitate events that allow current and past members to share in this wealth.
Alumni Mentorship Program This fall, BLSA will be launching an Alumni Mentorship Program. Through the program, current BLSA members will be paired with a BLSA alumnus that resides in the DC metro area. The alumni mentor will provide guidance and advice designed to help his/her mentee navigate law school and prepare for a successful legal career. The program will formally launch with a meet & greet directly following the Alumni Reunion Brunch.
Annual Alumni Brunch !
Each year Alumni Affairs in concert with BLSA hosts a Fall Brunch for all Georgetown BLSA Alumni. This is an opportunity for alumni to gather with family and friends and reconnect with the Law Center.
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!Many Georgetown BLSA Alumni have stayed local—and continue to work in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia areas. Each semester, BLSA hosts an informal mixer at a local DC venue for alumni and students to gather and take a break from school and work.
Looking Forward into the Spring BLSA’s Annual Celebration of Excellence
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October!!
Alumni!Mentorship!Program!!
Alumni!Reunion!Brunch!!
November!!
Networking!Mixer!!!
!For more information contact
Lee Cumberland,
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Georgetown BLSA’s Executive Board is committed to addressing issues relevant to Georgetown Law’s faculty of color. We work to increase the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty members as well as provide our members with access to and opportunities to establish relationships with Georgetown Law faculty.
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For this annual event, BLSA partners with one of our esteemed faculty members to host a reception that allows students and professors to become comfortable with one another outside of the classroom. While dining, students and faculty discuss scholarship, careers, and strategies for success throughout law school and beyond.
Faculty Spotlights !
During each BLSA General Body Meeting, we spotlight an esteemed faculty member of color. The professor provides a narrative of his or her path to academia, offers tips for success, and ends with a stimulating discussion on his or her recent scholarship.
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October!!
Professor!Meet!&!Greet!!
Ongoing!!
Faculty!Spotlights!!
!For more information contact
Jonis Belu-John,
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BLSA believes that well-rounded students should be able to thrive in both social and academic settings. Our social programming aims to foster strong bonds and relationships amongst our members that will last long after graduation. BLSA hosts a variety of social events throughout the year, often with other student groups, to give members an opportunity to relax, make new friends, and have a good time. Our social programming includes the following events for the fall:
Welcome Back BBQ Every year BLSA sponsors a cookout for BLSA members, the larger Georgetown student body as well as law students from neighboring schools. Filled with fun, food and fellowship this is a great way to step away from the anxiety of beginning another or first year of law school.
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The charity spades tournament brings together students, staff, and friends for a night of cards, food, and fun. Teams are encouraged to make a small donation when they enter the tournament. The winning team chooses which charity the funds will go to.
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September!!
Welcome!Back!BBQ!!
October!!
Charity!Spades!Tournament!!
Family!Potluck!!
December!!
Exam!Study!Breaks!!
!For more information contact
Elizabeth Jordan,
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Greetings,!!Thank! you! for! your! interest! in! Georgetown! Law’s! Black! Law! Students!Association.!We!hope!that!this!guide!has!provided!you!with!an!idea!of!the!quality!programming!scheduled!for!this!year.! !The!Firm!Partnership!Program!has!been!our! chapter’s!most! successful! fundraising! initiative.! !Accordingly,!we! recognize!that! our! success! would! not! be! possible! without! the! generous! support! of! our!Partner! Firms.! ! Since! its! official! launch! in! Fall! 2011,! the! Firm! Partnership!Program!has!become!an!integral!part!of!our!chapter’s!impact!on!not!only!the!Law!Center!campus,!but!also!the!community!at!large.!!Entering!into!its!third!year,!the!Firm! Partnership! Program! has! proved! to! be! a! unique! opportunity! to! connect!Georgetown!students!with!the!top!law!firms!in!the!nation’s!capital.!!In!addition!to!building! strong! relationships! that! extend! beyond! the! classroom,! the! Firm!Partnership! Program! has! provided! Georgetown! BLSA! students! with! the! tools!necessary! to! build! upon! our! organization’s! founding! mission! of! academic!excellence! and! social! reform.! ! As!we! continue! to! grow,!we! hope! that! the! Firm!Partnership! Program! will! continue! to! allow! Georgetown! BLSA! to! offer!exceptional! programming! and! to! build! lasting! relationships! with! institutions!committed!to!fostering!diversity.!!!To! learn! more! about! how! your! firm! or! organization! can! partner! with!Georgetown! Law’s! Black! Law! Students! Association,! please! contact! me! [email protected].!!Thank!you!for!your!time.!!We!look!forward!to!hearing!from!you!soon.!!!Warm!Regards,!!!!Jennifer!W.!Grace!Corporate$Relations$Chair!Georgetown!Black!Law!Students!Association!2013c2014!
