BLSA Member News

BLSA Elections

While BLSA elections for the 2009-2010 school year has drawn to a close, a number of opportunities to take an active role in the BLSA community remains. In an endeavor to better serve there are a number of committees that we will be looking to develop and/or restructure.

• Organizational Development Committee- This committee will be charged with the responsibility of insuring that all members are notified of the unique opportunities availed to them throughout the school year. This includes drafting and issuing a multitude of communication tools to the student body.
• Academic Responsibility Committee- This committee will work with individual members in order to make the Mentor/Mentee program work as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. Mentors and Mentees will be paired off by academic and professional interest to the extent possible. Events will be scheduled throughout the semester so that the synergy of these relationships can reach their maximum potential.
• Committee of Professional Preparation- This committee will fashion and design the events which will help make for a more professionally sound BLSA. The purpose of this committee shall be designing events and programs which will make the BLSA membership not only better law students, but has a unique focus on making our membership refined lawyers.

BLSA Summer Recap—How has BLSA served me?
Diversity Orientation

• This Summer, the e-board for BLSA has worked diligently in order to prepare for the Diversity Orientation held on August 12, 2009. We sought the counsel of some of the University’s most acclaimed professors. At this point, BLSA would like to thank Professor Ronald Colombo, Professor Akilah Folami, Professor Elizabeth Glazer, Professor Julian Ku, and Professor Michelle Wu for their dedicated service. It is with all appreciation due to these Professors that the Class of 2012 got a realistic view of the intelligence and creativity that all Hofstra Law Professors exhibit.
• Further Diversity Orientation provided the first of many opportunities for the minority organizations of Hofstra University to come together to create something truly inspiring. BLSA would like to thank the leadership and members of OutLaw, the Asian-Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), and the South American Law Student Association (SALSA).
• Lastly with regard to Diversity Orientation a special thanks must be given to Nia Jackson and Madelyne Harper who did a wonderful job representing BLSA on the Student Panel of the Diversity Orientation.

NEBLSA Job Fair

• The NEBLSA Job Fair will be held on August 22nd 2009 in Weehawken, NJ. BLSA would like to send our well wishes to all of our members who will be interviewing with the many employers who will be on hand that day. This is just one of many professional opportunities that we hope all of our members avail themselves. We encourage all membership to attend and to take part in the Professional Clothing Drive by cleaning and donating any professional clothing in one of our many endeavors to give back to the community.

Trip to Six Flags

• While the rainy summer did cause a bit of rescheduling, BLSA would like to thank Asha Edwards for coming up with the wonderful idea of gathering BLSA membership in a recreational endeavor. This event is the first of many in which BLSA hopes to foster not just a professional, but a collegial relationship among its membership.

Blacks in America: Internet Conferencing

• In an effort to stay ahead of the media age, Hofstra BLSA took advantage of the every growing medium of Facebook to create a forum for an exchange of ideas. The CNN broadcast of Blacks in America presented BLSA’s first opportunity to discuss how African Americans are perceived in American society.

BLSA Communications
BLSA has made every endeavor to insure that our membership can receive information in a steadfast manner. To that end several BLSA communication hubs have been developed and rekindled.

• BLSA @ Hofstra: Now by conducting a search on law.hofstra.edu of BLSA you can receive up to date information about all of BLSA’s activities.
• BLSA @ LexLounge: Look and see, BLSA has taken advantage of Hofstra’s newest and most innovative web based forum. We encourage all of our membership to join if you have any questions with regard to LexLounge please contact Jeffrey Dodge.
• BLSA @ LinkedIn: This website will allow you to seekout other members and see what their professional interests as well as their career trajectory. LinkedIn provides a unique opportunity to engage current members and share professional connections.
• BLSA @ TWEN: please join our TWEN website in order to receive access to document postings, our outline bank and to sign up for volunteering opportunities.

Congratulations:

• For all of our recent Alumni who have embarked upon and successfully completed taking the bar examination BLSA applauds your noteworthy performance and wishes you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Please submit your names to BLSAsec@aol.com to be personally congratulated.
• Also, to all BLSA members who have recently been selected as staff members for one of the illustrious journals at Hofstra University BLSA would like to recognize your success. Please submit your names and the journal which you will be participating in to BLSAsec@aol.com to be personally congratulated.