Boyd Black Law Students Association

Boyd Black Law Students Association
We, the Black Law Students Association of the UNLV Boyd School of Law (BLSA), exist
for the support, guidance, and direction of Black students in academic, professional, and
social endeavors. Our main function is to assist our members in the development of their
legal careers and to provide opportunities for exposure to various areas and aspects of
the legal profession.We recognize the need to act positively in the development of the
Black community, to encourage cooperation and closer ties between members of the law
school's Black community, and to establish a vehicle through which our concerns are
brought to bear on policy at the law school, the university, and the community at large.
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(back to front, leH to right: Joshua Igelek, unknown,, Trella McLean, Lawerence Mower, Richard Boulware, Allen Lichtenstein, Professor Ranier Spencer, Professor Christopher Blakesley, Professor ChrisPne Clark, Edward Collins, Britannica Collins, Sonya Miller, unknown, Bri+nie Watkins, Carrie Sampson, Saritha Farris, Professor Addie Rolnick, Colin Seale, unknown, Tarryn McGhie
(c) 2012 LVNBA
Richard Boulware, Bri+nie Watkins, & Carrie Sampson
(c) 2012 LVNBA
Professor Ranier Spencer (front row)
(c) 2012 LVNBA
(c) 2012 LVNBA
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“Profiling, Protection, and Prevention: What if it Was Your Child?” a forum co-sponsored by BLSA and BGSA April 10, 2012 at the Thomas and Mack Moot Court Facility at the UNLV Boyd School of Law This event was a reaction to the Trayvon Martin shooting. There were two panels with professionals from around the city.
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!BLSA is the only Nevada chapter of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA),
a national organization designed to articulate and promote the professional needs and goals
of Black law students. As the largest student run organization in the country, NBLSA
encourages the development of talented, socially conscious, lawyers of tomorrow. NBLSA is
compromised of six regions, representing over 6,000 members across the nation.
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Courtney Ke+er & Colin Seale
(c) 2011 LVNBA
BLSA works closely together with the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association
(LVNBA), the local chapter of the National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest minority bar
and largest national association of predominately African-American lawyers and judges.
2012-2013 UNLV Boyd BLSA Officers
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Sonya Miller
President
Angela Cook
Vice President of
Operations & Philanthropy
Contact: [email protected]
Britannica Collins Jonathan Lee
Vice President of Secretary
Programming &
Community Relations
Joshua Igelek Treasurer
[email protected] | http://law.unlv.edu/current-students/student-organization/BLSA.html http://lasvegasnba.org/blsa/
(c) 2012 BLSA, all rights reserved
UNLV Boyd BLSA 2011-2012 Year in Review
BLSA organizes, co-hosts, and co-sponsors numerous events throughout the year. BLSA members also
engage in a wide range of community service as individuals and as an organization. BLSA members
also participate in events organized by the LVNBA.
Judge Harry T. Edwards
BLSA hosted Judge Edwards
i n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1 . Ju d g e
Edwards received his B.S. from
Cornell University and his J.D.
from Michigan Law School.
He is a Visiting Professor at
New York University School of
Bri+nie Watkins, Dean John. V White, Harry T. Edwards, Shannon Phenix
Law and former Chief Judge Judge (c) 2011 BLSA
on the United States Court of
Appeals District of Columbia
Circuit. Judge Edwards spoke at the Boyd School of Law
about race conscious action, access to legal services,
renewing commitment to legal ideals, and the disjunct
between legal education and the legal profession.
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Secretary of the Nevada Senate, David Byerman
In A pril 2012, BLSA hosted
Secretary Byerman who talked about
the legislative process, his job
specifically, and the action steps he is
taking to allow the legislative process
Secretary David Byerman & Bri+nie Watkins
to be more accessible and
(c) 2012 LVNBA
understandable to the general public.
Pitch Black Lock-in
BLSA co-sponsored the Pitch Black Lock-in at the
Pearson Community Center. Approximately 50 minority
youth in the community attended the event. BLSA
members taught a session on “Youth rights,” specifically
freedom of speech, approximately five times to different
groups of students. (co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc.)
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MLK Drum Major for Justice Scholarship Competition
BLSA led a four-hour Saturday writing workshop in
March 2012 for high school students in the Alpha Men
and Divas of Tomorrow (an organization linked to Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.) to encourage and aid them in
preparing submissions for the National Bar Associations’
annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advocacy
Competition. BLSA members facilitated brainstorming
of ideas related to the essay question and talked about
writing structure and grammar. BLSA members later
reviewed, commented on, and returned rough drafts the
students sent by email. Two of the top three students who
competed were students who had attended the workshop. (co-hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. )
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Undergraduate Outreach
BLSA held an event in April 2012 at which our members
provided information to minority undergraduate students
about law school and other graduate study programs. (co-sponsored by the BGSA)
Sonya Miller, Cayla Wi+y, Colin Seale, Augusta Massey, Claytee White, and others at the RecepPon for the February 2012 Black History Month issue of the Nevada Lawyer
(c) 2012 LVNBA
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UNLV Boyd Public Interest Law Film Festival
BLSA co-sponsored this day-long film festival which was
open to the public and brought together student and
community organizations to emphasize the role of social
justice in the community. in both the films and discussions
throughout the day. BLSA
members also tabled and
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW
FILM FESTIVAL
handed out information
about the event and BLSA.
(co-sponsored with
numerous law school and
community organizations)
Minority Mixer
BLSA co-sponsored an event in April 2012 for the
minority organizations at Boyd to come together and
socialize. (co-sponsored by APLSA and MLSA)
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UNLV Boyd BLSA Contact & Info.
William S. Boyd School of Law
Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 | Thomas & Mack Moot Court
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[email protected]
To kick off the film festival, Abby Ginzberg, former lawyer and teacher, and an award-winning documentary producer for
over 25 years, will present a workshop on "Getting the Message Out: Media Skills for Public Interest Advocacy"
on Thursday, Sept. 29. To sign up, go to law.unlv.edu/MediaTraining2011.
http://law.unlv.edu/current-students/studentorganization/BLSA.html To sign up for any of the events listed below, RSVP
online at www.law.unlv.edu/PublicInterestFilmFestival.
Film Festival Schedule - Friday, Sept. 30, 2011
All events are free and open to the public.
The festival is co-sponsored by several local organizations.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
BLSA members were trained and certified to prepare
taxes and with this training, went out and prepared taxes
for low income individuals in the community.
9:30-9:45 a.m.
9:45-11:15 a.m.
11:15-11:45 a.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m.
1:15-1:45 p.m.
2:00-3:15 p.m.
3:15-3:45 p.m.
4:00-5:00 p.m.
5:00-5:30 p.m.
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Opening Remarks
"American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver"
Discussion/Q & A
"Cruz Reynoso: Sowing the Seeds of Justice"
Discussion/Q & A
"Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed"
Discussion/Q & A
"Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey"
Dean John Valery White introduction of the Honorable
Johnnie B. Rawlinson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Remarks by Judge Rawlinson
Reception - Wiener-Rogers Law Library
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http://lasvegasnba.org/blsa/
(c) 2012 BLSA, all rights reserved