Yale Black Law Students Association

Yale Black Law Students Association

Links:

- Yale Law
- National BLSA
- Yale Mail

Photo Gallery

Alumni Affairs
Black History Month
Community Service
Political Action
Recruitment and Development
Social Events

Alumni Affairs:
YBLSA is committed to fostering connections between its current members and YBLSA Alumni.

**Alumni Breakfast**
	The Alumni Breakfast held annually provides an excellent opportunity for YBLSA members to interact with Alumni.

2008 Alumni Dinner
	The Second Yale BLSA Alumni Dinner took place in April 2008. The evening included a music reception, dinner, and the presentation of the Jane M. Bolin LAW ’31 Alumni Service Award to U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson. Several of the Judge’s former clerks, including Keenan Keller ’89, Patrick Keenan ’95, and Bertrall Ross ’06 joined us as featured speakers. Each of the former clerks spoke fondly of their experiences working with Judge Thompson, and Keller in particular, provided a history of Judge Thompson’s impressive career. Nearly 100 Yale BLSA students, alumni, and friends attended the dinner.

2007 Alumni Dinner
	The Inaugural BLSA Alumni Dinner took place in April 2007. The evening included a reception, dinner and the presentation of the Jane M. Bolin LAW ’31 Alumni Service Award to Professor Drew S. Days III. Hugh B. Price '66, Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution and former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, and Rhonda Joy McLean '83 Associate General Counsel at Time Inc and former president of the Yale Law School Alumni Association joined us as featured speakers. Over 100 YBLSA attendees joined us as we honored Professor Days and celebrated the life of the venerable Judge Bolin.

Black History Month:

Thurgood Marshall Panel
	This past February BLSA hosted a discussion about Thurgood Marshall in Modern America. The panel discussion focused on the life, impact and legacy of Justice Marshall, voiced by his former Supreme Court law clerks. Panelists included Cass Sunstein, Mark Tushnet, Dan Kahan, and Stephen Carter, and Moderator Drew Days.

Community Service:

Ronald McDonald House
	On December 18, 2007, several Yale BLSA members volunteered to prepare dinner for residents at the local Ronald McDonald House, which provides temporary housing to families from out of town whose children are being treated at local area hospitals.

Elm City Prep School Mock Trial
	For the second year in a row, on October 18, 2007, Yale BLSA hosted over 30 middle school students from Elm City College Preparatory School who participated in a mock trial competition organized by Yale BLSA members and other YLS students.

Public Interest Reception
	The PI Reception celebrates the public interest accomplishments of the Yale Law School community. This past year YBLSA was recognized as the student organization at YLS that has done exceptional public service in 2006-2007. YBLSA is extremely proud to receive this honor.

Fundraiser for Darfur
	In conjunction with the International Day of Service sponsored by the National Black Law Students Association, YBLSA raised funds for humanitarian groups providing aid to Darfur, promoted awareness about the situation in Darfur, and conducted an advocacy campaign for increased US involvement in the efforts to end the genocide.

Tutoring & Mentorship
	YBLSA has strengthened its partnership with Elm City College Prep, a New Haven elementary and middle school. YBLSA members serve as tutors and mentors for the students throughout the school year, and BLSA hosted a mock trial about First Amendment issues for fifty Elm City 6^th graders. Also, for the third year in a row, YBLSA will be organizing a Field Day for the students.

**Valentine’s Day Hugs & Kisses Event**
	Every February, YBLSA put together a “Hugs & Kisses” community service event to raise donations for local charities. Through the event, members of the law school community could send gift bags of Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses to their friends and loved ones. In 2007, YBLSA raised over $1,000 for the Girls & Boys Club of New Haven.

**Workers’ Appreciation Picnic**
	In October 2006, YBLSA joined several other student organizations, including Yale Law Women and the Workers’ Rights Project, to thank employees of the Law School for their hard work and dedication.

Political Action:

**Rosa Parks Constance Baker Motley Inaugural Lecture**
	The "Rosa Parks Constance Baker Motley" Lecture Series will bring prominent attorneys, activists, and academics to Yale Law School to not only honor the lives of these distinguished African-Americans and their achievements, but also to highlight the work of current trailblazers. YBLSA envisions that these lectures will create a forum to set the agenda for addressing some of the most pressing issues facing African-Americans today. This year’s featured speaker was Professor Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., who spoke, “On Representative Citizens.” The discussion focused on leadership roles in the democracy. The event also provided YBLSA with an opportunity to honor Professor Sullivan for his contributions to the Law School and greater New Haven community.

**Disempowered Voices Panel**
	In March 2006, YBLSA, along with several other student organizations, hosted “Disempowered Voices in Legal Academia,” a panel discussion focused on the impact of “neutral” principles in institutional decision-making on members of minority and disenfranchised groups.

**YBLSA & Federalist Society Debate between Prof. Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School and Abigail Thernstrom, U.S. Civil Rights Commission**
	In November 2006, YBLSA sponsored a debate about the upcoming reauthorization of the emergency provisions of the Voting Rights Act currently ongoing in Congress.

**World AIDS Day Panel**
	BLSA cosponsored a panel with OutLaws on World AIDS Day designed to help inform members of the Yale and broader New Haven community, specifically African American and LGBT communities about HIV/AIDs related issues, as well as reenergize activism efforts in this area.

**A Discussion of the Role of the Church in the Black Community**
	The Black Law Students Association and the Yale Law Christian Fellowship sponsored a panel discussion on “The Role of the Church in the Black Community.” Panelists included: Edwin Reed, CFO The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York; Joan Parrott, Executive Minister, University Park Baptist Church (North Carolina) and Fredrick Harris, Professor of Political Science, Columbia University.

Recruitment & Development:

**1L Welcome Events 2007**
	In September 2007, Yale BLSA hosted a 1L Welcome Dinner to welcome 1Ls to the Law School.

**Lunch with Lani**
	This spring YBLSA members were privileged to have a frank conversation with Prof. Lani Guinier, distinguished YLS alum. The discussion focused mostly on the challenges of legal academia and law teaching.

**Admitted Students Weekend**
	Every year, YBLSA plans a host of events for new Admits. In April 2006, YBLSA planned a series of events, including an Ice Cream Social, Games Night, and Dinner at Prof. Richard Brooks’ home, to provide admitted students with an opportunity to meet with members of BLSA.

**1L Welcome 2006**
	In September 2006, BLSA hosted a 1L Welcome at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut to welcome 1Ls to the Law School. Members of the faculty and administration joined in on the celebration.

**Breakfast with South African Justice**
	Every year, the Law School sponsors a seminar on Global Constitutionalism. Justices from supreme courts from around the world, such as The Honorable Sandile Ngcobo (Justice, Constitutional Court of South Africa), attend.

Social Events:

**3L Roast**
	Every spring, YBLSA hosts a 3L Sendoff, which provides an opportunity for YBLSA members to “roast” members of the outgoing 3L class and wish them well in their post-law school lives.

**YBLSA Love**
	Throughout the year, BLSA hosts a number of events devoted to bringing members of the community together. The Social Committee is responsible for many of these events from game nights, to pot-lucks and study breaks, to even an annual Spades tournament.