Law Student Affinity Groups

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)

APALSA’S mission is to bring to light issues facing the Asian American community to help establish a balance between it and mainstream society. In so doing, APALSA hopes to help its members define their roles not only in the legal community, but in the larger community as well. APALSA accomplishes these goals by sponsoring social activities for its members, as well as networking opportunities within BU Law and beyond. Examples include:

• Meet the Firms: an event where we bring in attorneys from many of the largest law firms in Boston to discuss recruiting and to provide students with an opportunity to network. MTF consists of a panel including heads of recruiting, partners, and associates from various Boston law firms that is followed by a networking reception.
• Greater Boston APALSA Conference: a conference that unites the APALSA Chapters of several Boston-area law schools. The conference consists of various panels that discuss working as a minority lawyer in different legal fields and also includes a speed networking event and reception.
• APALSA Mentorship Kick-Off Dinner: an annual event where APALSA matches 1L students with upperclassmen to provide new students with mentors that will guide them in their law school journey and provide them with career advice. The event takes place at a local restaurant that serves delicious Asian cuisine.

Contact: busl.apalsa@gmail.com

Black Law Students Association (BLSA)

BLSA was chartered in March of 1970 and is the oldest affinity group at BU Law. A member of the National Black Law Student Association, this organization serves to promote awareness of race and relationship issues in the American legal system. Additionally, BLSA is committed to volunteering in the community. Sample events hosted by BLSA include:

• Annual Conference and Awards Gala: Every spring BLSA hosts a one-day conference designed to inspire and cultivate the next generation of black lawyers. It is an opportunity for BU Law students to network with BU Law alumni and community leaders. The gala recognizes leaders in the legal community and those individuals and organizations who have contributed to BU BLSA’s success.
• BLSA Buddies Mixer and other socials: BLSA offers a mentorship program in which 1Ls are paired with a 2L or 3L. BLSA buddies offer advice about transitioning to law school, outlining, exams, and much more. BLSA hosts various mixers throughout the year to foster a strong community.
• Resume Review and Mock Interview Workshops hosted by local law firms: BLSA partners with local law firms to host resume reviews and mock interview workshops during spring semester. This is an opportunity for 1Ls to be introduced to attorneys and get great advice before interviewing season.

Contact: blsa.at.bu@gmail.com

Disabled Law Students & Allies Association (DLSAA)

The Disabled Law Students & Allies Association’s (DLSAA) mission is to provide a space of support for disabled law students at BU and advocate for general disability rights. Access to information, peer support, and opportunities to learn from others in the legal industry with similar experiences is an invaluable resource we hope to offer the BU Law community.

Email: email Student Affairs to connect

First Generation Professionals (FGP)

First Generation Professional’s purpose is to create a more welcoming space for first generation professional students navigating through law school. We define being a first generation professional as a law student who is the first in their family to attain or pursue a level of education beyond that of their family. As an organization, we prepare students for law school through mock interviews, resume review programs, business etiquette presentations, and lunch discussions with attorneys.

Contact: fgpbulaw@bu.edu

Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)

The Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) provides Jewish cultural, religious, educational, social, and professional opportunities for students at BU Law. JLSA’s mission is to foster Jewish life and community at the law school by facilitating interactions among Jewish law students and connections between Jewish law students and their faith and culture. Some of JLSA’s recent programming includes:

• Lunch and Learn Series: Discussions include topics such as the role of traditional Jewish values in modern law, judges taking bribes and gifts in Jewish tradition, prison reform in the Torah, and Jewish holidays
• Talk with Member of Israeli Parliament– Jewish Identity and Sponsorship of the Photoshop Law
• BU/BC JLSA Mixer
• Chanukkah Study Break
• Purim Carnival and Megillah Reading
• JLSA Shabbat Dinner and BU Graduate Student Shabbat Dinner
• Passover Study Break

Contact: bostonjlsa@gmail.com

Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA)

The Latin American Law Student Association aims to address the needs of Latinx students during their tenure at BU Law. We represent a minority in the legal profession, so we believe that building a community of support with other Latinx students and lawyers is vital for our collective success in the legal field LALSA is one of the largest and most active student organizations at BU Law. Every year we work to host activities and events that ensure our Latinx and other underrepresented students feel integrated into the legal community. Some of our activities include a networking dinner in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month that connects students with Boston-area attorneys, a panel of attorneys that introduces first-year students to the different private sector practice areas, and an upper-classmen wisdom chat to prepare 1Ls for the year ahead. We also host a Law Firm Visit Series which gives diverse students an opportunity to visit Boston’s leading law firms, and a Public Interest networking event aimed at proving students with access to various public interest and government summer internship opportunities.

Contact: bulalsa@gmail.com

Middle Eastern & South Asian Law Students Association (MESALSA)

This organization promotes the professional development and cultural needs of its members, increases awareness of Middle Eastern and South Asian culture throughout the BU Law community, and maintains affiliations with the Boston-area Middle Eastern and South Asian legal community. Regularly held events include:

• Diwali and Eid Celebration: a collaborative event celebrating both the Hindu festival of lights, which signifies the victory of light over darkness, and the Islamic Eid al-Adha Festival of Sacrifice. Members come together to share their celebrations of faith and culture with music, food, and conversation.
• MESALSA Mentorship Brunch: foster sense of community amongst our group members, allow them to share and reflect on their 1L experiences. This brunch is both a welcome-back-from-break/you’ve-survived-1L celebration, and also a nice social outing to let our 1L members know that MESALSA is an outlet for them to share and discuss any issues, whether they be academic, career-oriented, or purely social.
• OCI Tips and Resume Review: There is so much information thrown to the 1Ls that it can get overwhelming to even think about the On-Campus Interviewing (OCI) process. We hope to streamline some of the OCI chaos and provide a smaller, more targeted event for our members. We have attorneys from the South Asian Bar Association and various Boston firms come in and help review resumes and share their own experiences with the OCI process.

Contact: mesalsa.bu@gmail.com

Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA)

The MLSA aims to support Muslim students in the law school by creating a sense of unity, providing academic and professional resources to help Muslim students succeed in the legal field, and fostering an environment that allows collaboration with the larger attorney community in Boston. We also aim to create a forum to facilitate dialogue between students and local attorneys on legal and policy issues that pertain to Muslims. Sample events include:

• National Conferences: The National Muslim Lawyers Conference and the National Muslim Law Students Conferences  provide a great opportunity to students to connect with other MLSAs and Muslim attorneys around the country. 
• Halal “Bar” Reviews: To accomplish our goal of increasing incluivity on campus, these social gatherings, often at bubble tea bars, are open to not only Muslim law students, but to all law students and serve to provide a non-alcoholic alternative to Bar Reviews. 
• Islamic Law Panels: Each year we invite lawyers and scholars to discuss aspects of Islamic Law as they relate to current events. Past panels included “Islamic Law and LGBTQ+ Rights” co-hosted by ILS. 
• Professional and Preprofessional Panels: To accomplish our goal of providing support for current and prospective Muslim Law Students, the MLSA will (1) participate in outreach and panels to discuss law school and law school applications on undergraduate campuses in the Greater Boston Area and (2) host panels with Muslim attorneys to foster mentorships between Muslim attorneys and law students. 

Contact: mlsa@bu.edu 

Native American & Other Indigenous Peoples Law Students Association (NALSA & Peoples)

Boston University’s Native American & Indigenous Peoples Law Student Association serves to educate and foster discussions about American Indian and tribal law issues in the United States and abroad. Regular events hosted by NALSA & Peoples include:

• NALSA Indigenous Peoples Day: NALSA throws an event on or around Columbus Day, paying tribute to the Native Americans and other Indigenous Peoples around the world that are fighting the lingering effects of European Colonialism.
• NALSA Heritage Dinner: NALSA is proud to host BU Law’s annual Thanksgiving meal! This event aims to bring the entire BU Law community together for a time of food, fellowship, and reflection on the true history of Thanksgiving and what it means to those Native to this country. Every year, NALSA invites a speaker with experience with Indian or Tribal Law to present a speech at the dinner.

OutLaw (LGBTQIA Student Organization)

OutLaw is Boston University School of Law’s student group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and allied students. OutLaw provides leadership and educational opportunities and strives to connect Boston University School of Law to the GLBTQ legal community. Sample events include:

• Fireside Chat: a networking with local LGBTQIA alumni of BU Law.
• LGBTQIA Panel Series: Each semester, we host scholars, lawyers and community leaders to discuss hot topics related to LGBTQIA rights.

Contact: outlaw@bu.edu

Student Veterans Association (SVA)

The BULSVA serves as a source of knowledge, support, representation, and camaraderie to any and all Boston University School of Law students. The BULSVA is committed to the following: helping veterans adjust to student life; serving as a conduit between students and the wider veteran legal community; reaching out to fellow veterans through service projects and philanthropic activities; cooperating with veterans’ organizations in the Greater Boston Area and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; bridging the civil-military divide through educational, experiential and communal activities; and, serving as a social organization for veterans, military affiliated students, and students interested in military service.

Contact: bulsva@bu.edu

Women’s Law Association (WLA)

Our mission is to (1) educate Boston University Law School students about the unique contributions and experiences of women in law school and the legal field and (2) to create space for all students to discuss gender-related concerns about law school or local, national, or international legal issues. We strive to improve campus climate for women law students through our alumnae and upperclasspersons mentoring programs, our annual alumnae panel, speaker events, and volunteer trips to local non-profits serving women and children. 

Contact: buslwla@gmail.com

Women of Color Collaborative (WoCC)

WoCC serves as a collaborative space for women of color and their allies to foster discussion and community based on various identities, to increase the number of culturally responsible women of color attorneys, and to advocate for increased representation of women of color in the legal profession. Sample events include:  

• WoCCshop Series: WoCC hosts interactive “WoCCshop” programs to explore intersecting identities that we all hold, and the role concepts like privilege and intersectionality play in all of our lives. The founders of BU created an academic environment open to all students, a legacy we seek to build on through the WoCCshop series.
• Big/Little Sister Mentorship Program: Each 1L is matched with a 2L/3L mentor. Upperclass mentors offer advice on navigating law school, taking exams, networking, and more.
• Women of Color in the Law Panel: WoCC hosts a panel featuring women of color attorneys working in the public sector, the private sector, and academia. Students have the opportunity to hear what women who were once in their shoes have to say about their experiences in the field. Students also have an opportunity to network and ask questions. 
• The True Colors Dinner at the end of the academic year is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women of color on campus and in the community. The dinner is an opportunity to build community, network, and celebrate.

Contact: buslwocc@gmail.com