Getting to Know Student Organizations: BLSA
by Annabel Steele '25
In just a few short days, on February 8th, William & Mary Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) will host a panel for prospective students. If you haven’t already registered, make sure to do so now — the event will feature alumni panelists as well as BLSA’s president, Helen Tariku. (Full disclosure: Helen is my mentor in another organization, the Public Service Fund, and she’s one of the coolest people I’ve met at William & Mary. Don’t miss out on your chance to hear from Helen and the other panelists about BLSA and the experience of diverse students here at the Law School!)
You may have seen that Helen recently wrote a letter to prospective students about BLSA and its activities on and off campus. In her letter, Helen wrote that “[d]iversity, in its many facets, is something that William & Mary is constantly working on,” and identified BLSA and other organizations like it as resources to “help you acclimate to your new home for the next 3+ years while William & Mary works on this improvement.”
Specifically, BLSA hosts or organizes events like job panels, job preparation workshops, and community service events. These opportunities give BLSA members the chance to hear from diverse attorneys working in a range of different fields, obtain feedback on job application diversity statements and more. But in addition to the academic and professional opportunities and events put on by BLSA, the association also focuses on the social side of law school.
For example, BLSA pairs 1Ls with 2L and 3L mentors to help guide them through the law school process. This is a great way to establish relationships with other students, get tips on outlining and more. Plus, BLSA hosts social events throughout the school year, like a beginning-of-the-year barbecue, a Thanksgiving potluck, periodic game nights and de-stressing events during finals.
Best of all, BLSA can help you formulate lasting relationships with your fellow students. “Whether it’s having another BLSA member to sit with in your 1L doctrinals that ends up being your sitting buddy throughout law school, having a group that is always sitting at the lobby tables chit-chatting and laughing for hours throughout the day, or having people to fall back on when life gets hard, BLSA is here to provide whatever it can to make your law school experience less of a challenge than it needs to be,” Helen wrote.
So what are you waiting for? Register now for the BLSA panel on February 8th! And for more information about BLSA, you can check out its Instagram page @BLSA_WM.