The Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Black Law Students Association (BLSA) selected GW's chapter as the winner of its "Regional Chapter of the Year" competition. The students received the award for large chapters at a regional convention held in Philadelphia this February.
The award recognizes GW BLSA's commitment to community service, professional development, and academic and social support. The students listed their extensive work from this past year in a lengthy application to the national body that also included letters of support from alumni.
Jordan Harvey, a 3L and the current President of GW's chapter, is most proud of the group's 1L-focused programming. BLSA kicks off each semester with an orientation designed to prepare 1Ls for challenges from exam preparation to the summer job search. They also hold academic workshops and strive to create a welcoming environment.
"I have heard many BLSA 1Ls thank the upperclassmen for helping them through their transition to law school, and for taking a genuine interest in their well-being and success," he said. "That is the culture we set out to create at the beginning of the school year."
BLSA also put an emphasis this year on helping the homeless in D.C. They teamed up with "So Others Might Eat," a local community-based organization; served meals to the homeless every month; and organized a successful warm clothing drive.
These were just a few of the group's many projects. In making its selection, the Regional Board noted how impressed it was with the number and variety of events that GW BLSA hosts.
Having won regional honors, GW students are now up for The National Chapter of the Year. The National BLSA Executive Board will choose a winner at the organization's National Convention in March. To be considered for the award, the GW chapter has to submit an application describing events and programs and an accompanying scrapbook that visually displays their programming. Several GW BLSA executives will also interview with a panel of national officers at the convention.
Regardless of the national competition's outcome, GW BLSA is glad to have its work recognized.
"I feel very proud of the work that our entire Executive Board has done this year," Mr. Harvey said. "We are all busy law students at a competitive school in a competitive city, and it is not easy to sacrifice the time and energy needed to achieve something like this. I am also very happy that our 1Ls are able to see this award because it will motivate them to work even harder to maintain and improve the organization for future years. BLSA is all about using the foundation built by previous generations to reach down and uplift those who will come after us. Positive reinforcement, like this award, helps motivate us to continue that important work."
Want to learn more about GW BLSA? Visit their website.