VIRGINIA LAW CHAPTERFounded in 1970, the Virginia Law Chapter of the Black Law Students Association is dedicated to the development of talented, involved, diverse attorneys. Our chapter is incredibly active. In order to fulfill the goals of the national organization, BLSA sponsors various student support programs, community outreach projects, panel discussions, and receptions. BLSA at UVA is a leading BLSA chapter. Over the past seven years, BLSA at UVA has been recognized as Regional Chapter of the Year six times (most recently February, 2022 and National Chapter of the Year three times.
HISTORY OF BLSAThe National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) was founded in 1968 by Algernon Johnson Cooper, the former mayor of Pritchard, Alabama, at the New York University School of Law. BLSA was created and designed to articulate and promote the professional needs and goals of Black law students, foster and encourage professional competence, and focus upon the relationship of the Black attorney to the American legal structure.
Today, NBLSA is the largest student-run organization in the United States, comprised of over 200 chapters. NBLSA chapters represent over 6,000 members and are organized into six regions. The NBLSA chapter has served as a model to other law student organizations, assisting in the formation of the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC), the National Latino/Latina Student Association (NLLSA), the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities (NALSD), and the National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA). Through its national reach and local chapters, NBLSA strives to develop lawyers of tomorrow. NBLSA sponsors the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial and Frederick Douglas Moot Court competitions at its annual national convention. NBLSA also develops community service and social action initiatives for its local chapters to carry out the NBLSA’s mission. |
MISSION
The mission of NBLSA & UVA BLSA is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black and minority attorneys who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
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