In the next post of our BC Law Student Org Spotlight Series, Zaire Armstrong describes the Women’s Law Center, why she chose to become an org leader, what she’s learned and why she encourages others to take up leadership positions.

What is your name, year in school, and post-grad plans?

My name is Zaire Armstrong, and I’m a 2L. My post-grad plans include working in a field of transactional law, though I’m still honing down my exact practice area.

Can you give me a quick rundown of what the WLC is all about?

Sure! So our org is pretty broad as you can get from the name; I suppose we could be considered an affinity group as we encompass more than half of the campus population! With that comes a big responsibility, which is reflected in our mission to support female and/or women-identifying students at BC Law; women in our larger community; and women generally impacted by the law. It’s definitely a wide net to cast, but we do feel responsible for amplifying the voices. That kind of advocacy and socializing manifests through different events, goals, and projects.

Why did you choose to lead WLC?

I saw this as an opportunity; I really enjoyed student organizing in undergrad and high school. Also, since COVID (and this applies to most of the orgs at school), there has been a lull in the momentum that is usually passed down from one grade’s student org leaders to the next. I think that inertia was halted by students not being able to physically be with each other. I came into this position wanting to pick up that energy and pass it on in a meaningful way to the current 1Ls and future students after that. I also think that in law school it’s really easy to coast by without involving yourself socially at all, which is totally fine- but the thing is, we are all humans who need some kind of outlet outside the classroom. I love organizing, and with the time and energy I have, I want to make other people feel like they belong.

My biggest goal for this year is to focus on the intersection of women in the law and other identities and subgroups. This was essentially my platform when I ran for President: The picture of WLC in the past was very much one of white feminism. Also, the term “women in the law” can be exclusive and we don’t want to be that way. I’m trying to focus on intersectionality as much as possible and open our org up to the idea of working with affinity groups in LAHANAS, as well as with other clubs.

Women in the law are an adequate and strong group; but women are multifaceted, have interests in X, Y, and Z. We don’t need to be exclusive. We’re stronger when we’re inclusive. We’re complicated and that doesn’t take away from our identity; it just bolsters it.

What is your favorite WLC event?

I’m really looking forward to participating in the Boston 10K for Women with my fellow WLC members! This run has been happening since the 70s, and it’s a team event that the Sports and Entertainment Law Society is co-sponsoring. I think that the intersection of camaraderie and sports is well-understood. I also think that those same values of a team effort and the spirit can and will be super helpful in learning the best way to be a law student. I participated in sports my whole life out of an interest in team activities, not competitiveness. My hope is that, especially for 1Ls, I can encourage members to see the value of team events.

There is an event that Bella Miller (Class of 2024) is organizing right now discussing female voices in the classroom. We all see the disparity of who raises their hands in law school classrooms. I went to an all-girls high school, so I’ve seen the differences between that and here. I feel that this phenomenon is not reflective of any type of oppression, but it may reflect a fear or anxiety that isn’t quite balanced between genders. This is something we want to begin to tackle. 

We also have a Red Sox game which is coming up! And we are participating in a philanthropy event that Sarah Litwin, our former President, led. She’s connected us to Friends of the Children, which is a Boston-based org for at-risk youth- and we are hoping to gather WLC members to attend. It’s at the John Adams Tap Room, and it’s a fun way to engage in informal networking. All proceeds will go to the organization.

What have been some difficulties in leading your organization, and how did you overcome them?

Political issues that affect any marginalized community are often difficult to initiate change around, or even discuss in campus culture. I have so much respect for the Jesuit background of BC, but I think this challenge is amplified in a university with a large conservative community and donor base. I do feel the ripple effect of that in that there is pushback when initiating certain conversations. I think for me, one of the big issues was the discussion surrounding the Dobbs decision–a lot of students outside of WLC found the school’s response to Dobbs less than adequate. Since then, I’ve been trying to gather sponsorship and support for activism from firms because I don’t see it coming from our school. So, in short, figuring out ways to incorporate important politically charged discussions while not stepping on toes, or intimidating our donor base at school, is our biggest challenge.

What have you learned from being a student leader, and do you recommend other law students to take up that mantle?

I’ve learned that flexibility is one of the biggest strengths you can have in a student leadership position. By that, I mean adjusting your expectations and goals for the group to match your actual team. I can have a picture of what I want for the org, but this is supposed to be a collective, moldable landing point that we can all come to together.

I absolutely recommend students to be leaders. It can be so much fun but it is totally contingent on the time, effort, and intention that you have going into it. Take it seriously but not too seriously! And finally, the means by which you attempt to reflect your org’s ethos or goals are very much up to your interpretation, so be creative. 

Do you have any members you want to give a shout out to? 😀

I want to give a shout out to Sarah Litwin, our previous President, for her patience and generosity with her time and resources, and for always giving her all during her term as President, and since then too! I think that I, and every future President, will need to lean on the support of previous E-Board members and Sarah’s been exemplary in showing me how I want to hold myself and support future WLC advocates and board members.

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Seung Hye (Shang) Yang is a second-year student at BC Law. Contact her at yangben@bc.edu.