student organizations

LAHANAS: Welcome Back to Campus

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Welcome back, BC Law students! We, the student directors of LAHANAS, wanted to re-introduce ourselves. 

LAHANAS is the student-led umbrella organization, open to all, with a particular focus on supporting BC Law’s affinity student groups, including:

  • Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
  • Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
  • Disability Law Students Association (DLSA)
  • Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
  • Lambda Law Students Association
  • Middle Eastern Law Students Association (MELSA)
  • Native American Law Students Association (NALSA)
  • South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA)

We are committed to addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging issues on campus and we work closely with Lisa Brathwaite, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, all of the student affinity groups, the Career Services Office, the Academic Success Program and Academic & Student Services to ensure that BC Law is and feels like an inclusive and supportive community.

We want all BC Law students to feel comfortable and safe being their full selves, and we recognize the importance of having an intersectional and supportive network to rely on. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with us directly via email should you have any questions about who we are and how we can support you. Welcome back again, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead. 

Ali Shafi (3L), Jasmine Lee (3L), and Kristie-Valerie Hoang
LAHANAS Student Directors

Student Org Spotlight: Jewish Law Students Association

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

My name is Abigail King and I am a 2L. I will be a summer associate at WilmerHale’s New York City office in 2023.

Can you give me a quick rundown of what the Jewish Law Students Association is all about?

As the only Jewish organization at BC Law, JLSA seeks to provide a supportive social network for Jewish students on campus. It is our goal to make sure that every Jewish student feels welcome at BC, no matter their denomination. To do that, we host Jewish holiday gatherings and heavily emphasize networking opportunities, professional development, and academic support. 

Why did you choose to lead JLSA?

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Student Org Spotlight: BC Law Republicans

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

Allyson Cavaretta, Class of 2023. My post-grad plans include working in the federal government on legal  and policy issues pertaining to national security, compliance, emerging industries and investments.  

Can you give me a quick rundown of what Boston College Law Republicans is all about? 

Boston College Law Republicans provides connections for conservative/libertarian students to engage  with political, legal, and academic leaders and enriches the law school experience with opportunities for  learning and contributing to the public good. 

Why did you choose to lead the BC Law Republicans? 

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Student Org Spotlight: LAMBDA

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

Nonie: Nonie Andersen, I’m a 2L and I plan on being a public defender.

Mathew: Mathew Ralph Santiago, I’m a 2L and my post-grand plan is to work at Cooley in their trademark copyright and advertising group.

2) Can you give me a quick rundown of what LAMBDA is all about?

Mathew: LAMBDA is a space that recognizes the lack of queer representation in the law. It strives to build resources and support for the queer students at BC, to connect them, and show them that there are more queer people in the greater Boston area.

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Student Org Spotlight: LALSA

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

My name is Tamara “Tami” Pérez Cantalapiedra, I am a 2L, and I am currently enrolled in a dual-degree program for a MA in Philosophy; I will hopefully graduate next year! Post-grad, I’m hoping to be an immigration/human rights lawyer. I’m not sure what my post-grad plans are yet. I see myself starting my career at a nonprofit and hopefully teaching in the future!

2) Can you give me a quick rundown of what LALSA is all about?

LALSA is a Latin-American/Hispanic student group. I like to describe it more as an affinity group, but we love opening events to everyone to share our culture. The purpose of this affinity group is to create a safe space, a home away from home. Our goal is not only to create a sense of community, but also to help 1Ls acclimate to law school in both professional and social aspects.

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Org Spotlight: Women’s Law Center

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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.

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Org Spotlight: The Federalist Society

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In the next post of our BC Law Student Org Spotlight Series, Jillian Jacobson discusses why she chose to lead The Federalist Society, what her greatest challenges have been, 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 Jill Jacobson and I am a 2L. Next summer I will be at Latham and Watkins doing litigation work. Ideally, I would love to clerk for a judge after graduation! 

Can you give me a quick rundown of what Federalist Society is all about?

In essence, the Federalist Society is a group for conservative and libertarian law students interested in questioning the current state of the legal order. Its basic principles are that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. I would like to think the Federalist Society plays an important role in promoting intellectual diversity on campus. 

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Org Spotlight: Sports and Entertainment Law

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In the first post of our BC Law Student Org Spotlight Series, Christopher “Henry” Booth and Joe Prisco tell us what the Sports and Entertainment Law Society is all about, how they built this formerly dormant organization back up from scratch while navigating their 1L year, and the merits of being student leaders in law school.

Tell us your year in school, and post-grad plans.

Henry Booth: I’m a 2L from Boston, Massachusetts. Post-grad plans? Holland and Knight in their sports practice next summer; if all goes well I hope I’ll be there full-time. Ideally I’ll be working with teams, players, and leagues as well with the larger sports infrastructure.

Joe Prisco: I’m a 2L who hails from Westchester New York, and my post-grad plan is to run the Prisco-Booth sports agency!

(Fun fact: Both of them are the captains of their section’s softball team)

Can you give me a quick rundown of what your org is all about?

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Building Bridges: A Letter from the BLSA

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As Co-Presidents of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), we understand the importance of balance. While Black people make up 13.4% of the American population, Black lawyers make up less than 5% of the legal industry. To mitigate this stark disparity, BLSA seeks to build community, provide academic support, and bridge generational gaps through consistent professional development. 

This year, we made a targeted effort to reconnect our community after the COVID-19 pandemic strained our social relations. When we began planning, we realized that our current members’ hardships mirrored those of BLSA alums from years past. Many of us still feel isolated, struggle with imposter syndrome, and ultimately feel unprepared. We decided with this presidency that we want to change the narrative. We recognize that an active and reliable community is paramount to combating these feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome. Our presidency is dedicated to making BLSA that space for our members.

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LAHANAS: Supporting BC Law’s Affinity Groups

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We, the Student Directors of LAHANAS, would like to extend a warm welcome to all class years, old and new to start the academic year! For those who are unfamiliar with who we are, LAHANAS is the student-led umbrella organization that supports BC Law’s affinity student groups, including the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Disability Law Students Association (DLSA), Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA), Lambda Law Students Association, Middle Eastern Law Students Association (MELSA), Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), and South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA). 

We recognize that being a law school student is hard enough as it is, and to have an intersectional and supportive network that you can rely on is key to your success. We work not only with the above mentioned affinity groups, but other student organizations,  the Career Services Office, Academic & Student Services, and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs to create an inclusive and supportive community where you feel comfortable and safe being your truest self, even in the chaos that is law school. We believe in the importance of pulling each other up when the going gets tough and celebrating each other’s successes. 

In short, LAHANAS is here to provide you with the support needed to transition into and thrive in law school. We are committed to making sure that diversity, equity, inclusion issues always have a place on campus and we invite you to be in touch with us directly via email should you have any questions, including those pertaining to transitioning to law school and the BC Law community. Welcome back again, and we look forward to being a resource for you in the ways that you need.  

Elena Kang (3L), Ali Shafi (2L), and Jasmine Lee (2L)
LAHANAS Student Directors