2023-2024 Student Organizations, Advocacy Programs, and Journals
American Constitution Society (ACS)
- President: Taylor Quesenberry
- Treasurer: Bryce Thornburg
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Chris Seaman
The W&L Chapter of the American Constitution Society is a progressive, apolitical organization dedicated to both academic enrichment and social interaction among the W&L Law School Community. Because we believe that the United States Constitution informs all aspects of American society, we are dedicated to bringing a well-rounded and diverse range of enrichment to the school. We are also closely linked to the National American Constitution Society, and we encourage all of our members to participate in the impressive programming available free through the National organization. We are open to new program ideas and also welcome people from all walks of life into our membership.
Antitrust & Consumer Law Society
- President:
- Treasurer: Matt Conover
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
To promote the study of antitrust and consumer law, we will facilitate speakers who can educate and inspire students, encourage discourse from multiple viewpoints, sponsor and coach students representing W&L in the annual Global Antitrust Institute Moot Court Invitational (External Moot Court Competition), and promote the study and practice of antitrust and consumer law within the W&L community.
- Co-Presidents: Katherine Berman and Rebecca Liu
- Treasurer: Bryce Thornburg
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
The Art Law Society of W&L consists of law students passionate about art and the legal aspects of the art world. The Society aims to cultivate contemplation and conversation about the intersection of art and law, fostering a forum for students to explore different areas within the broad topic of "art law" and connect with legal professionals and alums involved in the field. We engage with a range of legal issues associated with the creation, collection, presentation, and preservation of creative, visual, and performing art.
Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
- President: Sara Lee
- Treasurer:
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
To promote diversity, inclusion, and the expansion of the NAPALSA and NAPABA network within the Washington and Lee University and Lexington communities.
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
- President: Dominique Cravins
- Treasurer: Alexis Smith
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Freda Coleman-Jackson
The Washington & Lee Black Law Students Association (BLSA) is a student organization committed to advancing the status of Black individuals under the law and within the legal profession. BLSA aims to support and advance the interests of its members and the broader Black community. In this effort, BLSA focuses on the recruitment and development of Black law students at W&L, and seeks to build relationships between current students and alumni. In addition, BLSA enhances the academic and professional development of its members by informing them of employment and educational opportunities and by supporting their efforts to take advantage of them. The members of BLSA engage in community service within the Lexington community and participate in political action on issues facing the Black Community at a local, state, national and global level. Lastly, BLSA encourages social interaction between its members and the wider W&L community to foster meaningful networks, greater understanding, and a stronger campus community.
Website: https://wlublsa.com
Blockchain Law and Operational Compliance Society (BLOCS)
- President: Jermaine Jones
- Treasurer: Kevin Cao
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Joshua Fairfield
BLOCS is a student organization committed to advancing the knowledge and understanding of Blockchain technology and the blockchain ecosystem within a legal framework. BLOCS aims to support, advance and track informed perspectives surrounding compliance, regulation, and legal theory of blockchain through court decisions, statutes, and the public perception of the industry. BLOCS hopes to interact and collaborate with the blockchain societies at other law schools to help future lawyers understand how to approach and discuss blockchain from an informed legal perspective. To achieve this, members of BLOCS will engage in active legal and technical research to enhance its members' academic and professional development. A long-term goal is to increase general law school scholarship on blockchain and to showcase the organization's efforts in internal and external publications. Lastly, BLOCS encourages social interactions between its members and the wide W&L community to build a greater understanding of the emerging blockchain practice area along with its technological implications.
- President:
- Treasurer: Shaffer Day
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
The Washington and Lee Business and Law association seeks to promote and grow a Washington and Lee community of students interested in the intersection of business and law.
- Co-Presidents: John Maloney and Alyssa Fitchett
- Treasurer: Brooke Norton
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. David Eggert
CLS is about friends inviting friends to dinner. We are a fellowship of Christians dedicated to serving God through the study and practice of law. We gather one evening a week for food, a game, and fellowship. In this, we try to emulate Christian practice where we encourage each other with Biblical scripture over weekly meals. Believing that friendship is essential, we also get together on weekends for game nights, dinner out, or lunch after church. Anyone in the law school community is welcome to join us. It is the Christian Legal Society's hope that our conversation over dinner each week is welcoming, encouraging, and draws people closer to God and each other.
Disabled Law Students Association
- President: Emma Nargi
- Treasurer: Edoardo Muzzi
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dean Saez-Tatman
The Disabled Law Students Association is an advocacy and social organization. Our mission is to offer institutional and social support to disabled law students, to build peer, alumni, and professional mentorship networks, to educate and raise awareness among the student body on topics in disability law and policy, and to combat ableism and the social stigma of disability. We are committed to public service and progressive policy advocacy, both within the law school and in our communities. We welcome the participation and support of everyone with an interest in these matters. We are committed to an intersectional approach to our advocacy and value diverse perspectives, recognizing that no social issue exists in isolation.
- President: Martha Ernest ‘24
- 1L EC Rep: TBD
- 2L EC Rep: Jack Perryman ‘25L
- 3L EC Rep: Lucie Fisher ‘24L
Student self-governance is a central component of the Washington and Lee University experience and the Executive Committee is the governing body for the entire student body. The Executive Committee is composed of three student officers (a President, Vice President, and Secretary) as well as representatives from each class year. A representative from each law school class serves on the Executive Committee and law students are also eligible to run for any of the officer positions.
The Executive Committee is tasked with overseeing the Honor System, selecting students to fill on university committees, addressing student concerns, and recognizing and allocating funds for all student organizations at Washington and Lee University. The Executive Committee's duties are further outlined in the Washington and Lee University Student Body Constitution.
The Executive Committee's most important role is upholding the Honor System. All students at Washington and Lee are expected to behave honorably and foster a community of trust and support. Unlike other systems, Washington and Lee's Honor System is not codified. Instead, each generation of students determines what behaviors violate the community's trust. Further information about the Honor System and the procedure for honor matters can be found in the White Book.
- Presidents: Haley Carter
- Treasurer: Chelsea Kowalchuk
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
The Federalist Society is a legal organization dedicated to preserving the role of the judiciary as a check on the power of the state when it infringes on personal freedoms. We believe it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be, regardless of partisan ideology. FedSoc nationally has undergone significant growth over the past decade. We have 70,000 members across 200 student chapters and 90 professional chapters across the country. It is an incredible network of law students and lawyers confronting constitutional law issues we face. FedSoc particularly supports students seeking clerkships.
First Generation Student Union (FGSU)
- President: Taylor Roberson
- Treasurer: Kyleigh Dinnien
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Kish Parella
The purpose of this organization is to empower first generation law students to attend law school, excel, and feel confident entering the workforce. As first-generation students ourselves, we know a support system like this will be an invaluable tool to help navigate law school. The goal is to create support for students who are also in this demographic and build confidence to overcome barriers in the legal community. We will accomplish this through various organized mentorship programs, including 1-1 student mentors, alumni networking events, and organized social events for mentors and mentees.
German Law Journal (GLJ)
- Executive Editor: Maxwell Hanamirian
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Russell Miller
The German Law Journal is a pioneering open-access forum for the publication of peer reviewed scholarship and commentary on comparative, European, and international law. It has been online and freely-available since 1999. Founded as a transatlantic newsletter on developments in German law, the Journal has secured a place among the world's leading law reviews disseminating scholarship across borders. Student Editors for the German Law Journal review high-quality theoretical research, reports on current developments and thematic special issues from the world's leading international scholars. Pursuing this agenda, the Journal has gained a reputation for innovative publishing - linking cutting-edge, border-crossing scholarship with open access and speed to publication.
Website: http://www.germanlawjournal.com/
Cambridge Publications Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/german-law-journal
- President: Madison Howell
- Treasurer: Haley Fortner
The Health Law Association's mission is to introduce W&L law students to the field of health law and provide career opportunities through interaction with health law lawyers and alumni. HLA's purpose is to provide the W&L community with an overview of what is occurring and changing in the health law community through events, speakers, volunteering opportunities, and networking opportunities with employers. Health law is an expansive field and touches almost all types of legal work. HLA shares a collective interest in exploring health law as it relates to public health, the provision of healthcare, and the search for health law employment opportunities.
- Co-Presidents: Lillian Weitz and Saylor Snowden
- Treasurer: Jane Kim
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Mark Drumbl
The Washington and Lee University School of Law International Law Society (WLISL) provides a forum for those interested in any aspect of international law -- private and public -- including human rights, trade, development, finance, international commercial arbitration, labor, environment, cyber and military law to discuss the most pressing issues in those fields.
The purpose of the organization is:
(a) To contribute to the establishment and definition of international law through discussion and programming.
(b) To provide students opportunities to experience the various dynamics of international law.
(c) To increase the awareness of, interest in, and understanding of international law and practice among Washington & Lee University School of Law students and other members of the university community.
(d) To comply with the mission and purpose of the International Law Students Association.
(e) To compete in and host International Law Moot Court Competition(s).
- Co-Presidents: Samuel Gustafson and Daniel Zarkou
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
1. The mission of Student Chapters of the Law Society is the same as that of the Lawyer Chapters of the Law Society. A Student Chapter can help students to recognize the strength that can be brought to both the practice and study of law by the students' personal religious convictions.
2. Through public service and outreach activities, Student Chapters can help to promote fairness and virtue in their legal studies and in the broader legal community around them.
3. As core Law Society values are instilled in students from the beginning of their legal education, those values will become integral to the students' professional activities as they begin their legal careers.
4. When students establish a network of lawyers and other law students that share their ethical values and philosophies during their years attending law school, they will be more likely to continue those associations as lawyer members of the Law Society in the areas where they practice law.
Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA)
- President: Morgan Brody
- Treasurer: Sadie Klam
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Allison Weiss
The Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) is designed to meet the needs of the Jewish student body within the W&L School of Law. Our organization includes secular as well as observant students, and all of our events are open to the entire law school community. Activities include social events, speakers on Jewish or legal topics, and events celebrating Jewish holidays.
Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice (JCRSJ)
- Editor in Chief: Liv Maier
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Allison Weiss
The Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice (JCRSJ) is a biannual scholarly publication focusing on legal issues that affect historically underrepresented classes of persons. JCRSJ has published articles covering a wide variety of subject matter including real estate, education, healthcare, family, environment, public welfare, tax, criminal justice, and international rights. JCRSJ's mission is to explore the intersection of majority and minority culture through discrete legal issues. To that end, JCRSJ seeks to provide a space for scholars of all persuasions to develop and expand upon theoretical, critical, and socially relevant dialogue with the legal community. JCRSJ seeks to help readers understand the issues that face our society today.
Students may write on to JCRSJ at the end of their 1L year and are selected based upon their write-on submission grade and their 1L grades. 2L staff writers cite check scholarly articles and produce their own piece of scholarly work during their 2L year, and 3L board members manage the Journal.
Website: jcrsj.wlulaw.wlu.edu
Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
- President: Alexis Acosta
- Treasurer: Kevin Rodriguez
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dean Saez Tatman
Our mission is to promote diversity at Washington and Lee and create a close-knit community that is proud to celebrate Latin culture. For the past two years, our Board has worked together with Faculty members to help students adjust to the demands of law school by exposing them to programs that focus on professional and academic development, and that provide a network of friends and alumni. This upcoming year, our mission is to continue to solidify the presence of Washington and Lee Law at renowned moot court competitions such as the NYU Immigration Law Moot Competition and the HNBA Annual Uvaldo Herrera National Moot Court Competition.
- President: Cameron Perales
- Treasurer: Mariya Denisenko
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dean Lisa Rodocker
The mission of Law Families is to support the Law Student and his or her partner, spouse, or children during law school and after. Lexington is a small community, and Law Families can provide additional support and a knowledge base on navigating law school while balancing the outside demands of marriage, long term relationships, and family.
- Editor in Chief: Scott Koven
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Brandon Hasbrouck
The Washington and Lee Law Review is a quarterly publication presenting articles contributed by leading scholars, judges, and lawyers, as well as student-written Notes. The staff of the Law Review is made up of second-year law students (Staffwriters) and third-year law students (Editors).
Website: lawreview.wlulaw.wlu.edu
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series (Powell Board)
- Co-Presidents: Amir Soleimanpour and Tolly Maloney
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Brian Murchison
In 2002, a group of law students started the Powell Board Lecture Series to honor the late Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Each year, the Lewis Powell Lecture Series has one goal: to bring a speaker of note in the legal community to deliver a lecture in honor of Justice Powell. Past lecturers have included Alberto Gonzales, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, and Justice Antonin Scalia. The lecture, having been held for fifteen years now, is a budding tradition of the law school.
Middle Eastern and South Asian Law Students Association (MESALSA)
- President: Anika Maan
- Treasurer:
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
We the students of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, Middle Eastern and South Asian Law Students Association (MESALSA) begin this organization to assemble, engage with, and cultivate a community of Middle Eastern and South Asian (MESA) scholars and cultures. We will work to support our students and be a voice in ensuring MESA students are represented and heard at W&L Law.
Moot Court Executive Board (MCEB)
- Chair: Andreya Steidl
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
One of the oldest and largest student-run organizations at Washington & Lee, the Moot Court Program provides law students the opportunity to develop and refine their oral and written advocacy skills by working individually and collaboratively. The Moot Court Executive Board ("MCEB"), comprised of thirteen third-year law students, administers five competitions: the John W. Davis Moot Court Competition, the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiations Competition, the Mock Trial Competition, the Client Counseling Competition, and the Mediation Competition. All second- and third-year students, excluding MCEB members, may compete, and first-year students may participate as witnesses and bailiffs.
Winners and select competitors represent Washington & Lee in regional, national, and international competitions. W&L students have recently competed in the New York Bar Association Appellate Advocacy Competition, the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, and ABA competitions in Negotiations and Client Counseling.
For further information, please see the MCEB website: www.wlumootcourt.com
National Security & Military Law Society (NSMLS)
- President: Jen Heltsley
- Treasurer: Mikayla Nasis
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
NSMLS provides a forum of discussion and support for those affiliated with the U.S. Armed Forces, Coast Guard, or those interested in military veterans' issues, national security strategy, or defense policy. NSMLS is dedicated to advocating for veterans and increasing awareness of issues related to veterans, national security strategy, or defense policy. Membership is open to any student, faculty member, staff, or spouse in the University community with an interest in matters affecting our military, its veterans, and national security without regard to status as a military veteran or current service member.
- Co-Presidents: Maddie Bellew and John Gilmore
- Treasurer: Madison Barnes
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Ms. Andrea Hilton
OutLaw's mission is to unite LGBTQ+ law students, faculty, community members, and allies to promote diversity, inclusion, intersectionality, and support for queer issues. We welcome participation and support from people of all different identities, viewpoints, and backgrounds who support the dignity and equality of LGBTQ+ individuals.
We further this mission by sponsoring social and educational events at W&L Law, such as bringing in speakers to talk about LGBTQ+ law-related issues, hosting school-wide social events and fundraisers, and providing socials for queer students and OutLaw members. We have also sent OutLaw members to LGBTQ+ events and conferences outside the law school. For example, OutLaw members have attended the LGBT Bar's Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, creating meaningful connections within the queer legal community. We additionally work to connect current students with W&L alum who identify as LGBTQ+ or allies.
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity (PAD)
- President: Sara Fe' White
- Treasurer:
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International is a professional law fraternity advancing integrity, compassion, and courage through service to the students, the school, the profession, and the community. Phi Alpha Delta provides a valuable experience for law students to create lasting, professional bonds and involve themselves in the community. The Washington & Lee Staples chapter prides itself on providing leadership opportunities and social events to its members as well as sponsoring our annual auction that raises money for public interest scholarships as well as local organizations.
- President: Ryan Scott
- Treasurer: Steven May
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Catlin Meade
Pro Bono Board focuses on providing direct community service opportunities to law students throughout the school year. We focus on benefitting the Lexington/Rockbridge community and building community connections with law school students. We create a positive relationship with the local community and find ways for law students to feel connected with the Lexington area.
- President: Courtney Ebersohl
- Treasurer: Cam Perales
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Johnathan Shapiro
The purpose of the Public Defense Group is to bring together law students interested in public defense and legal aid in order to facilitate the development of skills and knowledge specific to these areas of law. Through this exposure, members will become versed in contemporary issues facing the criminal justice system and the collateral consequences of being accused of a crime. Members will have the opportunity to watch trials, speak with professionals in the field, and engage in discussions with local leaders. In addition, members will become more competitive applicants, thus bolstering the presence of W&L graduates within the field of public interest law.
Public Interest Law Students Association (PILSA)
- Co-Presidents: Barbara Merryman and Alexis Acosta
- Treasurer: Nina Gagnon
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Jill Fraley
PILSA is a student organization dedicated to supporting fellow students pursuing careers in public service and public interest law. Our goal is to promote a commitment to community service and pro bono work. We work to alert students to relevant career opportunities and give back to the greater Shenandoah Valley. We help raise funds for unpaid summer internships in public interest law. We believe that everyone should have access to justice and encourage advocacy that advances the interests of those who are under-represented in the legal system.
- Co-Presidents: Robert Hawes and Sal Mancuso
- Treasurer: Chip Sweeney
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
The Sports Czars are an athletically focused organization devoted to providing inclusive, community based, recreation to all students throughout the law-school. The Czars feel it is their duty to create an atmosphere of stress-free competition within a law-school culture that is often plagued by stress and anxiety. As volunteer Czars, we pride ourselves on facilitating a safe, competitive, and inclusive environment throughout the year.
Sports, Entertainment, and Intellectual Property Law Society
- Co-Presidents: Jermaine Jones and Andrew Jenks
- Treasurer: Kevin Cao
- Faculty/Staff Advisor: Prof. Christopher Seaman
Our mission is to provide students with opportunities to compete in external moot court and writing competitions, engage and network with professionals, and understand and gain the skills necessary to succeed in Sports, Entertainment, and Intellectual Property Law. Through our work we diversify the knowledge areas and skills contributing to the law school, university, and community.
- President: Jen Heltsley
- Treasurer: Anna Kennedy
W&L Strength Club's mission is to further the knowledge and safe practice of strength sports such as running, powerlifting, weightlifting, etc. within the Washington & Lee community, and to promote physical and mental wellness through different methods of strength training.
Student Bar Association (SBA)
- President: Arthur Troy
- Treasurer: Laura Schramm
The SBA has the following mission:
1. To ensure a governing council responsive to the will of the law school student body.
2. To provide a forum for the expression of ideas concerning the social, ethical, and intellectual aspects of student life.
3. To encourage the initiation of programs in order to achieve and maintain a high standard of education at the School of Law.
4. To provide for association among students, faculty, and administration to promote a close affiliation between students and members of the legal profession.
5. To provide for association among students and the Lexington community.
6. To pursue the high standard of professionalism necessary to excel in the legal community.
7. To ensure compliance with all University policies including those of the Executive Committee of Washington and Lee University.
Website: www.wlusba.com
Student Judicial Committee (SJC)
- Law School Justice At-large Rep: Kaitlyn Hyun
- 3L Rep: Chris Cooper
- 2L Rep: Cameron Cummins
- 1L Rep: TBD
- President: Christian Kelling
- Treasurer: Steven Falco
In the year to come, the Tax Law Society plans to cultivate academic and professional discussions around critical and emerging issues facing tax law. While not exhaustive, areas of discussion will include understanding how legacy practices and systems interact with modern technological shifts, the implications of novel property and ownerships forms on tax structures (such as those stemming from the growth of cryptocurrency and NFT adoption), and frameworks which allow academics and practitioners to efficiently and effectively meet tax needs at an individual and entity level. Our organization is excited to engage with the W&L Law community as well as with industry leaders to foster a forum that addresses challenging, innovative, and forward-looking concepts.
Women Law Students Organization (WLSO)
- Co‐Presidents: Rachel Silver and Colleen Karlovich
- Treasurer: Sabrina Callender-Clewett
- Faculty/Staff Advisor:
WLSO is an organization that promotes an atmosphere of gender equality and provides a forum of discussion for issues that interest, concern and affect women. WLSO is dedicated to advocating for the success of women in the law, and to bringing an awareness of women's issues to the Washington & Lee Law School community.
Website: http://law.wlu.edu/wlso