BLSA...optional or mandatory?

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

NBLSA has signed officially signed a contract with ecampusrecruiters (www.easelaw.com) to host all of NBLSA regional job fairs. We are excited about this news and are pleased that upon its completion students will be able to register, bid and schedule interviews for multiple regions all from one website. The website is expected to launch no later than May 21, 2007. Please pay attention to the following important dates for your respective regional job fair

Northeast Region – New York City

- Registration opens May 21st and closes July 9th
- Job Fair scheduled for August 17th

Mid-Atlantic Region – Washington, DC

- Registration opens June 1st and closes July 15th
- Job Fair scheduled for September 8th

Southern Region – Nashville, TN

- Registration opens June 1st and closes August 10th
- Job Fair scheduled for September 15-16th

Mid-West region – Indianapolis, IN

- Registration opens May 21st and closes June 23rd
- Job Fair scheduled for August 25th

Rocky Mountain – Tulsa, OK

- Registration opens May 24th and closes July 31st
- Job Fair Scheduled for September 29th

Western Region

- Northern California – San Francisco
- Registration opens May 24th and closes June 30th
- Job Fair scheduled for September 15th

- Southern California – Los Angeles
- Registration opens May 21st and closes June 20th
- Job Fair scheduled for August 18th

- Northwest Pacific – Portland, OR
- Registration opens May 21st and closes June 23rd
- Job Fair scheduled for August 25th

Please check your email regularly because the registration process will be sent via email. If you have any questions or difficulties registering email your regional job fair coordinator.

Thank You,

Mu'min Islam
Director of Programming

Levi Christian Pearson
Director of Communications

[dat_raw_n_tellect]

I received this same info through a facebook message.  It sounds like it will be "easier" to go job hunting in different areas...which sounds sexy to me!  How did regional job fairs work before the contract?  Are there any potential advantages/disadvantages of the contract?

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Pros and cons either way. Hopefully more pros this way.  In any event, people get JOBS from the BLSA jobfair. Period.

[Journeyman]

Pros and cons either way. Hopefully more pros this way.  In any event, people get JOBS from the BLSA jobfair. Period.

Sweet "music" to my eyes.

[A.]

Thank you all for responding!!  I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be making anyone uncomfortable, but I will check out the atmosphere at my school first before I truly jump into both orgs.  I want to participate, but I am not going to allow myself to feel uncomfortable either.  I also do not plan on becoming truly active until at least my second semester.

There are several cross-joiners with BLSA.  Don't know too many black people in the other orgs, though.

Others have said this as well, Alci.  Is there a reason why it seems that more people who are not "black" will join the black orgs, but not vica versa?  This is one of the reasons why I was initially concerned in the first place.  Whenever I tell most of my Asian American friends I want to join they are all like, "Oh wow!  It should be okay to participate!!"  When I tell my Black friends...after the laughing and "GIRL!"s die down...they eventually conclude that it should be okay.  It began to concern me a bit...

Sorry...I just saw this.  I dunno why the phenomenon exists, but if I had to guess:  It's cool to be down with the black people and black causes.  Black people, on the other hand, don't usually feel the need to be down with other minority groups...we have our own problems.  That said, I foresee increasing alliances between black and hispanic groups.  Asian groups, not so much.

ETA: For the record, I'm cool with all of them.  I even attended the LLSA (latinos) banquet this year as a BLSA rep.  I just don't have the desire to join another affinity group.

[law_dawg_07]

I dont mind going to other minority group functions but I dont think I will actually be joining, other than WLSA.  My school has too many organizations I am interested in and Ijust dont see me having the time to devote to them all.  Defintely want to join the Sports and Entertainment Law Group and the IP group though...

[dat_raw_n_tellect]

Thank you again, Alci!!  I am glad that there will be opportunities to participate with the other groups.  I actually attended a "HACU"  The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and was chosen by my school to be one of the student reps at the HACU National Conference and the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (I was the only black student from my school at both events.)  I find many of the "minority" groups have amazing networking opportunities and I just wanted to be sure that if I chose to actually be a due paying member this wouldn't be looked at as odd.

I hear you law_dawg!!  There are soooo many groups that I am interested in participating in.  I will definitely have to check out the scene when schools starts!

And AMEN on the BLSA job fairs!!!

[Journeyman]

Thank you again, Alci!!  I am glad that there will be opportunities to participate with the other groups.  I actually attended a "HACU"  The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and was chosen by my school to be one of the student reps at the HACU National Conference and the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (I was the only black student from my school at both events.)  I find many of the "minority" groups have amazing networking opportunities and I just wanted to be sure that if I chose to actually be a due paying member this wouldn't be looked at as odd.

I hear you law_dawg!!  There are soooo many groups that I am interested in participating in.  I will definitely have to check out the scene when schools starts!

And AMEN on the BLSA job fairs!!!

 

[ladi]

I'll most likely be joining BLSA, as well as a few others.

[1LCorvo]

Quick question.  Do the majority of black law students participate in BLSA?  I know it is not mandatory but is there an unstated assumption that as a black law student, you more than likely will participate?  Are there "others" that distance themselves from BLSA in fear of appearing too black? 

There's probably an unstated assumption. It's hard to determine, considering the fact that the assumption is implicit. Yet, even if we accept that there is an implicit assumption, it is still optional for students to join. However, who is the party that is implicitly assuming? I suppose that the assumption will vary from student to student. So, for Student A this might be an assumption, while for Student B it will not. Ergo, the answer to your question is a definitive yes or no.

As for the question, "will you join"...I'm not really interested. The purpose seems to want to address issues among black law students, to foster diversity in the legal world, and things of that nature. And personally, this does not really interest me. However, I'll probably check out a few meetings.

On another note, anyone thinking about joining the Federalist Society?