At the National Black Law Students Associations judges encouraged students of color to apply for unpaid clerkships with judges. Gerald Lee of Eastern District of Virginia spoke at the convention with optimism for students of color to dive head first and to be competitive.
Lee was one of four judges to take part in a panel discussion on “Demystifying the Judiciary,” one of several events aimed at helping law students understand their career options. More than 1,000 law students and lawyers were expected to attend this year’s convention in Arlington, Va.
Lee said that black judges were trying to open the door for Black students to compete. He said Judges like hiring judges with experience.
Jackson encouraged law students to consider clerkships over going straight into practice after graduation, saying that while it may not pay as much at first — a big issue for students graduating with crushing debt, he acknowledged — the experience pays dividends in the long term.
The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) is a 501(c)(3) corporation and the nation’s largest student-run organization representing nearly 6,000 minority law students from over 200 chapters and affiliates throughout the United States and six other countries.
National Black Law Student Association Today, the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), is a national organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of black law students and effectuate change in the legal community. As the largest student run organization in the United States with nearly 6,000 members, NBLSA is also comprised of chapters or affiliates in six different countries including The Bahamas, Nigeria, and South Africa. Organized into six regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Western Region), the organization has over 200 chapters and is present in all but a few of the nation’s accredited law schools, as well as unaccredited law schools. With its headquarters located in Washington, DC, NBLSA encourages the development of talented, social conscious lawyers of tomorrow. Each year, the organization holds an annual convention to engage in legal activism and prepare new generations of black lawyers to “effectuate change.” Additionally, the Frederick Douglass Moot Court , Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial and International Negotiations Competitions are held during its annual convention. Notably, NBLSA assisted in the formation of the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC), The National Latino/Latina Student Association (NLLSA), National Association of Law Students with Disabilities (NALSD), and The National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA).
