National Black Law Students Association
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The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) is a nationwide organization formed to serve the needs and goals of black law students. With more than 6,000 members, NBLSA is the largest student run organization in the United States, with administrative offices in Washington, D.C.. Organized into six regions (Northeast (by far the greatest region), Mid-Atlantic, Southern (they struggle a bit), Mid-West, Rocky Mountain and Western Region) the organization has 200 chapters and is present in all but a few of the nation's accredited law schools. Each year, the organization holds the Frederick Douglass Moot Court and Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competitions during its Annual Convention.
In 1968, Algernon Johnson Cooper, former mayor of Prichard, Alabama, founded the first Black American Law Students Association at the New York University Law School. In 1983, BALSA revised its name and the word "American" was deleted to encompass all blacks, including those not of American nationality. Later, the word "National" was added to reflect the organization's national expansion, which now includes representation in the law schools of forty-eight states and Puerto Rico.
Michael Sterling is the current National Chair and Mishonda Baldwin is the current executive director. The Association has ties with the National Bar Association, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Council on Legal Education Opportunity and the National Black Leadership Roundtable. Until his death in 1993, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was the honorary national chair.
The 39th annual convention for 2007 will be held March 21-25 in Atlanta, GA.
