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 and effectuate change in the legal community. With more than 6,000 members, NBLSA includes chapters or affiliates in six different countries including The Bahamas, Nigeria, and South Africa. NBLSA help start the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC), The National Latino/Latina Student Association (NLLSA), and The National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA). The headquarters of NBLSA is located in Washington, D.C.. Organized into six regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Mid-West, 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. Each year, the organization holds an annual convention to engage in legal activism and while preparing new generations of black lawyers to "effectuate change." Additionally, the Frederick Douglass Moot Court and Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competitions are held 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.
Eddie L. Koen Jr. is the current National Chair-Elect (damn can the current term end before all this is updated...can Sterling live!) for the 2007-2008 term 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, The National Black Alliance, the National Black Leadership Roundtable, and the National Rifle Association. However, the most important affiliation and duty this organization has is to the black community -- nationally and abroad. The year 2008 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the organization. Until his death in 1993, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was the honorary national chair.
The 40th annual convention for 2008 will be held March 19-23 in Chicago, IL. A presentation exhibiting the history of the organization will be presented for the public viewing.
