Student Organizations

Although funds are provided by the School of Law to support activities, all organizations are exclusively student-run. Most groups hold meetings and functions during a regularly scheduled activities period or in the early evening.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of NUSL is the Northeastern University chapter of the ACLU Massachusetts, which works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. If the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled. The ACLU of NUSL brings films and speakers to discuss constitutional freedoms, helps NU law students get involved in ongoing legal and congressional civil liberties battles, and brings together the Boston-area civil liberties community.
Contact: aclu-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The American Constitution Society (ACS) is an organization committed to fostering a progressive vision of the law on issues across the policy spectrum, including access to the courts; anti-discrimination and affirmative action; civil liberties; consumer rights; criminal justice; disability rights; freedom of speech; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights; international human rights; immigration; open government; labor law; the political process; privacy; protection of health, safety and the environment; and women’s rights and reproductive freedom.
Contact: acs-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Animal Legal Defense Fund(ALDF) is an academic and public service organization that seeks to increase awareness of the breadth of legal issues pertaining to non-human animals. It is committed to the belief that non-human animals deserve greater protection under the law, and works actively to advance their basic legal rights. The Northeastern chapter was founded in 2002.
Contact: aldf-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) is an organization that represents South Asian, Pacific Asian, Southeast Asian and East Asian law school students at NUSL. In addition to providing a social and academic support network for Asian American students at the law school, the group is active in both community and campus issues. APALSA works closely with the administration, and is represented on the Admissions Committee and the Committee Against Institutional Racism. Throughout the year, APALSA hosts various social activities for both NUSL students and other Asian-Pacific law students.
Contact: apalsa-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Black Law Students Association’s (BLSA) purpose is threefold: to identify, articulate and promote the needs of black students at Northeastern University School of Law. In particular, BLSA’s focus is on areas of internal academic support, interaction through various community outreach programs, social support and validation within and outside of the university setting. The group is also actively affiliated with the national BLSA.
Contact: blsa-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

Business Interests Group (BIG) is a student organization dedicated to educating law students about what it means to practice law in the business, corporate, and financial worlds. The group has a threefold mission: learning about transactional work, networking, and representing our interests on campus. The organization works with outside resources, linking current students to mentors and networking opportunities.  BIG also creates an NUSL social network for students and works closely with administration to ensure that corporate law classes, co-op opportunities and other advantages are made available to business minded law students.
Contact: big-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

Committee Against Institutional Racism (CAIR) was formed in 1986 in recognition that the School of Law, like all institutions, could be strengthened by understanding and fighting the racism hidden in its structures and assumptions. By joining representatives of the students of color organizations with elected class representatives and members of the faculty and administration, CAIR constitutes a forum for asking hard questions about race and exploring answers through action. The committee reports to the school’s Governing Council, offering advice and recommendations. It also sponsors events for the community to explore questions within its ambit.

The Cooperative Income Sharing Program (CISP) is a student-run, student-funded program that makes grants to students choosing unpaid or underpaid public interest legal work as a part of their co-op experience. CISP also sells all official NUSL clothing and merchandise. And, it’s a fun place to do Work-Study or volunteer by helping out in the used bookstore or cafe.

The Entertainment and Sports Law Society is dedicated to exploring legal issues and career opportunities in the field of sports of and entertainment law. In the 2007-2008 academic year, SAELS anticipates sponsoring a series of guest speakers and panels with social events.
Contact: esls-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Federalist Society sponsors guest speakers and events to foster dialogue and debate on legal issues. The Federalist Society believes law schools and the legal profession are currently strongly dominated by a form of orthodox liberal ideology that advocates a centralized and uniform society. While some members of the academic community have dissented from these views, by and large they are taught simultaneously with (and indeed as if they were) the law. The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order. It is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.
Contact: federalists-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Family Law Society (FLS) is an organization of law students who are interested in a wide array of family law issues including, but not limited to, divorce, custody, adoption, reproductive technology law, juvenile justice, domestic violence, elder issues, same sex marriage implications, and end of life care. The goals of the FLS are to: (1) Educate NUSL students on a broad spectrum of family law issues by bringing leading family law practitioners to speak on campus; (2) Promote access to careers in family law by developing more co-op opportunities in legal service agencies, government organizations, boutique family law firms, and family law departments of medium-to-large size firms; (3) Advocate to the curriculum committee for more diverse course offerings in family law; and (4) Build relationships in the community with professionals that collaborate with family law lawyers in order to provide holistic services to clients.

Intellectual Property Society is comprised of students interested in intellectual property law and its role in our society. In addition to holding meetings several times a year, the society invites speakers to discuss cutting-edge intellectual property issues and careers in intellectual property. The society also participates in an Intellectual Property Alumni/ae Speaker Series, which is generally hosted by an area law firm and in which students, graduates and friends hear a substantive presentation and have the opportunity to mingle.
Contact: ip-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

International Law Society (ILS) is an association of law students, faculty and staff who have an interest in international law and issues as they relate to the academic, professional and cooperative education spheres. In addition to fostering discussion on related issues, ILS is also a support group for international students at the law school. ILS coordinates a variety of activities, including brown bag lunch discussions, lectures and presentations on international co-ops, and promotes study abroad programs, participation in international law conferences and international employment opportunities.
Contact: ils-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) is a cultural, social, educational and religious organization that reflects the varied interests of the Jewish student community of Northeastern University School of Law. Our annual events include the Boston Jewish Film Festival, Shabbat potluck dinners at students’ apartments, and a popular community-wide Passover Seder. All events are open to the NUSL community.
Contact: jlsa-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Justinian Law Society (JLS) represents students either having Italian heritage or an interest in Italian culture and values. Named after the Roman Emperor whose legal code inspired the modern concept of civil law and, indeed, the very spelling of "justice," JLS provides a forum for, and increased awareness of, issues of importance to the Italian-American legal community.
Contact: justinians-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Latin American Law Students Association (LaLSA) serves as a support system for its membership, as a forum for students to voice their concerns and as a means to promote the needs and goals of Latino/a law students at Northeastern University, as well as in the surrounding community, region and nation.
Contact: lalsa-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Legal Environmental Advocacy Forum (LEAF) is dedicated to creating a forum in which contemporary legal issues pertaining to the environment may be examined and debated. The forum has brought several notable speakers to Northeastern and has held numerous fundraising/outreach events in order to increase awareness about cutting-edge legal and political issues. Plans for the future include, inter alia, an interactive Web site, lobbying for eco-friendly policies in federal, state and local, governments, and an environmental law journal.
Contact: leaf-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Law Students for Israel Northeastern is a newly formed organization on campus. LSFIN’s goals are: First, to disseminate reliable information about Israel’s place in the Middle East and about Israel’s politics, culture, history and society. Secondly, to foster informed discussion, dialogue and debate about current issues and trends in the Middle East thereby contributing to the intellectual discourse of the academic community. Third, to have a presence on campus that encourages constructive participation and freedom of speech through activities, forums, events and speakers. Lastly, to support and love Israel by celebrating her resilience, her accomplishments, her strength and her people. In 2006-07, LSFIN brought Jeff Robbins, a Former U.S. Delegate to the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, to talk about human rights in Israel, and Yael Dayan, current Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv, Israel to talk about women’s and gay rights in Israel. LSFIN’s events are often co-sponsored with other organizations on campus and are open to law students as well as the entire community.
Contact: lsfin-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) student chapter has been active since 1974. Northeastern student Guild members work closely with NLG attorneys: volunteering as facilitators for street law clinics, legal observers at demonstrations and civil disobedience actions, working on the Guild’s Immigrant Detainee Project and other ongoing campaigns. The National Lawyers Guild was formed in 1937 as the first non-segregated national association of legal workers. Today, it includes lawyers, law students, legal workers and jailhouse lawyers who seek to use the law "in the service of the people, to the end that human rights shall be regarded as more sacred than property interests." see also Northeastern United Radical Front
Contact: nlg-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The National Security and Law Society (NS&LS) is the primary non-partisan student organization at NUSL for those interested in national security. Although a new organization on campus, NS&LS hopes to help students explore national security law by organizing speakers and inviting professionals to talk about their career profession. It provides alerts to writing competitions and existing co-op and post-graduate employment opportunities in the field. A chapter of the national NS&LS organization, it also provides contacts and networking opporunities with students at other law schools.

The Northeastern Employment and Labor Law Society (NELLA) promotes the field of labor and employment law as a career option. The group also explores the current efforts of plaintiff-side employment lawyers and union-side labor lawyers. Activities have included a roundtable discussion on labor/employment law, activism with attorneys from the community, and the screening of movies such as Live Nude Girls Unite!, and Bread and Roses.
Contact: nella-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Northeastern University Graduate and Professional Student Association (GSPA) is the official voice of the Graduate Student Community. The GPSA actively pursues a goal of improving graduate student life. It serves all graduate and professional students enrolled in the graduate colleges of Northeastern University, including the School of Law. There are executive board and senate positions available to students. The executive board of the GPSA consists of the elected officers. Each officer is elected annually by the general assembly in April elections. The duties and responsibilities of each officer are outlined in the GPSA constitution and the executive board by-laws. The Senators represent each college at the university. Their duty is to present concerns of their respective departments and vote on issues brought up at the Senate meetings. Senate meetings are held monthly during the academic year.

The Northeastern University Law Journal emphasizes the practical application of the law and exploring the ways by which the experience of practicing law can educate. By asking practitioners to analyze and write about their own experiences, the Journal accomplishes two educational functions for the legal community. First it informs the legal community about the range of practical issues which confront practitioners in a particular field, and compares the variety of manners by which these issues are resolved. Second it places these issues in legal context by analyzing the legal scholarship and relating the academic analysis to the practical application.
Contact: inquiries@nulj.org

Northeastern University Radical Front (NURF) (aka the law school’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild) Feminists, environmentalists, satirists, labor organizers, queers, leftists, public service minded, critical theorists, social justice activists, etc., students and faculty, formed NURF in 1998. NURF seeks to bring progressive people together to work on a variety of projects both inside and outside the university’s walls. NURF organizes a variety of activities from potlucks to rallies in an effort to creative activism, both on and off campus.
Contact: nlg-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Charlotte E. Ray Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International (PAD) is a tight-knit group of students who are interested in bringing a different dynamic to the School of Law. The purpose of this fraternity is to form a strong bond uniting students and teachers of the law with members of the bench and bar in a fraternal fellowship designed to advance the ideals of liberty and equal justice under law; to stimulate excellence in scholarship; to inspire the virtues of compassion and courage; to foster integrity and professional competence; to promote the welfare of its members; and to encourage their moral, intellectual and cultural advancement; so that each member may enjoy a lifetime of honorable professional and public service. Recently chartered and initiated as the first law fraternity at Northeastern and the 193rd chapter of the international organization in March 2006, the group is excited to organize new and interesting events on campus.
Contact: pad-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Queer Caucus (QC) is comprised of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, faculty and staff, and their allies. It is one of the school’s most visible and active student groups. Through its many activities, including hosting dinner discussion groups, sending students to regional events sponsored by organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, and organizing educational programs about queer issues, the group provides support and resources for the entire community.
Contact: qc-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

Shelter Legal Services (SLS), Northeastern law chapter, is a group comprised of students volunteering for the SLS Foundation at five Boston and Cambridge-based clinics. Shelter Legal Services provides free access to legal services for the poor and homeless, and has assisted more than 3,800 people in its 12-year history. Student volunteers, with the supervision of SLS attorneys, perform case intake, represent clients at administrative and court proceedings, negotiate settlements and perform most of the functions of attorneys.
Contact: sls-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Society for Restorative Justice (SRJ) supports restorative justice activities that empower victims to have a voice in the judicial process, enables offenders to be accountable for their conduct, while affording them opportunities to make restoration and express remorse, and strengthens communities to define their own norms and to recognize and address the underlying conditions that generate crime. The Society for Restorative Justice seeks to support the education of students, faculty and the larger community on issues related to restorative justice and alternative law and to implement restorative justice as a viable criminal justice alternative in the Boston area.
Contact: srj-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA)

The Student Bar Association (SBA), affiliated with the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association (ABA), is the elected, representative body for NUSL students. It informs and encourages student participation in the activities of the ABA, as well as serving as a forum for communication between NUSL students and the administration. In addition to representing the interests of the student body, the SBA also sponsors numerous social, recreational, educational, and charitable events throughout the year. Common events include a bi-weekly social event ("Bar Review"), seasonal gatherings (e.g., the spring Barrister’s Ball and fall Halloween Party), fundraisers for local charities, and a tax-assistance program to help the elderly complete their tax forms.
Contact: sba-chair@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Student Global AIDS Campaign
Contact: sgac-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Women’s Law Caucus exists to enable women law students to share their legal aspirations and personal and academic experiences in law school, while providing support to one another and serving as a social network. The group was extremely active this year with its "Brown Bag Lunch Series," which invited students and faculty to discussions on various topics that were opened by a lecture from an invited faculty member. In addition, the Women’s Law Caucus promoted awareness of domestic violence and sponsored a "Shop and Swap."
Contact: wlc-officers@weboard.slaw.neu.edu

The Youth Advocacy Caucus (YAC) is a coalition of students, faculty, graduate, and youth advocates who work together to improve direct legal representation of children in Massachusetts through education, training, volunteer opportunities and resource identification. The group believes in a holistic approach to providing legal services to children, with the ultimate goal of youth empowerment.