Student Organizations |  Print |
UCLA School of Law offers a variety of student organizations and programs. Although all of these groups require additional work from members, most students find that membership in a student organization has helped them understand the law and its institutions, provided a useful resource in the search for rewarding professional employment, and allowed them to collaborate rather than compete with their fellow students. These groups present debates, speakers, panels, and organize various fund-raisers in line with their special interests. In addition, many of these groups participate in community service activities.
The law school website may not include a complete listing. Updates to the law school's website will be made periodically. To view the UCLA campus' most current listing of officially registered student organizations, visit http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/.
UCLA School of Law neither monitors nor controls the information contained on student organization web pages or on other web sites to which they are linked.
American Constitution Society of Los Angeles
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is one of the nation's leading progressive legal organizations. Founded in 2001, ACS is comprised of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, policymakers, activists and other concerned individuals who are working to ensure that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice are in their rightful, central place in American law. The American Constitution Society is a non-partisan, non-profit educational organization. We do not, as an organization, lobby, litigate or take positions on specific issues, cases, legislation or nominations. We do encourage our members to express their views and make their voices heard.
Animal Law Society
The UCLA Animal Law Society educates the surrounding community about legal issues facing animals.
Asian/Pacific Islander Law Students Association
Black Law Students Association
The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) of the University of California, Los Angeles is a component of a nationally incorporated organization. The recruitment and admission of Blacks into the law school are two of the foremost concerns of BLSA. BLSA is interested in the admission of persons who demonstrate an active desire to contribute to the Black community.
Business Law Association
UCLA Business Law Association is a student organization whose purpose is to promote scholarship and discussion in the field of business law and its related subjects, to provide opportunities for its members to interact with peers and professionals in this field, and to assist in providing business legal services to underserved communities.
Christian Legal Society
The Christian Legal Society (CLS) was founded 1973 and is a nondenominational national network of attorneys, judges, law students, professors, and lay people. CLS helps lawyers and law students to integrate their faith in Christ with their professional responsibilities. The primary goal of CLS at UCLA is to provide a network of Christian law students who can support each other academically, spiritually, and socially. While school is in session meeting information is available on the CLS bulletin board in the main hallway of UCLA School of Law.
Chronic Illness Resource, Support and Advocacy Network
The Chronic Illness Resource Support & Advocacy Network (CIRSAN) is a resource for law students living with chronic or significant health issues, including both medical and psychological illnesses and disabilities. CIRSAN offers support and information to students with CIs through our monthly rap groups and activities. CIRSAN also engages in direct action and advocacy related to disability accommodation and access, educational equity, and social justice. CIRSAN is the sponsor/founder of "Accessible Justice", a national online forum for disabled people in legal practice, advocacy and education.
Democratic Law Students Association
The Democratic Law Students Association (DLSA) promotes the ideals and the goals of the Democratic Party and encourages not only its members but the entire School of Law community to be politically aware and active. DLSA holds voter registration drives, offers information about elections and campaigns, and brings speakers, including activists and elected officials, to campus. DLSA also works closely with other organizations such as the California Young Democrats, the Young Democrats of America, and the California Democratic Party.
Disability Law Society
The Disability Law Society is an alliance of students with and without disabilities dedicated to equal access, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of legal education and the legal profession. The Disability Law Society engages in mentoring, education, and accommodations advocacy for law students with disabilities. DLS additionally fosters professional development for those interested in disability law through programming and network opportunities. Members of the Society are active in coordinating the Disability Studies Reading Group, Disability Admissions, and the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities. Please contact the Disability Law Society at DLS@lawnet.ucla.edu.
El Centro Legal Clinics
El Centro Legal Clinics is UCLA School of Law’s student-coordinated network of volunteer legal aid clinics. Through each of El Centro Legal’s eight Clinics, students provide legal services on a volunteer basis to a variety of communities in the greater Los Angeles area. Clinics focus on issues related to bankruptcy, education, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, immigration, juvenile justice, landlord/tenant and workers’ rights. Each Clinic has its own volunteers, leadership, practice area, and client base.
Entertainment Law Association
Environmental Law Society
The Environmental Law Society (ELS) arranges speaking events to facilitate open discussion of important and often controversial issues, coordinates UCLA participation in inter-school environmental moot court and negotiations competitions, and organizes environmentally-focused activities for students.
Federalist Society
The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is an organization of conservative and libertarian law students. The Federalist Society is founded on the principles of liberty and limited government. The Federalist Society is not a political organization, and it does not advance any policy positions or endorse any candidates. The Federalist Society seeks to encourage discourse on the current state of the legal order, by hosting debates, talks, and other events with prominent law professors, judges, and legal scholars.
Immigration Law Society
The Immigration Law Society connects UCLA to the community by recruiting and organizing students to volunteer with community agencies that provide free and low-cost legal services for immigrants. The larger of the two efforts is the VAWA Clinic held at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLS) in Pacoima. Students who volunteer with the VAWA Clinic work with NLS attorneys to interview clients and collect evidence in support client petitions to establish legal residency under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which allows non-resident victims of domestic violence to become United States residents after leaving abusive marriages. A second and more recent Clinic enables students to work with attorneys from El Rescate Legal Services in representing clients in asylum cases.
International Law Society
ILS is a student run organization committed to increasing UCLA law students' knowledge of and opportunities in international law. To accomplish these goals we sponsor a number of international law events each semester, including symposia, speaker series, and film screenings. We also work to increase the academic opportunities available to students interested in international law by encouraging the law school administration to hire international law faculty, and to offer international law classes, study abroad programs, and internship opportunities. We always welcome input from the UCLA community as to how we can better accomplish these goals, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Jewish Law Students Association
The Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) fosters a sense of Jewish identity and community at the UCLA School of Law, and also provides a place to learn, share, and interact with others.
La Raza Law Student Association
La Raza's primary focus is to recruit, support, and graduate Raza students. We advocate for training that prepares students to meet the needs of the legally underserved, particularly in the Latino/a community. La Raza provides academic support for Raza students, serve as an organizing force around Raza political issues, and creates a social atmosphere that promotes Raza culture and experience.
Moot Court Honors Program
The UCLA Moot Court Program continues the tradition of student organizations known as "moots" or "case clubs" in which students prepare written briefs and deliver oral arguments about contemporary legal issues before a mock appellate tribunal. UCLA's program, with approximately 200 second-year law students participating every year, has been recognized as one of the finest in the country. Participants brief and argue cases before panels of judges and practitioners. Four finalists are selected for the Roscoe Pound Competition, which is judged by outstanding state and federal jurists. Third-year members are responsible for administering the program and are selected to compete on UCLA's state and national teams.
Muslim Law Students Association
The Muslim Law Students Association is a student-run organization aimed to provide an accessible resource to UCLA students and faculty on Islam and Muslims in order to educate and promote tolerance and understanding on campus and the greater community. The MLSA seeks to establish a strong student network that provides academic support, and to develop a network of UCLA alumni to facilitate and furnish summer and post graduate opportunities for our members.
National Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild is an association made up of chapters and committees working locally, nationally and internationally. We are dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system. The Guild unites lawyers, law students, and legal workers as an effective political and social force in the service of the people.
Native American Law Students Association
The Native American Law Students Association is a national organization. The objectives of the Native American Law Students Association at UCLA are to provide a support network for Native American law students and to create a base from which work can be done for the advancement of Native peoples. In addition, the Native American Law Students Association strives to foster better communication among Native American law students, and the Native American community and the general public by providing a forum for the discussion of current Native American issues.
Near Eastern Legal Society
The Near Eastern Legal Society (NELS) is a student organization at the UCLA School of Law dedicated to serving the law school community and the community at large.
Older Wiser Law Students
OWLS is a student organization aimed to serve the needs of those students who identify themselves as "older" or "wiser." This identification generally includes non-traditional students with some previous career experience or extra demands on their time. Often, OWLS have taken some time between earning their undergraduate degree and starting law school.
OUTlaw
OUTlaw provides a supportive community for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender students and assists them in connecting with the legal community at large. The organization also strives to educate the School of Law regarding LBGT issues by hosting speakers and workshops. OUTlaw sponsors brown bag lunches with LBGT lawyers who discuss the benefits and disadvantages to being "out" in the legal world. This past year, the OUTlaw also participated in the first Food Week fundraiser collaboration and co-sponsored a Bar Review Social with the Student Bar Association.
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, established in the year 1869 to promote a higher standard of professional ethics, is among the oldest of legal organizations in North America. The Fraternity was established only six months after the Columbus, Ohio Bar Association and nine years before the American Bar Association. It holds a unique position in the history of the North American bench, bar and the law schools.
Public Interest Law Fund
PILF is a student-run organization at UCLA School of Law that provides grant awards to students who pursue otherwise unpaid summer employment in the public interest field. PILF hosts a variety of fundraising events, such as the Trivia Challenge and Public Interest Auction, to fund the summer grant program. Last year, PILF raised nearly $60,000 which helped fund summer internships for 43 UCLA law students at non-profit organizations throughout the United States and abroad. Please browse our web site to learn more about PILF and how you can get involved.
South Asian Law Students Association
SALSA is an organization assisting law students in the transition from law school to legal practice. The purpose of SALSA is to provide a forum to law students of South Asian descent to exchange thoughts and ideas; to meet and develop a support and referral network; to provide continuing education; to project a better image for the legal professionals; and to educate and help the community.
Speaking Truth To Power
Sports Law Federation
SLF co-sponsors with UCLA Anderson an annual Sports Conference. The purpose of the conference is to compliment the Sports Law course and provide a forum for students to better understand the sports law field. SLF also organizes sports teams and activities to foster community, get exercise, and have fun.
St. Thomas More Society
Student Bar Association
The Student Bar Association is the student government here at UCLA School of Law.
UCLA Law Society for Children's Rights
The UCLA Law Society for Children's Rights provides the law school with 1) a forum for discussing policy that affects children and 2) a community that supports and encourages academic and service-oriented child advocacy. To those ends, we bring speakers to the school to talk with students about their research or work pertinent to the field of children's law. We also organize meet and greets and serve as a resource for students seeking volunteer placements with organizations that deal with children's issues.
UCLAW Veterans Society
The UCLAW Veterans Society exists to serve law school students, faculty and staff who have served in the U.S. armed forces.
UCLA Trial Lawyers' Association
The UCLA Trial Lawyers' Association offers opportunities for law students to develop trial advocacy skills, to learn about the trial law profession, to secure trial law-oriented internships and employment, and to offer a diverse perspective on important tort and contract issues currently being litigated.
Women's Law Union
The goal of the Women's Law Union is to serve as a forum for coordinating and promoting programs of interest to women law students. WLU aims to improve the status of women in the legal profession and elsewhere though community service, networking, career advice, and educational programs.
Workers Justice Project
The Workers Justice Project seeks to provide an essential link between existing community organizations and increasing legal access to low-wage workers. Beginning in Fall 2002, the Workers Justice Project has worked with many different legal agencies in Los Angeles: the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Bet Tzedec, the Garment Workers Center, the Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates (KIWA), and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). Students have found a variety of volunteer involvement, from intakes, case management, and representing workers through administrative hearings, to developing employment law and administrative hearing curriculums for volunteers and workers. Beginning in Fall 2001, the Workers Justice Project will help to staff an employment rights clinic in Santa Monica, hosted by LAFLA.
