Spring 2012 Florida State Law magazine - Florida State University ...

Around the Law School
Florida State Black
Law Students
Association Named
National Chapter of
the Year – Again!
For the third time since 2006, the Florida
State University College of Law’s Black Law
Students Association (BLSA) has been named
National Chapter of the Year by the National
Black Law Students Association (NBLSA).
As a 2011-2012 Regional Chapter of the Year
for the Southern Region of NBLSA, Florida
State competed for the national award against
six other regional winners, including Harvard
Michael WIlliams
Law School, William & Mary Law School,
Indiana University Mauer School of Law, University of Texas School
of Law, University of South Carolina School of Law and UCLA
School of Law. BLSA President Michael Williams accepted the award
March 10 at the NBLSA National Convention in Washington, D.C.
The National Chapter of the Year award is given to a chapter that
has made a difference in its community and has improved the quality
of its law school by enhancing social awareness and communal
activism while representing NBLSA ideals. Chapters are evaluated
on criteria including: community service events, voter rights
programming, youth programming, college student programming,
career development, social events and National Black Law Students
Association participation.
The Florida State BLSA chapter held more than 30 events during
the 2011-2012 academic year on topics ranging from election
law to African-Americans in the legal profession. Chapter members
also participated in community service activities, volunteering at the
Second Harvest of the Big Bend, collecting food and clothing for
local families and also collecting books for prisoners.
“We are thrilled that our Black Law Students Association was
again recognized as National Chapter of the Year,” said Dean Don
Weidner. “Congratulations and thanks go to the entire BLSA board
and especially President Michael Williams for bringing this honor
home to Florida State.”
Students Win Regional
ABA Dispute Resolution
Competition
Two Florida State University College of Law students
have won first place in the 2011 American Bar
Association Regional Negotiation Competition. The
competition was held in Raleigh, North Carolina,
on November 12-13. The students then competed
in the national competition on February 3-4 in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Winning team members were first-year students
Jared Snyder, of Coral Springs, Florida, and William
Thompson, of Jacksonville, Florida. They were
coached by P. Gregory “Greg” Jones, who is special
counsel at the Florida Department of Transportation.
“We are all so proud of Will and Jared, especially
since Florida State was the only school with first-year
law students participating in the competition” said
Dean Don Weidner. “Special thanks go to the student
competitors and to their coach.”
Twenty-eight teams representing 14 law schools
competed in the event, which was open to schools from
seven southeastern states and Puerto Rico. Florida
State’s winning team beat Samford University in the
first round, University of Miami in the second round
and Emory University in the finals. Other schools
competing included University of Florida, University
of Georgia and University of North Carolina.
(L-R) William Thompson (’14) and Jared Snyder (’14)
44 FLORIDA STATE LAW