Law School Catalog | 2006-2008

Student Activities

Student Bar Association

The student body of the law school is organized as a Student Bar Association, the membership of which includes all students in the school. The officers of the association are president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. There are also elected class representatives and representatives of the Texas State Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Senate of College Councils. The Board of Governors consists of the officers and the representatives.

The Student Bar Association coordinates the intellectual, cultural, social, and community service activities of the student body. Its goals are to unify the students and direct them toward worthy ends; to enhance cooperation and understanding among students, the faculty, and practitioners; and to foster respect for the legal profession and pride in the School of Law.

American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

The University chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) was formed in 2001 to add a progressive, human dimension to the law school dialogue. The ACS is a national organization made up of law students, lawyers, and others who are working to ensure that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice occupy a central place in American law.

Asian Law Students Association

The Asian Law Students Association (ALSA) is dedicated to addressing the interests and concerns of the Asian American community at the law school. Open to all members of the law school community, ALSA sponsors a variety of activities to meet students' social and academic needs. In addition to social activities, the organization has sponsored workshops on a variety of topics, including tips for studying and outlining for final exams and registration advice. ALSA participates in the National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA).

Assault and Flattery

Assault and Flattery (A&F) is one of the largest student organizations at the law school. Each spring A&F presents the school's annual musical comedy revue as part of Law Week. Usually based on a popular film or Broadway musical, the show embraces and satirizes all aspects of the legal profession—students, faculty members, and the law itself. The production is written, directed, designed, and choreographed by law students and features performances by student and faculty actors, singers, dancers, and musicians.

Board of Advocates

The Board of Advocates promotes development of practical skills in oral and written legal advocacy and sponsors a wide range of activities designed to give participants realistic experience in trial and appellate advocacy, negotiation, and client contact. The top ten advocates in each graduating class are inducted into the Order of Barristers. In addition, the Niemann Cup, established by Stanley P. and Claudie P. Wilson in 1984, is awarded to the top advocate in each graduating class.

Teams compete in a wide range of interscholastic and intramural competitions, including mock trial, client counseling, alternative dispute resolution, and negotiation competitions. These competitions, with critiques and coaching provided by the legal community, promote the development of advocacy skills and provide important experiences for prospective practitioners.

Each year, students enter the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, American Trial Lawyers Association Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Texas Young Lawyers' Association's Annual National Mock Trial Competition, as well as others. Since 1999, the Board of Advocates' teams have won nine national championships and numerous regional championships and have been national finalists in several competitions.

Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association

The Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association (CHLSA) is dedicated to addressing the needs of Hispanic law students. The organization is open to all members of the law school community. CHLSA provides various social and academic services, including an extensive outline library, academic sessions to discuss test-taking and studying strategies, resume and career planning sessions, bar review scholarships, and a mentoring program with second- and third-year law students and the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin. CHLSA is committed to providing a support network that will help each student have an intellectually challenging and successful law school experience.

Christian Legal Society

The Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a nondenominational association of law students seeking friendship, encouragement, and a refuge from the challenges of law school. Activities include weekly Bible study, prayer, monthly luncheons, and an annual retreat. CLS hosts both locally and nationally known attorneys to speak about how they have integrated their faith with their legal education.

Entertainment and Sports Law Society

The focus of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society (ESLS) is on educating students about the fields of entertainment law and sports law. Meetings include guest speakers from around the country who provide current and practical information about these growing fields. Guest speakers have included sports agents, members of the film and music industries, and entertainment attorneys.

Environmental Law Society

The Environmental Law Society (ELS) exists to increase awareness of environmental issues, especially in the legal context, and to provide students with opportunities for advocacy related to these issues. To these ends, ELS members are active in creating and learning from many events and activities, including career-related activities, scheduling speakers and symposia, holding social events, working with environmental groups, hosting the Environmental Moot Court competition, working with other environmental law societies, attending the National Association of Environmental Law Societies conferences, running the law school recycling program, and providing access to environmental law resources such as the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.

Intellectual Property Law Society

Intellectual property law, the law of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, is currently the area with the greatest market demand. The Intellectual Property Law Society exists to inform and assist students interested in the practice of intellectual property law. The society offers regular guest speakers, opportunities to visit with local intellectual property lawyers, and broad ranging information about the area, including the Patent and Trademark Office examination and career options.

Jewish Law Students Association

The Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) strives to create a Jewish community within the law school. Engaging students and faculty members, the JLSA plans a variety of events, including student/faculty dinners, happy hours, and holiday celebrations. In addition, the JLSA cosponsors events with other Jewish student groups on campus and Jewish young professional groups in Austin.

Legal Research Board

The Legal Research Board is an organization of University law students chartered by the State Bar of Texas to provide legal research and prepare legal memoranda for licensed attorneys. Founded in 1962, the LRB is one of the oldest student-run legal research organizations of its kind in the country. While providing a valuable service to lawyers nationwide, the LRB's primary purpose is to refine the research and writing skills of its members by giving them opportunities to work with actual problems in consultation with practicing attorneys. The LRB, a self-funded organization, compensates members for the memoranda they write. Twenty first-year law students are selected for membership in the LRB based on outstanding performance in the freshlaw research and writing program. Scholarships for the best memo in each section are sponsored by Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP.

National Lawyers Guild

The National Lawyers Guild is a national network of more than five thousand lawyers, legal workers, law students, and jailhouse lawyers that has provided legal support to virtually every campaign for economic, social, and political justice in this country since 1937. The programs of the University chapter of the guild reflect the diverse interests of progressive students at the law school and provide a forum for action on a variety of issues. Activities include guest speakers, meetings with alumni, symposia, workshops, and volunteer legal aid projects. Students may take part in guild activities beginning in their first semester.

OUTLaw (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Law School Alliance)

OUTLaw seeks to promote the interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students at the School of Law. Membership is open to all law school students, faculty members, and staff members, regardless of sexual orientation. OUTLaw organizes social activities and works to raise awareness of gay and lesbian issues by hosting panel discussions and guest lectures on campus. Informally, OUTLaw acts as an academic and professional support network for law students who are interested in matters that affect the gay community.

Phi Delta Phi

Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, established in 1869 to promote a higher standard of professional ethics, is one of the oldest legal organizations in North America. During the past two decades, Phi Delta Phi's reputation as an organization devoted to legal excellence has begun to spread to Mexico and Europe. The University chapter, Roberts Inn, was established at the University of Texas School of Law in 1910.

To be eligible for active membership, a law student must be of good moral character and in good academic standing at a law school in which a student inn is located. First-semester students may participate in select inn activities pending second-semester initiation. To be admitted to Roberts Inn, the student must have the required grade point average.

Public Interest Law Association

Since 1995, the Public Interest Law Association (PILA) has sought to create a student forum for education, discussion, and involvement with public interest law and ideas. Through its annual Public Interest Law Conference, a brown bag lecture series, a mentorship program, and other social and academic activities, PILA aims to provide information to students on opportunities in public interest law careers, to allow students to meet other students interested in public interest issues, and to work with the law school administration to create and improve existing public interest programs. All students are welcome to join.

Street Law

Working in partnership with the Austin Young Lawyers Association, Street Law sends law students into local middle and high schools to make presentations about legal issues relevant to young people. Street Law presents about eighty lessons a year to Austin-area schools. Each spring, Street Law brings high school students to the law school for a day of campus tours, sample classes, mock trials, and panel discussions about law school and legal careers.

Student Recruitment and Orientation Committee

The Student Recruitment and Orientation Committee (SROC) is open to students interested in meeting new and potential law students. SROC introduces potential students and entering freshlaw students to the law school through a number of projects; these include freshlaw orientation, fall open house, UT Undergraduate Day, spring phonathon, Prospective Students Day, law school tours, and new student contact buddies.

Survivor Support Network

The Survivor Support Network is an organization devoted to helping survivors of domestic violence become economically independent. Because economic dependence is one of the main reasons individuals stay in abusive relationships, the organization's goal is to give survivors the tools to be self-sufficient. Members help clients learn to keep a budget, do safety planning, produce resumes, find jobs, and find daycare; members also act as advocates for clients in legal proceedings. In addition, the organization hosts a number of fundraisers each year in order to provide clients with emergency funds for urgent needs such as car repair or medical expenses.

Texas Law Fellowships

Texas Law Fellowships (TLF), founded in 1986 and run by students, is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to funding summer fellowships in public interest law for students of the School of Law.

In 2004-2005, TLF raised more than $100,000 and awarded funding to twenty-six law students. The Spring Pledge Drive, which receives contributions primarily from students, is augmented with matching contributions from faculty members and employers. The Fall Auction Fundraiser offers students and members of the legal community a chance to celebrate a shared commitment to public interest law. TLF also honors attorneys, faculty members, and students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the public with the annual Excellence in Public Interest Awards.

The members of Texas Law Fellowships believe that legal education is not complete unless it instills in students an obligation to contribute to the public good in exchange for the privilege of practicing law. The group strives to create an environment at the School of Law in which students can fully, effectively, and easily serve the public interest.

Texas Technology, Science, and Law Association

The Texas Technology, Science, and Law Association exists to promote and explore issues of law pertaining to emerging science and developing technologies.

Thurgood Marshall Legal Society

The Thurgood Marshall Legal Society (TMLS) is the law school affiliate of the National Black Law Students Association. The purpose of TMLS is to foster legal, cultural, and social awareness among black law students. To achieve this goal, TMLS maintains a variety of subcommittees that address such areas as academics, public relations, community service, career placement, alumni relations, and fund-raising. TMLS actively recruits African Americans into the law school community and promotes an atmosphere at the law school that is conducive to their academic and professional success.

Women's Law Caucus

The Women's Law Caucus (WLC) reflects both the diversity and the growing influence of women at the School of Law. Founded in 1972, WLC is one of the largest volunteer student organizations at the law school. Activities range from professional development and academic support to social events and golf lessons. Because membership is open to all law students, WLC is a diverse group with equally diverse concerns and activities.

As women are increasingly represented in the legal profession, their influence grows in all areas of the profession. Networking is a way for women who have achieved success to provide the benefit of their experience to those just entering the profession. Some of WLC's networking opportunities include activities with the Travis County Women Lawyers Association, Wine About Law School, Women and the Law Panel, and a seasonal golf clinic and tournament with members of the local bar.

WLC provides many social and academic activities for students, such as a personal safety seminar, StressBusters Fair, examination preparation seminar and outline bank, big-sister mentoring program with first-year students, happy hour mixers, and a first-year summer internship advice seminar. WLC is active in raising money for charities and in volunteering with local service organizations, such as AngelTree, Women's Advocacy Project, SafePlace, and the Survivor Support Network.

Women's Roundtable

Women's Roundtable creates a forum for learning and interaction between a select group of female law students and leaders in the Texas legal community. The purpose of the program is to help develop the potential of future female leaders and to contribute to their empowerment. The casual dinner format of the roundtable meetings is an opportunity for students to meet and talk with judges, lawyers, and community leaders from both the public and the private sectors.