Chartered Organizations

• Advocates for Children
  Contact: Pamela Miller 
   
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Club (ADR)
   
• American Bar Association (ABA)
   
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
  Contact: Catherine Terrell / James Tate
  The American Civil Liberties Union at Cincinnati Law works in cooperation with the Ohio ACLU to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Anyone can join, we have monthly meetings/activities, and there are no dues.
   
• American Constitution Society (ACS)
  Contact: Ryan Mabry
  The American Constitution Society promotes the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and the fundamental values it expresses: individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, access to justice, democracy and the rule of law. ACS believes that law can and should be a force for improving the lives of all people. We are revitalizing and transforming legal and policy debates in classrooms, courtrooms, legislatures and the media, and we are building a diverse and dynamic network of progressives committed to justice. Through these efforts, ACS will ensure that the institutions of American law reflect the highest values of our nation and serve the needs of its people.
   
• Asian Pacific Law Students Association (APLSA)
  Contact: Sherin George
  The Asian Law Students Association serves the interests and needs of students with ethnic and/or cultural ties to Asia and the Pacific Rim. Sponsoring symposiums, workshops, and social events, the organization heightens awareness of Asian Americans in the legal community. Through active participation, members derive a sense of self-empowerment, while developing invaluable leadership skills.
   
• Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
  Contact: Gregory Carter
  The University of Cincinnati Chapter of BLSA is an active participant in the National Black Law Students Association. BLSA was created in 1969 with the goal of opening law school doors and enhancing the quality of legal education for African-American students throughout the United States. BLSA has been instrumental in providing African-Americans with expanded access to the field of law during the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. In the 21st Century, BLSA is poised to continue advocating for major increases in the number of African-American faculty hired and African-American students admitted to law schools throughout the United States.
   
• Christian Legal Society (CLS)
  Contact: Edward Hyde
  The Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a nondenominational Christian student group.  We aim to serve the law school–Christians and non-Christians alike–by providing opportunities for service to the community, bringing enriching speakers to the school, and facilitating the open exchange of ideas.  We also aim to provide a supportive community for Christian students and help them deepen their faith.  CLS at UC is also part of the national Christian Legal Society.
   
• Criminal Law Association (CLA)
  Contact: Amanda Smith
  The Criminal Law Association is committed to having events which help to expose our students to all areas of criminal law. This includes, but is not limited to, criminal defense, prosecution, appellate work, post-conviction relief, and juvenile criminal work. Also, we will encourage all students to attend our meetings. We will welcome both those students interested in practicing criminal law to attend and those who are simply interested in hearing about different areas of criminal law.
   
• Environmental Law Society (ELS)
   Contact: Adam Moser / Ryan Schmit
   
• Federalist Society
  Contact: Rhett Lemmel
   
• Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA)
  Contact: Zoraida Martinez
   
• Immigrant Community Legal Assistance Project
   
• Intellectual Property Society
   
• International Law Society
   
• Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)
  Contact: Aaron Bernay
  JLSA is a social and cultural organization dedicated to discussion and awareness of Jewish law, legal thought and Judaic responses to contemporary issues.  JLSA plans to host a lunchtime panel discussion this fall in addition to its Second Annual Model Passover Seder come spring.
   
• Labor and Employment Law Club
  Contact: Brandon Craig
  The Labor & Employment Law club is centered around developing an understanding of both Labor law and Employment law. We work with union agencies and administrative agencies to enhance the law students understanding of the specific areas of labor law and employment law. We currently have several positions available that require minimum time commitments but will off opportunities to network and connect with the local field. We have plans to hold another forum on a topic within the labor and employment law fields and make a trip to the National Labor Relations Board to learn more about the role of the board.
   
• Law Democrats
  Contact: Daniel O’Brien
  The Law Democrats (”Law Dems”) is an organization that strives to encourage civic involvement and progressive thinking throughout the law school.  Law Dems promotes camaraderie between students, public service, and political participation at the local and state levels. The 2008-2009 school year promises to be an extremely busy time for the Law Dems with the presidential election taking place on November 4. Our group will be working with local candidates until then, and working after that to promote Democratic policy and ideals. Join us if you’re inerested in activism and the political process!
   
• Law Republicans
  Contact: William Sweeney
  Law Republicans of Cincinnati hope to work with our counterparts, the Law Dems, in increasing political discussion at the law school. We invite all Republicans and conservative allies to join, regardless of how your beliefs match the current GOP leadership. We are about ideas and helping make the GOP a better party, not partisanship.
   
• Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ)
  Contact: Michelle Cheek
  Law Students for Reproductive Justice is a national nonprofit network of law students and lawyers. Our organizations educates, organizes, and supports law students to ensure that a new generation of advocates will be prepared to protect and expand reproductive rights as a basic civil and humans rights.
   
• Law Women
   
• Out and Allies
  Contact: Sarvani Prasad
  The Purpose of Out and Allies is to create a forum for all students and faculty to discuss issues of sexual orientation in the law, and to create both a voice for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students in the Law School and to foster a supportive atmosphere for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students. It is a service organization, and has the additional function of informing the student body about sexual orientation issues, developing service projects to support community outreach programs and builds relationships between GLBT professionals and the University of Cincinnati College of Law students.
   
• Phi Alpha Delta (PAD)
  Contact: Dan Knecht
  P.A.D. is a co-ed legal fraternity that engages in regular social activities while also offering great networking, educational, and leadership opportunities.
   
• Public Interest Law Group (PILG)
  Contact: Teresa Martinez
  The Public Interest Law Group is an organization open to all students who would like to pursue a career in public interest law or are simply interested in learning more about the public sector. The group does various community service activities, as well as hosting many fundraising and social events. The fundraising events benefit the Summer Public Interest Fellowship program, which gives a summer stipend to UC Law Students who do volunteer work during the summer.
   
• Student Ambassadors
  Contact: Mandy Shoemaker
  Student Ambassadors is student representative organization of the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. Members represent the office to prospective students by giving tours, helping with Open Houses, and contacting prospective students and talking to them about the benefits of attending the University of Cincinnati College of law. Our goal is to foster positive images of the school, and educating others about our faculty, academics, student life, and student body.
   
• St. Thomas More Society
   
• Sports and Entertainment Law Club
  Contact: Brandon Craig
  The Sports & Entertainment Law Club is a club devoted to improving the law students understanding of Sports law and Entertainment law. We host social and educational events that connect to the law students with practicing attorneys and other professionals within the Sport & Entertainment fields. Although we are relatively new, we have many exciting events scheduled for this year and look forward to offering students very unique experiences. The Sports and Entertainment Law club has the position of treasurer open. The position is one that a 1L can apply for and requires little if any real time commitment.
   
• Tenant Information Project (TIP)
  Contact: Brian Howe
  TIP is a volunteer organization that provides legal information to callers concerning landlord/tenant law. TIP is one of several organizations at the Law School through which students can receive recognition on their transcript as a Legal Public Interest Volunteer based upon their volunteer efforts. A minimum of 15 hours of participation is required each semester to receive this recognition. However, this requirement can be satisfied by volunteering as little as one hour each week throughout the semester.
   
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
  Contact: Michael Burke
  VITA is a national group, with the law school serving as a local chapter. Volunteers help individuals who make less than $40,000 of income fill out their federal and state income tax forms at no cost. At the University of Cincinnati College of Law, we have a strong focus on helping the University’s foreign graduate students, but also assist any of the University’s students with their tax returns. VITA volunteers are not required to have any former tax or accounting experience, and will be able to obtain service credit recognition on their law school transcripts when they complete at least 15 hours of volunteer work.  This transcript recognition satisfies one of the law school’s many graduation requirements. The time of VITA service runs throughout the tax season, between February and April each year.

Email us at uclawsba@gmail.com if your group is chartered and is not listed here. Non chartered groups like Student Court, INLR, Moot Court, Law Review, FCJ, HRQ don’t need to do anything.