A group of Windsor law students played high-profile roles at the annual conference of the national Black Law Students’ Association (BLSAC), held in Halifax, on the theme “Assessing the Road Travelled, Strategizing for the Road Ahead: Examining the Law, the Legal Profession, and the Community.”
The Faculty of Law was a gold sponsor of the conference, and UWindsor student Charissa Cobbler gave a welcoming address as the association's 2009-09 president.
BLSAC issued the fifth edition of its magazine, featuring contributions by Cobbler and fellow third-year Windsor law students Andrea Anderson, Edwina King, and Lily Tekle.
The forum hosted several panels discussing topics ranging from tips for afrocentric schools and career paths available for advocates to tips for oral advocacy and mastering a law firm interview. Windsor law students Qadira Jackson and Tekle participated on a panel on racial profiling.
Second-year law student Omar Haredeye claimed the top oralist prize in the annual Koskie Minsky Moot Competition, heard by members of the judiciary, Justice Valerie Miller (Tax Court of Canada), Justice Corrine Sparks (Family Court of Nova Scotia) and Justice Jean Whalen (Provincial and Family Court of Nova Scotia).
The weekend concluded with elections of the new BLSAC executive for 2009-10. Windsor's Melissa Knox, a first-year law student and LEAP pro bono student was elected as national mentoring representative.
Overall, the conference was a success and would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Dalhousie Black Law Students’ Association, Tekle says. Anyone interested in contacting the national organization can send an e-mail to general@blsacanada.ca.
Photo: Three Nova Scotia judges—Justice Valerie Miller (left), Justice Corrine Sparks (centre), and Justice Jean Whalen (right)—greet Windsor law students Qadira Jackson and Lily Tekle at the BLSAC national convention in Halifax.
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