The University of Wisconsin Black Law Students Association (BLSA) was named Chapter of the Year for 2004-05 at the Midwest Regional BLSA Convention in Columbus, Ohio, in January 2005. The group was selected from among 46 schools that comprise the Midwest region.

In vying for Midwest Chapter of the Year honors, chapters around the Midwest submitted scrapbooks documenting the various community service and social endeavors the chapter had spearheaded in the past year. UW BLSA submitted a scrapbook that "caused a panel of judges' jaws to drop," according to one observer.

UW BLSA's scrapbook will be submitted at the National BLSA Convention in March in competition for National Chapter of the Year honors.

During the convention, attendees participated in the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition and the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition. In addition, each school was required to send delegates to represent their school's interests. The UW Law School sent a total of 11 students, including one mock trial team, two moot court teams, two delegates, and one member of the Midwest Regional board.

Results of competitions:

Moot Court Team (1) ­-- Second Place Overall; Best Brief

(Alexis Highsmith, Randolph Reliford, and alternate - Tanja Smith)

Moot Court Team (2) -- Quarter Finalists

(Benita Anderson and Michelle Words)

Mock Trial Team -- Semi Finalists

(Latrice Pinson, Erika Watson, Starlette Harris, and Shakira Ferguson)

The UW Law School's two delegates were Sam Owens and Gozie Onyema. 

Gozie Onyema and Alexis Highsmith commented in reporting the results, "While the Midwest convention of 2005 has come to an end, our participation is not over. Our moot court team of Alexis Highsmith and Randolph Reliford will represent the Midwest in the National Finals of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition in late March in Denver, Colorado.  In addition, three of our chapter's members (Randolph Reliford, Tanja Smith and Camille Townsend) are on the National Board, while Tanja Smith also sits on the Midwest Regional Board. All three of these individuals play a key role in decisions which affect BLSA on the national scene. They will also play an integral role in the planning and execution of the National BLSA Convention."

Onyema and Highsmith continued, "The 2004-2005 UW BLSA Chapter has truly raised the bar for future years. Our community service efforts and participation in the law school and Greater Madison community have made this year a truly remarkable one."

Submitted by on February 1, 2005

This article appears in the categories: Articles