Black Law Student Association

Welcome to the GMU BLSA web page. George Mason School of law was founded in 1979 when the International school of law merged with George Mason University. The newly formed George Mason University School of Law was located in Arlington, Virginia nestled right along the border of Washington D.C. and northern Virginia, providing the metropolitan D.C. area with an institution of legal excellence while simultaneously serving the Arlington community’s needs through community service programs and initiatives.

GMU’s BLSA was chartered in 1986 by approximately 20 law students under the guidance of their faculty advisor, Professor Veryl Miles. The organization’s express purpose was twofold: to meet the needs of a fast growing African American student population at the newly formed law school, and to serve as a community service vehicle to meet the needs of the surrounding community in Arlington. The organization’s President, Tonya Robinson, observed that even in a small up and coming school like George Mason, the African American student population was growing at a fast rate, and needed an organization such as BLSA to assist in these students personal and professional development. Her vision for the organization was to conduct regular meetings and bring in notable guest speaker’s to “discuss some of the problems facing minority students in the field of law.”

Twenty years have not diminished GMU’s vision for BLSA. While GMU has enjoyed continued success and recognition over the past twenty years, GMU’s BLSA has likewise enjoyed similar success. Today GMU is firmly ranked as a top tier law school and has established itself as one of the premier law schools in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Similarly GMU’s BLSA has grown in numbers, scope of vision and stature. In spite of the increased number, GMU is proud of the close familial relationship between its members. We hope that you enjoy your time visiting our BLSA family. This is the twentieth anniversary year of our organization’s inception and we hope to celebrate continued diversity, service and excellence in recognition of the efforts of our past alumni. We welcome you to take a look around our website and make yourself at home to see what our future plans are and similarly to see what we’ve been up to. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please feel free to contact myself or any of our other officers should you have any other questions, comments or concerns. Once again, we thank you for visiting our BLSA family, and we hope you enjoy your stay.

Click here for a list of current and past officers.