VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF LAW
STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION
committees
The Student Bar Association's committees aim to improve student life at the law school through various events and initiatives. Read more about each of the committees below!
Academic & Faculty Relations
Co-Chairs: Mike Ji, M. Cooper
The Academics & Faculty Relations Committee serves as a liaison between the student body and faculty, informs professors of student interests and concerns, facilitates interaction between student and faculty with social events and other programming and addresses the academic and curricular concerns of the student body.
Building Services & Environmental Concerns
Chair: Alli Conklin
The Building Services & Grounds Committee addresses issues of concern of the student body as they pertain to the law school’s facilities & grounds. The Committee is charged with recommending changes related to, and commenting on the utilization of spaces within the law school. We hope to use this next year to invest in Spies Garden and imagine the members of this committee being active participants in helping that vision come to life. Members of this committee will help work on the details of these projects in various ways, including but not limited to, working on budgets and soliciting student feedback about what investments they’d like to see.
Community Engagement
Co-Chairs: Dominique Straughn-Turner, Sannidhi Shashikiran, Olivia Haimerl
The Community Engagement Committee primarily coordinates service projects for law students to take part in throughout the school year. By bridging a gap that is currently present between the law school and many local organizations, CEC will aim to provide students with the opportunity to impact a community that has allowed them to thrive academically. At the end of the day, this committee will aim to “pay it forward” by bringing students and members of the community together. In the past, the Community Engagement Committee has hosted a food drive to help combat food insecurity in Charlottesville as well as raised money for facilities staff around the holidays. This year we hope to continue those projects as well as work on new initiatives, including compiling resource guides for incoming 1Ls, organizing additional fundraising drives and connecting students with service opportunities in the Charlottesville community.
Digital Communications
Co-Chairs: Amelia Isaacs, Elizabeth VanKammen
Working alongside the SBA Secretary, the Digital Communications Committee will be tasked with strategizing how SBA can best digitally communicate with our students and other stakeholders. This may include:
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Helping to re-do SBA’s website
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Re-imagining the layout and content of weekly emails to incentivize more engagement
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Creating graphics for SBA’s new Instagram account
Are you a Canva rockstar? Please apply!
Diversity Advisory Council
Co-Chairs: Asha Talia Chadha, Catie Haddad, Alyssa Lawrence, Nile Smith
The Diversity Advisory Council works to foster an environment of awareness and tolerance in support of inclusion of minorities and the promotion of a diverse and multicultural law school community and to address the diversity issues and concerns of the student body. Some initiatives this committee will be tasked with are advocating for more gender neutral bathrooms, increasing communication between affinity groups, and offering more dietary options at the law school (such as night snacks during Ramadan and more gluten-free snacks). Students who are passionate about helping create an inclusive environment at the law school will be good for this committee. We are going to work hard this year on making sure affinity groups feel heard and represented in SBA, and encourage students who want to help facilitate those conversations and share their ideas on how to increase inclusivity to apply.
Health & Wellness
Co-Chairs: Katherine Scotnicki, Mark Graff
The Health and Wellness Committee is responsible for coordinating events and initiatives that promote healthy living at the law school.
The Health and Wellness Committee has traditionally supported students by offering farm fresh vegetables, organizing journal care packages for 1Ls and organizing blood donation drives.
This year, we’re hoping to focus heavily on mental health initiatives. We’re hoping that members of the Health & Wellness Committee will assist us in planning a Mental Health Week in October, in creating and distributing a mental health resource guide, and in volunteering to lead support circles which connect students to one another. If you are passionate about changing the culture at the law school and destigmatizing conversations about mental health, we would love to have you apply.
Programming
Co-Chairs: Jonathan Price, Luis Sierra
The Programming Committee works to plan, organize, and produce engaging and fun social programming for the student body with due concern to non-drinkers, to support and foster UVA Law’s unique culture of collegiality, and to coordinate school-wide programming to increase student awareness and participation in major social events.
Students who enjoy and are talented at bringing people together through exciting outings and events will be great on this committee.
Barristers' Ball
Co-Chairs: Brent Rice, Alexa Rothborth
This committee is tasked with planning the annual Barristers’ Ball. We hope to reduce the ticket costs, or, at the least make subsidized tickets available as needed. To that end, the Barristers’ Ball Sub Committee will be involved in fundraising efforts. We additionally hope to streamline ticket sales by using an online sign-up process and will be counting on this committee to help us develop the most efficient and fair way to sell tickets.
Students who love planning large parties should apply!
