American Constitution Society
The American Constitution Society at the School of Law endeavors
to provide a bipartisan forum for considered discussion of American
Constitutional law and policy. The society sponsors roundtables
and other discussion events to connect members with a range
of scholars, government officials, and others inside and outside
of the School of Law community who can stimulate the intellectual
environment of the school and aid its progression.
Black Law Students Association
The Black Law Students Association ("BLSA") is committed
to articulating and promoting the professional needs and goals
of black law students and fostering and encouraging competence
in the legal profession. BLSA is dedicated to addressing the
vision of community service that the school provides through
volunteering in our local area. BLSA has participated in and
coordinated various community service projects and programs
such as "Storytime", Minority Law Day, the Angel Tree
Project, Color of Justice and many more.
Business Law Society
The Business Law Society encourages the pursuit of a legal
career that interacts with a business related field. Activities
of the Society include an attorney mentoring program, prominent
guest speakers, local networking and regular social events.
Children's Law & Family Rights
Society
The Children's Rights and Family Law Society strives to facilitate
School of Law student's advocacy on behalf of the children of
the community and to provide a forum for students interested
in Family Law to become involved with professionals in the field.
The CRFLS partners with the Black Law Students Association to
sponsor the Charleston School of Law Angel Tree Project. This
Project provides holiday gifts to the children of local elementary
schools.
Christian Legal Society
The Christian Legal Society is open in the form of a group
that meets once weekly when school is in session. The group
brings in local attorneys at least once a month to speak and
participate in an open dialogue with students about their faith
in the workplace. Other weeks the group either participates
in Bible study or discusses how their faith affects their daily
lives in school and eventually in the workplace.
Criminal Law Society
The Criminal Law Society (CLS) at Charleston School of Law
aims to stimulate interest in criminal law at the School of
Law, provide networking opportunities with those in the field
of criminal law, and educate aspiring legal minds about issues
in criminal law. CLS plans to accomplish these goals through
various social events, community service, guest speakers, and
panel discussions. CLS was founded in 2008 and hopes to be one
of the most active organizations at the Charleston School of
Law.
Environmental Law Society
The Charleston School of Law Environmental Law Society (ELS)
is an organization, which seeks to provide a forum for students
to gain knowledge about the practice of environmental law. In
an attempt to provide exposure to the various facets of the
environmental community, the group sponsors a variety of lecturers
and interactive discussions throughout the year. Additionally,
the ELS provides a forum to promote new environmental law courses,
write publishable material related to current environmental
issues, interact with the local and regional environmental community,
and act as advocates for environmental awareness through community
service projects which benefit the Charleston region.
Evening Law Students Association
The Evening Law Student Association is dedicated to providing
useful professional, academic, community and social opportunities
for evening students at the Charleston School of Law. The Evening
Law Students Association also is committed to increasing the
awareness, interaction and integration of evening students with
all members of the School of Law community.
Federalist Society
The Federalist Society is a non-partisan, conservative/libertarian
organization dedicated to fostering balanced and open debate
about the fundamental principles of freedom, federalism, and
judicial restraint. The Society embraces the principle that
the state exists to preserve freedom, that separation of powers
is central to the integrity of our Constitution, and that it
is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say
what the law is, not what it should be.
Honor Council
The Charleston School of Law Honor Council, consisting of upper
and lower classmen, exclusively handles all issues concerning
the Honor Code. Students may apply for membership to the Honor
Council during both the fall and spring semester. The number
of applicants that will be selected for membership vary each
semester.
Intellectual Law Society
The Intellectual Property Society is an organization for students
who are interested in intellectual property and patent law.
Focus is given to current intellectual property issues and the
growing importance of intellectual property protection in the
United States. The Intellectual Property Society also keeps
its members up to date on all intellectual property job related
issues and specials offered by BAR/BRI for the patent bar review
course.
International Law Society
The International Law Society supports social and academic
awareness among law students interested in learning about international
law in both the public and private sectors of law. The International
Law Society provides a forum for information and discussion
among students, professors, and practitioners on global issues
in today's society.
Juris One (Sports Law & Entertainment
Law)
Juris One strives to promote awareness and knowledge of legal
issues related to the areas of Sports and Entertainment Law
while providing service to the School of Law and the greater
Charleston community. Juris One volunteers its services by raising
awareness to autism at the annual event called "Bowling
for Autism" with all proceeds helping to support the introduction
of Ryan's Law in South Carolina. Also, Juris One is actively
involved in all aspects of the School of Law's annual Race Judicata
5K Run/Walk that benefits Lowcountry Housing Trust. Juris One
is also committed to highlighting the sports and entertainment
talents of the School of Law students by providing an annual
concert and sporting event to showcase these talents.
Law Democrats
The purpose of the Law Democrats is to stimulate in our students
an active interest in government and politics, to acquaint student
voters with issues and candidates, to provide members opportunities
for personal and professional growth through interaction with
elected officials and members of the bar, and to foster and
perpetuate the ideals of the Democratic Party through public
service. The community service aspect includes voter registration
drives, various community service activities in conjunction
with local Democratic activists, and working with the Down Syndrome
Association of the Lowcountry.
Law Republicans
The Law Republicans of the School of Law strive to represent
the principles of the Republican Party on campus, provide a
forum for the discussion of current events, and to assist both
the local and national branches of the party in whatever way
possible. The Law Republicans are committed to public service
and work with the Red Cross and the homeless.
Military Law Society
The Military Law Society is dedicated to promoting knowledge
and awareness of military law issues affecting students, law
professionals, and members of America's Armed Forces. The society
promotes scholarly discussion of military law, counter-terrorism,
and related law topics, and builds social ties between interested
students, the School of Law, and the local community to promote
professional development. There are no prerequisites for membership.
Prior military experience is not required. The Society is open
to all individuals who wish to study the interface between the
military, the government and the legal system.
Moot Court Board
The School of Law Moot Court Board consists of forty to fifty
second and third-year students chosen for their excellence in
the combination of legal writing and oral advocacy.
Each spring, first-year students may compete in an intramural
competition that incorporates skills learned in the School of
Law's first-year legal research and writing program. The competition
is judged by local and regional attorneys and judges. At the
end of all competition rounds, these judges choose twenty students
based on their abilities in legal writing and oral advocacy.
The selected twenty receive an invitation to the Moot Court
Board.
Each fall, students in their second and third years may compete
in an upper-class intramural competition. This competition is
also judged by local attorneys and judges, and up to ten individuals
are chosen to receive an invitation to the Moot Court Board.
Astoundingly, the Moot Court Board established itself as a
national champion in its first competitive outing. In 2006,
a School of Law team won first place at the National Constitutional
Law Moot Court at Regent University.
In 2008, The Moot Court Board held the first annual Charleston
School of Law National Moot court Competition.
OWLS
OWLS (Older Wiser Law Students) provides a forum for issues
facing non-traditional students who may have had former careers
or families. Panels have included speakers discussing job opportunities
post-law school and expectations in law school.
Phi Alpha Delta
The purpose of this Fraternity shall be to form a strong bond
uniting students and teachers of the law with members of the
Bench and Bar in a fraternal fellowship designed to advance
the ideals of liberty and equal justice under law; to stimulate
excellence in scholarship; to inspire the virtues of compassion
and courage; to foster integrity and professional competence;
to promote the welfare of its members; and to encourage their
moral, intellectual, and cultural advancement; so that each
member may enjoy a lifetime of honorable professional and public
service.
Phi Delta Phi
Founded in 1896, Phi Delta Phi is the oldest as well as one
of the largest legal fraternities in the United States. The
organization is oriented primarily to diversified social activities.
The Charles Pinckney Inn strives for excellence in legal education
through the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, and
community service.
Real Estate Society
The Real Estate Society provides its members the opportunity
to meet those involved in the industry from local attorneys
to nationwide developers. The Society hosts multiple speakers
each semester. The Real Estate Society also launched a program
designed to give members first notice of real estate related
needs that will satisfy their pro bono graduation requirement.
Student Animal Legal Defense Fund
The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund is dedicated to providing
a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting
the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the
legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal
law. It is equally dedicated to the goals of educating the law
school and surrounding community about forms of institutionalized
animal abuse and engaging in projects that combat animal abuse.
Student Health Law & Bioethics
Society
The Student Health Law & Bioethics Society's purpose is
to equip future lawyers with both an understanding of and an
appreciation for the multi-faceted natures of medicine, health
law, and bioethics; to expose law students to the complexities
of clinical medicine so as to prepare for the practical and
theoretical challenges of health law; and to open dialogue and
create strong personal and professional bonds between future
and existing members of medicine and health care law.
Student Trial Lawyers Association
The Student Trial Lawyers Association encourages law students
and future trial lawyers to become actively involved in promoting
the civil justice system and championing the cause of those
who deserve redress for injury to person or property. The Student
Trial Lawyers Association will provide students with the opportunity
to discuss issues affecting the profession with trial lawyers
from across South Carolina.
Tax Law Society
The Tax Law Society is an organization for students who are
interested in tax law, including those interested in the areas
of federal income taxation, state and local taxation, and estate
planning. The Society introduces students to various tax issues
and legal professionals by providing opportunities to participate
in two national tax competitions, the National Tax Moot Court
competition and the ABA Tax Challenge (a transactional competition);
hosting related speakers; and maintaining an alumni database
that allows members access to a national networking system.
Participation in VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Association) is
one of the most important aspects of the Society, as it provides
the Society members with an opportunity to give back to the
local community and works towards satisfying their pro bono
legal service requirement.
Women In Law
Women In Law strives to provide service and action in the Charleston
community by promoting an awareness of issues concerning women.
Women In Law raises money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the
Cure and participates as an organization in the race. Additionally,
Women In Law conducts an annual fundraiser for local women's
charities, donating one hundred percent of those proceeds to
the chosen charity. Through these fundraisers, Women In Law
has supported Safe Moves, a charity supporting women recovering
from domestic violence relationships, The Center for Women,
and People Against Rape. Women In Law has also implemented a
Domestic Project which enables students to earn Pro Bono hours
by working along side My Sister's House and the Solicitor's
office to help victims of domestic violence.
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