Events

BLSA and NLG hosted a panel event on October 21, 2020 that examined the role of public defenders in the Black community and the specific experiences of our 3 panelists, all of whom are Black public defenders. BLSA’s Jordan Gary hosted and Melissa Portes-Romero moderated.

On September 18, 2020, BLSA and UM's Tech Law Club hosted a panel discussion on the challenges and inequities faced by Black founders, the VC communities' responses, and the lawyer's role in improving startup ecosystems. BLSA's Brandon Newell and Michael Bailey co-moderated.

On February 3rd, 2021 we hosted the Jaret L. Davis BLSA Racial Justice Collaborative Workspace rededication. We honored alumnus Jaret L. Davis, celebrated the history of Black law students at Miami Law, and unveiled a newly created art piece, by Sydney Maubert, that will display in the room.

BLSA hosted an event in June 2020 focused on racism in policing, following the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, and at the height of the summer's Black Lives Matter movement. President Ronnie Graham and Student Bar Association President Jordan Rhodes, both gave remarks during the event about their experiences in law school as Black students.

BLSA hosted a panel in July 2020 on the intersection of race, law, and sports alongside UM's Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Alumni Chair De-Vena Toon introduced the panel with remarks on the importance of extending our conversation on systemic racism beyond just police and criminal matters and examining how racism impacts every area of our lives. Vice President Jordan Gary co-moderated the panel of UM student-athletes, diving into their experiences as both Black students and Black athletes.

On August 26, 2020, we held a virtual welcome back reception for UM and FIU BLSA students. We had a total of 103 participants, including law students, judges, lawyers, and KMMF Board Members. We had several break out rooms where the students had the opportunity to talk about themselves and their interests and speak to potential mentors.

We had a wonderful panel co-hosted by UM's Criminal Law Society in July 2020. BLSA's Adrian Douglas was able to ask some excellent questions of two candidates running for Miami-Dade State Attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Melba Pearson

In true Miami fashion, BLSA members, alumni, and friends met up for the premiere of Bad Boys For Life during the spring 2020 semester.