The Black Law Student Association
The Black Law Student Association (BLSA), founded in 1967, is a national organization with chapters at virtually every law school in the country. The University of Maryland chapter, one of the first and one of the largest in the nation, is active in recruiting and assisting black and other minority law students with their studies while in law school and preparing them for admission to and practice in the bar. The Maryland chapter is a vital, integral part of the local black community and bar, sponsoring and/or participating in many community-oriented activities such as the BLSA-Booker T. Washington Middle School Tutorial Program, career day lectures on law as a career for young blacks, providing holiday baskets of food for needy members of the community and conducting clothing drives for women and children at local shelters for battered women. The Maryland chapter has received several national BLSA honors and community service awards for its achievements.