Student Organizations

• Asian Pacific Allied Law Students Association (APALSA)
• Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council (DEI Council)
• First-Generation Law Students Association (FGLSA)
• Italian-American Law Students Association (IALSA)
• Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)
• Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
• Law Students with Disabilities and Neurodivergencies (LSDN)
• Military Law and Veterans Association (MLVA)
• Native Indigenous Law Students Association (NILSA)
• Non-Traditional Law Students Association (NTLSA)
• OUTLaw
• Parents and Law Students (PALS)

Law Journals

• Buffalo Environmental Law Journal
• Buffalo Human Rights Law Review
• Buffalo Law Review

Moot Court Boards

• Buffalo Moot Court Board
• Jessup International Moot Court Board

• Alternative Dispute Resolution Society (ADR)
• American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS)
• Buffalo Environmental Law Society (BELS)
• Buffalo Health Law Society (BHLS)
• Buffalo Public Interest Law Program (BPILP)
• Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Law Society (BSELS)
• Domestic Violence Task Force (DVTF)
• Federalist Society
  
• Gaming Regulation & Law Society (GRLS)
• Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS)
• International Law Society (ILS)
• Labor and Employment Law Society (LELS)
• Law & Business Association (LBA)
• Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) – Alden Chapter
• Pickleball Club
  
• Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF)
• Student Wellness Society (SWS)

Alternative dispute resolution is an increasingly popular form of case resolution in the legal community. The Alternative Dispute Resolution Society concentrates mainly on mediation and provides multiple opportunities for students to become involved with and learn about the mediation process. Each year the ADR Society hosts a Representation in Mediation Competition, which allows students to enhance their skills and provides them with an opportunity to participate in mediation.

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) promotes the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and the fundamental values it expresses: individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, access to justice, democracy, and the rule of law. ACS chapters offer platforms for debate and discussion about both enduring principles and the issues of the day, as well as provide opportunities for networking, mentoring and organizing around matters of both local and national significance. Every year ACS holds a national convention in DC and provides scholarships to members of the student chapters. Past speakers including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Senator Wendy Davis, and former Attorney General Eric Holder.

The Asian Law Students Association (ALSA) supports students of Asian descent, facilitates Asian law students’ interaction in the Law School community and provides a forum for discussions on legal issues concerning Asians. ALSA hosts regular academic and social events of Asian interest for its members.

The organization also hosts events to provide Asian students with a support network of resources to help and provide significant guidance in acing their career path in the legal fraternity.

The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) is a professional, nationally affiliated organization of black law students dedicated to improving opportunities and diversity in legal education. At the University at Buffalo School of Law chapter of BLSA, our goal is to articulate and promote the educational, professional, political and social needs of our black law students while also giving back to our communities. [Read more]

The Buffalo Environmental Law Journal publishes high-quality articles that analyze legal environmental issues, including those surrounding climate change, energy, natural resources management, land use and pollution. BELJ publishes articles written by practitioners, professors and students, and is entirely edited by School of Law students. Membership provides an excellent opportunity for students to participate in environmental legal discourse and hone their management, organizational, research and editing skills. [Read more]

The purpose of the Buffalo Health Law Society is to encourage medical students and law students to explore the intersection of medical and legal issues to facilitate interprofessional collaboration and holistic patient care.  The Buffalo Health Law Society will provide opportunities for the entire JSMBS and UB Law student bodies to cultivate an understanding of the synergistic nature of law and medicine and provide tangible examples of how doctors and lawyers can collaborate and use their collective knowledge to advance health justice.

The Buffalo Human Rights Law Review (BHRLR) is a leading academic law journal committed to furthering scholarship on the interdisciplinary study of human rights law. Each year, BHRLR publishes contributions from practitioners, professors, and students from across the country and around the globe. Members of BHRLR gain practice-ready experience in research, writing, and substantive and technical editing, and have the opportunity for their work to be published. [Read more]

The Buffalo Law Review, published since 1951, publishes 5 issues per year, with each issue containing articles from scholars, practitioners, and judges. The Law Review also publishes member-written pieces on contemporary legal issues.

The Buffalo Law Review prides itself on maintaining the highest level of integrity and objectivity in its selection process. Admission to the Law Review is open to the entire student body. Every year 28 to 32 new members are selected. Half of the students are selected based on first-year grades, Casenote scores, and a Diversity Statement. Admission for the other half is based solely on a combination of Casenote score and the Diversity Statement. Members may also be added from students transferring to the School of Law based on Casenote score and the Diversity Statement. [Read more]

The Buffalo Moot Court Board is the University at Buffalo School of Law’s chief moot court organization. The Buffalo Moot Court Board is dedicated to fostering excellence in appellate advocacy and encouraging the development of practical legal skills such as brief writing and oral argument.

Membership on the Board is offered to students who demonstrate exceptional oral advocacy and brief writing skills through competing in the annual Charles S. Desmond Moot Court Competition. For over three decade, this intramural competition gives participants the opportunity to argue a constitutional law case currently pending before the United States Supreme Court. Accomplished lawyers from Western New York judge competitors in the preliminary rounds, while law school professors and federal and state judges evaluate the semifinalists and finalists.

Awards for the Desmond competition are made possible through the Philip Pohl Memorial Fund, created in honor of Philip Pohl, a distinguished law alumnus and former Buffalo attorney. [Read more]

The Buffalo Public Interest Law Program raises money to support students who work in the public interest each summer during law school. BPILP also hosts networking events for students to meet public-interest employers from neighboring communities. The organization is affiliated with Lawyers for Learning and participates in the Student Bar Association’s Volunteer Service Days. [Read more]

The Buffalo Sports & Entertainment Law Society (BSELS) is a community of law students, alumni, faculty and friends who are interested in sports and entertainment law in all of its many facets. To that end, they have created a student group as well as an online forum to provide a space for publication of articles addressing sports and entertainment law topics, discussion of current issues and most importantly, facilitation of interaction among our growing community of sports and entertainment law enthusiasts.

The purpose of the DEI Council shall be to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging among law students, as well as transparency within the administration and its procedures at the University at Buffalo School of Law. The DEI Council aims to ensure all diverse law students not only have a presence within the law school community, but to ensure that students truly feel a part of the law school community where their voices are valued and where they can receive the support necessary to succeed.

The Domestic Violence Task Force strives to raise awareness and educate students, Law School staff and community members about domestic violence through various activities such as panel nights and information dissemination at events. Our organization holds an annual "Dress for What's Next" spring event for survivors of domestic violence. It is a relaxing day for the women filled with shopping, makeup lessons, resume drafting and practice interviews. This empowering day encourages domestic violence survivors to remember their worth and improve their self-esteem.

The Federalist Society is a student organization that fosters critical thought and debate about the application of conservative and libertarian ideas to the law. The Society embraces the principle that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of powers is central to the Constitution of the United States of America, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.

First-Generation Law Students Association (FGLSA) offers support to students who identify as first-generation law students. This includes law students who are the first in their family to attend college or first to attend professional school. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive community for UB Law students who lack access to generational knowledge of the legal field. We aim to facilitate discussions surrounding common questions first-generation students may have through workshops and events designed and led by our fellow FGLSA peers. More than anything, FGLSA aims to show you, a first-generation law student, that there are others who have felt the same things you are feeling and found success in law school. We are a community dedicated to support each other in life and career.

Gaming Regulation & Law Society (GRLS) exists to bring attention to the growing field of gaming law.  GRLS focuses on policy surrounding anti-gambling laws, the growth of gambling as an industry, as well as the lobbying process used to expand gambling laws. We also examine how the experiences of gambling, and the expansion of gambling law, impacts our local indigenous tribes.

The Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) offers interested law students a forum in which to discuss issues arising in the field of intellectual property law, to learn more about the practice of IP law, and to engage with faculty and attorneys familiar with this specialized field. In addition to organizing both speaking and networking events for law students on campus, IPLS also strives to connect law students with the intellectual property legal community WNY area by promoting off-campus events related to IP. No science or technical background required! IP law encompasses copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets in addition to patents. IPLS is a great opportunity for law students to pursue their interests beyond the classroom and interact with their like-minded students.

The International Law Society at the University at Buffalo is a student organization that promotes the study of international law; fosters relationships between students, practitioners, and scholars; and facilitates student awareness in areas of global and legal significance. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, international law will be progressively intertwined in countries' laws. ILS exposes law students to the world of international law and its effects.

The Italian-American Law Students Association (IALSA) seeks to enhance student engagement, celebrate the rich heritage of Italian-American contributions to law, arts, and social progress, while zealously promoting continued excellence in legal studies.

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world's largest moot court competition, with participants from over 550 law schools in more than 80 countries. The Competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations.

The Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA) exists to provide Jewish educational, cultural, social, and spiritual programs and resources for the students and community of the University at Buffalo School of Law with the goal of creating an awareness of and fostering Jewish life at the law school.

The Labor and Employment Law Society (LELS) is a student-operated organization with additional support coming from staff, as well as alumni of the University at Buffalo School of Law. The goal of LELS is to promote knowledge, interest and awareness in labor and employment law and its relevant subfields through student-run events and meetings.

The Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) supports a wide variety of members, including but not limited to Latino/a law students. LALSA is committed to the advancement of minorities in the legal profession, especially Latinos. Minority representation in the legal profession has been a social concern for years and the shortage of Latino lawyers continues to be grave. LALSA seeks to create a local network for students of color, a partnership between the legal community and the Latin community, and the academic success of its members. We welcome students of all backgrounds to help create a more diverse forum and to integrate individuals with different perspectives into the conversation. Most importantly, LALSA is dedicated to creating a support group for those who take interest in uplifting diversity initiatives. [Read more]

The Law & Business Student Association (LBA) will provide a platform for scholarship and professional development for law students interested in working at the intersection of law and business issues, whether in corporate law firms, academia, regulatory agencies, and in-house legal departments of corporations. The LBA will seek to achieve this mission by among others, keying into the extant Law and Business offerings of the law school.

LSDN is dedicated to the education of neurotypical individuals and supporting those who have visible and invisible disabilities. This organization serves to be a safe place to discuss how to be the best student (and lawyer) you can be while managing your neurodivergencies and disabilities. It can be difficult to know when to disclose a disability, or how to disclose. And so, our organization strives to help law students navigate the workforce and classroom by creating a community of both lawyers and students who have both invisible and visible disabilities.

The Military Law and Veterans Association (MLVA) is a student-led organization that provides a forum for discussion on important military, veteran affairs, and national security issues. MLVA hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including guest lectures, workshops, and networking events. These events bring together students, faculty, and military experts to share their perspectives and insights on a wide range of topics. The organization provides students with the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, network with professionals, and develop their own knowledge and skills.

The Non-Traditional Law Students Association (NTLSA) strives to show that there is more than one way to go about your law school career and serve as a support group for self-defined non-traditional law students.

OUTLaw promotes a positive atmosphere at Buffalo Law School for LGBT students and their allies. Our primary objective is to educate our colleagues about the legal issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. OUTLaw sponsors activities, panels, social events and service projects that build a network for members and supporters of the LGBT legal community. [Read more]

Phi Alpha Delta, the largest professional coed law fraternity in the nation, is open to all students. PAD hosts academic, community service, professional and social events each semester, including its own national mock trial competition. Additional benefits include lifetime membership and a nationwide alumni networking system.

Pickleball Club is a community of law students, alumni, faculty and friends. Our mission is to enrich the law school experience by promoting health, wellness, and camaraderie among students through the sport of pickleball. We strive to create an inclusive and supportive community where future legal professionals can balance academic rigor with physical activity, foster meaningful connections, and cultivate values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and mutual respect.

As a student chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, SALDF's purpose is to educate the law school and surrounding community about forms of institutionalized animal abuse and engage in projects that combat that abuse. SALDF is equally dedicated to protecting the lives and advancing the interest of animals through the legal system and expanding the field of animal law.

The Student Bar Association is the elected body that represents student interests at the University at Buffalo School of Law. SBA provides information for current students, organizations, alumni and general audiences seeking a glimpse into life at the law school.

Visit the SBA website for guidelines, resources, and handy forms for your student organization.