For the past three years, I have taken a leave of absence from my life. During this time, I have been a full-time law student. Yes, law school takes over your life!
I say this jokingly with a heart full of bittersweet memories from my law school experience at Loyola. Ever since I enrolled in the Fall of 2010 semester, I have never for a second doubted that this is where I am supposed to be. Loyola boasts a unique community that is collaborative and filled with outstanding scholars of the law. More importantly, Loyola fosters a sense of responsibility to serve. Loyola has always encouraged me to find my passions and to use my gifts to benefit others. As fate would have it, such passion manifested through various leadership opportunities through the National Black Law Students’ Association (NBLSA).
As an African-American female, I knew that I wanted to attend a law school that embraced diversity. When I first arrived, I knew that an affinity organization such as NBLSA would be an environment where diversity would be celebrated. Yet I never imagined that I would become so heavily involved. During my first year of law school, I became the Co-Chair of the BLSA Race and the Law Symposium, the only symposium at Loyola that is not hosted by a journal publication. This opportunity allowed me to work closely with Loyola administration, to meet other students at the law school, and to interact with legal professionals from the Chicago community.
After this experience, I was encouraged by my peers to run for the local BLSA Chapter President position. I had never had such a position in any other organization and I was hesitant to take on such a challenge. But I had a vision for what the chapter could become and the concerted efforts of service we could bring to the Chicago community. I wanted to see this vision come into fruition. Thus, I embraced the challenge and was elected the 2011-2012 Chapter President of the Loyola BLSA chapter. In this role, I spearheaded inaugural programs, worked to increase the African-American presence in both the Loyola and professional community, and learned a lot about myself. This position taught me the importance of multi-tasking and prioritizing: both skills that create much success in my legal career. After a successful year, I began to question: “what do I do now?”
As my tenure as President came to a close, I knew that there was more that I wanted to do for this organization that had provided so many unparalleled opportunities for me. I had maintained positive relationships with Loyola alumni who served on the National Executive Board of NBLSA while in law school. I expressed my desire to serve NBLSA further and they shared their experiences with me. After speaking with them, I was encouraged to apply to the National Executive Board of NBLSA.
In April of 2012, I was appointed as the National Director of Membership for NBLSA, the position that I currently hold. (And I thought being a Chapter President was a lot of work!) Serving the largest student-run organization boasting close to 6,000 members nation-wide has been the single most challenging experience I have ever had. While handling the vigor of being a law student, I also am in a position which is essentially a full-time job. In this role, we have in-person meetings that we travel to, regional and national events throughout the year and daily (at times, laborious) assigned tasks. But at the same time, I love every second of it. I have grown to new heights in this role. I have loved connecting with other minority law students across the country as well as leaders of our professional community. I have learned the aspects of running a national not-for-profit organization, which is much like a business, and I have garnered a deeper understanding of my passions and goals for my career. This has certainly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I highly encourage you to learn more about the organization at www.nblsa.org. Also, if you have any questions about BLSA, Loyola, Chicago, etc… please feel free to email me at jraines2@gmail.com.
Janea Raines, 3L
