SBA FALL 2022 RECAP; SPRING 2023 PREVIEW
Notre Dame, IN
I hope you all had a great first week of classes. Looking back to last fall, SBA had a phenomenal semester. We accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, and I wanted to take a few minutes to recap some of the things we have accomplished and thank all those who helped make our success this semester possible.
Our Athletics Committee (led by Stephen Nugent) planned a successful kickball tournament in September (obviously the 3Ls were victorious). The Committee also hosted World Cup viewing parties in the Courtroom. The committee will be incredibly busy in January as the annual NDLS bowling league begins soon.
Our CDO Committee (led by AB Osteen) updated and redistributed the SBA Career Contact List. The committee is excited to plan several informational and networking events this semester as recruiting ramps up in earnest.
Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee (led by Monica Bell & Kayleigh Verboncoeur) focused on collecting student feedback and experiential testimony via our Town Halls. The committee also worked to provide visibility and support to DEI initiatives within the Law School and at Notre Dame generally. This semester, the committee aims to support affinity group initiatives and Law School-wide social opportunities more directly via collaboration with the DEI Office and student organizations as well as continuing our Town Hall program.
Our Mental Health & Wellness Committee (led by Jackie Kamel) focused on the wellbeing of the new 1L class. The committee hosted some really successful panels and events concerning how to write a brief and how to take an exam. The committee also held discussions concerning how to survive law school as a married parent or member of the military. This semester the committee looks forward to having their 1L members host some events (and as always keep it positive!).
Our Merchandise Committee (led by Solo Stephanou & Erin Gormley) had a groundbreaking year. The committee launched the website [law.nd.edu/store] to better serve the Notre Dame Law School community. It was also a massive semester of growth for the store as it launched 30 new items and continues to grow. The store took a major step forward and will continue to serve our Notre Dame students, faculty, families, and alumni.
Our Service Committee (led by Caroline Buthe & Kathleen Ryan) hosted a service opportunity at Green Bridge Growers, an aquaponics farm operated in Mishawaka by NDLS’s very own Tidmarsh family. The farm employs residents in the community on the autism spectrum and run a completely sustainable farm growing all sorts of crops they provide to local providers year-round. The committee also hosted a food drive and collected donations for St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Pantry.
Our Social Committee (led by Skylar Cerbone & Jeremy Danzell) hosted the law schools annual “Fall Ball” in October. Over 350 students and their guests attended the dance at the Dahnke ballroom overlooking the stadium. Keep an eye out for a save the date for Barristers' Ball, our formal spring dance, this April!
Our Spirit Committee (led by Ruby Borja) hosted the annual Spirit Week, where our NDLS community showed off their best college gear, pink outfits, squad fits, and ND apparel. The committee also hosted the annual Law School Trick or Treating event, where children of faculty, staff, and students were invited to dress in costume and trick-or-treat throughout the law school.
Our Bar Review Committee (led by Amanda Walsh & Ian McKay) relentlessly advised our law school community on the pros and cons of Barbri, Kaplan, Quimbee, and Themis.
Our ABA Representatives Erica Patterson & Nima Tahamzadeh have done a great job highlighting resources such as the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) and the MPRE Crash Course.
Our Class Representatives have been instrumental in growing our sense of community in the law school. The 1L Representatives (Maria Lake, Seth Atisha, & Sudeep Kalkunte) hosted the NDLS tailgate before the Clemson football game, which was well-attended with good mirth and spirit, allegedly leading to ND's upset win. In addition, the 1L Reps hosted a Town Hall listening session to solicit feedback regarding the needs of our classmates and to establish our strategic priorities for the second semester. They also organized an apple picking event as a great way to get some fresh air, and to keep the doctor away through finals season! The 2L Representatives (Callie Chaney, Summer Taylor, & Will Irvin) ran the SBA Mentor Program, matching all interested 1Ls with 2L/3L mentors. The 3L Representatives (Mary Argana, Mitch Koppinger, & Monica Bell) are busy 3LOL’ing but have their hands full planning a legendary 3L week (and ordering some class merch).
Finally, our SBA Executive Board. Our SBA Secretary Lizzy Forzley continues to faithfully send out our Monday Morning Update (MMU) so that our community stays up to date on events and the daily specials in the Commons. Lizzy is staying busy in London by planning our annual Fr. Mike Variety Show that is coming up in March! Our SBA Treasurer Josh Mannery has proudly supported our registered student organizations this year. In total, he helped allocate over $14,000 across over 20 organizations. Lastly, our SBA Vice President Mary Mancusi works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our law school afloat. Mary is crucial to SBA’s success.
On behalf of the Student Bar Association, it has been a privilege to contribute to the unending mission of improving the NDLS student experience. SBA looks forward to doing it all over again this semester.
Yours Faithfully,
Dillon B. Yang
