University of Virginia School of Law student Niko Orfanedes ’22 began a yearlong term as president of the Student Bar Association on March 26.
Orfanedes succeeds third-year law student Katharine Janes.
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Prior education: B.S., University of South Carolina
Other organizations and positions held: I previously served as co-chair of the SBA’s Community Engagement Committee. I am also programming director for the Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Society, a member of the Virginia Law & Business Society, on the editorial board of the Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal, and a former sector analyst for Rivanna Investments.
Future career plans: Beginning in May, I will be working as summer associate for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in New York. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career advising startup businesses and investors as a member of Pillsbury’s emerging companies team.
Favorite law school class: Corporations with Professor Kevin Kordana.
What am I looking forward to as SBA president: The pandemic has posed a number of challenges for all of us over the course of the past year, but I am optimistic that brighter days are ahead. I am looking forward to uniting our community and leading us into a new year full of the events, activities and traditions that bring us together and strengthen our bonds as a student body.
Top goals as SBA president: I want to continue to build on the progress made by previous SBA administrations with respect to increasing participation in SBA meetings and other deliberations. The SBA’s primary function is to serve our entire student body, and the only way to effectively address the array of issues facing our UVA Law community is to ensure that all student voices are heard. To that end, I will be working with our senators to circulate a class-specific, semimonthly survey designed to obtain feedback and insight on a number of matters (e.g., administrator accessibility, academic challenges, social events, general experiences and concerns, etc.). With this information at our disposal, the SBA can take targeted action to efficiently address the many challenges facing our student body today. On a similar note, I will be establishing the President’s Roundtable with leaders from each of our Law School affinity groups. We will host this roundtable discussion on a regular basis throughout the year to discuss concerns and develop action plans to bring our community forward.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
