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The View From Here: SBA President

By Brian Leung ’08

Hill Jr.
Brian Leung '08

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Now is an exciting time to be a Virginia Law student. As you read this, 1Ls are taking their first crack at outlining courses. Many of them have learned that it is easier to color-code and hyperlink their outlines than it is to worry about things like “substance.” The 2Ls are largely done with their interview season and are either struggling to pick the perfect firm for them or basking in the glory (and free gifts) of having made their decisions. The 3Ls are in a similar situation — they are either struggling to perfect their golf swing or basking in the glory of the warm sun. Regardless of year, the students are echoing the same sentiment — it’s great to be a UVA Wahoo.

In addition to focusing on academics and the job search, students have been busy all around North Grounds. The Superfields and Copeley Field have both seen a lot of softball action this semester. As usual, the North Grounds Softball League put together a well-run season, and it seems that every year, more and more softball teams are popping up. Our commissioners are still gloating over the 12-11 victory over the founding fathers of the organization, Class of ’77, and can’t wait for the rematch.

Softball is not all that’s happening around here. There is always a flurry of activity throughout the Law School. For the second year in a row, the Virginia Law Weekly has earned the ABA award for Best Newspaper. The American Constitution Society brought Tom Goldstein of SCOTUSblog fame to speak earlier in the fall. The Student Bar Association has launched a series of diversity events emphasizing the importance of diversity both within the Law School and in the workplace.

The SBA has also maintained many Law School traditions and perennial favorites, including the Thursday Social in Spies Garden, the Fall Picnic, Foxfield, football tailgates, blood drives, and, of course parties.

In short, it’s a great time to be a Virginia Law student. We’ve got a record 78 student organizations and journals. At the end of last year, we picked up a number of awards in addition to the Law Weekly recognition, including the National Chapter of the Year for the Black Law Students Association, the regional competition for the International Trademark Association Moot Court competition, and the ABA Antitrust’s writing competition award. Indeed, AboveTheLaw blog readers voted UVA to be the “coolest” law school in the country, after a competitive (and prestigious!) bracket-style tournament.

I want to just take a moment to thank you, our alumni, for making all of this possible. You have paved the way for us to have an enjoyable — even enviable — three years here in law school. You continue to make this possible by funding not just our top notch legal education, but also our student organizations, facilities, classrooms, and faculty members. Without your support, we would not be who we are today — a group of citizen lawyers, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world, one bar review at a time. I am so proud to be a UVA Wahoo.