CUNY Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) creates a supportive community for Black students to succeed academically, professionally, and emotionally. We foster a positive environment for Black students to thrive in law school and once they enter the legal field. The organization achieves our mission by providing summer grants and nurturing relationships among prospective law students, current students, and alumni with the goal that these connections continue beyond graduation.
BLSA’s fundraising is a vital element of our work. To gain the legal experience needed to succeed as a lawyer, too many public interest-oriented students must take on unpaid internships. Unfortunately, the financial burdens of an unpaid internship fall unevenly on Black students. To address this need, and to provide our members with room to succeed in their internships, each year we award the Victor Goode Summer Grants to up to four grantees based on funds raised, financial need, and applications that meet the award criteria set out in the BLSA Constitution, including a demonstration of commitment to the BLSA mission of serving the Black and Latino community and the CUNY Law motto of “Law in service to human needs.”
Over the the 2019-2020 academic school year, BLSA fundraised nearly $10,000 to support summer internship funding for members pursuing legal experience.
GRANTEES
Barbara Vega
Barbara Vega ’22
Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Employment and Labor Unit
New York, NY
This award enabled Barbara to supplement the summer internship funding she received from CUNY Law for her work in the MTA’s Employment and Labor Unit, where she gained experience with research on religious accommodations, Article 78 petitions, and drafting motions for outside counsel.
Barbara says receiving the Summer funding meant that she was able to intern without the “stress of paying bills.” When asked why BLSA funding is important, Barbara says, “It provides members both an opportunity to apply for funding that they may have been unable to secure as well as an opportunity to give back. Members who apply contribute dues and are often engaged with the programs and services that BLSA provides.”
Cobia Powell
Cobia Powell ’21
Legal Aid Society, Decarceration Unit
New York, NY
Cobia Powell’s grant provided complete funding for his unpaid internship in the Decarceration Unit of the Legal Aid Society. During Cobia’s internship, he gained experience with preparing bail applications and writs of habeas corpus for clients at the NYC Department of Community Corrections’ Riker’s Island facility. Cobia reports that the BLSA grant meant a lot to him, as he missed out on three CUNY Law grants that he previously applied for. Undeterred, he applied to the BLSA grant where his work ethic and service to the community were recognized.
“The BLSA grant is extremely important because it allows Black law students the opportunity to get funding while they are interning. Although 2020 was like no other year we seen in our lifetime- transportation, food, internet/printer access, and formal attire are costs for which many students may not be privileged enough to afford. The BLSA grant allows students to get some funding for the extraordinary legal services they are providing for free.”
Asia Grant
Asia Grant-Murray ’22
The Law Office of Tanvi Smith
Remote
Asia Grant-Murray’s grant provided supplemental funding for her CUNY Law Pipeline to Justice Grant. Asia used this funding to complete a remote unpaid internship for the Law Office of Tanvi Smith where she gained experience with Federal Litigation.
“The BLSA grant is important because it gives Black students another chance to receive academic funding for summer internships other than the general student funding that may not be given to everyone,” says Asia.
Joshua Davis
Joshua Davis ’22
NYC’s Task Force on Covid-19 Small Businesses
New York, NY
During Joshua’s summer internship, he complied research and submitted memos regarding the effects of COVID-19 and the government response to small businesses suffering. Joshua advocated for the government at all levels to provide businesses with structured debt management and relief acquisition.
Receiving the BLSA grant was very important to Joshua, as he needed financial support throughout the summer and would have needed to take on additional paid work in addition to the internship. Joshua is grateful that BLSA grants exist to give students the ability to do work that would be difficult to accomplish without proper funding.
What’s Next For BLSA
This year, BLSA has a fundraising goal of $15,000 to provide summer internship funding. You can support BLSA’s goal with a donation of any size. For updates, please follow us on Instagram.