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| By MATT SQUIRES, New York University |
My impression of the JRCLS coming into law school was that it was the association of Mormon attorneys I could become a part of once I graduated. I knew many law schools had LDS groups, but that they were separate from the official JRCLS. Over the past two years, the formal barriers separating the main JRCLS body and the law school LDS groups have been removed. Now all student LDS groups can become student chapters of the JRCLS. However, as yet, this connection has been somewhat formalistic and not truly integral. While chapter presidents have been able to develop a sense of community with the SCIB through monthly conference calls, I doubt LDS student members feel much of a connection to the larger JRCLS community--with exception, perhaps, of those able to attend the national conference. Also, many chapter presidents are unsure how their chapters fit into the larger JRCLS organization or what the purpose of the SCIB is. I see the role of the SCIB to help integrate the student chapters with their local JRCLS chapters, the student chapters at other schools, and the JRCLS as an international body.
The number of student chapters is now surpassing the number of attorney chapters, and as they grow, the student chapters will become a more and more influential part of the JRCLS. The JRCLS actively develops its national conference to encourage student attendance and is dedicated to fostering student participation at all levels. Student chapters should feel comfortable contacting each other and attorney chapters to host joint events and develop regional networks for LDS legal recruiting and career development. Regional attorney chapters should proactively involve students in their activities and plan activities geared toward integrating students in the JRCLS at large. Furthermore, I think the integration of student chapters into the JRCLS should open the JRCLS to an untapped range of events and service opportunities in law schools. In many law schools, the balance of student groups and law school activities seriously underrepresents Christian values that many students share. Many organizations from outside the law school community have a significant ideological reach into law schools through relationships with student groups, professors, or other foundations. Through its official student chapters, the JRCLS has the opportunity to develop events and provide resources that strengthen values of the entire law school community. To this end, I think the attorney JRCLS through the SCIB should be closely involved in the larger events put on by student chapters, including lectures, panel discussions, conferences, symposia, moot court competitions, and large service events. These events should be featured on the JRCLS calendar and should be developed as co-sponsored events with attorney chapters and other regional law schools when possible. |
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