February 21, 2003

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Jennifer Meriam, Director (954) 262-5355
Mike Laderman, Associate Director, (954) 262-5354
Mara Kiffin, Coordinator, (954) 262-5350

Black Law Student Association at NSU Wins Regional Competition; Advances to Nationals in Los Angeles

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL-The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center recently competed in the National Black Law Students Association Southern Regional Conference in Nashville, Tennessee and returned home with six of the eight awards -- beating out teams from nine states and 21 BLSA chapters.

NSU's team of third year students Melva Harris, West Palm Beach, and Shahabudeen Khan, Pembroke Pines, won the 2003 Frederick Douglas Moot Court Competition, and also won 1st place for the Best Legal Brief. The duo will travel to Los Angeles, California where they will compete in the national competition on March 12-16.

NSU also won the 2003 Chapter of the Year Award, and the Most Improved Chapter Award. Additionally, NSU's coach for the moot court competition, assistant professor of law Linda F. Harrison, received the 2003 Professor Recognition Award.

Another NSU BLSA team, which consisted of third year student Olympia Duhart of Miami, and second year student Sean Thompson of Plantation, advanced to the quarter final round in the competition, and Duhart was the first runner-up as Best Oralist. Based on the quality of their argument about reparations, Duhart and Thompson were invited to the national conference to open a dialogue about reparations.

Nova Southeastern University's BLSA chapter was chartered in 1978 and is an active force in the community. Recently the chapter partnered with the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the NAACP for a one-day Voter Registration drive, which netted 50 new Broward County registered voters. Additionally, the chapter provides legal community service to impoverished citizens through pro bono work with the NAACP.

The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), whose slogan is to promote "excellence in academics, community service, and professional development," as founded in 1968. The organization was created and designed to articulate and promote the professional needs and goals of Black law students.

NBLSA is the largest student-run organization in America, and has over 200 chapters at law schools throughout the country. These chapters represent over 6,000 Black law students in six regions, which encompass 48 states, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For more information about NBLSA, visit the website at www.nblsa.org.

The Shepard Broad Law Center at NSU, which has been named "The Most Wired Law School in America" by the National Jurist magazine, offers degrees in law and health law. For more information about NSU's Shepard Broad Law Center, visit www.nsulaw.nova.edu/index.cfm, and to learn more about the Black Law Students Association at NSU, visit www.nsulaw.nova.edu/studentaffairs/student_organizations/blsa/default.cfm.