Student Groups
Student groups are a vital part of the NYU Law community and organize a large number of events and activities throughout the academic year. We encourage you to reach out to student organizations that appeal to you and become involved – this is a great way to meet JD students as well as your LLM colleagues to pursue common interests outside of the classroom. Student groups can also become important sources of mentoring and academic support for their members.
Be sure to take a look at the list of student organizations posted on the Law School's website; information there includes the email addresses of each group's officers who you may reach to request that you receive via email announcements about the group's activities and events. It is up to you to decide, how involved in a group or groups you wish to become -- you may wish to take on a leadership role, or participate in activities of interest to you from time to time.
If you have an idea for an event you would like to organize, consider becoming involved in and suggesting the event to the relevant student group(s); working with a student group is the most effective way to get an idea for an event off the ground. Many organizations will plan a schedule of events prior to the fall semester; however, there is often some flexibility to add to or modify the plan, particularly if you approach and become involved in a group early on.
Student organizations may be added during the school year. Any group of students wishing to obtain approval and funding for a new organization may request funding from the SBA Board of Governors.
Student Bar Association
The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the student government of the JD and graduate programs at NYU School of Law. Its Board of Governors consists of six executive officers (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, student senator, and social chair), four representatives from each of the first, second, and third-year classes, a 2L transfer representative, and three LLM representatives. The executive officers and the student senator are elected by all full-time students, while the class representatives are chosen by their respective classes.
The three LLM SBA representatives are typically selected in the fall. The LLM SBA representatives attend SBA meetings and serve as a voice for their LLM class. They also work closely with the Office of Graduate Affairs on LLM students’ concerns and ideas for events.
Every full-time student is automatically a member of SBA and is eligible to serve as an at-large member on its Standing Committees: Finance, Social, Student Groups, and Rules. The committees and the Board of Governors bear responsibility for the general operation of student affairs. The Board’s activities include: representing student concerns to the faculty and the administration; sponsoring a variety of educational, social, and cultural events; and serving as the central administration for the funded student organizations. All non-publishing student organizations are chartered with and receive their financial assistance from the Student Bar Association.
Law Journals
NYU Law students are active in publishing legal scholarship in student-run law journals. The journals typically include lengthy articles contributed by law professors or practitioners, as well as shorter “notes” and “comments” written by the law student editors of the journal. LLM students participate on journals as Graduate Editors. LLM students do not receive academic credit for journal work, but can have membership on a journal noted on their NYU Law transcripts. Further, it may be possible to receive academic credit for writing a journal note by registering for and complying with the requirements of a Directed Research project. Information on how to apply for membership on a journal is available in summer. Below is a description of journals in which LLM students have recently participated. Visit the section on Journals and Publications on the NYU Law website for detailed information about student journals and other Law School publications.
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Environmental Law Journal
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Founded in 1992, the New York University Environmental Law Journal provides a forum for all aspects of environmental and land use law. The Journal also serves as a training ground for law students interested in becoming more adept with environmental research and issues. The Environmental Law Journal features articles, book reviews, comments and essays from environmental law scholars and practitioners, as well as from student members of the Journal. The Environmental Law Journal hosts an annual colloquium on an emerging topic of interest in environmental law. Articles and essays from colloquium participants are published in a dedicated issue following the colloquium.
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Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law
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JIPEL is NYU Law’s first online-only, student-edited journal for scholarly editorials and forum for dialogue among legal practitioners, agents, and students, dedicated to analyzing issues in the fields of art, entertainment, intellectual property, internet, sports, and technology law. In addition to contributions from the academic community, JIPEL publishes editorials and contributions from entertainment/IP lawyers, managers, agents, studio executives and other industry professionals. Editors perform outreach to industry professionals, evaluate the content of incoming submissions, and update the publication on legal developments in the entertainment, technology, art and media industries, which provides a unique opportunity for interaction with industry professionals and academics.
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Journal of International Law and Politics
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JILP was founded in 1968 and features articles on international legal topics by leading scholars, jurists, and practitioners as well as Notes and book annotations by Journal members. Journal members are selected through the spring writing competition, the transfer student writing competition, and the LL.M. selection process. Over the years, JILP has published articles by such international public figures as Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Sandra Day O’Connor, Shimon Peres, Mohammed ElBaradei, and Louise Arbour. Recent issues have included articles on oil development in Amazonia, accomplice liability under the Alien Tort Claims Act, Internet regulation in China, prosecutorial discretion in the International Criminal Court, and the role of international customary law in the constitutions of new democracies.
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Journal of Law & Business
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The Journal of Law and Business focuses on recent developments in the law and business communities and the interrelationship between the two professions. The Journal explores a number of general areas, including, but not limited to: international law and business; law and finance; government regulation and business; and the effect of law and business on public interest organizations. The Journal actively seeks contributions from established practitioners on contemporary business topics, in addition to scholarly academic articles, including: corporate governance; mergers and acquisitions; venture capital and private equity; bankruptcy and restructuring; capital markets; white collar crime; government investigations of corporate misconduct; and securities litigation. The Journal interacts frequently with the Pollack Center for Law & Business and the Law & Business Association and sponsors an annual symposium on a seminal topic.
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Journal of Law & Liberty
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]The Journal of Law & Liberty, founded in 2003, is dedicated to classical liberal legal scholarship and publishes articles on the nature of rules and order, legal philosophy, theories of rights and liberty, constitutional law, jurisprudence, legal history, and historical and contemporary legislation. The journal strives to create an engrossing academic environment for its student editors, exposing them to a diverse set of ideas and helping them develop their own research and writing skills. Student editors must make a two-year commitment, and will have the chance to complete a publishable student note and to contribute to the journal’s management and mission beyond normal citation and substance checks. Since the journal aims to be readable, it deprecates turgidity and excessive footnoting and adds to the standard journal fare other readings of interest, such as historical documents and decisions, popular essays, and diversions.
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Review of Law and Social Change
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Founded in 1969, the Review of Law & Social Change is committed to innovative solutions to social, economic, and political injustice, and publishes articles by academics, practitioners, and students. Recent articles have explored reproductive justice, freedom of speech, restorative justice, and the next era of civil rights protection. Social Change does not distinguish between student and professional articles in the publication—all pieces are given full article status, rather than student pieces being called notes—and Staff Editors are encouraged to publish in the journal. Social Change also sponsors symposia devoted to the insightful discussion of controversial legal issues. In past years, we have addressed issues such as internet child pornography, the rights of people with disabilities, challenges to the death penalty, and the civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
International Moot Court Funding
The Hauser Global Law School Program offers financial support to assist the participation of JD and LLM students currently attending NYU School of Law in international moot court competitions. The availability of funding is determined by the number of applications and resources available. Previously funded competitions include the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot, Jean-Pictet Competition on International Humanitarian Law, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, the International Criminal Court Moot Competition, and the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. For more information visit the Law School's web page on International Moot Courts.
Funding for Individual Student Activities
Ordinarily, funding for student groups is done through the SBA. However, there is a limited amount of funding through the Prominence Fund available for individuals and student groups who present at conferences or represent NYU School of Law in legal competitions. For more information on the Prominence Fund, contact the Office of Student Affairs, Furman Hall room 474, (212) 998-6658, or check the Prominence Fund website.