Good morning, and happy Tuesday! I hope you all got to get a little bit of extra rest this weekend with the extra day.
It was great to see so many of you at our bar review with BC Lambda on Thursday! Thanks to all who made it :)
Identity Document Assistance Training: Calling faculty, staff, and BU School of Law students, the LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff and OutLaw are hosting the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) to provide training for those seeking to assist others with legal name changes. This 75-minute training will provide trainees the knowledge to offer one-on-one support and referrals to legal resources in their community. Light refreshments will be served. It will take place this Friday, February 21 from 2-3:15 pm. Currently, registration is full, but feel free to register HERE for the waitlist. For those who are registered, please make sure you let lgbtqia@bu.edu know if you can no longer attend so someone else can!
We want to acknowledge that this is a particularly challenging time for our LGBTQ+ and broader community. We want to re-share the message from Professor Vivian Etter, and we encourage you to reach out to her. We are also sharing the recent Massachusetts LGVTQ+ Bar Association Explainer that has helpful information about Trump's Day 1 Anti-Trans Executive Order. Please always feel that you can reach out to any of us on the e-board if you need any support or have any ideas for getting further involved in our community.
Hi folks,
Vivian Etter here. You may remember me from the Out and About panel and networking event this year. Over my time here, I've heard some talk that students will often face identity and expression challenges from professors, especially during their 1L courses, regarding pronouns and other gendered language.
One of my goals, especially post-election, is making sure that all LGBT students, out and proud or still finding their path, feel comfortable at this institution, and I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to feel heard about this. To that extent, I want to lend you my power as a faculty member.
If you or a friend or other student you know has faced such a challenge, or if you have broader concerns about the environment in the school, I would love for us to chat if you are willing. Anything you tell me would be kept in strict confidence and no names would be associated unless a student would request otherwise. I would like a rough bit of data so I can present this to the full faculty, and I have the support of Assoc. Dean Erika George in this endeavor.
If you are interested, please reach out to me at vivetter@bu.edu.
OutLaw Elections Information: Outlaw will hold its Executive Board and 3L Representative elections on March 7, 2025! If you’re interested in running for a position, you must fill out an intent to run form by March 6, 2025 at 5pm. Candidates may fill out the form for more than one position, but must fill out the form to be considered on March 7. On March 7, elections will be held in a hybrid format at 1pm. Candidates will have the option to make a statement during the meeting, but may rely on their written statement from the intent to run form. On February 25, 2025 at 1PM, we will be holding an election questions office hours for anyone who would like to ask questions about the positions!
Outlaw Consitution Update: On March 7, 2025, we will also vote to update our constitution. The updated version can be found here. If you have any comments on the update to the constitution, please e-mail them to outlaw@bu.edu.
Mentorship Program Reminder: Outlaw is still running its mentorship program competition! Mentor-mentee pairs can earn points by meeting up - The further away from the tower, the more points! Pics or it didn’t happen! Check in with the form. On April 7, 2025 we will have a big reveal and celebration for our winners! Entries must be in by April 6, 2025 at 5pm. The prizes are a choice of the following:
Amazon Purchase of up to $50 per participant (subject to SAO approval) OR
Reimbursement for a meal of up to $50 individually or $100 together (not including alcohol)
QTPOC Mixer: Join us to connect with law student and attorneys who identify as queer & trans people of color! This even will be at Sunset Cantina on Friday, March 21. This is a great opportunity to both network and have a great time! Please register HERE.
OutLaw Office Visit to Cooley: On Tuesday, March 4, at 5 pm, we will be visiting Cooley for an office visit. This will include dinner with some Cooley attorneys and a tour of the office. Dinner will be provided by Brassica Kitchen + Café, an LGBTQ-owned restaurant in Jamaica Plain. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend!
Queer Activist Collective's Gender-Affirming Product Program (GAPP): Are you a TGNCI/non-cisgender or questioning BU student interested in receiving a free gender-affirming product such as a binder, packer, reusable menstrual underwear, femme shapewear, hair clippers, & more? You can request one through Q’s Gender-Affirming Product Program now until February 28, 2025! Please visit http://linktr.ee/QGAPP to learn more about the program & request a product!
Interested in participating in a clinic, externship, or practicum? The application period is March 3-21.
Upcoming info sessions and open house:
Thursday, February 27th @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Externship Information Session (Remote)
Monday, March 3rd @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Experiential Program Open House (Barristers Hall)
We can’t wait to see you at these events and more throughout the semester. Keep an eye on these emails for updates on events, resources, and opportunities. Feel free to reach out anytime with any questions, concerns, or song recommendations .
Join the City Life/Vida Urbana organizers, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau students and faculty, and peers at BU to discuss the housing justice movement and opportunities to get involved.
Join justice-oriented lawyers for a conversation about what it means to pursue a career on behalf the people who need it most or society's broader interests.
Song Recommendation of the Week: all i do is try my best by glaive
Have you joined our GroupMe? If not, follow this link for exciting updates and important reminders about our events!
Did you know? OutLaw has a sub-chapter for POC students, which recognizes the importance of intersecting identities and provides additional support. For further information, join the LGBTQ+ POC GroupMe here!
QueerLaw GroupMe: There is a GroupMe for Boston LGBTQ+ law students, so join here if you want to stay in the loop about events!
TransLaw Discord: There is a discord for trans law students, so join here for community and fun!
Looking to meet more LGBTQIA+ law students? The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Law Student Congress is hosting these upcoming events:
Calling All 3Ls The Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellowship is a new program dedicated to helping a graduating third-year J.D. student secure a year-long placement at a nonprofit organization or government agency engaged in impactful advocacy to promote women’s and pregnant persons’ reproductive rights. The overarching goal of the fellowship is to help launch careers dedicated to advancing women’s and pregnant person’s reproductive rights and justice in the broader field of reproductive health.
The fellowship provides $65,000 plus benefits (insurance, etc.) plus up to $14,720 that can be used for various expenses, including moving, bar prep, educational loans etc.
If students are interested, but need some help identifying possible host organizations, please reach out to Linda McClain, lmcclain@bu.edu, Nicole Huberfeld, nlh@bu.edu, or Aziza Ahmed, azahmed@bu.edu
This is a a wonderful opportunity for someone who hopes to work in reproductive health/justice/rights either as a career or through pro bono efforts!
The application deadline is March 31. More information can be found here!
Calling All 1Ls and 2Ls
The Boston Bar Association's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Summer FellowshipProgram is designed to provide 1L and 2L JD Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds with valuable, hands-on experience in public interest law while actively contributing to the creation of a more inclusive legal community. Participants in the fellowship receive a $7,000 stipend for 10 weeks of work in the summer within a public interest office and are paired with a mentor by the BBA for the duration of the program. Funds are made possible thanks to generous donations to the Boston Bar Foundation.
Applications are now open for Summer 2025! The deadline is 9am on February 17th. For more information and to apply, click here!
Are You Receiving Enough Emotional and Mental Support?
Check out this spreadsheet for a list of queer / trans / poly / kink / SW - friendly therapists in the greater Boston area. You can also get in contact with BU Behavioral Medicine for more mental health resources. Did you know? They have a number of support groups, including an LGBTQ+ support group. Check them out here! For more information on the bar exam mental health character and fitness questions in other states, check out the ABA guidelines here. Remember, mental health support makes you a better advocate for your clients, as well as yourself.
Reminder: Law students get free membership to the Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Bar Association! Check them out further here!
