Our Mission
To empower our communities, to increase diversity in the legal profession, and to develop Latinx leaders.
Who We Serve
MetroLALSA serves as a regional organization for the Latin American Law Student Association members throughout the thirteen law schools in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. Our organization is wholly coordinated and organized by law students and delegates (i.e., representatives) from the thirteen law schools in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. These law schools are: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Columbia Law School, City University of New York School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, New York Law School, New York University School of Law, Pace University Law School, Rutgers School of Law- Newark, Seton Hall University School of Law, St. John’s University School of Law, and Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.
Participation in the Community
Since our inception, we have participated in voter registration drives, Dream Act rallies, immigration reform demonstrations, and we have collaborated with Street Law: Know Your Rights presentations with local organizations like LatinoJustice PRLDEF. We have instituted mentorship programs for current and prospective law students and contributed to other academic and social justice initiatives. As our efforts are solely charitable and supportive, MetroLALSA obtained recognition under 501(c)(3) exemption status as a not-for-profit organization from the Internal Revenue Service in February 2016.
“MetroLALSA affords every student the opportunity to be a leader. As an entirely student-run organization, there is no bureaucratic red-tape, no administrative advisor, and no executive who grants permission... You dictate your own experience, and are the engine of MetroLALSA’s future. Continue to organize initiatives, promote events, and celebrate successes. Maintain the original organizers’ organic passion and drive to make an impact and make our presence felt. Never settle with MetroLALSA existing to merely fill a void or be a placeholder: be proactive in defining your position within the Latin American legal communities of New York and New Jersey. Continue to develop allies, build relationships, and strive towards the goals ahead of you without forgetting those behind you. Use your time as law students to act as a bridge between where you’re going and where you’ve come from.”
Ernesto Papaleo | MetroLALSA Alum (Second OG Class)
History
In 2010, 12 Latina/o law students from nine law schools in the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area met each other at a national conference. Throughout the conference, these students highlighted an issue that existed in each of their schools: the underrepresentation of Latina/o law students. With such a lack of presence in their respective schools, they recognized their “voice” was inaudible. However, they also recognized that, due to the high concentration of law schools in the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area, they have an opportunity to connect with each other for support and, equally important, work together to build a loud and unifying “voice.” Based on these reasons, and others, the group met after the conference to form an organization that would later be called MetroLALSA.
