The Harvard Black Law Students Association (HBLSA) was founded in the fall of 1967. Today, Harvard BLSA has grown to become the largest chapter in the National Black Law Students Association. Harvard BLSA has come to reflect the strong Black community that is so integral to the diversity of Harvard Law School.
In 1968, Algernon Johnson “A.J.” Cooper founded the Black American Law Students Association (BALSA) at New York University School of Law. BALSA endeavored to sensitize the law and legal profession to the ever-increasing needs of the Black community. This commitment has never wavered.
In 1983, BALSA revised its name. The word “American” was deleted to encompass all Blacks who were not of American nationality. Later, the word “National” was added to reflect the extent to which the organization had expanded.
The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), the largest student-run organization in America, has over 200 chapters at law schools throughout the country. This represents almost every ABA accredited law school, plus several non-accredited law schools. These chapters represent over 6,000 Black law students in six regions which encompass 48 states including Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. NBLSA has also established international links with Black law students in Canada, England, and South Africa who decided to model their student organizations after NBLSA.
Visit NBLSA’s national website here: http://www.nblsa.org/
