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An Open Letter From The Harvard Black Law Students Association

Dated April 29, 2010

Harvard BLSA denounces racially inflammatory language – The Harvard Black Law Students Association (HBLSA) strongly condemns the racially inflammatory email that was circulated among the entire Harvard Law School community. Like many individuals who read its content, we find the message to be deplorable and offensive. We are open to thoughtful discourse on even the most controversial of views, and yet we categorically reject the archaic notion that African-Americans are genetically inferior to white people. We recognize, however, that this issue is much larger than any single email or any particular student.

Harvard BLSA is not at fault – HBLSA did not cause, create, or instigate these events. HBLSA was not the initial recipient of the student’s controversial email. HBLSA did not forward the email to Above the Law or any other media outlet. HBLSA did not contact or meet with any other BLSA chapter regarding this email. HBLSA had no contact whatsoever with the author’s clerkship judge or future employer. Any information to the contrary is unfounded and patently false.

Harvard BLSA should not be the focus – It is unfortunate that HBLSA has become the center of this ordeal. We are disheartened that the reckless coverage of this controversy has shifted the nation’s attention away from the injustice and onto an unrelated third party. The real conversation—and all of the media coverage—should be about the unspoken assumptions and enduring racial prejudices that continually resurface throughout our nation. Simply put, the focus on HBLSA is misplaced.

Harvard BLSA recognizes the opportunity – After learning of this disappointing email and before this incident ever went viral, the outgoing and incoming HBLSA Presidents immediately sent an email to our members calling for a “well thought-out and strategic” response. We began brainstorming and soliciting ideas from our members to determine the best way to seize this opportunity. We called for strategies that would promote constructive dialogue and meaningful solutions, not those that would merely serve to further inflame racial prejudices. Moreover, we foresaw that sensationalized blogging would be reactive and counterproductive.

Harvard BLSA is moving forward – What is needed in this hour is a well-developed and effective course of action. After all, true advocacy is not a rash, knee-jerk, or emotionally charged response. Words are incredibly powerful. And as future attorneys, we realize that our words are our stock in trade. They can be used as a weapon to divide and tear down, or they can be used as a tool to unite and restore. HBLSA has chosen the latter approach. In so doing, HBLSA will continue to be a voice against injustice on our campus and in our community.

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The Harvard Black Law Students Association Sweeps Northeastern Regional Trial Advocacy Competition

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This past weekend, two teams of Harvard Law School students won first place and second place at the Northeastern Regional Thurgood Marshall Trial Advocacy Competition. The prestigious competition was held in Syracuse, New York between Thursday, January 28 and Saturday, January 30. This is Harvard’s second consecutive year winning first place at the competition.

Twenty trial advocacy teams from across the Northeastern Region participated in the competition. The two Harvard BLSA teams advanced undefeated to the final round to compete, Harvard versus Harvard, for the championship title. The first place team consisted of Ieshaah Murphy ’12, Julian Thompson ’10, Nneka Ukpai ’11, and Dominique Winters ‘10.  The second place team consisted of Charles E. Redmond II ’11, Anthony Hendricks ’12, Etienne Toussaint ’12, and Allison Reid ‘12.  In addition to the overall win, Ms. Reid secured a perfect score to win Best Advocate for the regional competition.

The teams owe a debt of gratitude to its esteemed coaches, CJI Deputy Director J. Soffiyah Elijah and CJI Clinical Instructor Dehlia Umunna. Without their dedication, patience, and hard work, this victory would not have been possible.  The team also sends a special thank you to Professor Ronald Sullivan for aiding both teams tremendously in their preparation for motions arguments.

The fact pattern involved charges of theft, theft of trade secrets, and breach of computer security against an industrial engineer. Ms. Murphy, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Redmond, and Mr. Hendricks represented the prosecution; Ms. Ukpai, Ms. Winters, Mr. Toussaint, and Ms. Reid represented the defense. The team members met weekdays and weekends for countless hours to prepare for the competition.

Both Harvard BLSA trial teams will be advancing to the National BLSA Trial Advocacy Competition. The competition will be held on March 11, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts where the top three teams from each of the six regions will compete for the national title.  The two teams look forward to more victories in the near future.

HLS team wins National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition

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November 05, 2009

This past weekend, a team of Harvard Law students won first place at the 4th National Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition in San Juan. The prestigious “invitation only” competition was sponsored by the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico School of Law and held at the Old San Juan District Courthouse Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

The HLS team, which advanced undefeated, consisted of 3L’s John Quinn, Julian Thompson, and Dominique Winters and 2L Nneka Ukpai. In addition to the overall win, Thompson won Best Cross-Examination and Best Closing Argument. Quinn earned a perfect score in the semi final round.

trial-advocacy-competition-11_04_09The team credited their win to the coaches, HLS Criminal Justice Institute Deputy Director J. Soffiyah Elijah and Clinical Instructor Dehlia Umunna. “The team owes a debt of gratitude to our esteemed coaches. Without their dedication, patience and hard work, this victory would not have been possible,” said Quinn.

The fact pattern involved charges of bribery and perjury against a sitting judge. Ukpai and Winters represented the prosecution; Quinn and Thompson represented the defendant. The team began practicing in late September and met several times a week, including Saturdays, in sessions that went past midnight.

Only teams that have won titles in past national competitions are invited to compete in the San Juan tournament. All eight teams participate in the initial rounds of trials. Judges and attorneys from around the country evaluate and score the competitors. The four teams with the highest scores advance to the semi-finals. Harvard defeated Stetson University in the semi-final round and went on to defeat defending champion, Barry University, in the six hour final round.

This year’s team members are no strangers to national trial competitions. Last year, Thompson, Ukpai and Winters, along with David Knight ’09, won the national BLSA competition. In that same year Knight, Ukpai and Winters, along with Eli Schlam ’09 took second place in the national American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section’s trial competition, co-sponsored by John Marshal Law School in Chicago. All four team members earned perfect scores. These teams were also coached by Elijah and Umunna.

The HLS trial team has an outstanding legacy of winning national trial competitions. The first victorious team included Professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. ’94, and Lecturer of Law Stephanie Robinson ’94. HLS last won the ABA competition in 2004 when team member Laura Ferry won Best Advocate.

The HLS trial team has been invited to return to San Juan next fall and to compete in the ABA tournament in Chicago this spring.

Welcome to the HBLSA Blog!

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The Harvard Black Law Students Association (HBLSA) was founded in 1967. Today HBLSA is the largest chapter in the National Black Law Students Association. With well over 100 members, HBLSA is truly reflective of the diversity that exists within the black community of Harvard Law School.

We, the Black Law Students Association of Harvard Law School , exist for the support, guidance and direction of Black students in academic, professional and social endeavors. Our main function is to assist members in the development of their legal careers and to provide opportunities for exposure to various areas and aspects of the legal profession. We recognize the need to act positively in the development of the Black community, to encourage cooperation and closer ties between members of the Law School’s Black community and to establish a vehicle through which our concerns are brought to bear on Harvard Law School policy and the community at large.