The Student Bar Association president announced at a meeting Tuesday night that officials are looking to move the GW Law complex to a new location.
SBA President Shallum Atkinson said officials, including University President Ellen Granberg, are exploring a range of options to change the school’s facilities, like constructing a building across the Law Learning Center on G Street and moving the law school campus, adding that officials are exploring locations on Pennsylvania Avenue. Atkinson said although he doesn’t know the timeline of the changes, the possible renovations to the law school buildings range from adding new wall art around the campus to “procuring” a new campus for the law school.
“I doubt it would affect anyone in this room right now during your time in law school, maybe the 1Ls,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson said he has seen a “huge” amount of progress in the past few weeks concerning the executive branch’s ideas for upgrades of law school facilities, including pitching an art competition where students can display their artwork on the walls of law school rooms and naming certain study areas after alumni.
“I’m happy to see that and hopefully we get some more tangible things that we can do,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson said during his presidential report that law professor John Banzhaf requested the SBA consider a resolution in early October urging law school officials to supply Narcan — an overdose reversal drug — in classrooms because while drug use reportedly affects undergraduates at a higher rate, drug overdoses are also a problem for older graduate students.
Atkinson also spoke about the importance of the SBA serving as a resource for students with “so much going on around the world.”
“Be there for your classmates and ensure that we are sending the right message to all those who are looking for support,” Atkinson said.
SBA senators also unanimously voted to pass legislation to start the process of adding a transfer at-large seat to the senate. SBA Sen. Matthew Rein, who chairs the Rules and Constitution Committee, said a transfer student who was unable to join the SBA Senate due to seat requirement constraints inspired the legislation.
The move would change the SBA constitution and, if signed by the SBA president, would turn the measure over to students for a referendum vote, per SBA bylaws. The current SBA constitution allows for a doctor of law transfer seat if the candidate is in their first or second year at GW. The creation of an at-large seat would be open to transfer students who do not fit those categories.
The SBA Senate unanimously confirmed five vacant positions for the executive and student representatives to the Faculty Tenure and Promotions Committee. SBA senators also unanimously confirmed Spencer Sandusky as the vice president of finance, who had previously been serving as the acting vice president of finance.
SBA senators also unanimously confirmed Karsten Ball as Director of Student Representatives to the Faculty Tenure and Promotions Committee.
SBA senators will hold their next meeting Oct. 31 at 9:15 p.m. in the Law Learning Center.
