Updated: Jan. 16, 2024, at 7:21 p.m.
The Student Bar Association Senate unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to create two new law student organizations.
SBA senators approved GW Lawmakers, a student organization that intends to hold speaker events, simulate the law-making processes and take trips to federal, state and local governmental institutions. First-year law student Jaden Cloobeck, who proposed the organization, said it will focus on government lawmaking and legislation regulation.
He said due to the institution’s location in the capital, 17 percent of GW Law students’ first job after they graduate is working in the government but added the school lacks a student organization to help students practice lawmaking before they enter the workforce.
“We’re missing an organization where students can hear from speakers who are focused on how law is written, deliberated and enforced,” Cloobeck said.
SBA senators also approved GW Fashion Law Society, an organization focused on bridging “legal and business crossroads” between law students and the fashion and beauty industry. Vanessa Bittar and Kathryn Chavez, who represented the student organization at the meeting, said they intend to host guest speakers and networking events and facilitate member partnerships with local legal professionals and D.C. fashion markets.
Bittar said the organization wants to partner with the George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum and take advantage of local educational fashion opportunities, like the Washington National Opera costume studio.
“Fashion is so much more than the clothes you wear, and we are eager to bring the organization to GW law that acknowledges and celebrates an area of the law that is at the forefront of many GW students today,” Chavez said.
The SBA Senate also unanimously passed an ad hoc bill to fund the Armenian Law Student Association’s spring 2024 events for $800.
SBA Sen. Akhil Kambhammettu said the organization did not request funding from the SBA this year and was self-funded up to this point. At the last meeting, the SBA passed a bill to allocate $322 to their fall events.
“Ad hoc requests for spring 2024 include things such as speaker panels, mentorship programs and also a bake sale that we funded for this fall, but they’re planning to do again in the spring,” Kambhammettu said.
The SBA also unanimously passed two ad hoc bills to refund the GW Human Rights Law Society and the South Asian Law Students Association for $169.10 and $132.92, respectively, to refund the organizations for money spent on food for a weekly windup.
SBA Sen. Arpitha Gorur said she heard from students that they were upset by the SBA’s lack of recognition of Diwali, a five-day celebration and one of the largest festivals in India. She said the SBA traditionally emphasizes holidays over other religions and students.
“Many, many students have approached me being at the very least disheartened and at the very most actively upset by the lack of recognition by SBA to that major holiday,” Gorur said.
SBA President Shallum Atkinson said the SBA Instagram reposted a story from a student organization about Diwali, and although he’s not particularly versed in every single religious holiday, his communications team has been working on creating a calendar to mark out the different holidays and dates of the year to be as aware of them as possible. He asked senators in the future to let him know if they feel the SBA has missed posting about an event.
“If there are ways that we’re failing or things that we’re missing, please let us know,” Atkinson said. “That’s why I know that you’re a senator, to do those things and to bring that voice. In any other circumstance, please do flag them for us.”
Atkinson also said he and SBA Sen. Elan Reisner discussed addressing food insecurity on campus as they know that at higher education schools, students are spending a lot on tuition, so there may be a lack of consistent access to food. He challenged senators to come up with ways to address food insecurity concerns.
SBA Sen. Charlie Schmidt said he knew of a GroupMe where students can message about free food on the Law campus.
The next SBA Senate meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 9:15 p.m. in the LLC 009.
This post was updated to correct the following:
A previous version of this post misspelled Kathryn Chavez. We regret this error.
