Meet Melanie Gorelik Co-President of the Jewish Law Students Association

Melanie Gorelik is co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association at UC Law San Francisco.

Affinity organizations at UC Law San Francisco unite students from different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. One of these many groups is the Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA).

Meet JLSA Co-President Melanie Gorelik and hear in her own words what’s great about her organization.

Members of the Jewish Law Students Association executive board posed together at a Fall 2022 fair for student organizations.

Q: What is the UC Law SF Jewish Law Students Association?

A: The JLSA serves to promote Jewish life and activities on campus and build a diverse legal network of alumni, professionals, and students. JLSA supports Jewish students on campus by offering events that allow us to gather as a community. We are a very food-centric group and host a monthly Shabbat dinner on campus, coffee and bagel mornings on the Quad, regular happy hours, and alumni networking events. JLSA is always encouraging new members to join. Our events provide students of all backgrounds the opportunity to relax, meet new people, and take a much-needed study break.

Q: Why did you join this organization?

A: I joined JLSA because I wanted to connect with other Jewish students on campus and belong to a Jewish community when I moved to San Francisco for law school. I completed my undergrad at UC Berkeley, where I studied political science and history. I pursued law school with the goal of advocating for reproductive rights and gender equity. While at Berkeley, I was used to a large Hillel, a student-led organization that supports and encourages the exploration of Jewish life through religious, educational, and social programs. When I came to UC Law SF, I was excited to see that I could engage in and contribute to a Jewish community through JLSA’s programming.

Q: How is this group furthering your career goals?

A: I am furthering my law school and career goals through my position in JLSA by establishing leadership skills, working with a team, and balancing multiple responsibilities simultaneously. I am learning how to quickly adapt when circumstances change and how to create positive culture and community.

Q: What kinds of work do you do as co-president? 

A: As co-president of JLSA, I work with my board to plan and schedule on-campus events. I draft and distribute communications to our JLSA community, promote events on our Instagram (@uclsf.jlsa), and work with sponsors at SF Hillel to bring our visions to life. My favorite part of the job is creating unique Canva graphics for each of our events.

For more information about the JGJ, email hjlsa@uclawsf.edu.