Affinity Organizations

Student Organizations are the cornerstones of student life at UC College of the Law, San Francisco. These affinity groups bring together students of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds.

Current Roster

The purpose of the Armenian Law Students Association at UC Law SF (ALSA) is to promote greater diversity at UC Law SF. ALSA aims to provide exposure to Armenian culture and issues affecting the Armenian people as well as facilitating cooperation with the greater community through leadership, scholarship, and services. ALSA is dedicated to the protection of international human rights and aims to struggle against crimes against humanity world-wide. ALSA promotes strong relationships between students and legal professionals of Armenian descent.

Contact: alsa@uchastings.edu

UC Law SF Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), is a community committed to elevating Asian Pacific American voices on campus and promoting justice, equity, and opportunity for Asian Pacific American Law Students! APALSA is passionate about connecting with Asian Pacific American professionals through mentorships, professional and academic panels, and social events.

Contact: apalsa@uchastings.edu

The purpose of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) is to: articulate and promote the professional needs and goals of Black law students at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF); foster professional competence among Black law students at the University of UC Law SF; provide an environment which will promote unity and camaraderie among Black law students; influence society as well as the legal community to bring about meaningful change in the legal system to meet the needs of the Black community; motivate and facilitate successful matriculation through the law school and bar passage process; create and maintain active relationships between BLSA other student organizations and the larger law school community; and to cultivate relationships with Black law students and Black attorneys.

Contact: blsa@uchastings.edu

The purpose of Christians at Hastings (CAH) to establish a faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ at UC Law SF. CAH hopes to accomplish this goal in three primary ways: encourage members to joyfully commit to a local church (John 17:20-34, Heb 10:24-25); foster community; assist law students to serve Christ fully in their legal vocations.

Contact: uchchristians@uchastings.edu

First Generation Professionals (FGP) is a student-led group that strives to address the transition and integration of first-generation law students into UC Law SF and the legal profession through mentorship, career advising, and social activities. FGP’s goal is to create a diverse community that fosters inclusiveness, well-being, and professional support throughout students’ time at UC Law SF while advocating for the recognition of our lived experiences as the first in our families to pursue a legal education.

Contact: HFGP@uchastings.edu

The purpose of Hastings Hawaii Hui (HHH) is to provide a community for all UC Law SF students and alumni from, or with ties to, Hawaii, to promote a sense of unity and ‘ohana. HHH strives to: provide a community for all UC Law SF students and alumni who are interested in learning about Hawaii, its people, history, and culture; facilitate the success of all members through the law school, bar passage, and job hunting processes; give back to the Hawaii and San Francisco communities and affirmatively affect positive change in both locations.

Contact: hhh@uchastings.edu

Welcome to MELS! The Middle Eastern Law Society is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization seeking to support and improve its members’ experiences in their law school career and future legal professions. We host networking and social opportunities for students to connect with past, present, and future MELS(A) and UC Law SF alums of all different backgrounds. MELS ultimate purpose is to create a social platform to encourage Middle Eastern students to meet, interact, and support one another’s academic, professional, and social endeavors.

Contact: mels@uchastings.edu

The Muslim Law Student Association (MLSA) brings together Muslims of diverse sects, backgrounds, and cultures under a unified community. MLSA also seeks to be a community that protects students against Islamophobia and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims at UC Law SF. MLSA is an inclusive, safe space that fosters a sense of community and identity among Muslims and those of Muslim backgrounds.

Contact: hmlsa@uchastings.edu

The purpose of UC Law SF OUTLAW (hereinafter “OUTLAW”) is to promote a positive atmosphere at UC Law SF for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, androgynous, two-spirit, queer, questioning students and their allies. An equally important objective of OUTLAW is to educate the community-at-large about the issues and concerns of the LGBTQIA community in order to alleviate and eradicate homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, and other affronts to the dignity of individuals. OUTLAW also seeks to promote strong ties between the organization and other student organizations through outreach and community-building activities.

Contact: outlaw@uchastings.edu.

Sikh Law Students Association (Sikh LSA) is a supportive and inclusive organization for Sikh students and their peers. Sikh-Americans have faced tense social climates; therefore, Sikh LSA is dedicated to educating students and fostering a unified community at UC Law SF. Sikh LSA members gain peer support and mentorship in their transition to law school and have the opportunity to participate in networking opportunities and community service/pro-bono work in the Bay Area.

Contact: sikhlsa@uchastings.edu

The purpose of the South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco shall be to provide an organizational framework to address issues of concern to the South Asian Community. SALSA is designed to promote a better understanding and appreciation of South Asian issues legally, politically, and socially. SALA will invite the participation of local South Asian attorneys, judges, scholars, and political figures to educate and inspire SALSA members of UC Law SF. In addition to culturally-inspired events such as the annual UC Law SF Diwali Dinner, SALSA members will be provided with various opportunities to engage in the South Asian community.

Contact: salsa@uchastings.edu.

System Impacted Students at Hastings (“SISH”) is a law student group at UC Law SF, College of the Law (formerly “Hastings”) dedicated to creating space, resources, and a support network for system-impacted students—those affected directly or indirectly by the criminal justice system—in the law school classroom and the legal profession. SISH aims to utilize their privilege to address the stigmas associated with this population and challenge the dominant narratives in our communities and established institutions.

SISH strives to promote academic, cultural, political, and social awareness within SISH and the UC Law SF community; utilize their positionality to advocate and uplift the narratives of those who identify as system-impacted on and off campus; integrate SISH students in the decision-making process at UC Law SF to have a meaningful impact on policies that affect SISH and all students; create cultural, political, and social traditions for SISH and the UC Law SF community; help develop competent SISH attorneys to increase system impacted representation in the legal community in order to aid our respective communities through effective legal representation and leadership; cultivate relationships with other organizations, on and off campus, to foster a stronger community of lawyers; create and maintain a viable and supportive SISH alumni network.

Contact: sish@uchastings.edu

The La Raza Law Students Association (“La Raza”) is an interethnic and multicultural group at UC Law SF dedicated to promoting diversity in the law school classroom and the legal profession. As the largest organization on campus, La Raza finds its strength in the diversity and dedication of its members. Though, individually, we have different backgrounds and perspectives, collectively, we share the same vision of success for all of our members as they navigate law school and transition into the practice of law.

Contact: LaRaza@uchastings.edu.

The purpose of the Student Veteran Organization (SVO) is to: articulate and promote the professional needs and goals of United States Veterans who are current and former students at the University of California Hastings; foster professional competence among United States Veteran law students at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; provide an environment that will promote unity and camaraderie among United States Veterans who are current and former law students.

The SVO also seeks to influence society as well as the legal community to bring about meaningful change in the legal system to meet the needs of the United States Veteran community; to cultivate relationships with United States military Veteran law students and United States Veteran attorneys; and to provide San Francisco bay area veterans assistance in order to facilitate reintegration and to improve veteran’s overall access and availability to federal, state and private support programs.

Contact: uchsvo@uchastings.edu

The Women of Color Collective at UC Law SF is a student organization focused on the legal experience and accomplishments of women of color while at UC Law SF and thereafter. The Women of Color Collective seeks to create a safe and confidential space for self-identified women of color at UC Law SF.

WOCC is dedicated to empowering and supporting women, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people of color at UC Law SF and the legal profession.

Contact: woc@uchastings.edu

(please note the WOOC email only has one “o” in the email address and the acronym WOOC is pronounced “woke” as in to be awake and aware)

Women’s Law Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the success of women in law school and the legal profession.Women’s Law Society seeks to support and improve the experiences of women law students and lawyers. Obstacles to equal participation hinder not only women in the law, but also their colleagues, clients, children, and communities. Women’s Law Society consequently strives to aid women in overcoming barriers and achieving gender parity in the legal profession. In doing so, Women’s Law Society spreads the word: women’s victories are everyone’s victories. The National Women Law Students’ Organization is a subsidiary commission of the national chapter of Ms. JD. This club is affiliated with the national organization Ms. JD.

Contact wls@uchastings.edu