Albany Law BLSA

Introducing the 2026-2027 Executive Board! Swipe to read a message from incoming president, Xiani Cary.

Introducing the 2026-2027 Executive Board!
Congratulations to the 9 incoming executive board members. Swipe to read a message from incoming president, Xiani Cary.

A departing message from Albany Law BLSA’s 2025-2026 president, Gabriel Girault. ✨

Lifting as we climb! ✨
A couple of weeks ago, members of Albany Law BLSA had the privilege of attending Career Day at a local elementary school. The event was organized by our Community Service Chair, Winnifer Polanco. Law students shared their journeys through law school and what it means to become a lawyer, offering valuable insight and inspiration. We were also joined by Judge Norman who is also a professor at Albany Law, and Bria Barnes Coleman, Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.
In addition to the legal field, career day was joined by individuals across a variety of professions. Thank you to , qnd for volunteering your time to table and speak to the students.
This was a truly impactful opportunity to expose students to not only to careers in law, but a wide range of other professional possibilities.

Lifting as we climb! ✨
A couple of weeks ago, members of Albany Law BLSA had the privilege of attending Career Day at a local elementary school. The event was organized by our Community Service Chair, Winnifer Polanco. Law students shared their journeys through law school and what it means to become a lawyer, offering valuable insight and inspiration. We were also joined by Judge Norman who is also a professor at Albany Law, and Bria Barnes Coleman, Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.
In addition to the legal field, career day was joined by individuals across a variety of professions. Thank you to , and for volunteering your time to table and speak to the students.
This was a truly impactful opportunity to expose students to not only to careers in law, but a wide range of other professional possibilities.

Albany Law BLSA 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽 NEBLSA 59th
Congratulations to our three members who will be serving on the Northeast Black Law Student Association Board! We are so proud of you all and can’t wait to see the work you contribute to !

Thank you to the sponsors whose contributions helped make the 7th Annual James Campbell Matthews Gala a success. We truly appreciate their support, generosity, and commitment to uplifting our mission.

Highlighting our 2026 JCM Gala Award Recipients ✨
James Campbell Matthews Judge Award — Hon. Zainab Chaudhry
Harriet Tucker Watkins Faculty Award — Jelissa Joseph, Esq.
1L of the Year Award — Alexa Rahman
2L of the Year Award — Britney Lawrence
3L of the Year Award — Derek Perez
James Campbell Matthews Student Award — Candace Erni
E-Board Member of the Year Award — Jillian Moore
Mentor of the Year Award — Destinee Barbosa
Congratulations to all of our award recipients. We are proud to celebrate you and the impact you continue to make.✨

The 7th Annual James Campbell Matthews Gala✨
Thank you to everyone who came out to support, celebrate, and be in community at the 7th Annual James Campbell Matthews Gala. Your presence continues to make this event so special year after year.

This year’s gala was especially meaningful as Albany Law BLSA was honored as NBLSA small chapter of the year, speaking to our dedication and the impact our organization has on the community.

We also had the privilege of announcing our incoming Executive Board, and we’re excited to see their continued growth and how they will shape their legacy.

Thank you for joining us and for helping keep the soul of the movement alive. 🖤

Summer internships are starting soon! 🚨
Join BLSA for an informative event to prepare for a successful summer experience. Whether you're a seasoned intern or just starting out, you won’t want to miss this! We're looking forward to seeing everyone on April 14th at 4pm.