Students are encouraged to take part in one or more of the Moritz College of Law’s many student organizations and committees. Through involvement, students develop both personally and professionally and become acquainted with students in other sections and in other classes at Moritz, as well as with students and faculty who have common interests and backgrounds. Student organizations range from those that emphasize public interest advocacy and professional development to those that serve the particular interests of the members.
Get Involved
The ACLU at Moritz aims to further discussions surrounding the main civil rights issues the ACLU of Ohio supports. Through events surrounding ballot initiatives, such as Ohio’s Issue 1, to events on current 6th Circuit and Supreme Court cases deciding major civil rights issues, the organization aims to further awareness of current civil rights issues.
The American Constitution Society (ACS) is the nation’s leading progressive legal organization, with over 200 student and lawyer chapters in almost every state and on most law school campuses. Originally formed as the progressive response after the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision, ACS was founded on the principle that the law should be a force to improve the lives of all people.
Moritz’s Asian-Pacific-American Law Students Association (APALSA) is a social, cultural, and political organization. APALSA’s mission is to advocate issues concerning Asian-American law students at Moritz and the community, provide support for law school students, and create a social and professional network to connect students and alumni. Our goal is to increase awareness of the historical role and status of Asian and Pacific Islanders in America, to encourage cooperation with other minority law students, and to provide an opportunity for fellowship and career development for its members. APALSA is open to all Moritz Law students of every background.
The primary objective of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) is to further the welfare and interests of Black and other minority law students. BLSA strives to meet this objective by promoting academic excellence, community involvement, academic and social adjustment, and curriculum alternatives.
BLSA is working on a resume compilation of African American candidates for employers. BLSA conducts several annual activities, including orientation and outlining sessions for first-year minority students, panel discussions, networking events and a Spring Banquet.
BLSA is dedicated to bettering the community. For example, BLSA collected hygiene items for underserved women in the Columbus area. We also collaborated with the Columbus Urban League on a clothing drive known as “My Brother’s Closet.” Through our charitable works, we strive to deepen our ties to the Columbus community.
BLSA looks forward to continued interaction with the law school and the greater Columbus community as we expand our role in the legal profession.
The Criminal Law Society strives to generate open discussion on criminal law issues and to support students who are interested in the field of criminal law. Among other activities to assist student entry in the field of criminal law, the group fosters network connections with prosecutors, public defenders, private criminal defense attorneys, and judges. Throughout the year, the Criminal Law Society will bring in speakers on typical and unusual criminal law issues to help students fully explore this area of law.
The Health Law Society exists to educate law students and the campus community about medical-legal issues affecting health care providers, patients, and legislators.
If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice exists to raise student awareness and engagement around issues at the intersection of the law and Reproductive Justice. Specifically, the organization will provide opportunities for issue education, community involvement, and peer and professional engagement. Membership offers a community of like-minded law students and legal professionals interested in issues of law and Reproductive Justice.
With moot court and lawyering skills programs in trial advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, and appellate argument, Moritz students can take advantage of many levels of opportunity across a broad range of legal areas. We host multiple internal competitions and field traveling teams in some of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious competitions. Whether you are interested in trial work, appellate work, deal-making, or national security, there are many ways to be involved in the Moot Court and Lawyering Skills Program.
The Ohio State Business Law Journal (OSBLJ) is nationally renowned for its intersection of business and the law. Created and managed by students, this semi-annual journal explores the wide variety of legal issues facing the business world. OSBLJ publishes scholarly articles, book reviews, and student-authored notes discussing provocative, timely legal issues in entrepreneurial and corporate law.
Additionally, the journal hosts an annual symposium where professors and practitioners from around the world gather to discuss topical issues and emerging trends in business law.
The Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law is a peer-evaluated, faculty-student cooperative venture published by the Michael E. Moritz College of Law. The Journal is published semi-annually, and is a forum for important scholarship written by academics and professionals in the criminal justice field. The journal will continue, through its symposium, commentary, and book and cultural review sections, to provide useful and serious, but also interesting and provocative, discourse on critical issues in the field of criminal law.
The purpose of the Public Interest Law Foundation is to educate and increase awareness within the law school community of the many avenues through which to serve the public interest in a legal capacity. Additionally, the Public Interest Law Foundation shall provide funding in the form of grants to qualifying law students who take volunteer summer jobs in the public sector.
The purpose of this organization shall be 1. To represent the issues, opinions, and ideas of all SBA members to the faculty, staff, and administration of Moritz and The Ohio State University. 2. To serve as a liaison between SBA members, Moritz administration and faculty, and the legal community. 3. To provide support and funding for programming and student organizations at Moritz. 4. To serve as a forum for the discussion of academic and professional issues and ideas. 5. To organize student social and recreational events at Moritz.
The purpose of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is to provide income tax preparation assistance to low-income taxpayers. All Moritz students are encouraged to participate regardless of tax or accounting experience.
Women’s Legal Society is committed to providing an environment for people with diverse viewpoints and backgrounds to discuss issues that affect women and their experiences as law students.