American Bar Association/Law Student Division (ABA)
The American Bar Association/Law Student Division Representative provides law students with information relevant to students' professional endeavors.
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS)
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is a national organization of law students, law professors, judges, and practicing lawyers who seek to revitalize and transform the legal debate. The organizations goal is to restore the fundamental principles of respect for human dignity, protection of individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice to their rightful, and traditionally central, place in American Law. Through campus and lawyer chapters, speaking and media programs, and public education efforts, ACS seeks to strengthen the intellectual foundations of and the public case for a more progressive vision of the law in various areas relating to individual liberties.
Asian Pacific Islander Law Society (APLS)
The purpose of the APLS is to: (1) create a sense of belonging and inclusion for Duquesne Kline law students who identify as, or are concerned about issues impacting, Asian and Pacific Islander students at the school; (2) create a space where people can connect, support each other, and feel part of a community that understands or cares about experiences impacting Asian and Pacific Islander students; (3) work to address the legal challenges that the Asian and Pacific Islander community faces; and (4) promote more representation and equity for Asian and Pacific Islander students and lawyers in the field.
APLS seeks to advance these purposes through educational programming consistent with the mission of the Law School and the University.
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
The Black Law Students Association fosters and encourages professional competence, provides academic support to first-year students, focuses on the relationship of the African-American attorney to the existing legal structures, and encourages in the African-American law student a continued awareness of and commitment to the needs of the African-American community. BLSA accomplishes these objectives during programs throughout the year, and organizes special events during Black History Month in February.
Christian Legal Society (CLS)
The Christian Legal Society (CLS) was founded in 1961, and remains a national non-profit organization serving thousands of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors, law students and paralegals. Its headquarters are in Springfield, VA. CLS is represented by a broad and diverse Christian Membership: encompassing the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, as well as numerous denominations of Protestantism.
The Duquesne Kline Law chapter of CLS meets weekly for prayer, scripture reading, and discussion of current issues facing the student. Additionally, CLS participates in local outreach with Project Angel Tree and the Pittsburgh Project, and is involved in the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of CLS attorneys. CLS meetings and events are open to all students, regardless of religious affiliation. Membership is available to those students who submit required fees and sign a Statement of Faith.
Corporate Law Society (CLS)
The Corporate Law Society promotes discussion and study of all areas of corporate and business law. The Society sponsors guest lectures and contributes to the promotion and publication of the Duquesne Business Law Journal.
Criminal Law Society (CLS)
The Criminal Law Society serves as a crossroads between Duquesne's unique resources in the practice of criminal law, including faculty and alumni working in government and private practice, and the students. It plans to host activities that will expose students to this talent with the goal of securing a broader presence in criminal law through related employment after graduation, and also aims to benefit the community through education and service. Plans are in place for a criminal law symposium presenting discussion and information on the development of criminal law in western Pennsylvania and throughout the country.
Disability Law Association (DLA)
The Disability Law Association will advocate for disabled students and advance the field of disability law at the law school. We will serve disabled students, allies, and those pursuing careers in disability law. We recognize the full spectrum of disability—including physical, intellectual, mental, and mental health challenges—and the intersectionality within our community. DLA hopes to provide essential advocacy and support for disabled students. Through cultural competency training and community education events, we hope to strengthen the understanding of all stakeholders in the school institution's regarding disability issues and disability law practice.
Environmental Law Society (ELS)
The Environmental Law Society provides law students with the opportunity to participate in various environmental awareness programs. This organization coordinates speaker symposiums, and community and educational activities.
Federalist Society (FedSoc)
The Federalist Society is a national group of conservatives and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order, founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to the Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. It seeks to promote an awareness of these principles and further their application through its activities. It also requires restoring the recognition of the importance of these norms among lawyers, judges, and law professors.
First Generation Society (FGS)
The purpose of the First Generation Society is to facilitate the experience of first generation students within the realm of the law school. This organization will focus on providing necessary resources and guidance to students who are the first in their families to achieve higher education, whether that be through undergraduate studies or graduate law studies. The organization seeks to provide students a community to discuss common issues and barriers facing first generation students and to seek solutions and approach the issues together. The organization will provide a forum to seek professional opportunities and educational advancement specific to first generation students. The First Generation Society seeks to advance the professional interests of its members, the Duquesne Kline School of Law community, and the legal profession through programming consistent with the mission of the Law School and the University.
Intellectual Property Law Association of Duquesne (DIPLA)
This student organization promotes the study, awareness, and advancement of intellectual property and technological property law. IPLA of Duquesne sponsors speaker forums where interested students are able to learn about copyright and trademark protection, patents, and trade secrets law.
International and Immigration Law Society (I&ILS)
The International and Immigration Law Society focuses on fostering an interest and understanding of international law. This organization encourages participation through promoting international law courses and sponsoring discussion panels.
Italian-American Law Society of Duquesne (DIALS)
The purpose of the Duquesne Italian-American Law Society is to promote Italian-American culture and heritage. This organization also provides a venue for students to network through social, educational, and professional events. Membership is open to all individuals who wish to learn about Italian-American culture, heritage, and its connection with the legal community.
Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)
The purpose of the Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA) is to collect and distribute information of interest to Jewish law students. It serves as a means of exposing Jewish law students at Duquesne Kline School of Law to legal issues of concerns to the Jewish community.
The JLSA seeks to encourage Jewish law students to identify with the Jewish community and in doing so shall serve as a liaison to other organizations with the Jewish community, the law school community, and the community at large. In achieving these ends, JLSA is organized for religious, educational, social, and charitable purposes.
Lambda Law Society (Lambda)
The Lambda Law Society educates Duquesne Kline School of Law students on the current and evolving legal issues surrounding diverse sexual orientation and gender identity. This area of the law has undergone major change in recent years, and will likely continue to develop significantly. This organization will keep students on the cutting edge of these legal issues. Furthermore, this organization aims to foster Duquesne University's Mission of "commitment to excellence in liberal and professional education" by preparing students to respond to clients of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity with sensitivity and compassion. From Canon Law to Property Law, this client-focus transcends legal concentrations, and students of every career aspiration will benefit from heightened awareness to these clients' particular needs and concerns.
Latino Law Student Association (LLSA)
The Latino Law Student Association shall encourage its members to serve the public interest by: (1) establishing strong relationships, founded in empathy and a general disposition of service, between students and Latinos in the local community; (2) by understanding and addressing the legal issues that pertain to Hispanics in the community, and providing a forum in which practical and constructive discussion of these issues shall take place; (3) by recognizing and further contributing to the greater, legal collaborative effort of equality under the law and adequate representation for all ethnic groups; and (4) by fomenting and preserving high standards of integrity, honor, and professionalism among Latino law students.
Military Law Society (MLS)
The Military Law Society is a student-run organization that promotes scholarly discussion of military law and builds social ties between interested students, the law school, and the local community for the purpose of professional development. This organization is dedicated to promoting knowledge and awareness of military law issues in America's Armed Forces. Membership in the military is not necessary and is also open to all individuals who wish to study the interface between the military, the government, and the legal system.
National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
The National Lawyers Guild has a rich history of fighting for social justice. Founded in 1937, it was the first racially integrated bar association in the United States. Presently, the Guild's priorities include providing legal support for protesters through the legal observer program, fighting for workers' rights, and restructuring the prison system. NLG is proud to continue the Guild's work on the Duquesne campus and throughout the Pittsburgh area.
National Plaintiffs' Law Association (NPLA)
The National Plaintiffs' Law Association provides Duquesne Kline law students interested in plaintiff law and plaintiff firms the opportunity to gain exposure to plaintiff firms in the Pittsburgh area, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and beyond. The National Plaintiffs' Law Association allows students to broaden their knowledge about the profession while having the ability to speak with like-minded students, attend guest speaker events, and have opportunities to network and make connections for their future.
Older and Wiser Law Students (OWLS)
The Older and Wiser Law Students (OWLS) Organization allows members to create and maintain a network that caters to and advocates for the unique academic, professional and personal/social needs of non-traditional law students. OWLS encourages its members to grow academically, professionally and personally by engaging in organization-led activities including, but not limited to: roundtable discussions focusing on current legal issues; panel discussions on various legal topics with prominent members of the Pittsburgh legal community; unique networking opportunities with current members' existing professional contacts; peer mentorships for class selections, extracurricular activity participation and balancing the various demands non-traditional students face academically and personally; and providing social forums to build community among OWLS members and their families.
Public Interest Law Association (PILA)
The Public Interest Law Association (PILA) is dedicated to increasing awareness of public interest issues as well as providing opportunities for students to gain experience in the public interest field. PILA focuses on publicizing the types of public interest careers that are available, presenting students with the opportunity to become involved in the local community by performing public service activities of a legal and non-legal nature, and raising money to fund students who wish to do summer internships with public interest employers.
Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS)
The Sports and Entertainment Law Society explores the niche in the legal profession created through the combination of the sports, entertainment and legal fields. This organization provides a forum for the discussion of sports and entertainment law issues and sponsors activities with Pittsburgh's professional sports teams.
Student Bar Association (SBA)
The Student Bar Association is the student government of the Law School and serves in representing the concerns and needs of law students. The objective of the SBA is to promote and maintain effective and open interaction between the student body and the faculty and administration as well as among the students. The SBA sponsors a number of educational and social events during the academic year. Membership in the SBA is automatic upon law school enrollment.
Trails Club (Trails Club)
There are physical fitness benefits to participating in a weekly running group, but we also offer a support system by showing up for each other every week. Our long-term vision is to create a professional and social network of law students and alumni centered on work-life balance, trail use, and environmental engagement in the Pittsburgh area. We are open to law school staff, faculty, and alumni.
In addition, Trails Club provides opportunities to learn more about the legal and policy implications of using natural and urban resources for recreational use, and to connect with professionals working in these areas. We intend to focus on the intersection of property and environmental law, urban planning and policy, and conservation. We will seek out professionals to speak about their law, public policy, and conservation work. We participate in events happening around the city like community meetings discussing solar energy installations in city parks or discussions about natural gas drilling in county parks.
Women's Law Association (WLA)
The Women's Law Association sponsors a variety of programs that provide information on issues of social and legal concern to women law students. Annual events are held to benefit local women's shelters. The organization also sponsors an annual Woman of the Year Reception that recognizes a distinguished female alumnus.