Leadership Institute Day 1: Getting Inspired and Getting Organized
Inspiring. Motivating. Invigorating. These are all words that can be used to describe the vibe at Day 1 of the 2010 Leadership Institute. With a national cast of law students from a variety of backgrounds but with a common interest, the enthusiasm for reproductive justice was palpable. Though many of us may not have been ready to be back in the law school environment (summer’s not over yet!), the atmosphere at George Washington University School of Law was full of promise, excitement, and opportunity.
After an exciting round of icebreaking Bingo to get a chance to know more about the other student leaders in the room, LSRJ National Office staff members Mariko Miki and Jill Adams set a great tone for the day with an overview of LSRJ and a primer of the fundamental elements of reproductive justice. Both sessions provided attendees with a common framework to engage in the variety of afternoon sessions. During lunch, several caucuses on issues such as fundraising, new chapters, law students of color, and ideologically or religiously conservative campuses allowed members to dig deep into specific issues facing their chapters and collaborate on creative solutions. Attendees were presented with opportunities to improve their leadership skills and discover tools to engage and recruit students on their campus through workshops on coalition building, effective messaging, and blogging techniques.
Members were also presented with workshops designed to develop leadership skills through their work as campus activists, including professional development advice, launching RJ course campaigns, the art of writing amicus briefs, and strategic planning for campus chapters. Not only did participants have the opportunity to gain skills for leading their chapters during the school year, but they also gained insight into how to use their experiences as chapter leaders to enhance their legal careers as future advocates for reproductive justice.
The common presence throughout the day, from the presenters to student participants, was the sense of a growing movement and the excitement brewing as we learned more and more about the different aspects of reproductive justice. More importantly, we learned more about how our roles as student activists can and will have a direct impact on a national, and even international, social justice movement.
Jeryl Hayes