Dear Class of 2027,
Welcome to the University of Alabama School of Law!
My name is Brandon Marsh and I serve as the President of the Student Bar Association. We have been preparing for your arrival all summer and are thrilled to meet you. Our school has earned a national reputation for producing exceptional lawyers and leaders, and we are delighted that you will help continue that tradition for the next three years. One of the best ways for you to engage with all things Bama Law is by joining the Student Bar Association. The SBA acts as both a governing body and a social organization for the law school student body. We are proud to share that over 95% of the student body are active members of the SBA. Essentially, the SBA has three primary functions: (1) we facilitate connections between students, faculty, and administrators while working to communicate the concerns of the student body; (2) we serve as an umbrella organization for all active student organizations at the Law School; and (3) we organize a full student life calendar for all SBA members to enjoy.
Campus Involvement. The SBA offers you the opportunity to truly get connected with your cohort and other student organizations. In our capacity as a student government, the SBA works with the student organizations under our umbrella to organize forums, fundraisers, service projects, and speaker series. As a social organization, the SBA organizes a Fall and Spring social calendar. The social calendar, planned by Vice President Sam Rickert, includes a bowling party, multiple “Bar Reviews” (private social functions at local venues), tailgates, cocktail parties, movie nights, Wellness Week, Homecoming Week festivities, Family Weekend, Law Week programming, our annual Barristers’ Ball (“Law Prom”), and several other events. For more information, find us on Facebook (Bama Law SBA) and Instagram (@bamalawsba), and stay tuned for e-mails from Secretary Madeline Martin containing the weekly newsletter as these events approach. These emails are your guide to all things student life!
Mentorship Program: To ease the stress that many students experience in their first year of law school, our SBA offers a mentorship program to all 1L students called the Comprehensive Advising Program (CAP). As an incoming 1L, you’ll be paired with a current student mentor, an alumni mentor, a faculty advisor, and a Career Services counselor to help you navigate the ins and outs of law school at various levels. Dean of Students, Anita Kay Head, will explain CAP to you more in-depth during Orientation.
Dues: In order to achieve those goals, SBA membership requires a ONE TIME membership fee paid during your first semester at the Law School. This year’s total membership fee is $500. We understand that this is a lot of money, but this serves as a three year investment, and we would be more than happy to work with you on payment options or plans. As an SBA Member, your dues will fund all our student life events, provide grants to the student organizations under our umbrella, sponsor intramural sports teams, provide lunches and activities during our wellness events, and cover your class composite photograph. Another noteworthy benefit of being an SBA member includes access to our seating block during home football games in Bryant Denny Stadium. We are blessed to have a premier section of reserved seats and want to share them with you! Most importantly, your SBA membership lasts your entire time in law school. In other words, you’ll pay once as a 1L, and then no more payments for the next three years. At this moment, the SBA can only accept cash, check, money order, and PayPal. While upfront payment is ideal for us, we understand it may not be ideal for you. To that end, you can finance your membership through a payment plan. Feel free to contact Treasurer Katy Beth Crowe at katherine.crowe@law.ua.edu if you have any questions about dues. By the end of 3L year, nearly every student will agree that they have received benefits in excess of the dues they initially paid.
Elections: If the SBA’s responsibilities sound like something you want to get involved in, you should consider running for office during the first few weeks of class. The student Bar Association is run BY students FOR students. We are actively learning and growing together. It is your voice that leads us through the decision making process. We are constantly seeking student input and would love to have yours in the room! The SBA’s governing body includes an Executive Council (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) and a Senate (four representatives from each class). The SBA also elects representatives to the Career Services Office, the Honor Council, and the American Bar Association. An election for four 1L SBA Senators and two Career Service Board Representatives will be held in late August. There will be more information coming your way soon about these roles.
We are so excited to have you here at Alabama Law and to help you tailor an academic experience that will create life-long memories. Please never hesitate to reach to me for any reason. Know that every member of our SBA can be a resource for you. The first year of law school is an experience that is completely new to you. Never forget that Alabama Law prides itself on being a familial environment, everyone is here for you. Our number one goal is to make sure you have a great experience at Alabama Law. If you have comments, questions, or concerns about all things student life, I want to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me or any other SBA member if you need anything. I can be reached by email at brandon.marsh@law.ua.edu, by text at 256-468-8793, or in my office just office of the student foyer. I wish everyone a successful start on this new academic journey.
Once again, welcome to the Bama Law family and Roll Tide!
Brandon Marsh
Student Bar Association President
brandon.marsh@law.ua.edu | 256-468-8793