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“Fortifying the Foundation of Our Future” A Monthly Newsletter "
Chair’s Welcome
July 2011
National Events
Find out what RMBLSA has planned for the year!
Congressional Black Caucus Weekend & NBLSA Fellows Program
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Job Fair & Academic Retreat
RMBLSA members serving the homeless at our 2011 Regional Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Registration Information, Featured Employers & Programming
Board Member Spotlight Introducing our Regional Vice Chair & Job Fair Coordinator, Ty Stimpson! Page 4
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Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel and Spa in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Convention registration opens October 1st. If you have any questions or comments about what RMBLSA has planned for the year, please contact me at RockyMountain@nblsa.org. I look forward to meeting each and every one of our members this year!
Greetings RMBLSA! This year the RMBLSA Board is working extremely hard to ensure that we provide our membership with access to programs and events that prepare them for a successful legal career. Our theme for the year is “Fortifying the Foundation of Our Future.” In the context of a volatile economy and political climate, we must be prepared to face adversity. In an effort to prepare our members for this endeavor, RMBLSA will implement programming focused on improving our membership’s legal writing skills, developing wealth-building strategies, and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices. By implementing these initiatives, we will
A portion of the 2011-2012 Executive Board at the NBLSA Joint Retreat in Dallas, Texas.
strengthen our membership as well as our communities. We invite and encourage all members to be active and enthusiastic participants locally and regionally.
In RMBLSA Love,
Elizabeth L. Humphrey Elizabeth L. Humphrey University of Texas RMBLSA Chair 2011-2012 Follow us on Twitter! @RMBLSA
Our annual Regional Convention will take place February 8-12th at the
Rocky Mountain Region of the National Black Law Students Association !
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National News & Events
Job Fair & Academic Retreat
Board Member Spotlight
Congressional Black Caucus and Annual Legislative Conference
Job Fair
Ty Stimpson Vice Chair & Job Fair Coordinator Thurgood Marshall School of Law
This year’s CBC/ALC Week will take place September 21-25th in Washington, D.C. Registration opens August 1st on the NBLSA web site. Scheduled events include: • Happy Hour with CLEO and BPN • Saving Our Brothers Panel - Congressional members to discuss alternatives to punitive measures • Environmental Justice Town Hall Meeting • Alumni Reception • NBLSA Executive Board Meeting • Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Retreat For more information visit http://nblsa.org/ cbc2011/. The activities listed above are NBLSA activities only and do not include CBC events hosted by other organizations. For a full list of the week’s events visit http://www.cbcfinc.org/ alc-2011.html Participation in non-NBLSA events will require separate registration and additional fees. If you have any questions about NBLSA’s Advocacy Program, contact Abré Connor at ag@nblsa.org.
NBLSA Fellows Program The NBLSA Fellows Program provides students with a unique opportunity to gain non-profit experience and work with NBLSA national and regional leaders. The NBLSA Fellow is an unpaid volunteer position designed to help increase NBLSA's impact while offering students pre-law mentorship and an incredible insider experience at the nation's largest student-run organization. For more information, visit http://www.nblsa.org/ fellows/ Follow NBLSA on Twitter - @NBLSA Visit the NBLSA Facebook Page - http:// www.facebook.com/nblsa
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The RMBLSA Job Fair provides a unique opportunity for employers committed to diversity and inclusion to interact with RMBLSA members. This year’s Job Fair and Academic Retreat will take place October 14-15th at the University of Houston Law Center. RMBLSA has historically sought out the participation of well known legal employers and this year is no exception. This year’s Fair will feature employers such as Baker & McKenzie LLP, Morgan, Lewis & Bocklus LLP, the Environmental Protection Agency, and more. Student registration opens September 9th. For more information about the registration process or if you have any questions about the Job Fair, contact our Job Fair Coordinator, Ty Stimpson at JobFair.RMBLSA@gmail.com.
Academic Retreat The Academic Retreat will provide members the academic support necessary to become successful law students and attorneys. Although the Academic Retreat primarily targets 1L students, the event features workshops and speakers that will prove useful to all law students. This is one event you do not want to miss! This year’s Academic Retreat programming includes workshops on exam preparation and test taking strategies, bluebooking and legal writing tips, budgeting and wealth management advice, information about the NALP mail-out process, and more. If you have any suggestions for workshops or know a professor or attorney who might be interested in speaking at the Academic Retreat, please contact the Regional Chair, Elizabeth Humphrey, at RockyMountain@nblsa.org.
This month’s featured RMBLSA Board Member is Ty Stimpson. Mr. Stimpson, a native of Arlington, Texas, attended Baylor University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Finance. While in college, he was a member of the Baylor Football team and President of his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Stimpson became interested in law after a summer internship in New York City with Liz Claiborne where he interacted with in-house counsel and other prominent attorneys across the city. Mr. Stimpson intends on pursuing a legal career in complex commercial litigation. One day he hopes to make national headlines as lead counsel in a major commercial law suit, of course on the winning side! In pursuit of this interest, he moved to Houston, Texas to attend Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. During the fall of 2009, Mr. Stimpson entered an environment where he was surrounded by other black students striving to attain the goal he had recently cultivated – becoming a successful attorney. Inspired by this new setting, he joined his local BLSA chapter and became his 1L class VicePresident. As a 2L, Mr. Stimpson wanted to be more involved with BLSA, so he decided to apply for a RMBLSA position. He served as the 2010-2011 RMBLSA Historian, where he gained a deeper appreciation and love for BLSA. In addition to serving as RMBLSA Historian, he was also the 2L Class President. Mr. Stimpson has held numerous positions on the 2011-2012 RMBLSA Board. From Historian to Convention Coordinator, he has been ready to serve RMBLSA and do anything RMBLSA requires. He has finally settled into the position of Vice-Chair and Job Fair Coordinator for the year. Mr. Stimpson’s current goals include developing an alumni mentoring program and establishing PreLaw BLSA Chapters throughout the region.
Rocky Mountain Region of the National Black Law Students Association