James O’Shea (left), 2011-2012 Student Bar Association (SBA) president, and Peter Tessler (right), 2010-2011 SBA vice president, hold the plaque for the Membership and Activity Award presented to the SBA by the American Bar Association Law Student Division. This award was presented to John Marshall for its “outstanding ABA membership efforts, involvement and activity.” This is the second year in a row the SBA has been honored with an award by the LSD. In 2010, John Marshall received the Student Bar Association Award.
For the second year in a row, the Student Bar Association (SBA) at The John Marshall Law School is honored for exemplary work by the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Division (LSD).
In 2010 the SBA received the Student Bar Association Award, and this year accepted the Membership and Activity Award at the ABA’s national meeting in August. James O’Shea, 2011-2012 SBA president, and Claire Chaplinski, 2011-2012 ABA representative, accepted the award on behalf of the 2010-2011 SBA Board.
The Membership and Activity Award presented to John Marshall recognizes “outstanding ABA membership efforts, involvement and activity,” according to Felisa Leisinger, the 2010-2011 ABA representative responsible for all on-campus membership efforts. She coordinated the ABA’s involvement in SBA activities and prepared the award nomination.
Leisinger listed events and student involvement during the academic year, as well as its membership goals, promotions and how the SBA utilized ABA resources.
Peter Tessler (JD ’11), the 2010-2011 SBA vice president, says the SBA’s inclusiveness sets it apart from other student bar associations in the country.
“We kept an open door for people to talk to us,” Tessler says. “We have a school that embraces getting together.” Tessler notes that the SBA draws representatives from almost every program of study, increasing its accessibility to the students.
According to Leisinger and Tessler, the SBA hosted several successful events last year: ABA Day On Campus, held in conjunction with the Career Services Office; Professionalism Week, in which the SBA offered professionalism activities; co-sponsored the Middle Eastern Law Student Association Eid dinner; volunteered at Lincoln Park Zoo’s “Spooky Zoo,” an annual Halloween event for children; the Roaring ’20s-themed Public Interest Auction, which raised $14,000 for scholarships; and the annual Barrister’s Ball at Shedd Aquarium attended by 650 students and guests—nearly double the previous year’s attendance.
“Even though I was the ABA rep and coordinated the activities, it was the work of the entire board that made each one successful by helping me out and recruiting others to help as well,” Leisinger said. The 2010-2011 executive board consisted of Mike Reever, president; Tessler; Claire McMahon, secretary; Spelios Bacoyanis, treasurer; Leisinger; Cody Haefele, Chicago Bar Association representative; CarrieBeth Clark, Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) representative; and Patrick O’Brien, evening student liaison.
Clark, who was the 2010-2011 ISBA representative for SBA, also thanks the executive board for its help with ISBA events on campus. Clark coordinated all John Marshall membership initiatives, including panel discussions involving students and professionals who benefited from ISBA membership, and informal gatherings to exchange student ideas.
“None of these efforts would have been successful without the reliable and cheerful help of the executive board,” Clark says.
Tessler described back-to-back wins for the SBA as “phenomenal,” and O’Shea hopes the SBA will do everything “bigger and better than in the past.”
O’Shea says the previous board did a great job at getting people involved, and he’s sure this year’s SBA executive board will strive to show all students that it is not only fun but worthwhile to be an SBA member. He also plans for another “amazing” Barrister’s Ball, set at the Museum of Science and Industry, as well as many opportunities for networking and interacting with students. The SBA experiences last year taught the board what works and does not work, and what students like and do not like.
“By the end of the year, this board and the student representatives will be a great team that will get a lot accomplished,” O’Shea says.