University of Arkansas at Little Rock student Tramisha Harris will serve as the National Secretary of the National Black Law Students Association for 2016-2017. The National Black Law Students Association (“NBLSA”) is a national organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of Black law students to effectuate change in the legal community. As one of the largest student-run organizations of its kind in the United States for Black law students, NBLSA has thousands of members across America and is also comprised of more than 200 chapters and affiliates from six countries, including the Bahamas, Nigeria, and South Africa. NBLSA is organized into six regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Midwest, Southwest and Western Region.
Harris, a second-year law student and outgoing Vice-President of the UALR BLSA chapter, was elected National Secretary at the NBLSA’s 48th Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, March 9-13. Her one year term began on April 1. Her predecessor was Jana Thompson from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas.
Inspired by the students in the preceding year, Harris said she hopes to continue the great tradition of NBLSA by impacting the lives of other law students and the community. It is her goal this year to support the vision of reshaping the brand of NBLSA and focusing initiatives on social impact and racial justice.
“I am forever grateful for such a prestigious opportunity. It is important to me that students use the legal skills they have to help the community and the next generation,” Harris said. Her term will require her to travel throughout the country to attend meetings and support other national professional organizations.
For more information about NBLSA or how to support Tramisha, please visit www.nblsa.org or email info@nblsa.org.
Below, read about Harris’ experience at William H. Bowen School of Law.
What campus affiliations and activities are you a part of?
UALR Law Review Editorial Board
William H. Bowen School of Law Dean’s Fellow
Vice-President, BLSA Chapter
Vice-President, Bowen Young Democrats
Treasurer, Christian Legal Society
Head Communications Liaison, Kaplan Bar Review
Member, Hispanic Law Students Association
Member and Former Secretary, Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers – Student Division
Member, Pulaski County Bar Association – Student Division
What are some of the honors you have been given during your time at Bowen?
Black Law Students Association – Outstanding 2L, Two Time General Scholarship Recipient
Hispanic Law Students Association – Most Dedicated 2L
William H. Bowen Book Award Recipient
What other degrees do you hold?
Master of Arts in Communications, University of Louisiana at Monroe
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Louisiana State University at Shreveport
What is your current career position?
I am a rising third year law student at William H. Bowen School of Law. I am currently clerking at the Attorney General’s Office in Consumer Protection. Last year, I had the pleasure of working for Governor Asa Hutchinson’s Office as a legal intern and The Buchanan Firm, P.A. as a law clerk.
What are some of your career goals?
“With all the opportunity, position, achievement, and knowledge that I am blessed to have, I hope that somewhere in my career I can impact the lives in my community. My short-term goal after law school is to obtain a federal judicial clerkship and then practice for a few years. Long term, I would like to organize a free year round mobile estate planning program for low income families and the elderly.”
What is one thing you would tell other law students about your experience?
William H. Bowen School of Law is a place where we can get there together. In 2012, Bowen was named among the Top Five Law Schools for Black Students by On Being a Black Lawyer. Bowen is an institution that is sensitive to the needs of minority students and the challenges they face in the legal community. It is an institution dedicated to providing the student with the full hands on experience of practicing law and a wide range of volunteer opportunities to fit the interest of every law student. The faculty is dedicated to helping every student achieve his or her personal academic and career goals. Take advantage of everything Bowen has to offer. Don’t be afraid to try, don’t be afraid to achieve. My Research, Writing, and Analysis professor once told me “Greater the resistance, even greater the resolve.”
