The Ada Lois Sipuel (OU) Chapter of the National Black Law Students Association (BLSA) was recently awarded “National Chapter of the Year” for the fourth consecutive year at the annual convention in Houston, Texas.
In accepting the award for the University of Oklahoma, out-going chapter president Elise Miller stated that, “She was incredibly honored for her organization to be chosen for the 4th time as a national leader.” She went on to say that “The focus for this year had been to build bonds with law students from other organizations and from other schools to provide programs and community services.”
The theme for this year was “We’ve got work to do: No fear! No Limits!” Miller went on to further state that, “This phrase deeply resonates with us at OU as we considered the potential effects of the US Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision coupled with the state-wide DEI funding bans in Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida.”
The OU BLSA organization traveled across the state with the OCU and Tulsa BLSA chapters to learn more about the Tulsa Race Massacre, and hosted panels exploring the ramifications of the DEI funding ban across public higher-learning institutions. The Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Chapter also acts as a sponsor to an OU undergraduate pre-law student group and participates in the College of Law’s Pipeline Programs to introduce HS students to the path to becoming a lawyer.
The chapter held over forty impactful singular and joint events throughout the course of the year. This is a continuation of the legacy of leadership and service that was created by former OU Law students such as Senator Opio Toure ’79, Civil Rights Attorney/former OU Regent Melvin Hall ’81, and Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons ’86 during their time at OU College of Law.
Only 5% of all attorneys in the United States are Black. The University of Oklahoma College of Law, in support its mission, gives opportunities for African Americans and other under-supported minorities. The University and the Law School has created support and an environment which opens doors toward the path to becoming a lawyer. A managing partner of Crowe & Dunlevy, one of the top Oklahoma firms, recently stated that the legal profession should “aspire to look like the communities that we serve.” The law students at OU are clearly taking on the challenge and taking advantage of the opportunities being offered; and have grown into leadership roles in creating a more positive picture.
Incoming president Leah Bush said that, “She too, was humbled but excited about the legacy of leadership at OU BLSA and has already committed to continuing to help grow the positive themes at OU Law.”
The OU Chapter is named in honor of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, who in 1949 became to the first African American to attend and graduate OU or any majority public university in the South. Ms. Fisher rose to prominence as a Civil Rights attorney and a college professor and later became a Regent at the University of Oklahoma. This year, Dean Katheleen Guzman and the students sponsored an Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher statuette at the main law school entrance.
For more information:
OU College of Law
Assistant Dean Stanley Evans
