American Bar Association Law Student Division - Member Benefits

A message from the ABA Law Student Division

Legislative advocacy is one of the most important benefits provided to American Bar Association Law Student Division members. Over the past several years, the Law Student Division has made incredible strides within the Association and in the lives of law students nationwide. In particular this past year, the Law Student Division undertook an aggressive lobbying campaign designed to ease the financial pressure facing public interest lawyers. Armed with personal written accounts collected from law students across the country, the Law Student Division leadership took to Capitol Hill and put a sympathetic face on this issue by sharing these stories in meetings with almost 50 congressional offices.

The ABA championed three avenues for student loan repayment assistance, two of which have been approved in some form in both the House and Senate and the third has been cleared by the Senate and the ABA is working to ensure its passage in the House. Details about the Division’s legislative initiatives can be found on our home page at http://www.abanet.org/lsd/home.html.

I encourage you to join the Division’s grassroots advocacy efforts by becoming a member of the ABA Law Student Division now. (http://www.abanet.org/lawstudent).

Competitions Program

The opportunity for students to hone their critical thinking and legal skills by participating in one or more of the ABA Law Student Division competitions is another great member benefit. Last year, 1,300 students from 160 ABA-approved law schools and 2,400 bench and bar members participated in the Division’s regional and national competitions. Participation in the Division’s four competitions is limited to ABA Law Student Division members.

· Arbitration Competition (entry deadline is September 14)
· Negotiation Competition (entry deadline is September 14)
· Client Counseling Competition (entry deadline is October 26)
· National Appellate Advocacy Competition (entry deadline is November 9)

Details about the competitions, as well as online entry forms and a PDF of the Competition Poster, can be found on the Competitions website at http://www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions/.

Other Member Benefits

A $25 annual membership in the ABA Law Student Division will enable you to stay ahead in law school and build a network to launch your career. Joining the 51,000 other law student members from across the country is a smart decision and your dues pay you back time and time again throughout the year. (http://www.abanet.org/lawstudent)

Here’s how…

· Help make our voices heard on Capitol Hill by joining the 51,000 other law student members from across the country in our student loan relief advocacy efforts.

· Student Lawyer Magazine and ABA Journal. A subscription to both magazines is included in your $25 annual membership fee. Information on Student Lawyer and ABA Journal is available at http://www.abanet.org/lsd/studentlawyer/ and http://www.abanet.org/journal/redesign/home.html.

· Kaplan PMBR bar review course tuition discounts of $70 to $100 (http://www.kaplanpmbr.com/).

· One free Legalines study guide (coupon included with your membership card) and Bar/Bri bar review course scholarship opportunity.

· Home and Auto Insurance offered through Liberty Mutual and American Bar Insurance. Policies available include home, auto, and renters insurance. For great rates and a free quotation, call 800.955.3379 or visit http://www.abiins.com/.

· Health Insurance offered through United Healthcare Student Resources. Call 800.237.0903 x6292 or visit http://www.uhcsr.com/aba.

· Opportunities to participate in competitions, writing contests and the Awards Program--many with cash rewards http://www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions.

· Leadership Opportunities as a national, regional, or local representative (http://www.abanet.org/lsd/elections).

· Access to membership of specialty Sections, Divisions, and Forums within the ABA (http://www.abanet.org/abasource/sdf.html).

· Hertz Car Rental to members under the age of 25 without a surcharge.

· Public Service opportunities such as VITA and Work-A-Day (http://www.abanet.org/lsd/work-a-day/home.html).

· Complimentary subscriptions to your circuit list serve.

· Access to ABA Online Travel with Travelocity Business for great rates on airfare, car rentals, and hotels.

To join the ABA Law Student Division, please visit http://www.abanet.org/lawstudent or call the ABA Service Center at 800.285.2221.