SBA President
Payvand Afzali
I came to USF because I knew the community here
was wholly different from any other law school I could attend. From the moment I stepped onto campus the USF
student body exceeded all of my expectations. The camaraderie amongst our
students is unparalleled. That is what makes us different, that is why we will
succeed even in the face of any adversity, and that is why I want to be SBA
President.
With that being said, a lot has changed since I
came to USF. Everyone has heard about
#144 in the last few weeks. I know that number presents certain challenges for
us as current students, but I also know that we can overcome these challenges
if we come together with motivation, with positivity, and with hard work in the
coming year. If we can do that, that number will be an afterthought. It will be our dedication to our school, our
community, and our futures that will stand out above everything else.
My vision is for SBA to truly be a
student-oriented organization that reaches outside of the executive committee
to both define and meet its goals. I want an SBA that actively seeks out the
opinions of all students and works tirelessly with the student body to achieve
our goals. I envision regularly held student-only meetings in order to better
understand our student body’s concerns.
Because our students possess a diverse set of goals, it is imperative
that everyone is heard and that all challenges are equally met.
The best way to achieve our goals is by showing
the legal community that USF law students are amongst the most talented,
committed, and compassionate lawyers in the field, and I believe that starts
with outreach. We need the USF network
to be stronger than it ever has been before.
We need to contact alumni and other practicing attorneys in order to
build that support network. This year I
was a part of the Alumni Relations Committee, which launched the LinkedIn
Mentorship program. It is a great start
to building our network, but it is still not enough. This would be my main focus if I am elected
We all came to USF in hopes of beginning our
legal careers, knowing full well the uphill climb we were facing given the
current employment climate. We cannot
let this latest setback deter us from meeting our goals, both individually and
collectively. Now is the time to show the entire legal community that we are
defined by our aspirations and abilities, and not by any number. Now is the
time to demonstrate to alumni, employers, administration, and one another that
the USF student body is stronger and more committed than ever before. Now is the time to make ourselves heard, and
I would be honored to speak on behalf of each and every one of you as the
2013-2014 SBA President.
Kourtney M. Bell
It is
both a privilege and a honor to be a candidate for SBA President. While
politics are inherently a part of being a President, I am not a politician. I
am an advocate, and
I stand for student rights, academic fairness and substantial, yet, meaningful
change.
Without
question, we face serious challenges moving forward. However, despite the many
obstacles before us, the time to be optimistic about our future is now! My
motivation to run for SBA President could not be any clearer: I firmly believe
that I am uniquely positioned to make a difference. I have the professional
experience, passion, and desire to bring a positive change to our moral and our
legal reputation in the community.
Success
will require us to make substantial changes in the manner in which we currently
do business. Indeed, my administration will begin building the foundation
necessary to enhance or create lasting policies that will benefit the academic
and legal pursuits of our current and future students. These policies are meant
to help all USF students weather the storms of uncertainty and bureaucracy.
As a
result, I have outlined a few of the things that I would change as the SBA
President:
Academic
Reform:
Implementing
a Student Review/Evaluation to hold the Committee of Academic Standards
accountable– Where a class
or policy requirement consistently receives poor reviews, I will talk with the
new Dean about replacing or removing the class/policy requirement.
Overhauling the procedure to become a Visiting Professors at USF Law.
Making
a push to removing academic policies requiring students to take doctrinal
courses in
their third year, and replacing
those course offerings with practical skill courses, clinics, or externship
credits to ensure that our graduating class will have work experience and be
practice ready.
Administrative
Reform:
From day one, the new Dean will
know that the SBA is open to new and dynamic efforts to raise
the profile of USF Law. However,
SBA will
oppose any additional increases in tuition
without subsequent
Administrative Cuts or a simple majority vote of students,
Implementing a Student Review/Evaluation of Administrators – Where an administrator
consistently receives poor
internal or external reviews I would request that the university either remove
them or work with them to enhance their skills.
Admittedly,
I am not a typical candidate for SBA President. I am not on law review, I am
currently not in SBA, and I did not finish my first year at the top of my
class. I have faced struggles every step of the way, and I am not ashamed of
it. However, I believe my experiences are just another thing that deepens my
connection with most of you, and will allow me to better advocate on behalf of our
student body and the issues we face together.
I
am a forward thinker with the drive, initiative and passion to help make our
university maximize our academic and professional endeavors, and as SBA
President, I will fight tirelessly to ensure that your voice will always be
heard.
Shaun T. Greer
Election season is upon us and I would like to take this
opportunity to tell you why I am running for the position of President. In my tenure at USF School of Law, I have
dedicated myself to serving a community
that I deeply care about. I was elected
1L Representative and in that capacity, I made sure that I was accessible and
approachable for all 1Ls. It was through this work that I witnessed the amazing
good that our SBA provides to the student body. I was inspired to continue as
an SBA member and knew immediately that I wanted another position where I could
make a positive impact on our community. I was honored to serve as your SBA
Secretary during this past year. I
pledged to open communication and foster institutional memory for increased
efficiency. Through my function as
Secretary, I worked with the President to achieve more Administrative
transparency. My record of serving my
peers is just one component of what makes me a well-suited candidate.
Dramatic changes are unfolding at USF. We have all celebrated our Centennial but we now
stand on a precipice overlooking the future ofour School. In the coming year we will see the hiring of
a new Dean, creating a remarkable opportunity to make extraordinary changes. Further, we are witnessing the emergence of a
transformed legal environment and facing the need for adaptation.
Considering these circumstances, we need a President that
will impress upon our new Dean the value of students playing an integral role
in the governance of the School and demand that this role not only be continued,
but expanded. We need a President who
will work tirelessly to listen to the voices of all students and then articulate
a framed expression of these interests. We need a leader who is respectful of the
traditions set forth by alumnus before us, but who is also forward-thinking
enough to enact innovative solutions to modern problems. I truly believe that I
can be this leader.
My vision for the Presidency and the direction of the SBA
Council is to reaffirm our integral role among the Administration. More broadly, I will continue opportunities
that have propelled our USF name into the San Francisco community. We need to create not only a school of educated
legal minds but also individuals fueled by our motto of “Changing the World
From Here” involved and taking ownership of the outside world. I pledge to intertwine the world we learn in
with the world we reside in. Law school
should not be a long nap we wake up from only to find that the world continued
without us, nor should it be a blip on our individual stories of success. I invite all of you stop me in the hall and
challenge me to these promises, and if elected I pledge to dedicate myself to
this School I love.
SBA Vice-President
Michelle Emelife (Full-Time)
My name is
Michelle Emelife. I am a second year law student and I am running for Vice President
(full-time). With all the institutional changes taking place at USF School of
Law and all the hardships we are facing, I hope to incite change by increasing student
involvement in the institutional affairs at USF and requiring more
accountability from our administrators and professors. In addition to planning
the normal social activities that boost student morale and encourage community
at USF, I plan to redefine the role of Vice President (full-time) by working
with the president to expand my duties to focus on post-grad employment and
expanding USF’s name recognition through student scholarship and involvement.
As employment
was one of the main factors that impacted our rankings this year, my primary
goal is to increase the number of employment opportunities for both current
students and post-grads. My first goal would be to host a series of
professionalism panels and lawyerly skills workshops conducted by professors,
lawyers and professionals to help our students acquire the tools and
information they need to succeed in a legal or non-legal setting without much
direction. My second plan is to host at least two to three major networking
events to expose and introduce
our students to various professionals, in both legal and non-legal fields not
limited to our own alums. Finally, I plan to work closely with OCP redesign
their way of assisting students.
My next goal is to expand name
recognition for USF School of Law. So far our school has engaged in a marketing
campaign and numerous professors have engaged in legal scholarship to get our
name out in the world. My goal is to take it a step further by encouraging more
students to write and get published (in the USF Law Review and other Journals
across the nation) and to attend more conference and conventions to make
ourselves known. Although grades are important, I believe it is also important
for our students to engage in scholarly conversations because when we engage in
such conversations not only does it help our students build their brand, but
also it reflects well on our school. With that said I would work with
administration to see how we incentivize this type of scholarly student
involvement. Furthermore, I plan to collaborate with LRWA professors and
professors of substantive law courses to provide students with the necessary
information about how to get published.
Finally, as USF is known for its great
sense of community, I plan to continue the tradition of hosting various social events
(i.e. Fall Party, Barrister’s Ball, Fall and Spring BBQ) to maintain our sense
of community and student morale.
USF is a good institution facing hard
times, I hope to use my passion to advocate for the students, represent their
needs, and incite the change necessary to bring about positive change at USF
School of Law and I want to see us all succeed.
Benny Allen (Part-Time)
I am Benny Allen and I am running for the position of SBA
Vice-President (Part-Time) for the upcoming academic year. Currently I am
serving as the SBA 1L Part-Time Representative. As a member of the part-time section, I can
confirm that our section is even more diverse than the general student body
with unique challenges such as balancing the rigors of a legal education with
working, sometimes full time, and/or family responsibilities. I have found that student resources are
geared for the benefit of full-time students and often do not take into account
the outside schedules of part-time students.
Being active in national organizations promoting women’s causes, gay
rights, and Asian American affairs, I am committed to the power of diversity
believing that our differences will strengthen our community. Having
previously lived in Asia and Mexico, I can easily relate to people of different
backgrounds and experiences.
As 1L Part-Time Representative, I have tried to be a well-informed,
outspoken advocate for my section. I have actively solicited part-time
students’ concerns and have been recognized by my colleagues as approachable
and genuinely interested in their opinions and comments. I have voiced
many of their concerns directly to the SBA and other student organizations as
well as the Dean and other officials in the law school.
During my current tenure as 1L Part-Time Representative, I have
focused my efforts on improving part-time student participation at law school
events and social activities. I personally arranged a forum of practicing
attorneys who graduated from the USF Part-Time program to speak to the section,
sharing their experiences to inspire and network with the students. I have
arranged allocation of tickets dedicated to the section to social events,
resulting in larger participation from the section. I have also
encouraged students to organize activities specifically for our section,
strengthening our ties.
The upcoming academic year will be a time of tumultuous change as we
welcome a new dean and as the entire law school faces the challenges of
restoring the reputation and standing of our beloved institution. I want to be
part of the leadership that plans and implements change that will improve
student life and the academic strength of our community. Diversity is a
recognized strength of USF Law and I want to continue to build upon that
reputation by encouraging the participation of the most diverse group on
campus. In the position of SBA Vice-President (Part-Time), I will
continue my commitment to the part-time program and make sure its needs are
addressed by the new dean and its voice is heard during discussions that will
shape the future direction of the law school.
Secretary
Austin Dieter
Treasurer
Christian Lopez
In previous
years when a new SBA Board was elected the end results usually meant a change
in the method of funding student organizations. This, I feel, has not always
been the best approach. The implementation of new funding methods is not only a
hassle for student organizations to learn, but can also cause confusion. I believe
in order to increase SBA’s effectiveness and allow it to better serve the
student groups it would best “not” to adopt a new funding system, but instead to
work out the kinks in the current system. As a member of
the SBA Budget Committee, if elected Treasurer, my familiarity with the current
system would allow me to adjust, not entirely change, the system to better serve student groups.
Further, my
past experiences have provided me with extensive knowledge that I feel will
allow me to become the Treasurer SBA needs. I have seven years of financial management experience. From 2005 – 2010, I
held the position Financial Counselor with a non-profit organization. My daily
duties required me to analyze the income for hundreds of clients and not
only develop a feasible budget for them, but to counsel them on strategies and
techniques to maintain their budgets. As Treasurer, I will be prepared to
implement these strategies that will allow the SBA to balance its budget while
ensuring that our student organizations receive enough resources to properly
meet their goals. Thank you for your
consideration.
2L Representative
Anthony Caruthers
3L Representative
Gabby Alexander
ABA Primary Representative
Patrick Tuck
I’m Patrick
TUCK and I want to be your American Bar Association (ABA) Primary
Representative. I chose to run for this position
because all of our futures as aspiring attorneys will depend in some measure on
established ABA members. By bringing
distinguished ABA speakers to campus, acting as a liaison between USF and the
massive ABA network, and spreading the word about ABA-sponsored competitions, I
hope to assist all current and future USF Law students in finding their
passions, their mentors, and most importantly, their jobs.
…and WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN
GET.
As an intern
at the Bar Association of San Francisco, I have experienced firsthand the
immense value of attorney networks facilitated by the Bar. Additionally, I have held more than a dozen
jobs on both the East and West coasts and I know what it takes to secure
employment and bring professionals together.
Number one on that list is making connections in the field. I will work diligently as the ABA
representative to make sure all at USF Law have the opportunities to make these
important connections.
…and WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN
GET.
Finally, as
the ABA primary representative position reaches beyond the scope of USF, my
task will include improving our school’s recently diminished reputation on the
national stage. I am prepared and
extremely motivated to be the face and advocate of you, the students, and our
school, and will utilize the vast ABA resources to help us climb back to
national prominence.
…and WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET.
