Brandeis School of Law wins American Bar Association award

UofL's Brandeis School of Law student bar association was honored with the 2023-2024 Student Bar Association (SBA) Award from the American Bar Association (ABA).

The Student Bar Association Award recognizes the efforts of one SBA organization annually that strives to create a better environment for law students and a more positive image of the legal profession.

Taylor Reese and Elma Jasarevic, both May 2024 law school graduates, served as ABA representative and president of the student bar association, respectively, and were instrumental in securing the award for the law school.

The two cited their involvement in the SBA as a way to give back to fellow students.

"One reason I ran to be ABA rep and wanted to join the SBA is because you can make a change there, especially for our peers," Jasarevic said. "It also offers great opportunities like free membership and networking opportunities like seminars and conferences that offer interaction with the legal community not just locally but statewide and nationally. I wanted to communicate all that to my peers. I wanted to see everyone succeed."

Jasarevic nominated the student bar association for the ABA award and believes a combination of factors helped them capture the honor, including a marked increase in student engagement over the past year, as well as better connecting the student body with the administration and making an impact within the legal and nonlegal community.

Reese and Jasarevic planned and held a series of three successful town halls to encourage open dialogue about any issues and offer a voice to underrepresented groups of law students who may not have felt heard.

"When Elma and I came into school, there was a little bit of a disconnect between students and administration," Reese said. "This was the first year ever that we had a channel for people to leave us complaints, comments or suggestions. We set up a Microsoft form that any student could access and just tell us anything."

After receiving feedback from the town halls, Reese met with the law school deans to communicate comments and concerns and figure out solutions. The town halls also prompted greater participation in social events.

"I think the most that had previously attended any event was about 25-30 people but this year we had 125," Reese said. "The students knew that all of us at SBA were very much an open ear, and we would go above and beyond to find someone who could fix problems. I think that's a big part of why we had such a great year."

Reese and Jasarevic are both pursuing law careers focused on public service, something they attribute to their time at Brandeis.

Reese will be working as a military lawyer, commissioning as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army JAG Corps in January 2025.

"I always had an interest in special victims counsel, and the Army has that position," she said. "I will be representing the survivor of domestic violence or a sex crime."

Jasarevic's journey will be closer to home. She will be sworn in this fall as Jefferson County's Assistant Commonwealth Attorney.

"I've always had a passion to serve the public since I was in middle school," she said. "That's one of the things that really attracted me to Brandeis was that great mission. I just love seeing how the school is thriving and how we're furthering the public interest."