Congratulations & Thank You

[SBA President]

Dear USF Law:

Tomorrow marks the official end of the 2012-2013 academic year and my final day as President of the Student Bar Association.  I want to congratulate everyone for finishing another (or the first) year of law school.  I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for the opportunity to work on your behalf during our Centennial year. It has been a pleasure to serve, I am extremely proud of the work we've done, and I am confident that Payvand and the 2013-2014 SBA will do a remarkable job next year.     

We have the great fortune of attending one of the finest law schools in America despite what any ranking might suggest.  We certainly have our own unique challenges and there is much work to be done (and it will be done), but there is truly nothing wrong at our law school that cannot be fixed by what is right at our law school.  I know this to be true because I've witnessed it first-hand throughout the year (end-of-the-year slideshow).

I served on the Dean Search Committee with brilliant, passionate, and committed professors that exemplify those who choose to teach at our law school.  I worked side-by-side with dedicated and thoughtful student leaders, both those in SBA and those responsible for running student organizations, as they unselfishly gave their time and energy to organize programs and events to enrich our law school experience.  And I joined in many of our Centennial Challenge events and watched our community come together to complete nearly 6,500 hours of community service with more than 120 organizations in the Bay Area and across the state.  That's more than six thousand hours of meaningful work that has made a real difference in people's lives, an effort conceptualized and led entirely by our classmates, and one I'm thrilled to note will continue next year!  These are simply a few examples of the things that make our law school great and the commonality among them is people.

Ours is a community overflowing with people that care deeply about one another and the world around us.  That is fundamentally what sets us apart from other law schools and that is what will hold us together and help us succeed in the months and years ahead.  Now is the time to increase our investment in the law school – a time to roll up our sleeves and give more of ourselves than we've given before.  It's time to start, join, or reinvigorate the organization you've been thinking about.  It's time to create an action plan for changing programs or policies that need fixing.  It's time to think creatively about doing things in new and innovative ways.  And now is the time to renew our focus and commitment to the vision we all share to actually change the world from here.

It's been a great ride, I couldn't have asked to attend a better law school with better people, and if I can ever be helpful please don't hesitate to contact me (jamala...@gmail.com).  This is the last e-mail you'll receive from me as SBA President, but you just might hear from me again.  Thank you, USF Law, and good luck to us all!

All the best,

Jamal

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Jamal H. Anderson
J.D. Candidate, 2013
President, Student Bar Association (Retired!)

University of San Francisco School of Law

jamala...@gmail.com