Who We Are

This organization is formed to promote constructive debate on basic principles and contemporary issues in foreign, economic, and national security policy.  As an organization, Alexander Hamilton Society promotes national networking for outstanding students, faculty, and professionals to sponsor debates in order to flourish intellectually, professionally, and personally.

Appalachian on Tap is an association that promotes student involvement through open discussions and debates with members of the profession and law-related professions. They thrive to explore issues of importance to the legal community, promote awareness of legal topics and opportunities, and increase understanding of politics and legal issues. The Association pursues this goal primarily by bringing various speakers to campus.

The Appalachian Journal of Law (Journal) is an official publication of ASL. Its purpose is to attract, edit, and publish scholarly articles, notes, and comments written by academics, jurists, practitioners, students, community leaders, and others. It is designed to provide a forum for issues that arise in the communities of Appalachia and nationwide. Those serving on the Journal are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and scholarship in the production of a publication that embodies the quality and professionalism that are hallmarks of the legal profession.

AWILS strives to educate, support, and empower women not just in the legal field but within our entire community as well. The group, which welcomes all students, participates in community service projects, networks with women lawyers in the Appalachian School of Law region, and hosts discussions of gender-related topics.

The ASL Soccer Team aspires to encourage exercise within the Law School student community. The team is selected based on skill, ability, attitude, participation, and team need.

The ASL basketball team is dedicated to winning for fun and enjoyment in promotion for the school and its students and faculty. Our members are committed to excellence, integrity, and fellowship in all games we play. We strive to bring the local community entertainment, win or lose, and regardless of the skill level of players to compete with altruism.

The purpose of the Black Law Students Association is to represent the diverse views of the black community through the black law students and associates who represent them at Appalachian School of Law; to promote the welfare of its members through educational, professional, cultural, and social programs; and to provide a forum for the discussion of local and national issues affecting both the black law student community and ASL community as a whole.

The Business and International Law Society is an association that promotes the study of business and international law by supporting the professional development of its members. They strive to explore issues of importance to the corporate and international legal community, assist students in pursuing legal careers with an international component, promote awareness of international legal topics, and increase understanding of corporate and international law practice.

CLS is a non-denominational membership organization of lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students, working in association with others, to follow the command of Jesus “to do justice with the love of God” (Luke 11:42, Matthew 23:23). CLS is international in scope, with more than 90 attorney chapters and 165 law student chapters located in more than 1100 cities, in all 50 states and in 10 foreign countries. The mission of CLS is to identify, equip, and mobilize “a national grassroots network of lawyers and law students committed to proclaiming, loving and serving Jesus Christ, through all that we do in the practice of law, and by advocating biblical conflict reconciliation, public justice, religious freedom and the sanctity of human life.” The ASL chapter of CLS meets regularly throughout the school year to share prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. The chapter also works on projects of service to ASL and the community. All are welcome to attend.

The Criminal Law Society of ASL is dedicated to keeping students informed of developments in the criminal law area, as well as increasing students’ exposure to networking and career opportunities. Toward this end, the Criminal Law Society sponsors discussion groups, invites outside speakers, and promotes curricular and co-curricular activities in the criminal law field. The Criminal Law Society is apolitical; however, the Criminal Law Society will facilitate student membership in political groups representing defense attorneys or prosecutors.

Democratic Law Society strives to prime an interest in liberal politics and progressive policy among law students. DLS is a student-run organization whose members anxiously seek opportunities to learn more about politics so that we may render service by connecting with organizers, advocates, activists, union leaders, journalists, and elected officials. DLS’s touchstones include equal rights, people before corporate profits, livable working wages, and sustainable clean energy. Regardless of political persuasion, everyone is welcome at the meetings.

Energy and Mineral Law Society is a student chapter of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation. Each year EMLS sends several students to the Kentucky Mineral Law Conference in Lexington, KY. The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation is a national nonprofit educational organization that fosters the study of the laws and regulations related to natural resource development and energy use. The Foundation is an Accredited Provider of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programs, AAPL, and other professional recertification credits and provides opportunities for professional development through committee participation, program planning, public speaking, and publishing of original work.

The Environmental Law Society was established to further the preservation of the greater Grundy area and the larger global environment by recycling. Each semester over 500 pounds of plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and paper are collected and recycled by law school students. The team collects recycling from individual students during ELS’s Fall and Spring Recycling Competitions. The ELS Recycling Program saw student involvement in recycling increase significantly during the 2017-2018 academic year. The Environmental Law Society also hosts trail and river cleanups each semester, where students can earn community service by collecting litter near campus. Each year ELS also hosts a camping trip to Breaks Interstate Park. Membership in ELS and the Recycling Program also helps students secure community service hours required for graduation from ASL.

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order. It is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Federalist Society seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.

NLLSA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation serving as a conduit for Latina/o law student voices. Founded on the principles of social, ethnic, racial, gender, and sexual equality, NLLSA is focused on advancing Latina/o academic success and commitment to community service. NLLSA is fueled by a progressive coalition-building approach that addresses legal issues affecting Latinas/os around the nation.

OutLaw is dedicated to creating a safe space for all LGBT+ persons and their allies and provide social, educational, professional, and philanthropic opportunities for the LGBT+ community at ASL. OutLaw strives to foster a dialogue with the larger campus community and the surrounding community at large about the legal status of LGBT+ persons in society, the ways in which the law interacts with the lives of LGBT+ persons, and what it means to be LGBT+ in the legal profession.

The Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, established in the year 1869 to promote a higher standard of professional ethics, is among the oldest legal organizations in North America. It holds a unique position in the history of the North American bench, bar, and ASL. Phi Delta Phi is the world’s largest legal fraternity whose membership is restricted to students and practitioners of the law. Phi Delta Phi holds monthly meetings for fellowship and planning.

The RLSA is a student organization formed at Appalachian School of Law to promote individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and Constitutional values. All ASL students, faculty, and staff are welcome to join.

At the beginning of every new academic year, the students at Appalachian School of Law start to prepare for a softball tournament that usually takes place during the month of April in Charlottesville, VA. Typically, we have enough students to completely fill two teams, which means that we have double the chance of bringing the winning trophy back to Grundy! Anyone who comes out to the practices and pays the club dues is on the team, and we welcome any and all different types of experience levels. So get away from the grind of law school and come have some fun with your classmates on the diamond!

The Appalachian School of Law SALDF is dedicated to providing a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal law. The Appalachian School of Law SALDF is equally dedicated to protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system.

The Student Bar Association of Appalachian School of Law is governed by four officers, nine Senators, and four Honor Court Justices. Every ASL student is a member of the Student Bar Association by virtue of enrollment. The SBA serves the ASL student body in the formation of law school policy and student governance. In addition, the SBA organizes social events and community service events and facilitates the formation of new student organizations. The SBA plays an important role in serving as a liaison between the students and the faculty and administratio

The mission of the Sutin Public Interest Association is to promote awareness, educate, and empower public service-minded law students in upholding Dean Sutin’s strong beliefs in serving the public. The founders of this organization were dedicated to surmounting barriers to equal justice that affect millions of low-income individuals and families. Today, the association is committed to organizing, training, and supporting public service-minded law students, and in creating summer and postgraduate public interest career opportunities.

Veterans Law School Association was formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of the veterans, service members, and families represented on campus and in the local community; to foster and encourage an attitude of military service to America, and to focus upon the relationship between duty to country and our legal system.