Katharine Janes ‘21
Former SBA President
Friends,
You have received countless emails from me over this past year, so I’ll keep my final remarks brief: Thank you. Thank you for trusting me to advocate on your behalf over this past year, and thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your SBA President.
This year has certainly turned out to be what none of us expected.[1] For SBA in particular, we quickly realized we would need to modify our vision for the term as a new reality became apparent. Despite this deviation, however, I am proud of the work this year’s SBA invested to make our community the best it can be.
SBA has always aimed to make sure students enjoy their three years in law school. To this end, we have hosted countless Socials, Foxfields and Fauxfields, and Barrister’s Balls to bring students together. This year, though, we hoped that SBA could be different. Not only could it be a place where we enjoy fun activities with one another, but it could also be a space where we, as a community, handle hard conversations too. This academic year, we worked with the administration to integrate student voices into the functioning of our school, including in the faculty hiring process. We had candid discussions about equity and inclusion in ways previously unseen. And we talked at length about how to maintain community during a time of distance, both physical and otherwise. There have undoubtedly been growing pains during this process. However, in my role as President, I have witnessed firsthand the collective desire of our student body to make UVA Law the best place it can be. This work is hard, but students and the Student Bar Association have been willing to do it time and again this academic year.
To the members of SBA 2020-2021: Thank you for your diligence, passion, and dedication during a profoundly difficult time. In particular, thank you to Savanna Williams ’21, Chance Maginness ’22, and Katherine O’Neal ’22. You invested countless hours in your work on graduation, SBA governance, and diversity and inclusion, and I am grateful for having the chance to learn and grow from your examples. The school is better for your work in it.
To the incoming SBA: I look forward to seeing all you accomplish in this next academic year. May it be filled with more socializing, more advocating, and more community-building than any year that preceded it—including this one. Niko, Caroline, Sam, and Ari: You are going to do fantastic things in your new roles, and I look forward to cheering you on as a graduate. And, if you could be so generous, please remember to invite the members of the Class of 2021 back for any festivities on the docket.
With love,
Katharine
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kmj4vg@virginia.edu
[1] I promise, though, to avoid all references how “unprecedented” it has been!