Solidarity Slate is a natural outgrowth of diversity initiatives at Berkeley Law around the late 1990s to early 2000s. A response to Proposition 209, a California ballot initiative that outlawed affirmative action in admissions and hiring decisions of state entities, law students organized around issues of access, diversity, and quality at Berkeley Law. Inaugural programming included Solidarity! happy hours, a campaign for faculty diversity (spear-headed by WOCC), and initiatives for ally training at the law school. Years later, social justice minded organizations at Berkeley Law joined together to create a strong group of candidates to run for positions on the Boalt Hall Student Association. Over 33 law student organizations elect a formal slate of candidates to represent both the collective interests of Berkeley Law's social justice organizations and an innovative slant on leadership in the new millennium.
Today, Berkeley Law remains a top-tiered law school but is in the midst of a rapid transition. A transition that balances increased faculty hiring and shiny new building construction, with: rising tuition, growing loan debt, decreased admission/retention of underrepresented students, and staff layoffs/furloughs. But Berkeley Law is not alone; the saliency of other public law schools is also questionable and private peer institutions are grappling with similar tuition, loan debt, and diversity issues. In this time of transition and uncertainty, student voice remains paramount to leadership and problem-solving. Solidarity slate is committed to leading BHSA through this time of uncertainty to ensure that all students' voices and needs are adequately addressed through viable reforms for tomorrow and beyond.
