The ABA Law Student Division offers students an opportunity to recognize the achievements of their peers. Through the Division’s Awards Program, you can recognize efforts in diversity, public interest programs, your student bar association (SBA), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, membership and activity, and your law school newspaper.

Recognition is great for multiple reasons: You can give your colleagues a much deserved “atta girl” or “atta boy,” you will indirectly share the great ideas of those colleagues with law students across the country, and you get a certain level of personal warm fuzzies. See the Division’s website for more information about each award. The April 1 deadline is quickly approaching, so start soon to ensure that your peers are recognized this summer at the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Get involved in your SBA. If you haven’t done so already, connect with your SBA president or other members of your student bar association and figure out what you can do to improve the student experience. In addition to throwing the hippest parties and meeting with campus officials to handle parking issues, your SBA leaders are taking on serious challenges facing your student body. If there is something you don’t like about your law school, be proactive and figure out what you can do—along with your SBA—to fix it.

Put it all together. Having met most of the SBA presidents, I want to recognize their efforts and great achievements. As for my school, I want to thank the 50 SBA members who work diligently to make St. Mary’s University School of Law a better place. These friends make it a joy for me to come to school every day.