A bit about FLSN:
The National Food Law Student Network (FLSN) is a collaboration of law students from around the country dedicated to promoting the study and practice of food law and related fields. Motivated by a shared desire to improve the food system, FLSN raises law student voices in the national conversation about our food system. FLSN serves as a hub to exchange ideas, knowledge, and practical skills while building enduring connections among students and professionals to support the next generation of food law and policy advocates.
How to get involved:
All law students are welcome to join the network by signing up for our listserv.
Network members who are interested in helping to fulfill FLSN’s mission should apply to serve on the 2022-2023 FLSN Executive Board.
The FLSN Executive Board fulfills FLSN’s mission by
- Hosting regional and national events;
- Providing guidance and resources for students to promote food policy at their schools;
- Connecting students to unique food law and policy projects through the Network and our partners;
- Serving as a liaison between students and professionals in order to cultivate mentoring relationships; and
- Curating a clearinghouse of funding, internship, and employment opportunities
Applications are open until Monday, May 23rd.
The new committee will be announced by Friday, May 27th, and committee transition calls will happen shortly thereafter.
We’re looking for the following positions:
2 Co-Presidents
1 Secretary
2 Communications Chairs
2 Career Chairs
2 Engagement Chairs
4 Regional Representatives
About the Executive Board positions:
President:
- Oversees other FLSN Executive Board members and projects
- Schedules and Runs regular FLSN Executive Board Meetings
- Liaison Between Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic and the Executive Board
- Helps Plan Annual Food Law Student Leadership Summit OR Food Law Student Network Digital Event Series
- Manages Voting/Yearly Review of FLSN Bylaws
- Available to Fill in any of the Other Executive Board Positions as Necessary
Skills needed:
- Leadership Skills: Ability to organize other board members working on outside projects; keeping on top of regular updates
- Professional Communication Skills: Must be able to communicate effectively with professionals, describe updates in a brief format to ensure board members are on the same page, and promptly reply to all FLSN related email
- Creativity: Must be open to exploring new projects the Food Law Student Network might take on to continue to grow and evolve
Secretary:
- Schedules and Runs regular FLSN Executive Board Meetings
- Collaborates with President(s) to create meeting agenda
- Takes minutes of each meeting and promptly shares minutes with the board
- Regularly checks and responds to messages on FLSN Gmail
- Help facilitate communications between the Advisory Council and Executive Board
Skills needed:
- Excellent organizational and time management
- Good note taker and efficient communicator
- Reliable schedule – MUST attend all e-board meetings
Communications Chairs:
- Reach out to board members or other individuals interested in writing blog posts
- Run FLSN’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Create content for social media platforms
- Advertise blog and other events or projects as needed
- Responsible for bi-weekly Food Law Student Network email through MailChimp
Skills needed:
Fluency with social media: communications chairs need to be relatively fluent in technology and social media platforms, as they are responsible for maintaining FLSN’s online presence. Experience with MailChimp preferred.
Creativity: communications chairs create content for the FLSN website and blog, so those who have creative minds are encouraged to apply!
Careers Chairs:
- Maintain a running list of food law career opportunities
- Find and share professional opportunities with the network
- Reach out to and network with food law professionals to find out more about both summer and full-time positions in the food law sphere.
- Coordinate with Communications Co-Chairs regarding the newsletter.
Skills needed:
- Professional Communication Skills: Must be able to communicate effectively with professionals/staff attorneys in outside organizations.
- Outreach skills: Careers chairs interact with a lot of attorneys they may not have met before, so they should be comfortable with cold-emailing people
Engagement Chairs:
- Coordinate FLSN events (with the support of the Presidents) and support other board members with their events as needed.
- Provide guidance on how to begin a food law society (FLS) at a new school and how to prepare for the struggles students may face in doing so (lack of attendance, etc.)
- Provide feedback to students that share their initial FLS documents to better improve them.
- Establish new ideas and activities to increase student involvement in cost-effective, innovative ways, and disperse those concepts to other FLS groups so that more groups can benefit.
- Oversee FLSN initiatives, and seek out new opportunities for the FLSN membership
Skills needed:
- Communication: Engagement chairs should be able to communicate well, especially through social media.
- Outreach skills: Engagement chairs interact with a lot of students they may not have met before, so they should be comfortable with cold-emailing people.
- Organization: Ability to organize students working on outside projects; keeping on top of regular updates as the liaison to outside organizations.
- Professional Communication Skills: Must be able to communicate effectively with professionals/staff attorneys in outside organizations. Also, need to adequately describe projects in a brief format when sending opportunities to the listserv.
Regional Reps:
- Each Representative (up to 4) is assigned a region of the United States and works alongside the Engagement Chairs in their regions to collect contact information from law schools and students as well as project opportunities from partner organizations and clinics.
- Maintain updated contact with schools and clinics in their region
- Stay informed and share with FLSN any projects, conferences, networking, or other professional opportunities
- Serve as a bridge for bringing together regional communities of law students interested and/or active in food law.
Regional Representatives are not required but are welcome to join the monthly e-board meetings
Skills needed:
- Communication: The Regional Representatives should be able to communicate well, especially through social media.
- Outreach skills: The Regional Representatives interact with many students they may not have met before, so they should be comfortable with cold-emailing people.
- Professional Communication Skills: Must be able to communicate effectively with professionals/staff attorneys in outside organizations. Also, need to be able to adequately describe projects in a brief format when sending opportunities to the listserv.
Please reach out to foodlawstudentnetwork@gmail.com with any questions!