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Another Semester, Another Chance to Start a Food Law Society

foodWritten by: Rebecca Gobeil, Boston College Law School 3L, 2017-2018 Vice President of FLSN

Starting a Food Law organization at a law school is not always easy. While the field of Food and Agriculture law is extremely fascinating and many folks would be interested in it; it is hard to get folks excited about something they know nothing about. Food law interacts with so many other areas of the law: immigration law, labor law, environmental law as well as laws and policy to do with government and regulation; and approaching it this way can garner interest in the food law society at your school. Another way to start is to find an area or issue that is small enough to tackle locally so folks can feel that you are effecting real change and they are excited to get involved.

I have been brainstorming along with some others interested in food law about what can garner others interest in the field of study. One of the major ways is to connect these fields addressed earlier with food law. Invite an immigration lawyer who has worked with migrant farmers to speak with your law school so they can understand that the fields greatly interact. Similarly invite a labor lawyer interested in helping folks within the restaurant industry – particularly someone involved with the Sanctuary Restaurant movement; a movement where folks are committed to protecting those working in the restaurant industry no matter their background or immigration status. There is also so much room for crossover between food law and environmental law; whether that be concerning food waste, pesticides, waste water, air pollution or any other number of crossover topics. These crossover areas allow folks committed to other areas of the law to understand that food law is intermingled so closely to their chosen fields and it is an area that should be paid attention to and closely followed.

The other way to garner interest and start an organization is to start small. At my law school myself and another student interested in food law are looking at policies involving food waste at our school. We are hoping that taking steps to effect real change at our own school will lead others to be interested in food law and how it can affect the future of not only our school but our environment. When looking at an issue such as food waste we as students will look to regulations as well as school and local politics. Effecting real change is something nearly everyone in law school can get behind and get excited about.

What I have learned through law school and through life is that the most important thing to do is to start. So if there is no food law presence at your school but you are passionate about it take a small step. Talk to your friend group about how prevalent it is in other fields of law; focus on a small topic that affects your community; talk to your environmental/immigration/labor law community about bringing in a speaker that deals with food law. Just start, you never know whose attention and what excitement you will draw!

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Starting a New Food Law Society 101 – A Step by Step Guide

Written by Zoe Grant- J.D. Candidate 2019 (University of Oregon)

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(Photo from the University of Surrey’s Webpage)

 

A Food Law Society can be a great way to collaborate with other students interested in practicing Food Law and make professional connections. Unfortunately, many law schools do not have any Food oriented organizations readily available to join. No problem! Be a trailblazer! Here are some tips that will be helpful for those interested in starting a new Food Law Society at their law school:

1) Talk to Your Peers – While Food Law may be a niche practice area, interest in the field is growing fast. All of us eat food and most of us love the opportunity to talk about it as well. Food is a common denominator across all of humanity and it is likely that your fellow law students have strong opinions on the topic that they will be willing to voice given a platform. Look for students who recognize the basic necessity of sustainable food systems and the legal frameworks to support them to get the conversation started.

2) Find a Faculty Advisor – Reach out to professors from your law school that have done research relating to Food Law (even if it’s only tangentially related). Chances are they will be interested in working with students who share their academic interests. Ask if they would be willing to support your new Food Law Society in an advisory capacity. They may contribute ideas for future activities or have professional contacts that could be speakers at your next Food Law Society meeting.

3) Throw a Potluck – Potlucks are a fantastic way to bring students together and they can also be stimulating conversation starters. There is no better way to kick off a constructive discussion of Food Policy than by sharing a meal together! Potlucks can be a great backdrop for a first meeting or can be regularly scheduled events.

4) Meet with your Student Bar Association – Your law school’s SBA will likely be a great resource in establishing your new Food Law society. They can tell you what steps are required to be officially recognized and may even have some funds available to support future events your Food Law Society wants to host.

5) Establish a Mentorship Program – This last point is key. Once your Food Law Society has been founded it is important to build mechanisms to ensure membership stays strong, otherwise enthusiasm can quickly diminish. Try pairing interested first year students with 2Ls and 3Ls. A mentorship program within a Food Law Society is a great way to engage 1Ls early on and grow a new generation of leaders to keep you Food Society running for years to come.