Joshua Wooten ’27 and Ilu Tefera ’27 are the 2025-26 co-chairs of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), one of UCLA School of Law’s oldest and most active student organizations.

Wooten, a 2L interested in a career in transactional practice, serves as co-chair of BLSA, vice president of the Sports Law Association, mentor for the UCLA Law Fellows Program, and is also externing with UCLA Athletics. He’s pursuing specializations in Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, Business Law and Policy, and Critical Race Studies.

Tefera, a 2L, Double Bruin, and a Chris Cornell Memorial Human Rights Scholar, has her sights set on a career in public defense. She serves as co-chair for both BLSA and the International Refugee Assistance Project and is specializing in Critical Race Studies and Criminal Law and Policy.

For both students, the supportive community, mentorship, and resources BLSA provides has been at the heart of their law school experience. “I’m so grateful we have each other to lean on during the different seasons of our lives,” Tefera says of the BLSA community. “It’s made all the difference.”

In the Q&A below, Tefera and Wooten share a few of their favorite law school moments so far, what initially inspired them to take on leadership roles, and how engagement with BLSA has been a gamechanger in each of their law school experiences.

What inspired you to take on a leadership role in BLSA, and what do you hope to accomplish as co-chairs?

Wooten: I stepped into a leadership role in BLSA because I have always believed that part of being in any organization is taking responsibility for making it better than you found it. For me, that means paving the way forward and serving my community in a leadership role. As co-chair I hope to create a space that amplifies Black voices and gives our members the resources they need to thrive academically, socially, and professionally.

Tefera: I was inspired to take on the co-chair position for BLSA this year because of how impactful the organization was for me during my first year. The mentorship I received and the community I built through BLSA has had such a positive effect on my experience at UCLA Law and I wanted to ensure our incoming students had the same opportunities to connect with the community. As co-chair, I plan to continue supporting our BLSA members so we can thrive in all aspects of our personal and professional lives.

What's been your favorite UCLA Law memory so far?

Wooten: My favorite memory so far was the Western Region BLSA Convention at the beginning of this semester. We travelled with our moot court team where we were able to connect with other chapters and represent UCLA.

Our moot court team won first place, and it was one of those moments that reminded me how powerful it is to be in community with people who share similar experiences and ambitions. Returning to campus, I felt even more proud to be a member of BLSA here at UCLA Law and more motivated to keep building spaces where our members feel supported and seen.

Tefera: My favorite UCLA Law memory so far is the BLSA retreat we had in San Diego at the start of last year’s spring semester. We had a fun field day and spent a lot of quality time together building community. That weekend is where I made some of the best memories of my 1L year and I’m grateful we had the chance to spend some time together away from school.

Tell us a bit about the role BLSA has played in your law school experiences.

Tefera: BLSA gave me a community during one of the most isolating periods of my life in 1L fall semester. Though it was difficult to adjust to the pace of law school, the guidance from the upperclassmen in BLSA and the support everyone provided made my experience much better than it would’ve been otherwise.

Our BLSA faculty and staff have also been a constant source of support and encouragement in my law school journey. The friendships and relationships I’ve developed in this community are truly what’s made my time at UCLA Law so wonderful and I’m so grateful we have each other to lean on during the different seasons of our lives.

Wooten: BLSA has been one of the most grounding parts of my law school experience so far. It gave me a real sense of community early on, especially in an environment that can feel competitive and isolating at times.

Through BLSA, I found great people to connect with and built genuine friendships — friends that I can lean on for support and perspective, both inside and outside the classroom. It has also helped me develop meaningful relationships with faculty and staff who have been willing to invest in me and offer guidance. BLSA has been a consistent space where I feel supported, challenged, and encouraged.

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