1. Student Organization Spotlight: WLSO

Student Organization Spotlight: WLSO The Women Law Students Organization (WLSO) is dedicated to advocating for the success of women in the law.

By Law Communications
October 23, 2025

The Women Law Students Organization (WLSO) is dedicated to advocating for the success of women in the law and bringing an awareness of women's issues to the Washington and Lee Law School Community. Their overall goal is to foster a safe and inclusive atmosphere where everyone is free to be themselves.

What are the upcoming events scheduled for this year or any ongoing activities for the members in the group?

We just had our Mentorship Potluck on October 5 and our Pumpkin Painting event at Professor Belmont's on October 12. These events were so much fun and allowed us to meet many of our new 1L members! On October 20, we had a career advice "office hours" event where 1Ls and 2Ls could come chat with our executive board members about their legal experiences and get advice on how to network, apply for jobs, and perfect writing samples and resumes. Later this semester, we are looking forward to our annual trivia night and a dancing with the stars watch party!

How can alumni get involved?

Alumni are invited to participate in any of our WLSO events! Each week, we send out a WLSO Weekly Email that details all our announcements and upcoming events for the week. Many of our alumni are still on this email chain, and if they want to be added, they can contact us at [email protected]! Last year, we launched our WLSO LinkedIn profile, which is another great way to connect with alumni.

We are always looking for more ways for our WLSO alumni to get involved, whether that is through speaking at a "Lunch & Learn" on campus or Zoom, or connecting at an alumni event. We encourage any alumni who wants to get involved to reach out to through our email!

Do you offer mentorship opportunities?

Yes! At the beginning of each school year, our new 1Ls are paired with a 2L or 3L mentor by our incredible VP of Mentorship and Service. These pairings consider a variety of factors, from career paths to hometowns. Throughout the year, we host mentorship events where our mentors and mentees can connect, but many of these relationships go far beyond these sponsored events!

Do you have any goals for the organization this year?

This year, we hope to continue to grow our organization both in and outside of the law school community. The Lexington community has done so much to support our school, so we are excited to partner with more restaurants, event spaces, and community organizations in Lexington for our events. Additionally, we are excited to open up some of our upcoming events, like our WLSO Symposium and Spring Cleaning event to the community!

How many law students are currently involved? How has the law school community supported students in this organization?

So many! About half of our law school is involved with WLSO, including our allies (friends and significant others of our WLSO ladies). This year, we had about 60 new members of our 1L class join WLSO!

WLSO is the largest student organization at W&L Law, and it requires a lot of work and planning from our executive board to keep everything running smoothly. WLSO would not be as successful as we are if it wasn't for the support from the W&L community. Our professors open their homes to us so that we can host events, alumni come and speak at a "Lunch & Learn," and our non-member friends buy T-shirts to support our WLSO scholarship. The community at W&L Law is unlike any other, and we are so grateful for the support that extends to our organization.

Is there anything else to share about the organization?

WLSO has been such an integral part of our time at W&L Law, and we can't wait to watch the organization continue to succeed long after we are gone!