National Security & Human Rights: Resources

Tip: A BLS law student could join the bar associations below for free.  This should increase a student's access to bar association articles, events and webinars.

• American Bar Association (ABA) law student membership: Offers option to join 5 ABA groups, such as: Civil Rights and Social Justice Section + International Law Section (which includes a National Security Committee). 
  • A BLS student who joins ABA's International Law Section can access: National Security Legal Developments Year in Review: 2024.
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) law student membership: Includes access to Practice Pointers and Alerts + Featured Issues Page, which includes: Featured Issue: Immigration Enforcement Under Trump 2.0.  (Researchers can browse/link to many U.S. government documents for free at AILA's site.)
  • Benefits of AILA law student membership also include: access to immigration law research collection $ AILALink + AILA8 (= daily immigration e-newsletter) + AILA Membership Directory + selected free online programs/products + law student sessions of AILA's Annual Virtual Conference + free seminars/roundtables held for law student members.
• American Society of International Law (ASIL) student membership is free for BLS students because BLS is an ASIL Academic Partner. 
  • Tip: Many ASIL resources are free for all researchers.  Check ASIL's Calendar of International Events + latest International Law in Brief updates. 
    • Publicly accessible audio recordings of many ASIL 2025 Annual Meeting programs are available here.  Click "+" to the left of: Audio Content.  Skim the list - it includes recordings of programs on topic: Security, Foreign Relations, and Use of Force.
  • ASIL's page: Law of Armed Conflict and International Security links to ASIL's issue briefs and podcast episodes. 
  • BLS students also can access career development resources (including a job board) and can register for free to attend ASIL's Midyear Meeting.  ASIL's student membership page states: "Students from Academic Partner Schools will have the opportunity to obtain a Discount Promo Code during the process of joining or renewing membership with the Society."
• New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) law student membership: Includes the option to join practice-focused NYSBA Sections such as International Section. 
  • On Jan. 30, 2025, NYSBA's International Section co-sponsored the free webinar: Nuclear Weapons and International Law 2025: Nuclear Risks through a Legal Lens.  (Free registration was required.  A recording of this webinar is now accessible through YouTube.)  
  • Additional law student membership benefits include: access to career resources like NYSBA Career Center + digital subscriptions to a student e-newsletter (monthly), NYSBA Journal (monthly) and New York State Law Digest.