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Can you tell us about the Law Student Union?

The main mission of the BDE is to help students on a daily basis and improve their student life. It is a generalist association, open to all students in the Faculty of Law, which offers a variety of activities. The BDE has 40 members this year, mainly undergraduate students.

The Student Union organizes around thirty events per year, which can be grouped into three themes:

• Festive events: orientation weekend, parties, activities (Jump Park, for example)... 
• Legal events related to our legal training: court visits, mock trials, conferences, etc.
• Social events: selling pancakes for charities, sending Christmas cards to isolated individuals, collecting books for children in care, participating in Equality Month (including a conference on the commodification of women's bodies and the screening of a film on sexual and gender-based violence), etc.

Beyond organizing events, the BDE also plays a role in disseminating information. For example, we interview professionals and professors to highlight lesser-known careers in law, we provide advice on applying for master's programs, and we raise awareness among students about certain social movements such as Movember and Pink October. This is done through communication on social media, mainly on Instagram for the moment, although I would like to relaunch our TikTok and LinkedIn accounts.  

How does the BDE work?

To function, the BDE is led by five "executives" who make the big decisions. As president, I am supported by a vice president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a general delegate. There are also department heads—events, partnerships, legal, social innovation, and communications—who manage projects.

In my role as president, I spend a lot of time searching for the right information to manage all my tasks as effectively as possible. I took a training course offered by the Student Life Department, which was interesting but limited to three people from the association, which is very few. I think it's very important to provide better training for all the students involved in the association. So I try to give them as much information as possible and I also talk to other student unions. Not all association presidents are aware of the legal responsibilities associated with their role, so sometimes I explain a few concepts to them because it's easier for me—I know the law!

From a financial standpoint, the association operates thanks to sales made during festive events, economic partnerships, and subsidies provided by the Faculty of Law, the DVE (subsidy per event), and, occasionally, by the CROUS.

How do you approach the issue of social and environmental responsibility in your association? 

On a social level, we have a responsibility to ensure the well-being of event participants, who can be numerous (up to 500 people for an evening at a bar, and 800 at a nightclub). At each festive event, people are therefore responsible for "supervising" the evening; they are called trusted individuals. They are recognizable by their blue T-shirts, and their photos are posted on Instagram ahead of the parties. They keep an eye out for people who are feeling unwell or isolated. For the gala, Uber vehicles are ordered, at the association's expense, for students who have difficulty getting home. I have also contacted an association to plan training for members on how to deal with any disturbances during the evening. 

The BDE also plays a major role in bringing student issues to the attention of the faculty, because it is often easier for students to talk to each other. I also have the opportunity to represent their views at the Faculty Council, of which I am a member.

In terms of the environment, we have little support, so we limit ourselves to simple actions, namely sorting and limiting waste by reusing things as much as possible. For example, we offer "Ecocups" instead of plastic cups.

What is your view on student life?

I find it increasingly difficult to motivate students. For the orientation weekend, for example, we only had 90 students attend, even though there are several thousand of us in the faculty. This number is decreasing every year, which is pushing us to change the activities we offer. Overall, we've seen a decline in participation in festive events, but conversely, an increase in attendance at legal events. For example, the mock trial attracted 200 people last year, and the visit to the Criminal Court was a great success, with all available places being booked up very quickly. Perhaps the new generation is more serious!

That's also why I decided to develop interviews with professionals and set up career conferences. The student union needs to evolve, and all these new events are very interesting for students.  

What does your involvement in the student union bring you on a personal and professional level? 

Being a member of the BDE brings a lot of personal and professional benefits. It allows you to meet legal professionals and gain a better understanding of the various professions, but also to put the law into practice. For example, you get to draft partnership agreements and conventions, or deal with liability issues.

It is also a powerful human experience, because we work with students from different classes and of different ages, which creates a lot of mutual support and bonds.

Finally, it's a real experience in team management. Supervising around forty volunteers, organizing the work, assigning roles, and dealing with the unexpected requires a lot of organization and communication.