The Frankfurt group of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) offers law students a network for exchange, further education, and internships.
Presidency, executive team, and board of directors – visiting ELSA Frankfurt’s website feels more like browsing a major company than a student association. But this local chapter of the European Law Students’ Association is run entirely by students. ELSA has 60,000 members across Europe, with 12,500 in Germany. (Almost) the entire executive board of ELSA Frankfurt recently visited UniReport’s offices: President Florian Kavermann and Giulia Saba, Vice President for Finance, provided insights into what is likely the largest student association at Goethe University’s Faculty of Law. “We are probably even one of our university’s largest student initiatives,” notes Kavermann. ELSA Frankfurt has more than 900 members, although not all of them are active, explains Saba. “But since the association is funded primarily through membership fees and contributions from institutional sponsors (law firms), even the ‘passive’ members play an important role.”
Networking in a High-Enrolment Subject
ELSA sees itself as a network of active students who, ideally, are also willing to volunteer for the association. Florian Kavermann recalls how he got involved: “During my first semester, classes were still affected by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic – many seminars, including the introductory ones, were held online, making it difficult to meet fellow students. I was glad when I came across ELSA at the ‘Unistart’ start-of-term fair, and after attending a few events, I sort of slipped into it. Eventually, I was asked if I could imagine taking on a more active role.” Giulia Saba had a similar experience and encourages anyone interested to give it a try: “The contacts you make through ELSA often turn into real friendships. That’s something special in a subject like law, which tends to be very large and anonymous. In lecture halls, interaction is often impersonal.” Some ELSA events are also open to non-members. For anyone wanting more information, Kavermann recommends checking out the group’s social media. “We have a team member specifically handling our online presence, where all updates can be found.” All students studying law are welcome – including political science students with law as a minor. The membership fee is a modest €10 per semester. The Frankfurt group also has its own alumni association. “Our motto is: You become ELSA, you are ELSA, you stay ELSA,” both say with a laugh.
Welcome Guests at Law Firms
So, what exactly does ELSA offer its members? Moot courts, i.e. simulations of court proceedings, fall under the “Academic Activities” category, whereas the “Legal Writing” program entails writing and competitively assessing legal essays. The “Seminars and Conferences” area includes visits to public institutions such as prisons, air traffic control, or the European Central Bank; study trips often lead abroad. This area also organizes the annual “Summer ELSA Law School on Banking and Finance.” The third area is “Professional Development”: This includes an internship placement program abroad and so-called “L\@W Events” — short for “Lawyers at Work.” “We visit law firms and legal departments to get an inside look at their workflows,” says Saba. “After the official part, there’s usually a get-together with the attorneys, giving students the chance to secure internship opportunities.” Kavermann adds: “As ELSA Frankfurt, we’re always welcome guests, because law firms these days also find it challenging to attract new talent. So, these events benefit both sides.”
Volunteering Can Be Time-Consuming
The extended board – executive team plus directors – meets every two weeks. “We discuss everything that belongs to the proper running of an association: decisions and finances. The national ELSA association supports us in understanding how to manage a student organization. Internally, we make sure to pass on the necessary knowledge, which is essential – if we don’t, we risk losing our non-profit status. Of course, we’re all just students volunteering our time, so it’s a balancing act,” says Kavermann, adding that, “We on the executive board can’t expect everyone involved to invest the same amount of time. For us, it’s about 10 to 20 hours per week dedicated to ELSA.” The association currently has no permanent office on campus and rents rooms when needed. “That’s not really a problem – we all work from our own laptops at home,” Kavermann explains. However, the group had to rent external storage space for folders and materials, which poses logistical challenges. “We need somewhere to temporarily store things like the welcome bags for first-semester students, which we distribute at events,” adds Saba. “It would be more convenient to have a dedicated space on campus, and we’re in discussion with the university and the faculty about this.”
Learning to Organize
Organizing the 74th General Assembly of the national association in early January was also a major undertaking, report both executive board members. The Frankfurt chapter hosted 250 representatives from across Germany and several international guests, including the President of ELSA International. In addition to plenary sessions and workshops, there was a sponsors’ fair and an extensive social program. “It was a ton of work, but our amazing team pulled it off. And you learn so much from organizing something like that. These are crucial skills that will help us in our future careers,” emphasizes Kavermann.
Finally, Saba and Kavermann stress that although ELSA is politically neutral, it is firmly committed to human rights, in line with its vision: “A just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity.” Beyond networking, open and critical discourse on current issues is also a top priority. “We have a board member specifically responsible for human rights, and we also organize panel discussions on the topic.”
