Danielle Chbeir is a senior majoring in Economics and Political Science while pursuing an Accelerated Master’s degree in Quantitative Economics.
This past April, I assumed the role of Chief Justice of the Student Government Association. Aside from executing other duties, I am responsible for overseeing the Student Judiciary within SGA, an equally exciting and daunting task. I vividly remember, just a few short years ago, the day that the then-Chief Justice came to speak to my cohort in First Year Council. I was in awe; I thought, “I want to be her when I grow up.” However, I did not fully realize what that entailed until I attempted to fill her shoes.
The Student Judiciary’s work touches every corner of campus: from Tide Loyalty appeals to student conduct matters to block seating disputes, justices and clerks work tirelessly to deal with each case with the attention and care that it deserves. Clerks read students their rights, inform them of the process, manage the distribution of the case load, and comfort distressed individuals. Justices serve in conduct panels, parking panels, and formal hearings to gather the full picture from students, vote on a decision, and decide sanctions. I could not imagine a better team. While the workload does add up, we strive to give each student a fresh set of eyes, fair consideration, and compassionate treatment. Above all, we are here to serve students.
When I first joined the Student Judiciary as an incoming sophomore, I joined in hopes of both finding a community and developing my skill set with handling sensitive situations. I proudly believe I have achieved these aims. My Tuesday nights have been marked off for Judiciary dinners every single week for (soon to be) three years. I love walking into the SGA office straight to my judicial friends. When something goes right or wrong in my personal life, some of the first people I reach out to are Judiciary members. But aside from the home I have found, I have experienced more professional development than I could have imagined. I have learned how to route issues that fall outside of my scope, maintain strict neutrality regarding cases even among my own friends, and carry myself as a perpetual representative of an organization much larger than myself. I aim to take these skills with me to law school and throughout my intended career as an attorney.
One of the most grueling parts of my current role comes with the fact that when students come to see us, it is almost never for a happy reason: maybe they parked in Commuter East with a Silver Residential pass or they received a housing write-up that they feel is unjust. With dozens of conduct cases, hundreds of parking appeals, and thousands of Tide Loyalty appeals on our plates, each with their own set of circumstances, the temptation to become mechanical creeps in. But I knew what my job entailed when I ran for this position. And I chose it, and continue to choose it, because each of their concerns matter. Each of their concerns is a window into the lived experiences of students at the University of Alabama. Each of their concerns is an opportunity for SGA to demonstrate to students that we listen, we care, and we will work to find a resolution. I do my best to welcome every student into my office or into the Office of Student Conduct with the knowledge that we aim to resolve and educate, not punish.
My time in the Blackburn Institute has provided me with an immeasurable gift: a group of talented and passionate students who are never afraid to call out problems or work through differences of opinion. Within the Judiciary, often, members of our panels do not agree on the outcome of a case. The Blackburn Institute has taught me to navigate those sometimes heated discussions with grace, understanding, and curiosity in a way that I had not encountered before. I am eternally grateful for every lunch I have spent sitting in the office and engaging in discourse and the New Student Curriculum experiences that I navigated throughout the last year. With these skills in hand, I believe I am better equipped to lead a branch of SGA that does inherently involve differences of opinion and real, lived consequences.
Looking forward, as Chief Justice, my main aim is to standardize and refine our training process to ensure uniformity regarding the standards for our decisions — consistency bolsters trust in institutions, and the Student Judiciary is no exception. By building and maintaining relationships with the members of my branch, I can better assist them with confusion, implement norms, and guide them through fringe cases. I hope that under my watch, the Judiciary grows into a body that students view as compassionate, equitable, and humane. With these goals in mind and a group of incredible students ready to head into another (or maybe their first!) year in such a special community, I have no doubt that the 2026-2027 school year will be a fruitful and rewarding one for both the Student Judiciary and the individuals we serve.