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Students at Hofstra have the opportunity to perform volunteer legal work with public interest organizations, nonprofit organizations, government and regulatory agencies, and with professors working on public interest cases. Through their pro bono work, students are able to take part in many aspects of legal work, including research and writing, assisting in case preparation and performing client intake. Practice areas in which students volunteer include a wide range of areas of law such as, but not limited to, criminal, environmental, civil rights, elder, family, matrimonial, housing and immigration. All legal work is done under the supervision of an attorney. Examples of student placements include: Nassau County Legal Aid Society, New York State Attorney General’s Office, CARECEN (Central American Refugee Center), Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc., the Workplace Project, Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, New York City Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York State Division of Human Rights, South Brooklyn Legal Services, New York Legal Assistance Group, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, etc.
The Director of Public Sector Career Planning in the Office of Career Services assists students seeking pro bono work as well as students and alumni who wish to pursue summer, school year and post-graduate positions in the public sector.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a nongovernmental organization that specializes in advocating for the continuous education and protection of human rights, lobbying for the prompt establishment of the International Criminal Court, safeguarding women’s equal rights and refugee rights, and organizing campaigns against torture. Members of the Hofstra Law School Amnesty International Group may adopt a prisoner of conscience case, participate in urgent actions and help promote all of Amnesty International’s objectives.
Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Program (CAP)
This student group provides assistance to the victims of domestic violence who are seeking protective orders in local Family Courts. Volunteers receive training and assistance from staff attorneys at Sanctuary for Families.
Equal Justice Works
Hofstra University School of Law is a member of Equal Justice Works. Hofstra’s membership provides students with access to numerous benefits such as access to the Members Only content on the Equal Justice Works web site. Equal Justice Works (formerly the National Association for Public Interest Law) was founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to surmounting barriers to equal justice that affect millions of low-income individuals and families. Today, Equal Justice Works organizes, trains, and supports public service-minded law students and creates summer and post-graduate public interest jobs. Equal Justice Works sponsors Summer Corps, post-graduate fellowships and an annual two-day public sector career fair and conference.
Law Students Disaster Recovery Network
This student group is dedicated to providing legal assistance to victims of disasters across the United States including victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Members travel to New Orleans over Spring Break to provide legal assistance to those in need on a variety of issues including: FEMA claims, insurance claims, social services benefits, mortgage foreclosures, criminal justice circumstances, housing for displaced residents, voters’ rights, immigrant labor, and access to counsel.
Listserv
The Director of Public Sector Career Planning maintains a public sector listserv. This is an opt-in listserve for students who are interested in working for the government (federal, state or local including prosecutor positions) and/or public interest organizations (legal aid, legal services or non-profits) and want to be notified about public sector career fairs; summer funding opportunities; post-graduate fellowships; public sector programming; and various internship, externship, and post-graduate opportunities, etc.
Pro Bono Net
Students are made aware of pro bono opportunities available through Pro Bono Net, a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City whose mission is to increase access to justice through innovative uses of technology and increased volunteer participation. Pro Bono Net also cosponsors the New York City Pro Bono and Legal Services Training Calendar, a monthly calendar whose purpose is to inform the legal services and pro bono community in New York City of training events that are relevant to delivery of legal assistance to poor people. There is also an online pro bono opportunities guide where users can search by county, subject area or population served and, under the category “Projects For,” there are listings specifically for law students.
PSLawNet
Hofstra University School of Law is a member of PSLawNet (Public Service Law Network Worldwide), a global network of more than 180 member law schools and over 12,000 law-related public service organizations and offices in the United States and around the world. Thousands of organizations nationwide list paid and unpaid internships, post-graduate jobs, fellowships, and pro bono opportunities on the PSLawNet database. Hofstra’s membership in PSLawNet enables law students and alumni to search for placements based upon their own areas of interest and geographical preferences. PSLawNet also sponsors an Annual Student Pro Bono Publico Award.
Public Justice Foundation (PJF)
The Public Justice Foundation (PJF) is the Law School’s Public Interest Law Student Organization. PJF holds various fundraisers, including the annual service auction. The auction is the principal fundraiser, and all of the money raised provides summer fellowships for Hofstra Law students. These fellowships enable the recipients to take nonpaying jobs in the public sector that they otherwise would be unable to accept due to financial constraints. The fundamental premise of the summer fellowship program is the support of legal services to individuals, groups, or interests currently underrepresented in society. PJF also sponsors debates and other educational programs.
Public Service Certificate Program
This program recognizes students for volunteering, under the supervision of an attorney and without pay or credit, with: (1) nonprofit organizations that provide legal representation to individuals or groups who are underserved, under-represented or of limited means; (2) government agencies; or (3) attorneys providing legal services free of charge or at significantly reduced cost. In addition, volunteer hours with Hofstra Law School student groups that advocate on behalf of clients, such as the Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Program (DVCAP) and the Unemployment Action Center (UAC), and for groups that provide legal education, such as Street Law, count towards the Certificate. Non-legal volunteer work can count for 20% of the total hours worked towards the Public Service Certificate. The levels of service recognized are as follows: Bronze Level (50 hours), Silver Level (125 hours) and Gold Level (200 hours).
During the Graduate Award Ceremony for the class of 2007, 12 graduates were awarded Public Service Certificates and 5 of the Certificate recipients achieved Gold Level. Likewise, for the class of 2006, 14 Certificates were awarded and 7 were Gold. The organizations served by these volunteers included, but were not limited to, the Nassau County Coalition against Domestic Violence, South Brooklyn Legal Services, Sanctuary for Families, and the Unemployment Action Center. Additionally, Hofstra Law students regularly participate in the Student Hurricane Network’s alternative Spring Break. In 2007, 7 students worked in coordination with Common Ground Relief and, in 2006, 5 students volunteered for the Justice Center in New Orleans.
Street Law
The pro bono student organization Street Law enables law students to interact with high school students, teen parents, juvenile delinquents, or other community members and teach them the basics of law and human rights necessary for survival in our law-saturated society. The curriculum may include case studies, role-plays, small group exercises, and visual analysis activities. Hofstra’s Street Law carries out its activities at 3 local institutions: Momma’s House (a home for teenage mothers, where the lessons focus on parenting rights, custody rights, governmental rights involving children, abuse and neglect and landlord/tenants laws); Planned Parenthood (where the lessons focus on educating young girls about their individual rights and choices); and Port Washington Group Home for Girls (a home for troubled girls).
Unemployment Action Center (UAC)
The Unemployment Action Center (UAC) is a nonprofit, student-run organization that offers free advice and representation to persons denied unemployment benefits. Volunteers have the opportunity to represent clients and argue before an administrative law judge. Hofstra is one of only 6 area law schools to have a UAC chapter and is the only local UAC chapter outside of Manhattan.
Volunteers for Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
The Volunteers for Income Tax Assistance (VITA) offers free tax aid to people who cannot afford professional assistance. The purpose of VITA is to help the community, specifically low to moderate income families and individuals, as well as the elderly, in meeting their tax responsibilities.
Community Service Opportunities
Mock Trial Enrichment Program
During October 2005, Hofstra Law Professor Barbara Barron organized a mock trial enrichment program for the entire 6th grade in the Elmont School District. About 40 Hofstra Law students participated in the 3 week program, for an hour each week. Since the program was an overwhelming success, it was made a permanent, ongoing organization at Hofstra, and there are plans to expand it to other school districts in Nassau County. The elementary school children first learn about the jury process, then practice direct/cross examinations and argument, and then conduct the trial.
Nassau County Bar Association Middle School Mentoring Project
Law students are invited to participate in the Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA) Middle School Mentoring Project. Through the project, NCBA members present programs to middle school children. The programs include discussions about what lawyers do and how the justice system works. Twice a month, from late September / early October to May, NCBA mentors go to their designated school / class during the first or second class period. Each session is about 45 minutes long. The NCBA holds an annual luncheon where all the mentoring project volunteers receive certificates.
Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta’s community service includes organizing a canned food drive and co-sponsoring two blood drives each year. PAD conducts the “Goldilocks Trial” for fifth grade students at a local elementary school each spring. At the end of the semester, the elementary students put on a mock trial in the law school and a reception is held for the students, their parents, law school faculty and administrators.
Tutoring
Several student groups (and individual students) tutor children at the neighboring California Avenue Elementary school. |