Tuesday, November 5, 2013

The End of Fear City?



The End of Fear City? A Discussion on the the future of crime and criminal justice in New York

Wed, Nov 6th, 2013 4:30-6pm, Room 203. Open to all law school community.

Panelists:

Bob Gangi: Director, Police Reform Organizing Project at the Urban Justice Center.

Martha Rayner: Criminal Defense Attorney, Clinical Professor, Fordham Law, founding member of the Neighborhood Defender Services.

Walter Mack: Partner at Doar Rieck Kaley & Mack, Former Deputy Director of Internal Affair, NYPD, Former Assistant District Attorney, Southern District of New York.



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Bios from Hot Topics

Afua Atta-Mensah ‘04

Afua Atta-Mensah is a supervising attorney with the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project. She graduated from Fordham University School of Law as a Stein Scholar in 2004 and received her B.A. from Trinity College in 2001, where she was a President’s Fellow in Sociology. Prior to joining the Urban Justice Center, Afua was a staff attorney in The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice Law Reform Unit, the Policy Director at the Center for Working Families, and a Fulbright Fellowship recipient for work on women and the law in Ghana. She currently serves on the board of The New York State Tenants & Neighbors Coalition and Community Voices Heard.

Kamal Essaheb ’06

Kamal Essaheb is a policy attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, where he engages in administrative and legislative advocacy, and technical assistance. Kamal’s advocacy focuses on passage of immigration reform, implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and fighting back against state and local enforcement of immigration law. Prior to his advocacy work at the National Immigration Law Center, Kamal was a practicing immigration attorney in New York City. He graduated as a Stein Scholar from Fordham Law School in 2006.

Carmen Heurtas-Noble ‘02

Associate Professor Huertas-Noble is the founding director of the Community & Economic Development Clinic at CUNY School of Law. She earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where she was a Stein Scholar and served on the staff of the Environmental Law Journal. Prior to joining CUNY, Professor Huertas-Noble was an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School where she supervised students in its CED Clinic. She also served as a senior staff attorney in the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center.  In all these capacities, she has worked with neighborhood residents to form needed nonprofits as well as more established organizing groups to create alternative institutions, such as worker-owned cooperatives. An innovative project that she is currently working on is the creation of a unionized worker-owned cooperative. 

Erin Miles Cloud ’11

Erin Miles Cloud graduated from Fordham University School of Law, where she was a Stein Scholar and Ann Moynihan Fellow for law and integrative social work.  Erin interned at The Door Legal Services, The Bronx Defenders, and for the Honorable Dora L. Irizarry of the Eastern District of New York.  She currently works at the Bronx Defenders in the Family Defense practice, where she represents parents who are fighting to have their children returned to their care.  Prior to attending law school, Erin taught English and fifth grade at the Iringa International School in Tanzania.  She also taught Spanish in Baltimore, Maryland.  Erin graduated from Emory University in Atlanta where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish.

Richard Saenz ‘10


Richard Saenz is the staff attorney for the HIV/LGBT Advocacy Project at Queens Legal Services. His practice areas include discrimination, family law, benefits, Social Security and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. Richard is a member of the Family Law Institute (FLI) of the National LGBT Bar Association. Richard is a graduate of Georgetown University and Fordham Law School (2010), where he was a Stein Scholar and a recipient of the Archibald Public Service Award.  In 2012, Richard was awarded the Michael B. Davis - Elyse Hilton Alumni Award by the Fordham Law School OutLaws.  In 2013, the National LGBT Bar Association named Richard one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project


Today, the Stein Scholars were joined by Rebecca M. Heller founder of the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, an organization that assists Iraqi refugees in applying for resettlement from abroad and adjusting to life in the United States.

Here is a recent New York Times article that mentions IRAP work and Rebecca's biography.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Stein Scholars 20th Anniversary Celebration!

The Stein Scholars Program celebrated 20 years with a reception for Stein Scholars students, alumni, and friends on June 6 at the beautiful Chelsea art gallery of Marianne Boesky '95.

Over 150 people attended the reception, hosted by Sally J. Bellet '76, granddaughter of Louis Stein '26, including Stein Scholars from every class, both alumni and current students, along with friends of the Program, faculty advisers, and members of the Fordham Law administration. NYS Senator Hoylman, NYS Assemblymember Rosenthal, and NYC Councilmember Brewer honored the Stein Scholars Program with proclamations and citations.

Photos from the reception can be seen here!

Monday, June 24, 2013

The end of the academic year!

Summer is in full swing and Stein Scholars ended the 2012-2013 year back in May.* That is not to say, however, that the Steins aren't getting ready for 2013-2014!

A new council has been selected (aside from the 1L reps who will be elected in the Fall) and has met a few times already, applications for new Steins are being reviewed, and all the current Steins are busy at their super exciting and interesting internships/jobs.

We ended the year with a party, graciously hosted by one of our own Steins. A few pictures below!

*My apologies for not updating the blog!

Thanks to Richard (r) for hosting!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Stein Council for 2013-2014

The Stein Scholars annually elect a Stein Council as the administrative and governing body.  All Stein Scholars are eligible candidates for these leadership positions.

The Stein Council meets every few weeks or so to discuss Stein and the direction the program is going, as well as any issues that may arise.  Representatives are available to discuss Stein issues at any time and bring up issues to Stein Scholars as a whole or the Stein Directors.

The new Stein Council for 2013-2014 has been elected!

Class of 2015 (2LDs): Mary Gibbons & Joshua Kingsley
Class of 2014 (3LDs): Linda Jordan & Paula Sternberg
Evening Division: Angelica Kang
Representatives for the first year class will be elected in September.

Congratulations to the new Council members and much thanks to the 2012-2013 council for the excellent work they have done for Stein.

Madame President: Rebecca Iwerks
3L Representative: Jerry Dickinson
2L Representatives: Alex Berke & David Harvey
1L Representatives: Vanessa Salazar & Tom Ross
Evening Division: Angelica Kang

(To find out more about the current council, click here.)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Oral History Project

As part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Stein Scholars Program, Stein Scholars have been working on the super cool Oral History Project.

Steins have been interviewing alumni on film and by phone, gathering experiences and memories of the program.

You can (and should!) watch some of these interviews here: http://law.fordham.edu/louis-stein-center-for-law-and-ethics/29300.htm.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Service Project: Mold Remediation in the Rockaways!


This past Saturday, a group of Steins and FLS alumni headed out to Averne to partner with Respond & Rebuild and fight some mold as part of our Stein Service Project.

The group participated in the on-going battle against mold.  Many of the residents are either unable to afford contractors (many of whom are price gouging) to successfully rid houses of mold or are in insurance limbo and in the meantime, are living in toxic environments.  (Breathing mold is pretty bad for you.)  Respond & Rebuild has employed an effective, public-health-officer-approved multistep process that fights mold for residents of the Rockaway.

Houses that have been flooded during Sandy are first stripped of all damaged, non-structural wood and dry wall.  The areas are then fully dried before the structural wood is completely scrubbed with metal brushes and all the dust is vacuumed.  After the scrubbing, the wood is then soaked in detergent to kill off the mold.  We were told that the reason that the wood is scrubbed before it is soaked in detergent is because mold has roots and the scrubbing destroys those roots and the detergent can then fully penetrate the wood and remove the mold.

Led by a Respond & Rebuild team leader, our dedicated group spent the day (9:30AM-4:30PM) scrubbing the basement of a homeowner who had damage to her first floor, which, pre-Sandy, she had rented out to a tenant.  There was lots of dust but were equipped with respirators and Ghostbuster suits.  Respond & Rebuild takes the safety of their volunteers very seriously.


We were super impressed with Respond & Rebuild's organization and quality of work.  Many of us pledged to return in the future to help them with the ongoing process of rebuilding the Rockaways.  Respond & Rebuild can be followed on Facebook and also has a registry of the supplies they need to keep up their excellent work.

Much thanks to those who volunteered at and attended the 2012 PIRC Ball, as funds raised during the ball were used to provide transportation for the volunteers.  Also thanks to the Fordham alumni who came out to help and thanks to a Stein-by-association (the husband of a Stein) who volunteered and drove half the group and many of the supplies in his truck.

Team Mold! Back row (left to right): FLS alum Jessica Limbacher '12, FLS alum Will Cooper-Daub '12, Stein Scholar Kelsey Ripper, Stein Scholar Richard Hendrix, Stein-by-marriage Andrew Chen | Front row: Stein Scholars Alex Berke, Angelica Kang, Mary Gibbons
Lots of work gloves and they always need more
Respond & Rebuild headquarters



Digging through the work gloves

Respond & Rebuild's Jeff gives the safety talk

The truck loaded up with mold fighting supplies

We're not messing around

Steins scrubbing away
Lastly, a report-back and discussion as to the legal and relief work that is left to be done will be the Stein This Week event.


Update: here's a really great article on Respond & Rebuild's efforts in the Rockaways!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Stein this Week: Policy & Constitutional Implications of the NY Secured Ammunitions and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act

On Wednesday, February 27th at 4:30pm, the Stein Scholars had a panel discussion on the policy and constitutional implications of the NY Secured Ammunitions and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) ACT, the recent gun control measure that was passed in New York State in January in response to the shootings in Newtown, CT. The event was organized with help from Michael Huggins, Danielle May, Linda Jordan, Dan Kadish and Alex Wentworth-Ping.

The panelists included:
Dr. Saul Cornell, Author of a Well Regulated Militia
Carmine Guiga, NY City Council, Division of Governmental Affairs
Jesse Loffler & David Yiffin, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Dr. Ankur Saraiya, NYU Bellevue Hospital Clinician
Dr. Thomas Smith,  Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia

Alex Wentworth-Ping moderated the discussion and first gave time to each of the panelists to discuss some of their views on gun control generally and the New York response. The panelists raised several issues including the limitations on "common use" taken from D.C. v. Heller; how gun control might be a step in the right direction, but that it ultimately will require more in order to stop gun violence in certain neighborhoods; whether or not it would be a taking under the Fifth Amendment if certain guns were deemed illegal and the chilling effect that mandatory disclosure provisions, such as those included in the SAFE Act, could have on psychiatric patients.

Mr. Wentworth-Ping asked several other questions regarding the timeliness of the Act as well as how to alter the marketplace so that so many guns are not in the supply chain. Most seemed happy that the Act passed so quickly and that any problems could be adjusted through amendment and additionally mentioned that reducing the guns in supply is a huge task to be dealt with over time. The rich and lively discussion was very informative.

The Stein Scholars would also like to thank its co-sponsors -- the American Constitutional Society, BarBri and the Urban Law Journal -- for their generous support. We are proud that the event was so successful and hope that it stirs future conversation and debate going forward.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Looking back: Food Stamps Panel

In the Fall 2012 semester, Stein Scholars organized a panel discussion on Food Stamps.
From Stein Scholar April Harris '15E:

Our panel included Mark Dunlea of the Hunger Action Network, Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute, Robert Doar (HRA Commissioner), Lawrence Mead (Political Science Professor at NYU), and Nicholas Freudenberg (Public Health Professor at Hunter College). Further, Professor Marcella Silverman (a former legal aid attorney and current clinical associate professor here at Fordham) served as our moderator. The panelists debated the recent repeal of the finger imaging requirement for Food Stamp recipients.

Considering my background in welfare advocacy, the discussion was particularly insightful in that it exposed the challenges HRA faces in managing an effective public benefits system. Beyond this, the panel also allowed me to consider how public benefits touches on other areas. For example, Professor Freudenberg shared some data in how the Food Stamp program granted low income communities access to healthier food choices.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Service Project: Mold Remediation in Rockaway

The Stein Service project will be on Saturday, March 2. We are teaming up with Respond and Rebuild, an organization committed to environmentally sustainable and community-controlled rebuilding of communities post-disaster.

The day starts at 9:30AM and will wrap up at 4PM. You will need a warm hat, warm clothes, and hard-soled shoes. Get ready for manual labor!

We're currently working on possible Ram Van transportation but it's not 100% and will need a proper estimate of how many people would like to sign up. If we are unable to secure transportation, buses are running to Rockaway and we can meet at Fordham first and then travel as a group together.

More specifics on volunteering can be found on Respond and Rebuild's Volunteer page.  You do NOT need to sign up through their website for the March 2nd date. If you plan to attend the March 2nd service date with the Stein Scholars, please sign up here.

This is open to the Stein Community so feel free to sign up a friend!

If you have any questions, you can contact Angelica Kang at akang@law.fordham.edu.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Coming up: "The House I Live In"

Stein Scholars, Prisoners' Rights Advocates, and YouthLaw present:

The House I Live In 

Wednesday, February 15

4:30 PM in Room 203

 
Open to the law school community.


(There will be popcorn!)

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Looking back: Stein Scholar Panels

(He's talking about homicide rates in Chicago, not the Titanic)
The impending snowpocalypse creeping its way towards NYC reminds me of a panel on the NYPD "Stop and Frisk" program that was held during the Fall 2012 semester. Despite the unexpected snowstorm that started before the panel began, the room was full and the conversation engaging.

Titled "Stop and Frisk: Effective Police Tactic or Tool of Discrimination?" and organized by a committee of current Stein Scholars, the forum was moderated by Stein Center Director Bruce Green and involved participation from panelists and the audience.
excellent poster designed by the sister of a Stein scholar
Taking part of the panel were: Professor Eugene O'Donnell (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a former NYPD officer, and Queens ADA), Glenn Martin (Director of the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy at The Fortune Society), Maura O'Connor (reporting the justice beat for the New York World), and Johnathan Smith (Assistant Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.)

The event was co-sponsored by the Urban Law Journal, the Urban Law Center, the National Lawyers Guild, the Muslim Law Students Association, and the Black Law Students Association. Thanks to our co-sponsors and participants, we were able to have a lively discussion on a pertinent, evolving issue (and delicious refreshments).

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Stein This Week: The Public Interest Job Search

2Ls and 3Ls telling it like it is
The infamous NYU PILC Fair is tomorrow and Friday!

Today at our Stein Scholars meeting (which happens every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:00PM at the law school), the 2Ls and 3Ls soothed 1L nerves by providing great advice, tips, suggestions, and anecdotes regarding the PILC fair.

The 2Ls and 3Ls fielded questions ranging from the physical layout of the fair to tips on how to handle the "madness of the Table Talk" to what to bring to the fair to how to accept the dream internship offer and turn the other equally-awesome-but-just-not-the-perfect-fit offers down.

Plus, somebody amazing brought cupcakes and sustenance...

Sugar also calms the nerves
This Q&A session embodied what is great about being a part of the Stein family -- the passing down of wisdom and lessons learned from experience. So often law school can be incredibly competitive and people don't watch out for each other; being a part of the Stein Scholars reminds us that we're a community and here to help each other succeed.

Good luck to everybody at the PILC Fair!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Stein Scholars Mock Interviews


On Wednesday, January 30, Stein Scholars alumni and friends conducted mock interviews to help current Stein Scholars prepare for the NYU Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair and other interviews Steins may have landed for summer internships or job prospects.

Stein Scholars Mock Interviews in Platt Atrium, Fordham Law School
It was a very helpful and productive session. Before the interviews started, Steins received some tips from Andrew Chapin and then we were let loose for 20 minute mock interviews. Interviewers had copies of resumes already and allowed the interviewee to request the mock (for example: a particular firm or a specific practice area). After the interview, the interviewer provided feedback and input.

Some pictures have been posted to the Stein Center for Law and Ethics Facebook page. You can view them here. You should also consider "Liking" the Stein Center for Law and Ethics Facebook page as another way to hear more about Stein Scholars as well as the Stein Center as a whole!

Thanks to all the Stein alumni, faculty, and administrators who participated in the mock interviews!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Steins of 2013, 2014, and 2015

A preview of our recent Stein Scholars Photoshoot!

(Actually, it was just a group shot in the Moot Court Room but there was nice lighting and a professional photographer ... )

Photo by Chris Taggart

This picture includes Steins from the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 (evening) classes, as well as Stein administrators, Assistant Dean Tom Schoenherr and Director Andrew Chapin.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Hello!

Hi! Welcome to the Fordham University School of Law Stein Scholars blog.

The Stein Scholars Program is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year! We've decided to start a Stein Scholars blog so that the Stein Family can communicate within and outside of our community. Here we'll post about Stein events and news, show snippets of interviews from our Oral History Project, take a look back at Stein history, and feature previous and current Steins making big moves in the world of Public Interest!

More updates coming soon!

Let us know what you'd like to hear, read, and/or see in the comments.

You can also email the blog at FLSSteinScholarsBlog@gmail.com.

To find out more information about the Stein Scholars Public Interest Program, please see: http://law.fordham.edu/public-interest-resource-center/7127.htm.