Tom Schoenherr, Assistant Dean, Public Interest Resource Center
This past July we marked our first anniversary in the new law school building, and it’s been a real pleasure over the past year to give tours of our beautiful new home to several Stein alums who have come back to visit for the first time.
Gilbert Martinez ’00 and I were photographed in the new law school lobby by Gilbert’s wife Raeanne after our tour when they came to visit at the end of July from their home in Austin, Texas. If you still haven’t had a chance to see for yourself, my offer stands indefinitely to give you a tour whenever you’re able to come in!
Last September I was invited to attend the 40-year anniversary celebration of the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, D.C., and was thrilled to hear congratulatory presentations by Vice President Joe Biden, then Attorney General Eric Holder, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (who was on the founding Board of Directors of the LSC in their very early years). I was back in DC the following month for the annual Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference, where several 3L Steins had preliminary interviews that led to full-time jobs at graduation. The EJW Career Fair is always preceded by a day-long “mini-conference” for all of the law school public interest program administrators who travel to DC for EJW, and with two colleagues from Harvard and Berkeley, I presented a panel on “The Art of Writing Successful Applications for Public Interest Fellowships” for our colleagues from across the country. And last January I returned to DC for a third visit to attend the American Association of Law School’s (AALS) annual meeting. I continue to serve on the Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Pro Bono & Public Service Opportunities, and last year served as programming co-chair for our section’s January 2015 program, “The Bridge to Practice: Law School Incubator and Fellowship/Bridge-to-Practice Programs as Pathways to Public Service,” as well as the coordinator for our section’s one-day service project in DC working with Food & Friends, the only DC non-profit providing specialized meals, groceries, and home visits to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Finally, last May I travelled to Austin, Texas for the American Bar Association’s annual Equal Justice Conference, where I spoke on a panel entitled, “Experience Matters: Beyond the Basics,” with long-time colleagues from Tulane and the University of South Carolina School of Law on practical management topics for a variety of different models for law school pro bono programs.
Many of you already have heard that PIRC’s Director of Student Organizations and Publicity for the past 10 years—tHillary Exter—tretired this past April. I’m very excited to report that I hired a Stein Scholar alumna—Leah Horowitz ’06—to fill the PIRC Director position that Hillary left. Leah returns to Fordham after 9 years in the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders. She was the president of two PIRC student organizations during her three years at the law school, and has already brought tremendous energy, passion, and commitment to her new position in PIRC. I couldn’t be happier to have her back with us!
I’m happy to say that my husband, Don, and I have been able to get away for some great vacations this past year. We spent last Thanksgiving on the beach in the Turks & Caicos Islands, Christmas in Niagara Falls with family, the first week of July returning to Provincetown on Cape Cod, and the second week of August we spent 10 wonderful days exploring Tuscany. I hope all is well with all of you at work and at home, and would love to hear your updates and news anytime!
Andrew Chapin, Director of Public Interest Scholars & Counseling
Highlights from another very active year!
- I am an active member of the American Bar Association Government & Public Sector Lawyers Division. I will be attending their mid-year meeting Feb 4-7, 2016 in San Diego, CA as the reappointed liaison from the National Association for Law Placement. For the Division, I researched and wrote an article called “Mid-Career Transitions: Moving from Private Sector to the Public Sector,” which was their cover story for the summer 2015 edition of their newsletter Pass It On. The article profiles a variety of attorneys who have made such transitions and their advice about how others can do the same. We also produced (May 12, 2015, transcript found on the Division’s website) a Live Chat, “My Job is Driving Me Crazy,” during which six panelists including me responded live to online questions from 50 registrants.
- I donated a “day at the beach in Fire Island Pines” (where I take a summer share with my husband, David) to benefit Fordham Student Sponsored Fellowships.
Stein Scholar alum Corey Calabrese ’10 won the item in live bidding and brought along Sirrah Harris ’11, Jordan Ballard ’09 and Angelica Kang ’16 for a perfect day frolicking in the ocean and in our pool. - National LGBT Bar Association Lavender Law Job Fair & Conference was held in Chicago this August and I attended and counseled law students from across the country about their careers and interviewing. More than 100 employers held table talk style interviews. This was the largest Lavender Law in its history! It’s always a great and fascinating event with lawyers who are on the cutting edge of civil rights cases.
- The Equal Justice Works Job Fair & Conference is coming up October 23 & 24. Perhaps you remember it as a student? Alumni are permitted to attend the table talk portion of the job fair and chat with employers about opportunities (you might find your next job here). Contact me to learn more about this opportunity or if you are in DC already, we would love to meet you after work for a drink and catch up!
- This year on Friday of the 1L Orientation, Stein Scholars sponsored a Service Project at the Hunts Point Food Bank and 19 of us went there to help organize and distribute food for those in need. It was a great opportunity for the incoming class of Steins to meet each other and start off the year being of service.
- Perhaps you remember that each year event ideas are solicited from the Stein Scholars and this year they voted to have events on the topics of “Affordable Housing” and “Recent Education Cases before the Supreme Court.” Those should be very interesting discussions. You are welcome to attend – just email me for more detail.
- For the second year in a row, Steins will co-sponsor the nationally known “Disorientation” with the National Laywers Guild. It presents a great and different perspective on law and advantage/disadvantage.
- Ripped from the headlines of last year’s police misconduct cases, Stein Scholars are organizing a discussion on “Implicit Bias,” which should prove to be engaging, enlightening, and controversial.
- Alumni Table Talk will take place on Wed October 21, 2015 from 4:30-6:00 pm, giving students the opportunity to practice interviewing and chatting with attorneys from a variety of employers. If you would like to participate, send me an email!
- The National Association for Law Placement honored me as a Diversity Leader this year for my many years working on equal opportunity and inclusion for LGBT and people of color.
- At your fingertips is the Stein Alumni Directory which I keep as current as I can thanks to your emails. You can access it at: http://www.fordham.edu/downloads/file/1437/stein_scholars_directory_password_required
- If you are in the job market, email me to add your name to our listserv of public interest opportunities. I send out notices as they are received by our office. They include opportunities coast to coast and occasionally international, from entry level to senior attorney. Many Steins have found their jobs from this listserv.
- Email or call 212-636-7849 anytime. We are always delighted to hear from you!
