As Fordham Law School begins to celebrate Latinx/e Heritage Month, we spoke with Ashley Qamar ’23 and Fernando Ramos ’23—president and vice president, respectively, of Fordham’s Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) chapter—about this year’s Public Service Day initiative, the role alumni have played within the organization and in members’ lives, and the events they are planning to celebrate their community this month.
Why is it important for you, as a group, to celebrate Latinx/e Heritage Month?
Ashley Qamar ’23 and Fernando Ramos ’23
AQ: The Latinx/e and Hispanic community in the legal field is still small; which makes having LALSAs at various law schools all the more important. According to a survey conducted by the American Bar Association in 2020, only 5% of all lawyers in the United States were Hispanic, whereas the country’s population is 18.5% Hispanic. During this month it’s important for me, as a law student, to reflect and celebrate the opportunities and community that I have. And I think that a lot of students in LALSA feel the same way.
FR: It’s about celebrating the diversity of our communities, which can be seen in New York City, home of one of the largest Latinx/e and Hispanic communities in the country. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of people within our different communities. I think it’s also especially important for us to recognize the people and the leaders who have paved the way for us to be in this current position—attending a high-caliber law school in New York City, being in this legal space, and feeling very supported through the networks of mentorship and general accomplishment.
What does LALSA have in store for Latinx/e Heritage Month?
AQ: We’re grateful that the month comes right at the beginning of classes, creating an opportunity for us to welcome new students and make them feel like they have a space here and that they have people who might feel the same way they do, or are going through the same struggles. So, throughout the next month, we’re going to be doing quite a bit of programming, including a kick-off lunch event on Sept. 15 for our PALS program and our Annual Passport to Latin America event on Sept. 22. [PALS is a mentorship program where upperclass LALSA members sign up to be mentors to first year and LL.M. students.] Then, in October, we’re going to hold our annual alumni mixer, which is important to the LALSA community. It’s a beautiful event where we get to see our old friends and engage with people that we’ve never met. LALSA has been in existence since the 1980s, and we want to take advantage of that history by making sure that we’re engaging with our entire community—not just the students currently here, but the alumni as well.
Speaking of alumni, how have they shaped your journeys, both within the Law School and outside LALSA?
AQ: Former LALSA members Kim Ayudant ’21, Dayana Ledezma ’22, Ayelén R. Rodriguez ’20, and Phil Seiler ’21 have been great mentors. I don’t think that I would be where I am today without them because they really care about me. Before meeting them, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet someone around my age who was so successful in the legal industry. As the first lawyer in my family, they mentored me in every way possible—through academics, professionalism, interviewing, and just being emotionally supportive. And that’s one of the most important things I note when I think about LALSA and why it is important for us to exist. Each one of them has been a role model for me to be successful in my future.
A few weeks ago, LALSA worked with Bushwick Ayuda Mutua during the annual PIRC Public Service Day. Tell us about this year’s experience and how you think that will inspire and foster camaraderie moving forward.
LALSA spent Public Service Day distributing food and goods to the local community in Brooklyn.
FR: Bushwick Ayuda Mutua was created during COVID-19 as a network of neighbors supporting neighbors by providing food at the height of the pandemic. But it has evolved over time, which we saw firsthand at Public Service Day this year. Last year, we helped people enroll in the Excluded Workers Fund [which provided funds to New Yorkers ineligible for unemployment benefits or COVID-19 relief and had lost at least 50 percent of their income because of the pandemic]. This year, we were part of this massive undertaking, which takes place twice a month, of different services that were provided in a single day, including handing out food and essential supplies (e.g. diapers, feminine products, soap, etc.) to roughly 100 families. Bushwick Ayuda Mutua also organized a huge clothing drive for the community and in response to the displaced people arriving in New York from Texas. To play a small role in their work for just one day and to see the progress they’ve made in one year is incredible. I think it’s helpful for 1Ls—especially students who aren’t from New York—to see and experience that collaboration and unity within our communities.
In what ways has LALSA grown and how can students be informed of upcoming events and initiatives?
FR: Over the last few years, we have developed new opportunities for students with interests in different areas of the law to become more engaged with us.
Connect with LALSA:
Instagram (@fordhamlalsa) | Google Calendar | “Boletín Semanal” Newsletter
