Invitation to Alumni to Participate in a Support Group Project

Last year, we began an exciting project here at Touro Law Center: A monthly pilot support group focused on better self- and interpersonal-awareness. The goal of this group was to help lawyers and law students better serve their clients, people who are often faced with overwhelming legal and other needs. Last year, this opportunity was available to lawyers, paralegals & law students working in PAC, its affiliated organizations and our clinics. Based on that experience, we have decided to make a few adjustments to enhance the success of this enterprise. One change is that we are inviting some Touro Law alumni who provide direct client services to join the group.[1]

We are fortunate that the same two highly qualified and experienced psychotherapists have agreed to join us again as facilitators. Dr. Marlene Kasman has been a clinical psychologist for over 40 years, with a private practice that has included individual, group and family therapy. Dr. Joanne Taylor has been in private practice in clinical psychology since 1993 and is currently working at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Northport as part of the Polytrauma team. Both Dr. Kasman and Dr. Taylor are excited about the opportunity to work with lawyers and others who are coping with the challenges of providing legal services for the underserved citizens of our community.

Given your incredibly busy lives, why participate in this group?

• Sharing with others is a good way to find relief for the burdens and imbalances that come naturally from serving clients with challenging legal and/or emotional problems.
• Former participants tell us that they have felt refreshed, restored and re-energized after just one one-hour session.
• If the stress of representing difficult clients sometimes takes its toll on your day-to-day functioning, or on your ability to be as effective professionally as you might be, please consider joining this group.

We will meet twice this semester. The first meeting of the group will be on Wednesday, November 4th from 1-2 p.m. in the Multifaith Room at the Law Center. A light lunch will be served. The second meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 2nd. If interested, please return the below form, either by e-mail to msilver@tourolaw.edu or by mailing to the Law Center to Professor Marjorie Silver by 12 p.m. on Friday, October 30.

SUPPORT GROUP
TOURO LAW CENTER
PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTER

I am interested in participating. My contact information is:

Name _____________________________
Organization _____________________________
E-mail _____________________________
Phone number ____________________________
Mailing address:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Marjorie Silver at msilver@tourolaw.edu or (631) 761-7144.

[1] We have decided that since our clinic students are enrolled only for a semester, their participation undermined the value of an ongoing, committed group.