Touro Law PAC Featured in NYLJ

The New York Law Journal's Tom Adcock wrote a Back Page feature article on Touro Law Center’s Public Advocacy Center. The article covers how the Center came to be at Touro Law, some of the work our students are doing within the Center and how Touro Law obtained funding for the Center through the generosity of the Hearst Foundation. Below is a portion of the article. To read the full article, log on the New York Law Journal’s web site.


Touro's Public Advocacy Center Benefits Students, Community
By Thomas Adcock

October 24, 2008

The William Randolph Hearst Public Advocacy Center of Long Island, a warren of tiny offices on the Central Islip campus of Touro Law Center, was created for the likes of Maria T. DeGennaro.

Never mind that five years ago neither Touro Law Dean Lawrence Raful nor the Hearst Foundations had ever heard of Ms. DeGennaro, who at the time found it ethically challenging to work as she was in the mortgage loan industry with the deals and debentures she saw as portents to the current economic crisis.

"I'm not a whistleblower," said Ms. DeGennaro, today a 44-year-old 2-L evening student at Touro Law. "I found another way."

As a law student with familiarity with the questionable practices of her former line of work, Ms. DeGennaro was a natural fit for Long Island Housing Services, one of 16 public interest agencies housed on campus at the public advocacy center.

The nonprofit agencies each pay $100 monthly for office, phone and Internet service - along with access to the Touro Law library and faculty, as well as proximity to state and federal courts adjacent to the campus. In return, the agencies pledge to use the passions of Touro Law students as legal support.

Touro Students Making A Difference

Thirty-seven Touro Law students are preparing to head down to New Orleans again on October 12 for another week of pro-bono legal advocacy work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Click here to check out great coverage of our students and the work they have been doing, and continue to do, on Newsday.com.

The Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner Named October Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center’s Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that the Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner has been selected for the month of October. Hon. Spinner is Judge, County Court Of Suffolk County, New York; Acting Judge, Family Court Of Suffolk County, New York and Acting Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County. Judge Spinner was an active member of the Touro Community while attending law school and remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Mentor Program as well as attending various alumni and student events throughout the years. Please click here to view the Alum of the Month page and his accomplished bio. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to the Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner.