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Touro Receives $15K Grant from NYS to Support Neighborhood Initiatives

August 13, 2019

Touro Law Center is pleased to announce that New York State, through Senator Monica R. Martinez, has awarded Touro Law $15K to support newly created Neighborhood programs and initiatives.

Touro Law recently began working with our neighboring school district Brentwood High School administration, addressing some of the unique issues facing the Brentwood community, including a large immigrant population, language barriers, academic challenges in the local schools and gang activity. The Neighborhood Initiative Program features several components including a Mock Trial Program at Brentwood High School, a Street Law Course taught by Touro Law students at Brentwood High School and Know Your Rights events to be held in Brentwood. Mock Trial programs are being expanded to other neighboring districts and new programs are also being developed. The Programs are run by Touro Law Professor and Director of Neighborhood Programs Jorge Roig.

Professor Roig stated, “We are so very appreciative of this support. These programs stress the importance of a strong, positive relationship between an institution of higher education and its surrounding community, and are truly making an impact on high school students.”  He continued, “The grant money will be instrumental in the continuation and further development of the programs.”

New York State Senator Monica R. Martinez is a Brentwood High School alumna and graduate of Binghamton University. In collaboration with the County Executive, Legislator Martinez has offered free summer programs for five consecutive years in Brentwood, Central Islip, and North Bay Shore. Moreover, she has funded numerous anti-gang/anti-violence programs through local non-profit organizations that offer safe environments and mentorship programs to our youth.

Jorge Roig joined the Touro Law community in 2016 and was named Director of Neighborhood programs in 2018 to oversee the Law Center’s newly established neighborhood programs. He received his A.B. from Harvard University and his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. His primary areas of teaching and research are: Constitutional Law; Internet and Technology Law; and Intellectual Property. As Associate Professor and Director of Neighborhood Programs, he oversees all neighborhood initiatives, working with local high schools and middle schools as well as a partnership collaborating on a statewide 8th grade civics program.

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Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law is located adjacent to both a state and a federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York. Touro Law’s proximity to the courthouses, coupled with programming developed to integrate the courtroom into the classroom, provide a one-of-a kind learning experience for law students, combining a rigorous curriculum taught by expert faculty with a practical courtroom experience. Touro Law is dedicated to providing hands-on learning that enables students to gain experience while offering much-needed legal services in the community.

Touro Law, which has an alumni base of more than 6,500, offers full- and part-time JD programs where students can earn a degree in 2, 3 or 4 years and provides four areas of concentration Additionally, Touro offers a hybrid, four-year FlexTime JD Program combining online and on campus learning. Touro Law offers several dual degree programs and graduate law programs for US and foreign law graduates. Touro Law Center is part of the Touro College system.

About the Touro College and University System 
Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 18,000 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has 30 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and its Nevada branch campus; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Ill. are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System. For further information on Touro College, please go to: http://www.touro.edu/news/.

For more info contact:
Patti Desrochers
Director of Communications
pattid@tourolaw.edu
(631) 761-7062

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