February 19, 2008
Touro Law Students Provide Testimonials of Recent
Volunteer Work in Katrina Affected Region
The first stop for Touro Law student volunteers was to visit the
lower 9th ward. The pink structures in the background are part of an art show
consigned by Brad Pitt in support of the rebuilding efforts.
Central Islip, NY – Last month, approximately 20 Touro Law students spent winter break in the Gulf Coast, offering services to a region and community still in desperate need after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Recently, these students shared their experiences with fellow students, faculty and staff to generate awareness of the still desperate situation that exists in the area
In January, six students worked with Common Ground doing legal research out of a converted old school bus parked next to a building with wireless Internet. These students used their legal knowledge to make a real difference in the community. Three students worked with the New Orleans Public Defender’s Office, making court appearances with defendants twice a day. They told stories about how desperate the office is for qualified help and how much volunteers could actually help. Four students knocked on doors conducting a survey regarding the housing crisis. These students spearheaded the project, working with approximately 20 other students from various law schools across the country, documenting the state and condition of every house in a targeted neighborhood to determine the extent of the damage and if houses were fit for residency. Four students worked with the Public Advocacy Center assisting in a wide variety of areas mostly concentrating on the lack of affordable housing and the city’s destruction of structurally sound low income housing developments. Three students worked with an environmental law firm addressing that aspect of the storm’s aftermath. Every student has a story to tell about a difference they made. And every student had a story to tell about the condition of the area – including lack of running water and electricity ¬– to remind people that this is an area that can not be forgotten.
“Every Touro Law student truly made a difference through their work with various organizations in the New Orleans region,” said Ray Malone, a third-year law student who is also president of the Student Hurricane Chapter at Touro Law. “We feel it is important not only for us to go down and do this work, but also to come back and share our experiences and stories. So many people still need so much help – it is urgent that we keep the cause in the forefront of people’s minds.”
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Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center has a new 185,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art law campus adjacent to and working with a state and a federal
courthouse in Central Islip, New York. Touro’s new campus provides a one-of-a
kind learning model for law students, combining a rigorous curriculum taught by
expert faculty with a practical courtroom experience. Touro, which has a
student body of approximately 750 and an alumni base of nearly 5,000, offers
full- and part-time J.D. programs as well as graduate law programs
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