At Nassau/Suffolk Law Services, most of Shanna's days were spent attending Nassau County District Court to help delay or prevent eviction for low-income clients. Additionally, she learned how to negotiate settlements for the clients by using defective petitions or defective service to the client’s advantage.

 

 

Summer Service Snapshots 2017

 

 

 

 

Alain Alisca spent the summer interning at the Nassau County District Courthouse with Nassau Suffolk Law Services' Volunteer Lawyers Project. He dealt with matters related to landlord-tenant law and have helped advocate for tenants that are facing eviction proceedings. He stated, “This internship has contributed to my career path because I have gotten exposure to a field, public interest, that I have had an interest in since beginning my law school career. I am certain that regardless of whether I pursue public interest law or another field, I will be sure to give back and serve those that are in need of legal help.”

 

 

 

Denise Schubmehl worked with Maria DeGennaro at the Empire Justice Center. She helped homeowners who were at risk of foreclosure on Long Island. She stated, “This work is instantly rewarding, as many times lawyers do not get that gratification they sometimes deserve, it is nice to help those who really appreciate the service you are giving them.” Denise was able to sit in at multiple foreclosure clinics and hear from the homeowners and listen to lawyers and housing counselors give advice and help direct them to more options. She was also able to sit in on settlement conferences in both Nassau and Suffolk County. She helped to organize the very successful Hope Now event at Hofstra University, which helped more than 200 homeowners get answers to their foreclosure questions. The event included legal services, housing counselors, and bank servicers all in one place.

 

In addition she participated in Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) meetings regarding Sterling’s merger with Astoria Bank. The meetings could result in significant CRA funding for affordable housing for Long Island.

 

Denise also volunteered to update the attorney fees spreadsheet that Empire Justice Center uses when seeking reimbursement for their time. The sheets are used to determine what rates are seen as reasonable, so when seeking reimbursement it is fair and in line with the current fees.

 

Denise said, “I have learned a lot about the housing world that I would otherwise not know without the help of Empire Justice Center and specifically Maria DeGennaro. The hands on experience that I have gained this summer really helped to solidify my decision to continue to work in public interest. “

 

 

Marissa Van Ness worked with the New Jersey Attorney General in the Children and Families Division She wrote appellate briefs for the state in cases when parents appeal their termination of parental rights.

 

She stated, “On the district level the state must prove a four part test for why a parent should have their parental rights terminated. If proven by clear and convincing evidence - a parents rights will be terminated. After this termination they have a right to appeal. I am currently writing the appeals (as you can see from all my evidence binders) as to why the termination of parental rights should be upheld! I hope to work as a Deputy Attorney General, in this unit when I graduate.”

 

 

 

During the summer of 2017, Haley interned at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s East End Bureau. Her work was focused on New York Criminal Procedure Law and Vehicle and Traffic Law. She gained experience in writing legal memoranda and doing legal research. She stated, “I was fortunate enough to work very closely with the ADAs. I filed 710.30 (Huntley) notices, compiled discoveries, and created Rosario packets.”

 

Pictured from left to right are, Brad Magill (ADA--Trial Supervisor), Haley Baldwin, Erin Brannigan (ADA), Jamie Greenwood (ADA).

 

 

 

Christina Carone interned at the Federal Court. She stated, “This experience exceeded all of my expectations. Judge Spatt, his law clerks, and his staff are great! They are all very kind, approachable, professional and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about the federal court system this summer. My favorite part of interning was observing various jury selections. I also had the opportunity to observe a RICO trial, which was awesome. Lastly, I was able to get to know and observe Judge Bianco, Judge Wexler and Judge Seybert. This was an amazing experience.”

 

 

 

Alex Castilletti worked at the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission, where he was able to help resolve cases of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in both the workplace and in housing. Working with the investigators, he helped close a number of cases and helped a lot of people come to an agreement in order to settle their cases.

 

 

 

 

Michael Daily and Mark MacNaughton were assigned to the criminal court handling felony level cases for the Hon. Mark Cohen and Hon. Martin Efman. Our job responsibilities include review and preparation of chamber files on assigned cases, taking notes during conferences in chambers, writing and assisting in legal research on pending motions, observation of courtroom proceedings and miscellaneous tasks as directed. We are also in charge of the Drug Diversion Program under Hon. Martin Efman. This includes screening potential defendants for the program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christina Santiago
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Christina spent the summer on the record for hearings on restaurant violations and grading at OATH offices throughout the city. In addition to holding her own cases, she also wrote appeals and compiled data on health code violations throughout the city. She completed the NYC Food Protection course; tagged along with Health Dept. inspectors to understand the work they do in order to better defend that work; and sat in on city council meetings re: New York City's approach to the Zika virus threat, Animal Care and Control expansion, and tobacco regulations. She said, “Definitely interesting, educational and fun! This experience has kept me on my toes!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sassy Dumornay and Diana Felberhaum
Suffolk County Attorney’s Office
Sassy Dumornay and Diana Felberhaum were summer legal interns for the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office. At the County Attorney’s Office, they worked closely with several Assistant County Attorneys. Throughout their internships, they conducted legal research, revised petitions, worked on Kendra cases, assisted with N-Docket (negligent) cases, and observed child support cases. They were also given the opportunity to watch arraignments and juvenile delinquency cases. Their favorite part of the summer internship was sitting in honorable Judge Crecca’s courtroom and observing domestic violence and divorce cases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huuthanh Lee
Legal Aid Society, Queens County Juvenile Rights Office
Huuthanh served as an intern with the Legal Aid Society, Queens County Juvenile Rights Office. He had the opportunity to assist a team of four staff attorneys in the practice and learn about the legal strategies involved in juvenile proceedings. He represented clients, under attorney supervision, at appearances before the Queens County Family Court. He also consulted with attorneys regarding settlement in cases. He interviewed clients, parents and collateral providers. He conducted home visits with clients and supervising attorney. He discussed issues arising from cases before the court with team staff attorneys. He observed bench trials, court proceedings and settlement conferences in child welfare and delinquency matters. He commented, “My work with the staff attorneys provided me with a great deal of insight into how to represent indigent clients, especially children, more effectively. My experiences as an intern with The Legal Aid Society reinforced the reasons why I chose to go to law school, while also providing me with many of the skills necessary to be an effective advocate for children and families. I had a truly rewarding experience working with the staff attorneys at the Queens County Juvenile Rights Office this summer.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jazmine Kendrick
Brooklyn Defender Services
Jazmine worked at Brooklyn Defender Services. She helped different teams of lawyers with trial prep for different cases ranging from attempted murder, rape in the first degree and assault. Pictured here, she is conducting legal research for an upcoming trial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katherine Base
Nassau County District Attorney’s Office
Katherine Base is a summer legal intern in the Nassau County DA’s Office. At the DA’s Office, she was placed in the DWI/DUI bureau and assists 7 ADA’s. Throughout the month of June, Katherine has had the opportunity to second seat trials, prepare discovery packets to turn over to defense attorneys, participate in the arraignments of defendants, and even speak on the record. Katherine also has had the opportunity to conference cases with fellow ADA’s, Legal Aid and the judge on numerous mornings. Just recently she conducted legal research and wrote a memorandum of law concerning an issue of Miranda Rights to submit directly to a judge from the District Court. She has not only had the opportunity to watch DWI/DUI trials, but has watched trials in different bureaus such as the domestic violence bureau, and even part of a homicide trial in Nassau County Court."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Pisahov
Bronx County D.A.’s Office
Larry Pisahov was a summer legal intern in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. At the D.A.’s Office, he was placed in the Narcotics Bureau and assists over a dozen ADA’s. Throughout his experience, Larry was able to conduct legal research, present research findings, draft memoranda, prepare discovery, and attend conferences, arraignments, hearings, and trials. As part of the internship program, he also attended the D.A.’s Office Annual Picnic in Pomona and toured the NYPD Firing Range in Rodman’s Neck. Larry’s favorite part of the summer was representing the hard-working citizens of Bronx County and being able to make a positive difference in their community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maria E. Feldman
Immigration Law Clinic
Maria worked in the Immigration Clinic at Touro Law Center. Her duties consist of assisting unaccompanied and undocumented children arriving in the U.S. to secure special juvenile immigrant status so that they can remain in the U.S. legally and pursue their education and career goals. She also conducted legal research; interviewed clients; prepared and filed petitions for appointment of guardianship in family court; and appeared at family court and immigration court hearings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marra Kassman
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, Criminal Division
Marra Kassman worked at the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, Criminal Division during her summer. She worked mostly on violent crimes cases, such as gangs and drug offenses. Marra listened to jail calls, sat in on inmate and cooperating witness proffer (interview) sessions, attended court with her assigned attorney, edited documents, and wrote sentencing letters to various Judges. Her favorite part of the summer was getting to be part of meetings with Homeland Security and FBI Agents, who provided the office with critical information about defendants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Borger
Long Island Advocacy Center
During the course of his internship at the Long Island Advocacy Center, Michael had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Michael Fronte, another LIAC intern in developing a community outreach campaign designed to inform families with special education children of their legal rights in school. We used our experience working directly with special needs children as well as conducting legal research on federal statutes, state regulations and case law to compile and simplify all of this information for parents in a comprehensive and interactive presentation. We are passionate about reaching out to these families and giving them the tools they need to best advocates for their children. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyasia Chance
Brooklyn Defender Services
Tyasia chance spent the summer working at Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS). She enjoyed preparing for trial by going out on investigations, conducting client interviews in arraignments and DATs, prepping witnesses for trial and doing research/writing motions to assist attorneys with their clients. Tyasia said, “Working at BDS has definitely taught me what it means to wake up every morning and love what you do!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vitangelo Bitetto
Suffolk County Legal Aid Society
Vito interned at the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society working with Touro Alum Liz Justesen. As part of his work with her, Vito helped Touro Law Center launch a new pro bono initiative called Breaking Barriers, the first-ever re-entry program for formerly incarcerated residents in Suffolk County on Long Island. Breaking Barriers is the only program of its kind in the county and provides people with opportunities and knowledge to change their lives.

Barney Giannone worked in the Suffolk County DA's Office. He started in January with the criminal prosecution clinic and had his practice order extended into the summer. At DA's office he was tasked with conducting multiple hearings regarding probable cause, identification procedures, voluntariness of statements, refusal to submit to chemical tests and indigency hearings. He conducted direct and cross examinations and appeared on the record daily. Investigations, interviews and motion practice was also part of his daily routine. While in court, he would not only run the calendar, but make offers, negotiate deals, and make various applications to the court, including orders of protection on behalf of domestic violence victims.

Paula McFarlane worked with South Brooklyn Legal Services in the LGBT & HIV Unit where she assisted her supervising attorneys in providing legal assistance to both low-income and HIV positive individuals in areas such as housing, welfare benefits, and SSI/SSD. Work included: legal research, drafting of orders to show cause and motions, drafting and sending non-compliance complaint letters to HRA, shadowing attorneys at hearings and in housing court, attending trainings, meeting/corresponding with clients, assisting with client intakes, drafting an affidavit with a client, corresponding with client caseworkers, fair hearing agency representatives, landlord attorneys, and marshals. She said that the most memorable of her experience there was helping to conduct her first Medicaid Fair Hearing. The client was an 80 year old women who was getting personal care assistance to help her with her daily tasks due to her medical issues. HRA (Human Resources Administration) was trying to cut down her hours from 12 hours/week to 9 hours/week. Based on Paula's research and review of her medical records there was no valid argument to why they should cut down the clients hours since her illness had declined, rather than getting better. Paula argued this at the Fair Hearing and they were able to get the clients Personal Care Aid hours reinstated. Paula was gratified being able to help advocate for the client in a way that she was unable to do for herself. It also solidified that litigation is definitely something she wants to do.

Claire Persico has been working this summer in the matrimonial center - Nassau County Supreme Court, with the Honorable Stacy Bennett. The Matrimonial Center is a unique facility that houses all of the dedicated Matrimonial Parts for the Supreme Court, including the Model Custody Part. There are courtrooms for six Justices assigned to the Matrimonial Center, along with hearing rooms for Judicial Hearing Officers and Special Referees, all handling matrimonial matters. She has assisted with legal writing and research and she has observed various court proceedings.

This summer Kathleen Garveson worked at the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in the Vehicular Crime Bureau. She helped the Assistant District Attorneys in that bureau with tasks such as legal research for memorandums, preparing discovery packets to turn over to defense attorneys, preparing different types of warrants, and attending court and chamber conferences. In addition, she was able to observe a homicide trial from opening statements through closing statements. She also participated in a DWI data project for the Bureau Chief and District Attorney.

Deena Rosenblatt worked in the Surrogate Court of the Rockland County Courthouse for the Honorable Thomas E. Walsh II. She reviewed cases, drafted orders, decisions, orders to show causes, and motions pertaining to Surrogate and Supreme Court issues. She conducted legal research, analysis, and assess related causes of action. Often times she conferred with litigants about cases and sit in on conferences. Additionally, she had the opportunity to observe all sorts of hearings and trials relating to criminal and civil matters.

Stephanie Hibbert worked this summer for the Senior Citizen Law Program at the Law Center where she interviewed elderly clients who lacked financial resources, were somewhat marginalized and needed legal assistance. Legal Assistance was needed in issues relating, but not limited to Torts, Social Insurance, Public Assistance, and Trusts and Estates. Client Intake Memorandums were prepared and legal research conducted. Legal Research ranged from Power of Attorney issues to Probate/Administration. She says that it was valuable knowledge and a unique experience because insight was gained on the realities of aging in our society while honing legal skills such as interviewing and legal research.

Tyasia Chance is spending the summer with the Law Offices of the Public Advocacy Center which she describes as nothing short of amazing. She assisted in many cases, mainly including landlord/tenant issues and uncontested divorces. While assisting in landlord/tenant cases, she has helped in drafting documents such as Attorney Affirmations and Orders to Show Cause and has had the opportunity to accompany the staff attorney to the Second District Court as well as Third, Fifth and Sixth Districts. While in court, she learned how to fill out Notice of Appearances as well as Stipulation forms. When handling divorce cases, she has assisted in drafting Affidavits and going to the Supreme Court across the street to file them with the Clerk. She has sat in on meetings with clients, set up appointments with them and interviewed them over the phone to see if they qualify for the uncontested divorce project. She has also assisted in drafting a Supplemental Needs Trust as part of the Last Will and Testament for a client. She has also participated in the restorative justice “circles” through the Center for Restorative Practices at the PAC.

This summer Thomas Tlockowski is working at Nassau Suffolk Legal Services. He is pictured here at Family Court submitting a Child Support Modification Petition. He is assigned to the Permanency Legal Assistance Needs Project (PLAN) which provides legal assistance to individuals and families affected by every type of cancer to cope with legal, financial and medical issues, including permanency planning. The Project includes a focus on clients with breast cancer. He explains that permanency planning consists of assisting families to develop a legally enforceable long-term plan for the care of children, and to assure that the client’s own wishes regarding end of life decisions are carried out through the designation of health care proxies, advance directives, powers of attorney and wills. The Project also handles problems with Medicaid, Medicare and private health insurance, and depending on resources, may be able to assist with SSI and Social Security Disability matters, long term disability problems and issues involving public assistance. There are no financial eligibility guidelines, but cases are prioritized based on urgency and program resources. Most recently, a collaborative grant with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) has made it possible to launch a new medical legal partnership effort based at the Stony Brook Medical Group in East Setauket. Legal services are also provided to referred patients of Stony Brook’s Primary Care clinic in Patchogue and Good Samaritan’s Dialysis Unit. He works with a Law Services attorney together with the clinic staff to serve the clinic patients.