Student Ambassadors - Touro Law Center Long Island, NY
Admissions
Touro Law Student Ambassadors
Viana Alves
2L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: West Islip
Undergraduate Institution/Major: SUNY University at Albany, B.S. Human Development, concentrating in Counseling Psychology with a Double Minor in Psychology and English
Areas of interest: Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law, and Trusts and Estates
Law school activities: Intellectual Property Law Society Eboard as Event Coordinator, and Full-Time 2L Representation for the Public Interest Law Organization of Touro (PILOT)
Interesting Fact About Me: I was originally going to attend graduate school to pursue a counseling degree and become a high school counselor.
Advice for prospective/accepted law students: Law school can be challenging at times but it is a rewarding experience. Just remember, time management is half the battle but you will be okay!
Donna Arzanipour
2L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Roslyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Stony Brook University, B.S. Applied Math/Statistics and Mathematics
Area of interest: Real Estate Law
Law school activities: Touro Law Review, Honors Program Scholar, Real Estate Law Society Secretary, Touro Law Tax Society Secretary, Woman’s Bar Association
Interesting fact about me: I love to cook/bake, and I have a food Instagram account for fun!
Advice for prospective/accepted students: While law school may seem frightening at first, it is a very rewarding experience. The knowledge you gain is priceless, and it is important to remain focused on your goals. Don’t forget to contact your professors when you are having trouble, as they are always willing to help!
Danielle Blaustein
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Dix Hills, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Union College, B.A. Political Science with a Minor in Psychology
Areas of interest: Municipal Law, Litigation, Tort, Property Law
Law school activities: Touro Law Review, Women's Bar Association, PILOT, and Honors Program Scholar
Interesting fact about me: I have a twin brother.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: The three years you attend law school are going to fly by. Take every day and embrace the opportunity to learn whether it's from success or from failure. Don't be afraid to ask for help from other students and faculty.
Rachael Giannetti
3L, FlexTime
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Hofstra University, B.A. Public Relations with a Minor in Political Science
Graduate School: Bridgeport University, M.S.Ed.
Areas of interest: Criminal Law, Public Interest Law
Law school activities: Honors Program Scholar, Touro Law Review Seinior Staff Member, Samuel Glickstein Public Interest Fellow
Interesting fact about me: I love classic cars. My dream car is an original 1939 Ford Pickup.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Law school is an incredibly rewarding journey. There are a few steps that I have taken to ensure that I stay on track. First, be sure to complete all your assigned reading. Second, do not rely on third-party websites to brief your assigned cases – their conclusions are often wrong. Third, if you don’t know a word, look it up. Fourth, take time to make friends and enjoy the experience.
Katherine Jeran
2L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Islip Terrace, Long Island NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: St. John's University, B.S. Legal Studies
Areas of interest: Criminal Law (prosecution and defense), Family Law, and Environmental Law
Law school activities: Woman's Bar Association member and Public Community Outreach Commissioner of Touro's Environmental Law Society
Interesting fact about me: I live and grew up less than 5 minutes away from Touro's campus, so I would say I have the best commute out of most of my classmates!
Advice for accepted/prospective law students: The best advice I can give to accepted/prospective law students is to focus on finding the law school where you feel the most comfortable. Law school is a new, exciting, and somewhat stressful life change; and if you are in an environment where you're not feeling comfortable you naturally will not work at your best level. So definitely go on every campus tour available to you so you can ensure your choice is right for you!
Bianca Kehrer
2L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Smithtown, New York
Undergraduate Institution/Major: SUNY New Paltz, B.A. Organizational Communications; Business Administration Minor
Areas of interest: Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation & Real Estate
Law school activities: Recipient of Best Oral Argument CALI Award for Appellate Brief
Interesting fact about me: I have my Paralegal Certification and I’m a first-generation law student.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Getting into law school is a rigorous but rewarding experience. It is important to keep that persistence and endurance up as a law student who continues to face challenges while learning new material, which seems foreign to many. I am a firm believer in what is meant to be for you will come to you when it is your time; so even when law school gets tough, take a step back and remind yourself why you are on this law school journey, be proud of yourself for making it this far, and keep going. Don’t forget to make time for yourself and remember the only thing between now and your dreams as a future lawyer is the hard work you’re ready to put in at Touro Law.
Esther Khaitov
January Start Full-Time Day – January Start
Hometown: Forest Hills, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Touro College NYSCAS, B.A. Psychology
Areas of Interest: Real Estate Law and Trusts and Estates
Interesting fact about me: I am a mother of three children four years old and under.
Advise for prospective/accepted students: Starting law school is hard and stressful for every student. Do not be afraid to ask questions! Chances are there are many other people confused about the same topic. I would recommend forming a study group with three or four people. This will give you a good soundboard to make sure you really understand the law you were being taught. Everyone, including the professors, are here to help you succeed. Keep in mind it will be over before you know it, and YOU CAN DO IT!
John Kelly
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Stony Brook, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Pace University, B.B.A. Marketing
Areas of interest: Real Estate, Disability Rights
Law school activities: President of Disabled and Allied Law Students Association (DALSA)
Interesting fact about me: I am a second-generation Touro Law student. My father also received his JD at Touro!
Advice for prospective/accepted students:
Touro is a fantastic place for a legal education. Its ability to connect with great employers in this area is what separates Touro from other schools. Additionally, Touro also has an amazing community of people willing to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out to upper-class students, alumni, and Touro employees. Do your best to network with the folks around you, as these will be your colleagues when school is finished!
Michael Lieberman
3L, Full-Time Day – January Start
Hometown: Manorville, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: SUNY Oneonta, B.S. Economics
Areas of interest: Corporate and Injury Law
Law school activities: Journal of Race, Gender, & Ethnicity
Interesting fact about me: I am a movie fanatic. I would love to combine my love for movies and the law to hopefully work for a studio one day.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Don't be afraid to talk to upperclassmen, ask their advice on what classes to take and don't be afraid to ask them if they have outlines that may help you. If they do give you an outline, don't just copy it, and don't just read the outline and not your textbooks, make the outline your own with notes from the professor and the textbook. This acts as a great way to study for me. It makes me read the material several times.
Lisaann London
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, B.S. Criminal Justice Management with a Minor in Philosophy
Area of interest: Juvenile Justice - Family Law and Criminal Law
Law school activities: Pro Bono Scholar, Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Co-President, Family Law Society Vice President, Treasurer of Suffolk County Bar Association, Trial Advocacy & Practice Honor's Society (TAPS)
Interesting fact about me: I taught kickboxing classes in Queens, NY, for four years before law school.
Advice for prospective/accepted students:This is a new journey for you; step out of your comfort zone and network. Don't limit yourself and miss out on opportunities because you're shy. YOU GOT THIS!
Katie McCarthy
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Levittown, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Molloy College; B.S. Psychology and Criminal Justice with a Minor in Legal Studies.
Areas of interest: Contract Law, Estate Law, & Malpractice
Law school activities: Women's Bar Association
Interesting fact about me: I love cooking/baking, hiking, & yoga!
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Make connections and stay organized! I’m a first-generation law student so it was difficult to adjust to law school since I didn’t know what to expect. I got involved with the Nassau County Bar Association immediately after starting law school and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made! Don’t be afraid to get involved or to ask for advice, everyone wants to help you succeed!
Stefania Quintero Munoz
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Saint Albans, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, BA in Law and Society
Areas of interest: Criminal Law and Sports Law
Law school activities: Trial Advocacy and Practice Honor Sociey (TAPS) Vice President, Judicial Externship and Student Lawyer Athletic Movement (SLAM)
Interesting fact about me: My favorite thing to do is spend time with my dogs. I also enjoy watching football (Giants Fan).
Advice for prospective/accepted students: We’ve all heard the horror stories about the first year of law school but one thing that can make it easier is to start outlining the first day of class. It seems like a lot of work but in the end it will be worth it. First year is really important for summer internships so give it all you’ve got.
Anjali Puri
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Merrick, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: St. John's University; B.A. Legal Studies
Areas of interest: Family Law and Criminal Law
Law school activities: Students Helping Students, Law Review Junior Staff Member, Member of the Family Law Society
Interesting fact about me: I know all of the words to every Taylor Swift song.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Don't be afraid to change the way you study or the way you take notes, it will take time to figure out what method works best for you! Also, always remember that everyone feels overwhelmed and nervous at first, it is completely natural!
Amber Nicole Roibu
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Queens, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: The City College of New York, Chemical Engineering
Area of interest: Patent Law
Law school activities: Touro Law Review Managing Editor, Intellectual Property Law Society Former President, Honors Program Scholar
Interesting fact about me: Having been raised by Romanian immigrant parents, I am bilingual, speaking both Romanian and English fluently. English was actually my second language!
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Take a deep breath and come into your first year with a positive attitude. While your first year can seem very intimidating, once you figure out what works best for you, you will adapt in absolutely no time. I would highly recommend making use of all available supplemental hornbooks for your classes, as well as the Barbri 1L Mastery videos. Additionally, try to form a solid friend group that you feel comfortable studying with, two brains are always better than one! I wholeheartedly recommend making your own outlines and staying on top of updating them throughout the course of the semester. From a time management perspective, try to read at least 1-2 weeks ahead for every class so that you do not fall behind or become overwhelmed.
Madison Scarfaro
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Whitehall, PA
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Wilkes University, B.S. Double Major Political Science & Criminology with a Double Minor in Sociology & Women's and Gender Studies
Areas of interest: Criminal Law, Sports & Entertainment Law, Civil Rights
Law school activities: Touro Law Review Business Editor, 2024 Pro Bono Scholar, Women’s Bar Association President, Pulic Interest Law Organization at Touro Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Law Society Vice President, Federal Bar Association – EDNY Student Chapter; Theodore Roosevelt Inn of Court, Breaking Barriers Pro Bono Project, Suffolk County Women in the Courts Committee Student Liaison
Interesting fact about me: I played volleyball in college and coached after I graduated! I also love hot yoga/ hot pilates.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: I would say that I know how stressful law school can be, especially when you are first starting. My advice is to keep working as hard as you can and get involved as much as possible. If you are interested in something, learn about it, ask about it, and see how you can get involved. There is so much to learn and do throughout law school and we only get this opportunity once. I would also highly recommend getting involved in some kind of pro bono work because it truly gives you real life experience of what it is like to be a lawyer! Also, don't prematurely narrow your interests regarding what kind of law you want to practice. There are so many areas that you may not even know about yet that you might end up really enjoying.
Rebecca Sinobio
2L, Full-Time Day
Hometown:Wantagh, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major:SUNY Purchase, B.A. Psychology; Minor in Political Science
Areas of Interest: Family Law, Public Defense
Law School Activities: Honors Program Scholar, Touro Law Review; Trial Advocacy and Practice Honors Society; Women’s Bar Association, 2L Representative; Fashion Law Society, Treasurer
Interesting fact about me: I had a podcast in college.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask your professors, other classmates, or upperclassmen for help. Everyone is more than willing to share their tips and advice. Also, get involved! It’s a great way to meet people and make friends. Law school can be tough but it’s worth it!
Joshua Vaiman
3L, Full-Time Day
Hometown: Forest Hills, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Hunter College, B.A. History
Areas of interest: Sports & Entertainment, Real Estate, Financial Services
Law school activities: Student Bar Association Full-Time Vice President, Real Estate Law Society President, Jewish Law Students Association President
Interesting fact about me: I work at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store when I am not hard at work studying.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Stay curious! Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and ask your professors questions. Here at Touro, we are lucky enough to not only have a group of professors who are some of the most knowledgeable scholars in their fields, but are also the most personable group of educators I have encountered in my academic career. They all have an open-door policy and are always available to help in any way they can, so do not be afraid to reach out and speak up when you think you need a helping hand.
Bethann Wolfe
3L, Full-Time Day – January Start
Hometown: Stony Brook, NY
Undergraduate Institution/Major: Marymount Manhattan College, B.A. Communications
Graduate Institution: NYU School of Education, M.A. Media Ecology
Area of interest: Criminal Defense
Law school activity: Externship
Interesting fact about me: I am a single mom of three kids.
Advice for prospective/accepted students: Law school goes by quickly...it’s only three years. But the memory of your law school experience is going to be with you forever so take time to enjoy this historic, noble, and amazingly honorable study.