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Clinical Programs Student Spotlights Highlighting the experiences of Touro Law Clinical Programs Students I am a student intern in the Disaster Relief Clinic working to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy. We help residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties whose homes were damaged or destroyed apply for New York Rising benefits complete the FEMA Review process and settle contractor and insurance disputes among other legal issues related to Hurricane Sandy. I have had many opportunities in the clinic from working with clients from their initial intakes from our hotline to reviewing paperwork for FEMA review. I have also done research on proof for primary residency requirements in relation to New York Rising. One of the most interesting experiences in the Clinic is responding to our hotline messages I hear all different stories of how differently the disaster affected clients depending on their geographical area. Working in the Disaster Relief Clinic has given me the opportunity to work on several different aspects of a case and work in different fields of law ranging from administrative law to real property. I would highly recommend working in the Disaster Relief Clinic because it not only gives you first-hand exposure to several different areas of law but it gives you the opportunity to work with clients from the beginning to the end of their case. In the Criminal Defense Clinic I have the privilege of working at Brooklyn Defenders Services BDS with experienced trial attorneys and new associates to help indignant clients in the criminal justice system. As an Intern I interview clients of all backgrounds in jail to help my supervising attorney prepare for arraignments desk appearance tickets and misdemeanor cases. I also have the privilege to watch multiple trials per week including murder trials. The combination of practicing and observing is an invaluable experience because all the attorneys take time to answer questions and teach skills necessary to be a successful criminal defense attorney. The lessons learned in the Criminal Defense Clinic are limitless and have given me confidence that I will be able to achieve the greatest outcome available for my future clients. I joined the Mortgage and Foreclosure Clinic at Touro Law Center with the objective of gaining practical experience with transactional law. After all of my externships with law firms I still felt as though I was lacking in skills and I want to be as prepared as possible for practicing law on my own after graduation. Under the guidance of supervising attorney Joan Clay I have gotten much more than I expected during my time serving clients in foreclosure proceedings. I have the responsibility of handling several cases at a time where the consequence of failure is extremeeviction for my clients families. Besides learning the skills necessary to navigate foreclosure actions the Clinic has instilled a newfound level of confidence in me through interacting with clients and managing their expectations speaking with opposing counsel and learning mechanisms to be more efficient in the practice of law. I will be opening a solo practice after graduation and I now plan to include foreclosure proceedings as a part of my expertise due to the superb training I have received. MaryKate Brigham Disaster Relief Clinic Igor Stolyar Criminal Defense Clinic Waldy Pierre Mortgage and Foreclosure Clinic