Touro Law Center

Vault Law School Diversity Profile • 2007 Edition

Touro Law Center

Recruitment and Scholarships/Fellowships

How does your school recruit minority and/or women students? Throughout the year, Touro recruits nationally to attract a diverse group of students. Recruiting venues include HBCU’s and additional campuses located in areas rich with minority populations. Touro will also host on-campus events targeting groups that have been historically underrepresented in legal education.

Please describe any scholarship and fellowship programs for minority and/or women students organized through your school. Once a candidate in accepted for admission to attend Touro Law, a decision is automatically made regarding the awarding of scholarship. While LSAT and GPA are strong factors utilized to make such decisions, all credentials included in the application for admission are considered, including the diversity a candidate may bring to the law school. All candidates for admission are strong- ly encouraged to file their application for admission as early as possible after September 1 of the year preceding their entry date for law school for full consideration of both admission as well as scholarship awards. Additional incentive scholarship awards are made to encourage diversity at Touro. Scholarship award amounts range from $1,000 per academic year to full tuition. Additionally, scholarship awards are made to law students based on their achievement during their law school career.

Prominent Alumni/Faculty

Please provide information about prominent minority faculty members at your school. Deborah W. Post, Professor of Law. B.A., cum laude, 1971, Hofstra University; J.D., 1978, Harvard Law School. Trained originally as a social scientist, Professor Post was an executive assistant to anthropologist Margaret Mead. Admitted to the bar of Texas, Professor Post was an Associate with Bracewell & Patterson in Houston, Texas, before assuming teaching positions at the University of Houston Law Center and then Touro Law Center. She has published in the areas of both commercial law and critical legal studies. She is the co-author of two recent books, Cultivating Intelligence: Power, Law, and the Politics of Teaching (New York University Press, 1996), with Touro Law Center colleague Louise Harmon, and Contracting Law (Carolina Academic Press, 1996), with Amy Kastely and Sharon Hom.

Other articles include: “Continuity and Change: Partnership Formation Under the Common Law,” Villanova Law Review (1987); “Reflections on Identity, Diversity, and Morality,” Berkeley Women’s Law Journal (1990-91); “Race, Riots and the Rule of Law,” Denver Law Review (1993); “Profit, Progress and Moral Imperatives,” Touro Law Review (1993); “Critical Thoughts About Race, Exclusion, Oppression and Tenure,” Pace Law Review (1994); Power and Morality of Grading: A Case Study and a Few Critical Thoughts on Grade Normalization, University of Missouri at Kansas City Law Review (1997).

Beverly McQueary Smith, Professor of Law. B.A., 1970, Jersey City State College; M.A., 1974, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; J.D., 1977, New York University School of Law; LL.M., 1988, Harvard Law School. Admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Texas, and New Jersey. Prior to attending law school, Professor McQueary Smith taught English literature at Rutgers. Since becoming a lawyer, she has held posts in every branch of the federal government. Professor McQueary Smith began her career in legal education at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, and she has been on the Touro Law Center faculty for thirteen years. She is a past president of the National Bar Association.

Please provide information about prominent minority alumni from your school. Melanie D. Hendry, is an Associate of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C.’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution department. Ms. Hendry’s practice includes all facets of state and federal civil litigation, as well as arbitration, involving complex commercial disputes, contracts, employment, partnership and corporate disputes, bankruptcy, restrictive covenants, personal injury, trade secrets and intellectual property. Prior to joining Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C., Ms. Hendry was a Legal Intern at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where she conducted legal research and assisted with trial preparation. Ms. Hendry was also a Legal Intern to the Honorable Ruth C. Balkin - Nassau County Family Court - where she conducted legal research on various issues and assisted with daily court proceedings. Ms. Hendry graduated Summa Cum Laude, salutatorian from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center where she made Dean’s list every semester. She served as Editor-in-Chief of the Touro Law Review and attended law school on a full academic scholarship. She graduated with honors in May 2004 with the CALI Academic

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Excellence Awards; Legal Methods I, Legal Methods II and Property I. She also received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Overall Academic Excellence and two student awards: Exemplary Contributions to the Quality of Student Life and Exceptional Contributions to the Growth of the Law Center.

Manuel Matos represents U.S. companies in connection with cross border loan restructuring and workouts. He counsels U.S. companies operating in Latin America facing complex debt–related issues and requiring legal and extra-legal intervention. In addition, Mr. Matos represents financial institutions in the U.S. based leveraged lease transactions including leasing and selling of aircraft, manufacturing and construction equipment.

Public Interest Upon graduating law school Mr. Matos served as executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights. During his tenure he participated in numerous nationally broadcast debates and appeared frequently as a commentator on various programs including The Charles Grodin Show, Janet Parshall’s America, Dateline NBC,CNBC, CNN, BBC, ABC, Univision and Telemundo.

Along with Frank McCourt and Dennis Walcott, Mr.Matos was a featured speaker helping Mayor Guiliani launch New York City’s immigration coalition.

Mr. Matos has served on numerous non-profit boards and committees including: The New York Immigration Coalition (NY), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Census Advisory Committee (Cal.), Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Census Committee (NY), National Hispanic Media Coalition (NY), National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (D.C.)Dominican American National Roundtable (D.C.- co-founder), Institutional Review Board for Human Research at Columbia Medical School (NY), Lark Theatre Company (NY).

Mr. Matos graduated from Touro Law school where he received, amongst other distinctions, the Community Service Award, the American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Practice and the Best Oral Advocate Award. He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Digna and three boys, Mason-William, Nicholas and Thomas.

Please provide information about prominent women faculty members at your school. Louise Harmon, Professor of Law. B.A., with highest distinction, 1971, Indiana University; J.D., with honors, 1979, University of Texas at Austin; LL.M., 1983, Harvard Law School; Ph.D., 1998, Columbia University. Admitted to the bar of Illinois. Before beginning her career in legal education, Professor Harmon was in private practice with a large commercial law firm in Chicago. In addition to her regular teaching, she offers courses, respectively, in Indian and Tibetan Law and Philosophy and China’s Legal Traditions in Touro’s summer programs in India and China. Among her many publications, Professor Harmon is author of Fragments on the Deathwatch (Beacon Press, 1998) and co-author, with Touro Law Center colleague Professor Deborah Post, of Cultivating Intelligence: Power, Law, and the Politics of Teaching (New York University Press, 1996).

Eileen R. Kaufman, Professor of Law. B.A., with highest honors, 1970, Skidmore College; J.D., 1975, LL.M., 1991, New York University School of Law. Admitted to the bars of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Professor Kaufman came to teaching after a number of years as managing attorney with Westchester (NY) Legal Services. She is the founder and director of Touro’s summer program in India, the only American law school program on the Indian subcontinent. She serves on the board of directors of the Society of American Law Teachers and is the reporter for the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, which writes the model jury instructions for New York State trial judges. Formerly the Law Center’s Vice Dean, Professor Kaufman has published primarily in the area of civil rights law.

Rena C. Seplowitz, Professor of Law. A.B., summa cum laude, 1973, Barnard College, Phi Beta Kappa; J.D., 1975, Columbia University School of Law. Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Admitted to the bars of New York and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Professor Seplowitz spent a number of years in private practice with the New York City firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler before entering legal education. Publishing mostly in the area of trusts and estates, she is associate editor of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Journal. Professor Seplowitz is also a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Please provide information about prominent women alumnae from your school. Nasaau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice graduated from Touro Law Center in 1991. In November of 2005, Kathleen Rice became the first woman elected District Attorney in Long Island’s history. Her victory builds on an already distinguished career of public service. Ms. Rice’s career has been spent fighting for victims and victims’ families and advocating for a legal system

facing ever-changing challenges and opportunities. Ms. Rice started prosecuting crime in 1992 while in the office of the Brooklyn District Attorney. In 1999, Ms. Rice became an Assistant United States Attorney, appointed by then-Attorney General Janet Reno to serve in the Philadelphia office. During the spring of 2005, Ms. Rice left the United States Attorney’s office to return to Long Island and to give back to the community. In February of 2006, Ms. Rice returned to Touro to visit with current students at a reception held on campus. In May, the District Attorney delivered the commencement address at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center’s 24th Annual Commencement.

Christine Malafi has been the Suffolk County Attorney since January 2004, serving as the first female County Attorney, and being the youngest person ever appointed to the post. As Suffolk County Attorney, Christine oversees the Suffolk County Department of Law, administers a budget of over $12,000,000 and oversees a staff of over 117 positions, of which 62 are lawyers.

Prior to 2004, she was a partner with Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles & Kaufman, LLP, a large defense firm in Melville, New York, where her practice focused on insurance coverage and contract analyses, appeals, insurance fraud issues, general liability, munic- ipal work, and environmental defense work.

In May 2002, Christine was rated BV by Martindale-Hubbell, a rating evincing high to very high legal ability, a reflection of exemplary professional expertise, experience and stature, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.

In February 2006, Christine was named one of Long Island Business News’ 40 Rising Stars under 40.

She has presented numerous seminars to various County of Suffolk departments, insurance company personnel, bar associations, County departments, and groups on various topics such as Indemnification in the Public Sector, Discrimination Claims, Employment law, Wrongful Death, Investigative Practices, and Coverage Claims Handling.

Christine was admitted to practice in both New York and Connecticut in 1991, and she is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is a member of the Suffolk County and New York State Bar Associations.

Ms. Malafi received her Juris Doctor in 1991 from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, magna cum laude. She served as the Managing Editor of the Touro Law Review. She was awarded her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Dowling College in 1988.

Dana Mark is a member of Kaye Scholer’s Trusts and Estates Department and is resident in the firm’s New York office. Her practice focuses on tax, estate and charitable gift planning. It includes the drafting of wills and trust agreements, retirement planning and the probate and administration of estates and trusts matters. Ms. Mark is a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has frequently lectured at the American Bar Association, New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and at New York State Bar Association Seminars. She has also written numerous articles on estate planning and charitable giving. Ms. Mark graduated magna cum laude from Touro Law Center in 1985 and was and Editor of Touro Law Review.

Jothy Narendran is a partner in Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP’s Commercial Real Estate Group. Ms. Narendran drafts contracts, leases, zoning applications, commercial loan documents, easements, covenants and restrictions. She represents institutional lenders in financing commercial properties. Ms. Narendran earned a Bachelor of Science from the New York Institute of Technology in 1987, a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1992, and a Juris Doctor from The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center of Touro College in 1996. She is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association where she serves on the Real Property Law Committee. She is also a member of the New York State and American Bar Associations.

Student Organizations

Please provide information on your school diversity student and alumni organizations. For exam- ple, student-run associations and journals/publications. Student Bar Association (SBA) JR Reynolds, President The SBA is the umbrella student organization. All students are members of the SBA. It is governed by a five-member Executive Board and representatives from each class in the full- and part-time divisions. The SBA is an active participant in governing the school and setting school policy. It fosters relationships among students, faculty, and administration; represents the student body at faculty meetings; conducts programs; and funds student organizations.

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American Bar Association/Law Student Division (ABA\LSD) Andrea Callan, Representative The ABA\LSD is the on-campus chapter of the American Bar Association, the leading national organization of attorneys. Members participate in national competitions in negotiation, client counseling, and appellate advocacy, and represent the school at regional and national meetings.

American Civil Liberties Union, Touro Chapter (ACLU) Mark Fridman, President The Touro Law Center Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union offers students the opportunity to participate in the protec- tion of civil rights and civil liberties. The chapter promotes education and awareness of civil liberties in the community, facili- tates student work on civil liberties litigation and political action with New York Civil Liberties Union members, and provides a forum for discussion and debate of civil liberties issues.

AMICUS (Gay-Straight Law Students Alliance) Gennaro Savastano, President AMICUS sponsors social and educational programs, represents the interests of lesbian and gay members of the Law Center community, participates in public interest legal projects, and is active in regional and national lesbian and gay law student organizations.

Arts, Entertainment and Sports Law Society Evan Resnick, President Through symposia, lectures, career planning seminars and social events, the Arts, Entertainment and Sports Law Society interacts with prominent attorneys and agents in the rapidly expanding sports and entertainment fields.

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) Sookyeon Kim, President APALSA conducts professional and social programs that emphasize legal and cultural issues of concern to Asian and Pacific Americans, as well as the larger Law Center community.

Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Sandra Irby, President BLSA is part of the National Black Law Students Association. Its goals are to encourage scholarship and excellence among black law students. The Law Center Chapter sponsors many activities and operates a mentoring program.

Christian Legal Society Edwin Chacko, President This group offers mutual support and encouragement, fellowship and spiritual growth to law students who identify with the Christian faith.

Columbian Lawyers Association Frank Filopei, President As a student division of a statewide network of attorneys and judges of Italian-American heritage, this organization invites prominent guest speakers and gives members the opportunity to meet practicing attorneys and well-known jurists at monthly meetings.

Democratic Law Society Alexander Sherman & Gerry Waters, Co-Presidents The Democratic Law Society seeks to develop, promote and further enhance Democratic Party philosophy and ideology through academic, social and political activities. The society provides educational information about Democratic Party views and poli- cies.

Emerald Law Society (ELS) Christopher Wagner, President ELS serves as a focal point for students of Irish heritage or who share an interest in Irish legal, social, or cultural issues.

Federalist Society Ronald Ramo, President The Federalist Society is a national organization of lawyers and law students dedicated to conservative and libertarian issues and causes. The Law Center chapter conducts programs and sponsors appearances by distinguished professors and jurists from around the country.

Hellenic Law Society (HLS) Steve Spanolios, President Through educational and social events, the Hellenic Law Society promotes Greek and Cypriot culture within the Touro community.

Intellectual Property Law Society Roman Tsibulevskiy, President This organization is dedicated to conducting programs, providing information, and offering networking opportunities in areas such as First Amendment Rights in the digital age, communications over the Internet, commerce in cyberspace, privacy and computer crime, and information technology.

International Law Society (ILS) Patrick Finley, President ILS invites speakers, conducts special events, and participates in Touro’s Russia and India Summer Law Programs, as well as the Law Center’s International Summer Internship Program, with students assigned to law firms in England, Ireland, France, Belgium, Portugal, and Israel.

Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) Adam Oremland & Jessica Rosenraich, Co-Presidents JLSA is the on-campus chapter of the National Jewish Law Students Network. The group’s primary activities deal with Israeli and Jewish law, lawyers and law students, and Jewish cultural activities. Membership is open to all students regardless of reli- gious affiliation.

Labor and Employment Law Society Patricia Pastor, President The Labor and Employment Law Society provides members with legal and job-related information and hosts distinguished speakers on current topics in labor relations and employment discrimination.

Latino American Law Students Association (LALSA) Lisa Purzak, President LALSA focuses primarily on the interests of the Law Center’s Latino/Latina community, through educational and social programs. Members also participate actively in regional and national Hispanic bar associations.

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International (PAD) Marc Braverman, Justice PAD sponsors professional and social activities for students, faculty and administration, with an emphasis on academic excellence and professional responsibility.

Public Interest Law Organization of Touro (PILOT) Jordana Weinstein, President PILOT is dedicated to student awareness of and involvement in public interest law, serving persons or groups with limited access to justice and the judicial system. The group sponsors programs on careers in the field of public interest and raises funds to sup- plement those provided by the school for Public Interest Law Fellowships and the Loan Forgiveness Program. PILOT also serves the community by providing student volunteers to local legal services organizations.

Real Estate Law Society Johnny Cheng, President The Real Estate Law Society provides an opportunity for students (some of whom are real estate brokers, salespersons, or property managers) to explore legal and business issues related to the sale, leasing, subdivision, and development of commercial and residential real estate.

Touro Alternate Dispute Resolution Society (Touro ADR) Debra Cohn, President Touro ADR is the Law Center’s Alternate Dispute Resolution organization. It conducts programs on mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and related subjects. Touro ADR also conducts a training program leading to formal certification as a mediator.

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Women’s Bar Association (WBA) Anita Gupta, President The WBA is an active voice at the Law Center on gender-related legal issues. It sponsors frequent speakers and programs on subjects like women in the courts, sexual harassment, pay equity and other workplace issues, breast cancer, and reproductive rights. The WBA also offers social and networking opportunities with students, alumni, and other practitioners.

* This list excludes the following student organizations: Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity, Moot Court Board and Touro Law Review. Upper division students only are invited to join or may qualify for membership based on academic achievement and/or performance in a writing competition. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Services.

Strategic Plan and Diversity Leadership

Please provide your school’s diversity mission statement if applicable. LEGAL EDUCATION ACCESS PROGRAM (LEAP)

PROGRAM MISSION: The Legal Education access Program (LEAP) was established in 1990 to promote diversity, create a positive, welcoming environment for minority students, and ensure that students from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds have a fair and equal opportunity to achieve a high level of success in law school.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: LEAP consists of a four-week summer program during which entering minority students develop the crucial study and exam skills required for success in law school. All entering minority students are invited to attend this vol- untary program, which is conducted in the evening and is offered free-of-charge to participants. The LEAP Summer Program is followed by academic year teaching assistant sessions conducted by highly successful upper-division minority students who serve as mentors to first year students and help them develop their study methods and test-taking ability. LEAP offsets the overt and subtle barriers to success often encountered at predominantly white law schools by fully qualified minority students, the most sig- nificant of these barriers being the difficulty a minority student often encounters obtaining necessary information from other students about the academic demands of law school and methods for achieving success in law school.

PROGRAM RESULTS: Partly because of the positive and supportive atmosphere for success created by LEAP, minority students at the Law Center achieve academic success equivalent to the academic success of other students, and excel in their leadership roles at the Law Center. Minority students represent approximately 25% of the student body, and in most years have received more than 25% of the awards given to graduating students at graduation. Three of the last seven Editors-in-Chief of the Touro Law Review were African American students. The founding Editor-in-Chief of the Touro Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity, established last year, was an African American student. During the last six years, three of the six winners of the Law Center’s prestigious Bainbridge Moot Court Competition were African American students. Many other minority students play leadership roles in various student organizations, and this year’s president of the Student Bar Association (effectively, the student body president) is an African American student. In addition, the LEAP Alumni Association now has more than 640 members, each of whom is a minority lawyer who entered the Law Center after LEAP began in 1990.

CONTACT INFORMATION: For additional information about LEAP, please contact LEAP Faculty Director Doug Scherer, at (631) 261-3910 or [email protected], LEAP Student Co-Director Paula Ladd, at (631) 775-0130 or [email protected], or LEAP Student Co-Director Daniel Jimenez, at (631) 880-3322 or [email protected].