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AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOW, CLASS OF 2009
Name of Host Organization: Legal Assistance of Western New York
City, State: Geneva, New York
Issue area: Housing/Homelessness, Workers' Rights,Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
THE INSPIRATION
My inspiration derives from the injustices I have witnessed and experienced in the communities in which I have lived over the years, several of which were attributable to poverty issues, but also insidious discrimination warranting immediate correction. I am also passionate about issues related to law enforcement misconduct, so I chose to work for LAWNY in Geneva to start a prisoner re-entry project.
THE PROJECT
At Legal Assistance of Western NY, my position is multifaceted. I work on civil cases related to poverty law, whilst building a re-entry clinic focused primarily on employment law issues, and also running the Law Students in Action Project. The Law Students in Action Project recruits law student from through the country to intern in partner public interest office throughout Western NY. Learn more about my project on YouTube.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: | Orlando, Florida |
Law school: | |
Making the connection: | I made the connection at an early age, having realized that social justice is a direct consequence of the actions taken by those who effectuate changes in laws through both the courts and legislature. Law school was therefore the obvious choice and public interest was the most meaningful path. |
Surviving law school: | I made a concerted effort with lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA to do quite a bit of efficient public outreach to the general public through a Street Law Clinic. I also provided representation to indigent clients through the school's Health Law Clinic. |
Recommended books: | Assata: An Autobiography - a must read if you want to learn more about activists, the FBI's Cointelpro program and institutional injustices through the court system. Also a great read is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz, a fairly new, but award winning author. Oscar Wao will provide a heavy dose of the Dominican Republic's political history via raw and gritty text. |
Favorite website(s): | dictionary.com and wikipedia.org - why not? |
Music I love: | I come from a family of musicians so a list would be a disservice. However, in the interest of providing some insight into my colorful life, I would say that almost any piece by Tupac Shakur motivates me to change my little corner of the world. |
Words to live by: | Sleep is for the dead. |