Summer Legal Fellows at Fordham

As you may remember if you are a frequent reader of this blog, I was among several Siena students selected to study at various law schools in the northeast over the summer. I myself was placed at Fordham School of Law at Lincoln Center, located in the heart of the Big Apple. I just finished my first week of study, and so far, it has been a great experience.

I am based at the Feerick Center for Social Justice and Dispute Resolution. The main focus of the center is aimed at meeting the legal needs of society's underprivileged. Particularly, the center works toward facilitating collaboration among lawyers willing to offer pro bono, that is, volunteer services, to the poor. Over the course of the last week, the center sponsored a lecture on public education. There, the Chancellor of New York City public schools Joel Klein argued forcefully that effective public education can be a means of escaping poverty. Later in the week I was sent, with a colleague to a women's drop-in shelter. I have to admit, it was tough to see first-hand the difficult circumstances that many of the poor find themselves in. Offering free legal help is a small but important part of the effort to get these people back on track. After that, I attended an annual conference at Cardozo School of Law on the issues facing tenants who are wrongly evicted from their housing.

Aside from the serious legal work, I have been spending my time exploring New York City. I've noticed that the the city is incredibly diverse. No matter what direction you go, you're bound to run into something amazing to see whether it be Central Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, or Times Square. It has been an exciting time so far, and I am learning a great deal!

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

-Mike DiSiena