Social Justice Work of The Feerick Center: Impacts and Insights
FEERICK CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
ADVOCATES CHANGEAGENTS COLLABORATORS EDUCATORS INNOVATORS PARTNERS PROBLEM SOLVERS VOLUNTEERS
Social Justice Work of The Feerick Center Impacts and Insights Biennial Report 2018–2020
PURSUING SOCIAL JUSTICE
O ver the last year, demands for social justice in our society, in our state, in our city, in our communities, and in our law school have intensified. People from all walks of life have rallied at demonstrations, voicing alarm at systemic racial injustice, insisting on structural reform to policing. The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined access to our schools, our workplaces and our courts. Core educational protocols have been upended; virtual classrooms have created new roles for parents, caregivers and guardians in educating students. Claims of service industry employees and other low-wage workers for wage theft have been supplanted by claims for unemployment benefits. Efforts to assist asylum seekers and immigrants gain safe, legal entry are stymied as due process protections are continually constricted. These challenges underscore the potency of the Feerick Center’s mission and commitment to promote access to justice. 2018–2020 Our biennial report presents a snapshot of our work since 2018 through the lens of the individuals we served and the people dedicated to serve those in need. The center’s commitment to social justice starts with access—to legal assistance, due process, courts, education, services and benefits —for New Yorkers in need. Our AmeriCorps VISTAs support the New York State Attorney Emeritus Program, the Civil Legal Assistance and Resource Offices, the Legal Economic and Educational Advancement Project and the Feerick Center Veteran Rights Project. The VISTAs work tirelessly to mobilize volunteers to provide assistance and open the door—to the courthouse, to school, to a safe house, to a government agency—for individuals and families confronting potentially life-altering civil legal challenges. Fordham Law’s students, alumni, and deans’ fellows, as well undergraduates, faculty and administrators from throughout the University, have been instrumental to increasing access to justice through these projects. They have devoted themselves to assisting survivors of intimate partner economic abuse and providing guidance to women with children seeking asylum detained in Texas. We pledge to redouble our collective efforts—during this unprecedented moment in our nation’s history—to strengthen our communities as we strive to provide opportunity and access to those in need. ALL
Biennial Report 2018–2020 | 1
OURMISSION
The Feerick Center for Social Justice promotes the rights and addresses the problems facing marginalized and low-income New Yorkers and individuals seeking humanitarian relief, including asylum-seeking families and unaccompanied immigrant children. The center links the social justice community serving those in need to Fordham and engages the Fordham community in service of national and local social justice initiatives. The center works with non-profit, legal services, and public sector organizations, bar associations, and individuals to respond to the challenges of those in need. And through education and collaboration, the center engages with Fordham students, alumni, faculty and administrators to create and implement long-term innovative solutions critical for lasting change. The Feerick Center’s work of providing direct assistance and working in collaboration with others reflects the motto and mission of Fordham Law School— “In the Service of Others”—as well as Fordham University’s expansive Jesuit mission and vision.
CONTENTS 2 Mission 4 Fostering a Commitment to Service 6 Promoting Pro Bono 10 New York’s Attorney Emeritus Program Tenth Anniversary Celebration 14 Striving for Economic Justice 24 Pursuing Educational Equity 36 Serving Veterans 38 Striving for Immigrant Justice 45 Center Supporters 52 Advisory Board 53 All Staff
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In Appreciation
Feerick Center Welcomes New Senior Staff
Lauren B. Kanfer joined the Feerick Center
Karuna B. Patel joined the Feerick Center as Deputy Director in September of 2019. Before joining the
We express our deepest gratitude to FordhamUniversity, Fordham Law School and the center’s donors for their generous and unwavering support of our work. We especially thank Father Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of FordhamUniversity, and Dean Matthew Diller of Fordham Law School for their leadership in championing social justice and the center’s work. As this Report demonstrates, it is our collaborations with community and legal services organizations, volunteers, and partners in government agencies and the courts that shape our work and define its impact. We are humbled that the Feerick Center will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary next year and we are privileged to continue our work to advance social justice.
as Associate Director in October of 2019. Prior to that, Lauren served as counsel to the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice following its 2010 creation by former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman. In this role, Lauren worked to implement the Permanent Commission’s multi- faceted agenda to enhance access to justice to all New Yorkers facing challenges to essentials of life matters. Lauren‘s work focused on promoting access-to-justice collaborations among New York’s 15 law schools. Lauren also served as the Executive Director of the New York State Institute on Professionalism in the Law, supporting efforts to advance discourse on professionalism in practice and law school education. Lauren began her legal career in the New York State court system as a law assistant in Supreme Court, New York County. Lauren served as a law clerk to Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick at the New York Court of Appeals. After a hiatus, Lauren returned to serve as a law clerk to then Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman. Following Judge Lippman’s elevation to Chief Judge, Lauren was appointed as counsel to the Task Force to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services in New York, which became the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice. Lauren earned her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A. fromMcGill University.
Law School, Karuna spent over five years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), most recently as a managing counsel in the Office of Regulations. She worked on a range of administrative law and consumer protection issues including mandatory arbitration in consumer contracts and consumer protections for remittances and emerging payments services. She previously worked at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs leading a division focused on enforcing the City’s consumer protection laws and on educating consumers, and at the Center for Responsible Lending, where she represented consumers in all aspects of predatory lending impact litigation. Karuna began her legal career at Mobilization for Justice (formerly MFY Legal Services, Inc.), a legal services organization where she started the Consumer Rights Project. Karuna is a Queens native and received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics fromColumbia University and her law degree fromNew York University School of Law. Karuna clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the HonorableTheodore McKee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for theThird Circuit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John D. Feerick Senior Counsel and Founder
Dora Galacatos Executive Director
Biennial Report 2018–2020 | 3
SERV FOSTERING A COMMITMENT TO Expanding Access to Justice and Opportunity
Serving as the VISTA Leader at the Feerick Center allowed me to grow as a person and a professional; it gave me a newfound hope for the world knowing all of the good work such a small group was doing, along with the help of agencies throughout the city and state. Legal clinics, working groups, seminars and more contributed to a rich learning experience for which I will be forever grateful. Maris Moon 2019-2020 AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
The Feerick Center engages AmeriCorps VISTA members, through the Corporation for National and Community Service, to build relationships in the community and help strengthen our partner organizations’ programming and outreach. Under the center’s stewardship, the AmeriCorps VISTA members are working to further social justice in our city and learning to lead as our next generation’s advocates for social change.
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VICE Through the VISTA program, the Feerick Center is able to help other organizations build capacity by recruiting and training volunteers to
assist them. Katherine Alonzo 2019-2020 AmeriCorps VISTA Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
Front row, left to right: Clementine Schillings, Dora Galacatos, Prof. Elizabeth B. Cooper, Katherine Alonzo, and Wilma Tamayo-Abreu Back row, left to right: Prof. John D. Feerick, Ellen McCormick, Karuna B. Patel, Katilyn Filzer, Maris Moon, and Dilon Goncalves
Fostering a Commitment to Service | 5
PRO BONO PROMOTING New York’s Attorney Emeritus Program Expands Access to
Since the creation of the AEP in 2010, Emeritus Attorneys have logged thousands of pro bono hours assisting individuals and families in resolving legal challenges that involve housing, estate planning and distribution, education issues, domestic matters, consumer debt, immigration, and access to benefits for health care, employment, subsistence income and veterans benefits. Emeritus Attorneys, whether serving in the offices of legal services organizations or in courthouses, are on the forefront of ensuring access to justice to New Yorkers in need. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the need for civil legal assistance; millions of New Yorkers are confronting urgent health, education, employment, housing, estate, and domestic issues. Emeritus Attorneys are among the legions of volunteers who have stepped up to provide remote civil legal services to individuals who would not otherwise have access to a lawyer.
Justice for New Yorkers In Need In 2019, New York’s Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP) marked its Tenth Anniversary. The AEP, a signature access-to-justice initiative of the New York State Unified Court System, is administered by the Feerick Center in close partnership with court leaders. The Program engages experienced, seasoned lawyers to provide pro bono civil legal assistance to New Yorkers in need. Over the course of the decade, the center has cultivated relationships with the courts, legal services providers, bar associations and law firm partners to help establish a statewide network of volunteer opportunities for Emeritus Attorneys.
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The center has done a terrific job of growing the Program; building essential relationships with stakeholders and creating a stable and reliable infrastructure to connect senior lawyers with rewarding service opportunities across our very large and diverse state. New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore
O
Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event Fordham Law School, December 2, 2019
Fordham Law School Dean Matthew Diller and Hon. Janet DiFiore at the Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event
The leadership and resources provided by the state court system and Fordham Law’s Feerick Center for Social Justice contribute significantly to the success of New York’s Emeritus Program. Judy Perry Martinez Then American Bar Association President
Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event Fordham Law School, December 2, 2019
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2,012 Attorneys Registered
A Decade of Growth In the first year of the program, 42 attorneys registered for Emeritus status; in 2018–2019, Emeritus registrations numbered 1,442 and in the 2019–2020 registration period, 570.* Over the course of the decade, 3,313 attorneys elected Emeritus status in their biennial registration for the first time and 2,589 attorneys elected Emeritus status on a subsequent registration. Registrations for the 2020-2021 reporting period are very strong, demonstrating that senior attorneys will continue to commit to pro bono civil legal service and help meet the escalating need resulting from the pandemic. The pro bono work of Emeritus Attorneys is a critical and priceless resource to communities across our state and expands access to justice in a meaningful way. The center’s AmeriCorps VISTA AEP Coordinators communicate with Emeritus Attorneys to identify appropriate pro bono placements based on the skills and experience of the volunteer and available opportunities at AEP-participating legal services organizations. The center’s commitment to mobilize this eligible demographic of attorneys, through programming with bar associations and hosting information sessions, advances social justice in under served communities and improves access to justice for thousands of New Yorkers facing life-altering legal challenges. Strengthening Individuals and Communities Dr. Linda P. Fried, Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health Practice at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, a leading scholar and proponent of senior volunteerism, advocated for intergenerational strategic planning to tap the lifelong skills and experiences of seasoned professionals at the Tenth Anniversary Event. Keeping seniors productively engaged in the social fabric of the community is key to their health and vibrancy; scientific literature generally credits older minds with the knowledge, expertise, and ability to tackle urgent, complex problems with patience and tolerance. Dr. Fried praised the Emeritus volunteers and the AEP for engaging professional seniors in such meaningful community work.
as Emeritus during enrollment periods 2018–2019 and 2019–2020
Number of Emeritus Attorneys Per Biennial Registration Period
3,313 Total Unique Registrants
1,442
1,090
769
644
570
424
407
287
143
42 84
The varied and broad-ranging legal backgrounds and experiences of Emeritus Attorneys serve to provide essential assistance to underrepresented New Yorkers, and it has been rewarding to play a role in matching attorneys interested in volunteering with legal services organizations focused on facilitating social change. Olga Tomasello Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator (2018–2020)
*Please note that the difference between the higher number of AEP attorneys during the even-year biennial registration periods compared to odd-year biennial registration periods is due to the fact the biennial registration requirement went into effect in an even year [1982] and applied to all attorneys already admitted. The differential between even and odd years is narrowing over time.
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IMPACT Engaging Senior Attorneys in Pro Bono Legal Service Leading in Expanding Access to Justice Providing Legal Services that Stabilize Lives 832 INDIVIDUALS ASSISTED 2019–2020 6,823 PRO BONO HOURS SERVED 2018–2020
Promoting Pro Bono | 9
SPOTLIGHT AEP Tenth Anniversary Celebration T he Feerick Center hosted a celebration in honor of the Tenth Anniversary of New York’s AEP on December 2, 2019, featuring New York State’s current Chief Judge
On this Tenth Anniversary, we have every incentive to renew our commitment to improving and perfecting the AEP—so that it continues to serve as a model for the rest of the country—and for how to mobilize and leverage the rich experience and generosity of our senior lawyers. Chief Judge Janet DiFiore Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event, Fordham Law School, December 2, 2019
Janet DiFiore and former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who established the AEP. Each heralded the remarkable contributions of the corps of Emeritus Attorneys. Engaging Emeritus Volunteers and Optimizing Delivery of Legal Services During a panel discussion with AEP host legal services organization directors and Emeritus volunteers on their collaborations and best practices developed over the decade, Judge Lippman identified the individualized match between Emeritus volunteers and host organizations, curated by the center, as key to the success of a productive partnership. This partnership is fortified by host organizations and their commitment to train and support Emeritus volunteers.
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Emeritus Attorneys are now encouraged to participate in training programs focused on issues of diversity, equity, racial justice and inclusion provided by host organizations. Issues of cultural humility are mindfully considered in developing office protocols. Legal services offices that openly address implicit bias, equity and racial justice improve the experience for Emeritus volunteers and promote a vibrant intergenerational team that works to increase access to justice. Hon. Edwina G. Mendelson Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Panel Discussion Moderator
Judge Jonathan Lippman
An Emeritus volunteer who is integrated into the host legal services organization and becomes part of the team working to deliver civil legal services to those in need personifies the access-to-
Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event, Fordham Law School, December 2, 2019
justice goal of the AEP. Judge Jonathan Lippman
Tenth Anniversary Celebration Event, Fordham Law School, December 2, 2019
From left to right: Mark O’Brien, Caprice Jenerson, Alina Molina, Dr. Linda P. Fried, and Justice Edwina G. Mendelson
Promoting Pro Bono | 11
Legal Services Organizations: A Network of Hosts for Emeritus Attorneys AEP Coordinators regularly communicate with the host organizations to ensure that pro bono opportunities are current and that volunteer placements are fruitful. The center promotes recognition of Emeritus Attorneys at annual pro bono events and endeavors to support host organizations in the nomination process of the many outstanding volunteers who dedicate hundreds of pro bono hours to provide legal services to those in need.
Emeritus Attorney Anthony (Tony) Szczygiel has been a vital resource to the health care unit for many years, offering many services, including general advice, review of briefs and court documents, and research assistance as needed. Tony has been a mentor to a staff attorney who was a student in his law school, and his continued mentorship is much appreciated. Tony routinely donates his time researching and discussing issues in long-term care and is a wonderful asset in the advocacy for residents in nursing homes and assisted facilities in Western New York. Center for Elder Law and Justice, Buffalo
43 67 Host Legal Services Organizations in New York State 2011 2020
Barbara Weiner, a retired Empire Justice employee specializing in immigrant eligibility for public benefits, has become a pro bono exemplar of the Attorney Emeritus Program. Since her retirement, Barbara has continued her work, representing ... clients, and assisting us
in wrapping up a class action. Empire Justice Center, Long Island
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INSIGHT Emeritus Attorneys Model Intergenerational Professional Relationships Mary Jo Eyster, a retired Brooklyn Law School Clinical Bankruptcy Adjunct Professor, models professionalism and compassion to colleagues of all ages in her pro bono work at the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project as she serves clients facing overwhelming debt. Professor Eyster draws on her years of experience training and mentoring law students on the mechanics of a bankruptcy case, from the intake process through discharge. Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project, New York City AEP volunteer David Zube regularly volunteers at monthly consumer clinics and now has regular “office hours” at the Legal Aid Society of MidNY, where he trains and mentors staff attorneys working on bankruptcies, takes consumer- bankruptcycalls off of our Legal HelpLine, and accepts and works on pro bono bankruptcies referred from Legal Aid. Legal Aid Society of Mid-NY, Inc., Binghamton
IMPACT Emeritus Attorneys Strengthen Communities Serving Immigrant Families in Upstate New York Following the onset of COVID-19, Emeritus Attorney Sheila Sullivan Dickinson’s pro bono work with Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc. (VLSP) was instrumental in VLSP’s transition to the remote operation of its Immigration Clinic. Ms. Dickinson was committed to help immigrant families living in rural communities guard against the untoward consequences of COVID-19, remotely assisting them complete planning forms and legal instruments, while navigating unreliable internet and language access issues. Taking it one step further, Ms. Dickinson set up a roadside mobile office to witness signatures and notarize signatures to ensure the efficacy of the documents.
VLSP expresses appreciation to Ms. Dickinson for her assistance, legal expertise, and professionalism. Thank you for always being available to go above and beyond to help clients meet their
legal needs. Irene Sanchez Legal Advocate, MPA VLSP, Rochester
Promoting Pro Bono | 13
ECON STRIVING FOR Increasing Access to Justice for Unrepresented Individuals Facing Economic Hardship Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO)
These limited-scope clinics are known as Civil Legal Advice and Resource Offices or CLARO. CLARO is staffed by volunteer lawyers and consumer law experts who provide limited-scope legal assistance to unrepresented individuals. Volunteer law students, undergraduates and interpreters offer informational assistance and interpretation to facilitate the consultations. The Feerick Center recruits and trains volunteer attorneys on consumer law issues to equip them with substantive knowledge and skills needed to assist individuals in restoring their financial stability and easing economic distress. CLARO operates under the auspices of the New York State Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives and the Access to Justice Program. The CLARO Program furthers the judiciary’s commitment to expand access to justice by supporting pro bono work to help address the unmet civil legal needs of low- income New Yorkers. JUS
Each year, approximately 97% of individuals who are served with legal papers in consumer debt proceedings appear in court without legal representation. The Feerick Center, in partnership with local bar associations, legal services lawyers, academic institutions, and student groups, administers and operates limited-scope legal advice clinics (in-person, in courthouse offices prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and virtually during the pandemic) in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. Volunteers guide individuals in handling matters arising from credit cards, auto loans, residential leases, student loans, medical debts, personal loans and cell phone contracts.
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NOMIC STATEN ISLAND CLARO PARTNERS Richmond County Bar Association Staten Island Women’s Bar Association Wagner College STICE BRONX CLARO PARTNERS Bronx County Bar Association Bronx Legal Services New York City Bar Association
MANHATTAN CLARO PARTNERS Fordham Law School Consumer Law Advocates Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice Fordham Law School / Lincoln Square Legal Services Consumer Litigation Clinic Manhattan Legal Services New York County Lawyers Association
NYU Law School Law Students for Economic Justice
Striving for Economic Justice | 15
INSIGHT
Since the 2000s, creditors—both original and debt buyers— have obtained hundreds of thousands of default judgments against people in the New York City Civil Court. Consumer protection and law enforcement actions have shed light on widespread problems with service of process, which reached epidemic proportions a decade ago and still persist to this day. Without proper notice of the lawsuit, too often consumers first learn about the action when creditors seek to enforce a default judgment, which may be years later. New York law provides an avenue for addressing the lack of personal jurisdiction: New York’s Civil Practice Law & Rules §5015(a)(4). Proper submissions by litigants and appropriate application of the legal standard by the courts are essential to ensuring that these consumer credit actions are decided on the merits and that default judgments are not improperly enforced where plaintiffs failed to legally serve defendants. “Ticking Time Bombs: Consumer Credit Default Judgments and the Role of Judges in Ensuring the Fair Administration of Justice” Shirin Dhanani ’18*, Dora Galacatos, and Shanna Tallarico, New York Law Journal , May 23, 2019
*Shirin Dhanani served as a 2018–2019 Dean’s Fellow with the Feerick Center
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The Feerick Center’s work has allowed The Legal Aid Society to expand access to justice and provide New Yorkers with essential consumer rights and protections. Numerous unrepresented consumers have been assisted at the Bronx CLARO program and Domestic Violence CLARO Project. Participating in these programs, we have witnessed the center’s tremendous work in providing financial empowerment to marginalized communities, domestic violence survivors and those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the recent public health crisis, courthouse hallways were packed every week with pro se consumers who received critical legal assistance at CLARO. Now, thanks to the Remote CLARO Pilot Project, these same litigants are receiving virtual assistance. The Society’s successful partnership with the center includes collaborative work with the Law School’s Legislative and Policy Advocacy Clinic, advocacy efforts and legal training programs. The center has also provided The Legal Aid Society with graduates of the Law School who rank as some of our most passionate and dedicated attorneys.
Tashi Lhewa Supervising Attorney, Consumer Law Project The Legal Aid Society, New York City
Striving for Economic Justice | 17
Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic Serving Consumers Virtually: Launching Remote CLARO Pilot Project The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges in delivering legal services to unrepresented individuals. In spring 2020, the center coordinated with Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project, The Legal Aid Society, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Mobilization for Justice, New York Legal Assistance Group, Queens Volunteer Lawyers Project and TakeRoot Justice to establish a Remote CLARO Pilot Project to assist clients virtually during the pandemic while in-person court operations are limited and pro bono programs are suspended. Staff attorneys conduct limited-scope consultations remotely and, when indicated, can offer a referral to a client who may require further assistance. The center anticipates that this project will continue to expand to meet the increasing demand for legal services in consumer credit matters as court operations are scaled up. Beyond the pandemic, there is intrinsic value for virtual CLARO programs to serve clients who face challenges to personally access the courthouse.
IMPACT Advocacy During the Pandemic Protected Consumers
The Feerick Center spearheaded successful efforts in collaboration with consumer advocates leading to the: • Imposition of a moratorium by the New York City Human Resources Administration on all debt collection, including enforcement of judgments, in lawsuits brought by the City against individuals for overpayments and public benefits – usually involving Medicaid benefits. • Adoption of an order that New York City Civil Court deem applications by defendants to set aside default judgments “essential matters” during the pandemic.
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IMPACT CLARO Served and Assisted Hundreds of Individuals Bronx CLARO Manhattan CLARO Staten Is. Total Unique Individuals Served
Working as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member supporting the CLARO program for the past year has been both a rewarding and eye-opening experience for me. Before working for the Feerick Center and the CLARO program, I was unaware of the impact consumer debt had on people’s financial stability, as well as their physical and emotional well- being. Navigating the court process as an unrepresented litigant presents many challenges to the limited-scope clients we serve and adds more pressure to an already stressful situation. Seeing how appreciative everyone we served was for our services made this experience that much more rewarding. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to support a program that serves many people in need and I hope to continue advocating for others in similar situations in the future. Katherine Alonzo 2019-2020 AmeriCorps VISTA Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
1,375
1,087
341
333
259
196
108
99
51
2018
2019
2020*
Total Number of Consultations
Bronx CLARO Manhattan CLARO Staten Is.
1,857
1,587
534
480
332
227
147
130
55
2018
2019
2020*
* Programming interrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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INSIGHT CLARO Volunteers Engaged in the Community
Pro Bono Lawyers Counsel Individuals on Consumer Debt Matters
CLARO has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my legal career. CLARO offers the opportunity to assist people who would otherwise have no voice, and little chance of obtaining justice, when confronted with what are frequently unscrupulous and overbearing adversaries, in a court system that can be intimidating under the best of circumstances. People come to us with no expectation that they will be able to overcome their problem and leave empowered, having received high quality assistance and advice. The sincere thanks from the person I had the chance to help is simply priceless. James Daw Bronx CLARO Volunteer Lawyer since 2013 Feerick Center Champion of Justice Award Recipient (2020)
Once the word got out that good legal assistance was available at the Staten Island Civil Court for consumer credit matters, people would be waiting in the courtroom and overflowing into the hallway. We would be there after hours and the court officers would gently nudge us to leave. When we trooped out, the visitors and volunteers were all smiling, happy for the services received, happy because of the services rendered. The Staten Island community needs the CLARO program and notwithstanding COVID-19, I pray that we can find a way to ensure that it continues. Deon Morris-Belo Staten Island CLARO Volunteer Lawyer since 2013 Feerick Center Champion of Justice Award Recipient (2020)
CLARO has allowed me to do the legal work that I enjoy most— hearing a client’s story and framing the most persuasive arguments in support of their position—while helping people who need and deserve legal assistance. The clients tell compelling stories, the legal issues can be as challenging as anything I have ever dealt with, and their gratitude is sincere. Frank L. Wagner Manhattan CLARO Volunteer Lawyer since 2016 Feerick Center Champion of Justice Award Recipient (2020)
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Law Students Assist Individuals Confronting Economic Distress
Volunteering with CLARO reminds me why I went to law school in the first place. At CLARO I meet the men and women my degree will help me serve. The most rewarding days at CLARO were ones where I greeted a familiar face. Only by returning week after week do you get to assist clients who have come for both an initialmeeting and perhaps one or two follow-up sessions. Navigating the legal system is unnerving and overwhelming; I hope that by being a consistent presence in my community through CLARO, I can ease some of that burden. Suzanne Herman Fordham University School of Law J.D. Candidate, Class of 2021
CLARO has been the cornerstone of my Fordham LawSchool experience. As a 1L volunteer, I had the opportunity to directly interact with clients and shadow attorneys as they provided counsel on consumer debt cases. I look forward to working with CLARO as it explores new ways to help New Yorkers defend their financial interests. Wilfredo Gomez Fordham University School of Law J.D. Candidate, Class of 2023
College Student Volunteers to Strengthen Community
CLARO exposed me to how numerous unrepresented people with debt are in New York, especially among already marginalized communities. I witnessed how easy it is for creditors to capitalize on the lack of information and awareness about debt collection rights. Many of the clients I worked with had strong defenses due to malpractice by debt collectors and/or process servers, but the system is made difficult for anyone to navigate. CLARO provides consumer law experts and lawyers to translate and convey the relevant information that defendants need to proceed with their cases, and it was a privilege to engage with the community in this process. Thank you to everyone at CLARO serving as such an important resource, and I am eager to see CLARO continue to mitigate obstacles and push for structural changes. April Gore Fordham University B.A. Candidate, Class of 2022
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CLARO Volunteers: By the Numbers
Hours Served by Type of Volunteer
2018
1,388
1000 1200 1400
Bronx CLARO 2,295 Total Hours Manhattan CLARO 995 Total Hours Staten Is. CLARO 96 Total Hours
0 200 400 600 800
522 486
411
272
113
98 49
45
2
Attorney
Consumer Law Expert
Student
Interpreter/ Other
2019
1,339
1400
Bronx CLARO 2,425 Total Hours Manhattan CLARO 832 Total Hours Staten Is. CLARO 138 Total Hours
1050
700
573
360
327
309
350
204
102 50
71
43
17
0
Attorney
Consumer Law Expert
Student
Interpreter/ Other
2020*
300
261
Bronx CLARO 483 Total Hours Manhattan CLARO 145Total Hours Staten Is. CLARO 18Total Hours
250
200
126
150
100
72
61
47
35
50
22
9
6
4
3
* Programming interrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
0
Attorney
Consumer Law Expert
Student
Interpreter/ Other
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Domestic Violence and Consumer Law Working Group
Economic abuse is often a component of domestic violence. Following the publication of the Working Group’s 2018 Report DENIED! How Economic Abuse Perpetuates Homelessness for Domestic Violence Survivors, the center worked with partners to elevate its advocacy and to promote expanded specialized civil legal services to assist survivors of economic abuse. Over the course of 2018 and 2019, the center worked with its partners to support the DV CLARO Project that provides limited-scope legal assistance to domestic violence survivors with consumer debt and credit reporting issues at two shelters: Sarah Burke House, a shelter operated by Sanctuary for Families, and Rose House, a shelter operated by Safe Horizon. The center expects to implement a remote legal assistance project to continue these services.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CONSUMER LAWWORKING GROUP
Co-Chairs Feerick Center CAMBA Legal Services, Inc.
Organizational Members Brooklyn Volunteers Lawyers Project Center for Survivor Agency and Justice DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services NY Her Justice The Legal Aid Society Manhattan Legal Services Mobilization for Justice
New York City Anti-Violence Project New York Legal Assistance Group Pace Women’s Justice Center, Pace Law School Sanctuary for Families Safe Horizon TakeRoot Justice Urban Resource Institute
Striving for Economic Justice | 23
EDUCAT PURSUING EQUITY Advocating for Fair and Equitable Public
High School Admissions Policies The Legal Economic and Educational Advancement Project (LEEAP Ed.) The Feerick Center’s LEEAP Ed. Project works to promote educational equity and bridge the achievement gap for low- income New York City public school students by supporting efforts to demystify the high school admissions process, enhancing civics education and promoting a pipeline to law school pilot initiative. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the face of education, exacerbating the stark inequities in New York City’s notoriously segregated public schools. In coordination with its High School Application Advisory Committee (HSAAC), a collaborative working group composed of education advocates, researchers, students, educators, service providers and other stakeholders, the Feerick Center recognized a singular opportunity to press for systemic policy changes in the high school admissions process.
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TIONAL Y I have had the good fortune to work with the Feerick Center and LEEAP Ed. for almost a decade and have seen them grow to assume a key leadership role in efforts to address the inequities inherent in the New York City public high school application process through the HSAAC. This work is essential,
as students and parents in underserved communities do not have the necessary support to help their children through this extremely complex process. This is especially true for non-English-speaking parents, who are being asked to learn a whole new vocabulary of terminology just to give their children a chance to participate meaningfully in the process. These students struggle to gain admission to more selective schools, or to get matched with a school or program that can meet the student’s academic needs and personal interests. With intensive training and supervision, which LEEAP Ed. and its nonprofit partners are well-positioned to provide and with more support from the DOE, volunteers can change a young student’s future, by helping them gain admission to a high school they actually want to attend. Jolie Kapelus Program Associate Director, Goddard Riverside Community Center/ Star Learning Center, New York City
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Rubrics Rubrics detail the academic criteria that selective, screened high schools and high school programs (within high schools) use to evaluate and rank student applicants. Access to rubrics is critical for students and parents to understand how screened programs select applicants and, in turn, how students evaluate their own viability as candidates. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the closure of New York City public schools in March 2020 and the transition to online instruction, sparking sharp debate over the use of rubrics for screened programs for the admissions process in the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. Calls to desegregate New York City high schools have recommended elimination of screens, which rely on such metrics as grades, state test scores for English and math, attendance, and punctuality. As these metrics are no longer available, the Feerick Center seized the chance to promote adoption of more transparent and equitable admissions standards. Building on our work with community partners to assist eighth-grade students with the byzantine high school application process and our 2019 fact-finding that revealed a dearth of information about rubrics, the Feerick Center convened a Rubrics Subcommittee. The Subcommittee led an effort to formulate short- and long-term policy recommendations to reform admissions processes that were presented to the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and its Office for Student Enrollment (OSE) in the May 12, 2020 report, Public Schools, Public Oversight: Principles and Policy Recommendations During COVID-19 and Beyond . Members of the Subcommitee engaged in public advocacy to advance these recommendations and compel timely action.
HSAAC Subcommittee on Rubrics for Screened Programs Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice – Convenor Dora Galacatos , Executive Director Karuna Patel , Deputy Director Lauren Kanfer , Associate Director Laura Petty , Amanda Rose Laura Education Fellow Dilon Goncalves , AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Ed. Coordinator Maris Moon , AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
IntegrateNYC Zaps (Sarah Zapiler), Executive Director Emma Rehac , Youth Director
Middle School Student Success Center at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation Caroline Taveras , Director New York Appleseed David Tipson , Executive Director Nyah Berg , Integrated School Projects Director Sean Corcoran , Associate Professor of Public Policy and Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University Michael Kraft , Panel for Educational Policy, Manhattan Borough President Appointee Parastoo Massoumi , Doctoral Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Founder, Middle School Student Success Center at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
We hope the DOE will…use the current crisis as an opportunity to transform high school admissions for the better.… Reforming and eventually eliminating screened school admissions would do more than fix a deeply inequitable process. It would also improve student and school performance.…[R]acially and economically diverse classroom settings benefit all students and reflect our country’s democratic values. Public schools should be a resource for all students. Even and perhaps especially in this crisis, the DOE should move closer to this goal. “Better high-school admissions: Coronavirus gives NYC public schools an opportunity for reinvention” Sean P. Corcoran, Dora Galacatos and Laura Petty, Daily News Op. Ed., May 25, 2020
26 | Feerick Center for Social Justice Biennial Report 2018–2020
INSIGHT
Targeted reforms related to rubrics would make admissions more equitable for students. The absence of a centralized repository of rubrics for high school screened programs suggests a need for significantly increased focus and attention to this area. Screened Out: The Lack of Access to NYC Screened Program Admissions Criteria Feerick Center, Fall 2019
[S]creens are inherently unequal…. NYC DOE [should] develop and provide screened programs with a set of criteria (“standard criteria”) to consider adopting for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, including criteria that promote equity…. [S]chool closures [due to COVID-19] will exacerbate the inequities that already plague the system [and] we implore NYCDOE to take advantage of every opportunity—including changes to admissions policies—to counteract those negative impacts. Public Schools, Public Oversight: Principles and Policy Recommendations During COVID-19 and Beyond New York City High School Application Advisory Subcommittee on Rubrics for Screened Programs, May 12, 2020
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MEDIA COVERAGE
Brody, Leslie “Few Selective New York City Schools Post Precise Admissions Criteria.” The Wall Street Journal October 15, 2019
“Black boxes in brick: The city’s screened public high schools have an obligation to tell students and parents their admissions criteria,” New York Daily News October 20, 2019
Veiga, Christina “Eliminate middle school screens, make high school admissions more fair next year,” Chalkbeat New York May 12, 2020
Adams, Alina “What Happens if NYC Eliminates Screened Schools? Amid a Pandemic and Cancelled State Tests, Parents Worry About Equity in the District — and Being Locked Out of the Discussion,” The 74 May 18, 2020
28 | Feerick Center for Social Justice Biennial Report 2018–2020
IMPACT Engaging with the Community Providing Access to Educational Opportunities Helping students navigate the NYC High School Application Process
NYCMIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS GUIDED BY LEEAP ED. VOLUNTEERS IN COMPLETING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATIONS:
218 185 * 2018–2019 2019–2020
Helping the students brainstorm their future endeavors is necessary because I never had that in school, and it could make a difference, to let a child know there are options outside of what they or their parents may know. 2019–2020 LEEAP Ed. Volunteer
* Programming interrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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INSIGHT
I am a recent high school graduate and was the only public school student to serve on the Rubrics Subcommittee. HSAAC found the important balance of providing the necessary support for me to learn and grow, while still uplifting my perspective and experiences as a student. To propel authentic progress, it is necessary for the voices of communities to be centered in the decision-making processes that directly impact them, and my role in the Rubrics Subcommittee reflects this. Imagine what school would look like if the voices of students, parents, and educators were centered in the creation of education policy.
Emma Rehac IntegrateNYC, 2020 High School Graduate, New York City
30 | Feerick Center for Social Justice Biennial Report 2018–2020
The HSAAC has been very welcoming, inclusive and seems to truly value my input; I am a parent with a strong passion for educational equity. HSAAC allows me to connect with like- minded education policy advocates. The diverse perspectives, opinions and experiences of my fellow HSAAC members continues to provide me with a rich and valuable experience. My professional network has expanded dramatically, providing access to spaces, places and people I otherwise wouldn’t have had access to. The committee provides non-lawyers and advocates, such as myself, with a mechanism for influencing education policy and procedures through our direct connection with the Department of Education (DOE)’s Office of Student Enrollment. Many of the committee’s members work with and represent the students and families affected by the DOE’s policy decisions allowing for direct engagement and real-time feedback from their constituents. Through the committee’s work, I am empowered and encouraged to see how intended and unintended effects of education policies and procedures serve to advantage some, while disadvantaging others. HSAAC is working to address issues of inequity, draft policy solutions and assist in their implementation.
Mahalia Watson Founder, Let’s Talk Schools, New York City
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LEEAP Ed. Host Organizations Administration for Children’s Service (in partnership with the NYCDOE OSE) – High School Borough Fairs Beat the Streets – Brooklyn CAMBA, Inc. – Brooklyn Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation | Middle School Student Success Center – Brooklyn East Harlem Tutorial Program – Manhattan Fordham | STEP – Bronx Goddard Riverside Community Center | Star Learning Center – Manhattan GO Project – Manhattan Grand St. Settlement – Manhattan Madison Square Boys &Girls Club – Manhattan Mount Sinai Health System - New York City Queens Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Queens
HSAAC Membership Advocates for Children of New York Beat the Streets Exam Schools Partnership Initiative | City Smart Scholars Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation | Middle School Student Success Center Goddard Riverside Community Center | Star Learning Center Henry Street Settlement | Middle School Success Center INCLUDEnyc Let’s Talk Schools, LLC Manhattan College Mount Sinai Health System- New York City New York Appleseed New York City Administration for Children’s Services: Division of Youth and Family Justice New York City Department of Education: Office of Student Enrollment The Equity Project Charter School Union Federation of Teachers Young Life Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University Chantal Hailey , NYU Ph.D. Candidate, New York University Michael Kraft , Manhattan Borough President Appointee, Panel for Education Policy Nicholas Mark , NYU Ph.D. Candidate, New York University Laura Petty ’21 , 2019-2020 Amanda Rose Laura Education Law Fellow, Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice Individual Members: Sean P. Corcoran , Associate Professor of Public Policy &
Queens Community House – Queens Riverdale Neighborhood House – Bronx
32 | Feerick Center for Social Justice Biennial Report 2018–2020
Amanda Rose Laura Foundation Education Law Fellowship to Advance Educational Equity The Feerick Center is honored to support the Amanda Rose Laura Foundation Education Law Fellowship established to commemorate the life of Amanda Rose Laura, an aspiring lawyer and education law advocate, to further her vision to bridge the achievement gap for students from underserved communities. Laura Petty ’21, the inaugural Amanda Rose Laura Foundation Education Law Fellow, spent the 2019-2020 academic year supporting the Feerick Center’s educational equity work and conducting independent education policy research projects. Laura worked on the Feerick Center’s report, Screened Out: The Lack of Access to NYC Screened Program Admissions Criteria , and helped formulate recommendations produced by the Rubrics Subcommittee, Public Schools, Public Oversight: Principles and Policy Recommendations During COVID-19 and Beyond . Laura co-authored the October 20, 2019 op-ed published in the Daily News arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to make NYC’s high school admissions more equitable. Laura’s research during the 2019 fall semester on policies to overcome school segregation culminated in her note, The Way Forward: Permissible and Effective Race Conscious Strategies for Avoiding Racial Segregation in Diverse Schools , that was published in the Fordham Urban Law Journal ,(47 Fordham Urb. L.J. 659 (2020) available at https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol47/ iss3/6/). During the 2020 spring semester, Laura conducted extensive research on Education Option admissions in NYC, and co-authored a forthcoming report, Academic Diversity in New York City High Schools: the Education Option Model, Past and Present. The Feerick Center welcomed its second Amanda Rose Laura Foundation Education Law Fellow, Brain Sarfo ’22, for the 2020- 2021 academic year. Brian will work with the center on its Civics Education and Pipeline to Law School Initiative and develop a civics module that examines Articles I-III of the Constitution and the related amendments through a critical race lens.
The fellowship truly altered my law school experience and set me on a path to pursue the work I care about—advocating for educational equity and school integration in New York City. Working with the Feerick Center provided me with invaluable professional mentorship and relationships, the opportunity to dive deeply into my scholarly interests, and the chance to collaborate closely with advocates and researchers in the field I hope to enter. I am honored to have served as the inaugural Education Law Fellow. I will cherish and further the relationships and work from this year for years to come. Laura Petty
Amanda Rose Laura Foundation Education Law Fellow, 2019-2020 Fordham Law School, Class of 2021
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