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
Striving for Economic Justice | 21
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator