News

The DBA will be holding their 11th annual scholarship dinner on October 28, 2014 at beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel in Times Square.

This year's honorees will be honored for their significant achievements and advancements in the legal profession and within their communities.

The DBA will be honoring:

Maritza A. Ming
Chief of the Immigration Fraud Unit
Kings County District Attorney's Office

Lisette Camilo
City Chief Procurement Officer and Director of Contract Services
New York City Office of the Mayor

Dr. Marilu D. Galvan
Director
Centro Civico Cultural Dominicano, Inc.

The DBA will also be granting law student scholarships awards to the following scholarship winners:

Sharly Larios
St. John's University Law School

Rosemary Almonte
CUNY Law School

Please support the DBA by joining us at this year's scholarship dinner.

For tickets please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dominican-bar-associations-2014-annual-scholarship-dinner-tickets-13288677793

Tags: scholarship dinner 

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Whether it’s achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, ending mass incarceration, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.

OVERVIEW

The Women’s Rights Project is part of the ACLU’s Center for Liberty, which is dedicated to the principle that we are all entitled to determine the course of our lives based on who we are and what we believe free from unreasonable government constraint and baseless stereotypes. The Center for Liberty encompasses the ACLU’s work on women’s rights, reproductive freedom, LGBT rights and the rights of people living with HIV, and freedom of religion and belief.

Founded in 1972 by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Women’s Rights Project (WRP) has been a leader in the legal battles to ensure women’s full equality in American society. WRP is dedicated to the advancement of the rights and interests of women to lead lives of dignity free from violence and discrimination, including discrimination based on gender stereotypes.

WRP focuses on women’s rights in the following priority areas: education, violence against women and employment. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, WRP pushes for change and systemic reform in those institutions that perpetuate discrimination against women.

WRP conducts direct litigation, files amicus curiae briefs, provides support for ACLU affiliate litigation, serves as a resource for ACLU legislative work on women’s rights and seeks to advance ACLU policy goals through public education, organizing and coalition advocacy. The ACLU has been an active participant in virtually all of the major gender discrimination litigation in the Supreme Court, in Congressional efforts to promote gender equality, and in significant communications and public education efforts on behalf of women and girls.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW

The Summer Legal Internship is full-time and typically requires a 10 week commitment, with a preferred start date of May 26, 2015.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the Women’s Rights Project team. Interns will gain experience by: Conducting legal and policy research; Drafting memoranda, affidavits and briefs; Researching prospects for new litigation, including both factual and legal claims; Supporting the preparation of expert and fact witnesses for courtroom testimony; Supporting research activities and/or drafting materials for public education; Working on other projects as assigned.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

The legal internship is open to all law students who will have completed their first year of law school before the internship commences. Desired qualifications include:

Excellent research, writing and communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including internet research.
Demonstrated initiative to see projects through to completion.
Strong interest in social justice and legal issues.
A strong interest and commitment to civil rights and civil liberties issues.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should send a letter describing their interest in women’s rights and civil liberties, including any relevant life or work experience gained before or during law school; a resume; the names and telephone numbers of three references; an unofficial transcript; and a legal writing sample of no more than ten pages to hrjobsWRP@aclu.org. Please reference [WRP Summer 2015 Legal Internship/LAT] in the subject line. Please note that this is not the general ACLU email address. This email address is specific to Women’s’ Rights postings. In order to ensure your application is received please make certain it is sent to the correct e-mail address.

Alternatively, applications can be mailed to:

American Civil Liberties Union
Re: [Summer 2015 WRP Legal Internship/LAT]
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004

Please indicate in your cover letter where you learned of this internship opportunity.

Students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible, as decisions are made on a rolling basis.

This posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the posting at any time without advance notice.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and veteran status.

The ACLU undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.

We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: hrjobsinclreq@aclu.org. Correspondence sent to this email address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”

Tags: scholarships, ACLU 

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) has been selected by the Attorney General to administer the Fund and will evaluate claims and forward payments to immigrants who received legal services from IIF or IPA. They would like to reach as many potential former clients of IIF/IPA as possible.

People can submit a claim online or submit a printed form via mail, fax or email. The deadline to submit a claim is October 23, 2014, which is quickly approaching. For more information on the Fund, you can also visit: http://nylag.org/ipa.  

Essays accepted starting December 1, 2014 through April 1, 2015.

Awards:
o $1,500 - NYS Community College Grand Prize awarded to a student from either
educational system

o $1,000 - CUNY Community College Prize

o $1,000 - SUNY Community College Prize

Essay Topic: LGBT: THE ROAD TO EQUALITY. How have the New York
Courts addressed equal human rights for the LGBT Community?

Resources & Guidelines: The Historical Society of the New York Courts has set up a website
with useful links at www.nycourts.gov/history/garfinkel

The 2014 Dominican Bar Association student scholarship awards will be announced at the organization's annual scholarship dinner, scheduled to be held on October 28, 2014, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Times Square.

Visit our Scholarship page to download the application. Please note, students must be DBA members in order to access the scholarship application. Student membership at the DBA is free of charge.

All student applications and required documents should be submitted on or before September 30, 2014. Currently enrolled part-time and full-time law students are encouraged to apply.

Tags: Student scholarship 

Students are selected to participate in the Program based upon personal interviews and demonstrated academic excellence. They are first nominated by their schools and then interviewed by the Program staff. Our interview process consists of face-to-face meetings with the students and a written test that we administer to determine comfort with challenges common to an office environment. Prior to their internships, all applicants participate in a mandatory, three-part Pre-Employment Training which provides them with one-one-one resume and cover letter review, as well as presentations on interview preparation, office etiquette, and professional attire workshops.

Job assignments vary depending on the needs of the employer, but typically include organizing information and documents, filing, and record keeping. The students are paid by the employer, with compensation comparable to that of other paid internships. While most of the students seek full-time summer employment, some of the students are available for part-time positions.

New York City Bar is seeking volunteer attorneys for their annual Speed Networking Event (Tuesday, July 8th at ABC News). Link to apply for program: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1e1WsKwXKzfgxBR2X0Wyw21I3q7CVkYUnZMKkUWB5n6M/viewform) Additionally, it seeks volunteers for their Diverse Career Opportunities Program (Tuesday, July 22nd at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.) Link to apply for program: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17pVZdNoxOznY-dnypp2HZQWPovQV6yJUlY41uOczkO8/viewform).

These are minimal commitment, but high impact programs – each program is approximately two hours long, and gives inner-city high school students the opportunity to meet and talk with attorneys, develop their networking skills, and learn more about the professional opportunities available to them. 

roderick was recommended to President Obama by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.

"Vernon Broderick is a proven leader with a strong legal and public service background," said Senator Schumer in a press note. "Mr. Broderick has a clear commitment to justice, outstanding dedication to public service, and broad experience that makes him an exceptional choice for a position on the bench in the Southern District."

Broderick was born in New York City. His mother’s family hails from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico while his father’s family is from Jamaica.

About Vernon S. Broderick

Vernon Broderick concentrates his practice on white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and business litigation. He is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Group and the Complex Commercial Litigation Group.

Mr. Broderick represents corporations and individuals in white collar criminal matters involving alleged environmental law violations, securities fraud, RICO, money laundering, bribery, and mail and wire fraud, and conducts internal investigations for corporations. He has conducted investigations on behalf of an international corporation that was accused of wrongdoing by "whistleblowers," and supervised similar investigations conducted by in-house compliance counsel for this same corporation. He also regularly advises companies and individuals on corporate and regulatory compliance issues.

Mr. Broderick's practice also includes representing clients in civil business litigation, many of which are parallel or related proceedings filed in connection with criminal and regulatory matters. Mr. Broderick has handled complex civil cases, including matters involving breach of fiduciary duty and securities fraud. He has also worked on bankruptcy litigation matters in various bankruptcy cases, including Global Crossing, Adelphia, Lennox and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Mr. Broderick was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York for eight years. While at the United States Attorney's Office, he served as chief of the Violent Gangs Unit and investigated and prosecuted cases involving organized crime, international narcotics trafficking, and violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and assault. Mr. Broderick has conducted as first or second chair 10 federal jury trials and argued 12 times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Broderick was a recipient of the Justice Department's Director's Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney in both 1997 and 1998. Prior to serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Broderick was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

Mr. Broderick was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in January 2011 to the New York State Commission on Public Integrity and served until new legislation created the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. He has been a Commissioner on the Commission to Combat Police Corruption in New York City since his appointment by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2003. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and serves on the Board of Directors of the LatinoJustice PRLDEF and the Board of Directors for the Justice Resource Center of New York City.

Mr. Broderick graduated from Yale University, and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Link to White House press announcement of nomination: http://wh.gov/eEjC#.UXW_WEJaEGE.email

Event will take place on July 16, 2014 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM with a reception to follow at:

NYU Kimmel Center for University Life
60 Washington Square South, New York, NY
Eisner & Lubin Auditorium, 4th Floor

Register at: http://events.scps.nyu.edu/EventList.aspx?fromdate=7/16/2014&todate=7/16/2014&display=Day&type=public&eventidn=1454&view=EventDetails&informationid=3295&utmsource=GTO&utmmedium=email&utmcampaign=dm-ce-e1314-0083-NYC

Networking Workshop & Speed Networking at ABC News
July 8, 2014 6pm ABC News, 77 West 66th Street A comprehensive networking training, followed by participation in a Speed Networking Program sponsored by ABC, where students meet in speed-sessions with volunteer attorneys. Volunteer Registration: http://bitly.com/1msdQcb

Diverse Career Opportunities Panel July 22, 2014 6pm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP A panel of four attorneys in diverse career fields speaks about their career paths and provide advice for attaining one's professional goals. The students are then divided into small group sessions with attorneys who speak about their career paths, and the students report back to the group, followed by an open networking session. Volunteer Registration: http://bitly.com/1c1V4yt

Employer Registration Form: http://www.nycbar.org/images/stories/pdfs/sleop/employerregistration.pdf and the Job Shadow Week Registration Form: http://bit.ly/1d2cY49. More information about the Job Shadow Week is also available on the program website, which includes sample agendas from participating companies: http://www.nycbar.org/diversity/student-pipeline-program/programs/1162-job-shadow-week

For more information about any of these initiatives, please contact Clare Plunkett, Administrator, Diversity Pipeline Initiatives, at cplunkett@nycbar.org or (212) 382-6772. Detailed information about our various programs is available on the Program website as well.