Conferences
Dean Linda P. Fried and Prof. John D. Feerick
From left: Caprice Jenerson, Judge Jonathan Lippman and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore
In the wake of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, record numbers of low-income individuals and families were confronted with legal challenges involving essentials of life issues—housing, domestic stability, access to health care, subsistence income and education, and the consequences of consumer debt. Court filings involving essentials of life issues skyrocketed, and, in 2010, the New York State court system estimated that at least 2.3 million individuals, many of them in crisis, came to court without a lawyer.
Former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman characterized this as a deepening of the “access-to justice” crisis and, working with the Feerick Center, court staff and community partners, developed a visionary access-to-justice agenda that included promotion of pro bono across the profession.Recognizing the potential and resources of a growing demographic of the profession—retired, skilled, talented and experienced—Judge Lippman set out to engage this segment of the profession in pro bono community legal service, declaring this a tremendous opportunity to expand access to justice and change the culture of pro bono, establishing New York’s Attorney Emeritus Program.
Since 2010, the AEP has grown from a small pilot to one of the largest such programs in the nation. According to OCA data that tracked biennial registrations, from 2010-2011, 42 attorneys enrolled in the Program. From 2018-2019, the most recent registration period for which complete data is available, 1,419 attorneys enrolled in the Program.[1] According to the Feerick Center’s tracking of OCA and other data, 3,463 attorneys have enrolled in the Program between the 2010-2011 and 2019-2020 registration periods, as illustrated in Chart A and Table 1 below.
[1] New York State Office of Court Administration data.
Chart B reflects the geographic distribution of volunteers across the State, with the majority of Emeritus attorneys located in the metropolitan area.
2019 New York State Attorney Emeritus Program Tenth Anniversary Celebration
New York State Attorney Emeritus Program Tenth Anniversary Celebration
December 2, 2019
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Costantino Room
Download Program
In the wake of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, record numbers of low-income individuals and families were confronted with legal challenges involving essentials of life issues—housing, domestic stability, access to health care, subsistence income and education, and the consequences of consumer debt. Court filings involving essentials of life issues skyrocketed, and, in 2010, the New York State court system estimated that at least 2.3 million individuals, many of them in crisis, came to court without a lawyer.
Former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman characterized this as a deepening of the “access-to justice” crisis and, working with the Feerick Center, court staff and community partners, developed a visionary access-to-justice agenda that included promotion of pro bono across the profession. Recognizing the potential and resources of a growing demographic of the profession—retired, skilled, talented and experienced—Judge Lippman set out to engage this segment of the profession in pro bono community legal service, declaring this a tremendous opportunity to expand access to justice and change the culture of pro bono, establishing New York’s Attorney Emeritus Program.
Since 2010, the AEP has grown from a small pilot to one of the largest such programs in the nation. According to OCA data that tracked biennial registrations, from 2010-2011, 42 attorneys enrolled in the Program. From 2018-2019, the most recent registration period for which complete data is available, 1,419 attorneys enrolled in the Program. According to the Feerick Center’s tracking of OCA and other data, 3,463 attorneys have enrolled in the Program between the 2010-2011 and 2019-2020 registration periods.
Conference Organizers and Co-Sponsors
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP / Debevoise & Plimpton LLP / Latham & Watkins LLP / Proskauer Rose LLP / Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP
The organizers and most especially Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice express their thanks to the co-sponsors for their generous support of this event.
2019 Crisis, Progress, and the Work Ahead
Crisis, Progress, and the Work Ahead
June 12, 2018
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Reception to Follow)
Reception to follow.
Fordham Law School
150 West 62nd Street
New York, New York 10023
Documents to Download
PLENARY 1
New York Consumer Debt: A Retrospective of the Past Decade (Power Point Presentation)
BREAKOUT SESSION 1
- CARS!: Still Taking Consumers for a Ride - Auto Loan Answer -
- CARS!: Still Taking Consumers for a Ride - Relevant Law -
BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Ten years ago, on June 19, 2008, the NYC Consumer Debt Working Conference: A Blueprint for Reform was held at Fordham Law School. That program turned the spotlight on the crisis that had engulfed low-income communities and overwhelmed NYC Civil Court—an explosion in consumer debt collection, including an unprecedented increase in debt collection lawsuits. The conference educated a broad array of stakeholders on the systemic problems and inequities at the time.
This conference will examine the numerous reforms and successes in the field since 2008, and also consider the challenges that remain. Consumer credit filings are on the rise again, after many years of decline. Abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection victimizes thousands of New Yorkers every year. Nearly nine in ten defendants are unrepresented in debt collection law suits. Subprime credit card lending and other predatory practices continue to strip equity from low-income households.
Now, ten years later, this conference will explore opportunities for advancing access to justice and improving the administration of justice in connection with debt collection lawsuits. We invite New York advocates, community organizers, funders, legal and other service providers, policymakers, and others in government and the courts to join us. Conference participants will identify reforms and pragmatic strategies to strengthen consumer protection in breakout sessions.
Conference Organizers and Co-Sponsors
Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project / CAMBA Legal Services, Inc. / Community Development Project at Urban Justice Center / District Council 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services / Fordham Law School Clinical Education Programs / Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice / The Legal Aid Society / Mobilization for Justice / National Center for Law and Economic Justice / New Economy Project / New York County Lawyers Association Justice Center / New York Legal Assistance Group / Queens Volunteer Lawyers’ Project / St. John's University School of Law Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic and Public Interest Center
Additional Co-Sponsors
A2J Initiative at Fordham Law School / National Center for Access to Justice / Stein Center for Law and Ethics
2018 A Decade of Advancing Immigrant Representation
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Reception to follow
Fordham Law School
Skadden Conference Center
150 West 62nd Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10023
Registration for this conference is now closed. There will be walk-in registration the day of the conference while there are seats available.
Opening Remarks
Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Program (Click to Download)
Public and Private Partnership Funding for Immigration Services
Honorable Carlos Menchaca, Council Member, New York City Council
Veyom Bahl, Managing Director, Survival, Robin Hood Foundation
Plenary Panel: Progress Thus Far
Jojo Annobil, Executive Director, Immigrant Justice Corps
Veyom Bahl, Managing Director, Survival, Robin Hood Foundation
Peter L. Markowitz, Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Honorable Carlos Menchaca, Council Member, New York City Council
Honorable Robert D. Weisel, New York Immigration Court (Retired)
Moderator: Lindsay Nash, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Breakout Sessions
#1 - New York Immigrant Family Unity Project – Current Issues and Expansion
Nicole Miller, Legal Services Director, Immigrant Rights Program, Newark, NJ, American Friends Service Committee
Nicholas Phillips, Acting Managing Attorney, Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York
Oren Root, Director, Center on Immigration and Justice, Vera Institute of Justice
Andrea Sáenz, Supervising Attorney, Immigration Practice, Brooklyn Defender Services
Moderator: Nancy Morawetz, Professor of Clinical Law, New York University School of Law
#2 - Examining NYC's Evolving Landscape over the Last Decade - A Sea Change in the Quality and Quantity of Justice for Immigrants
Luis Mancheno, 2014 Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow, Attorney, Immigration Practice, The Bronx Defenders
Samuel Palmer-Simon, Supervising Attorney, Immigrant Justice Corps
Hasan Shafiqullah, Attorney-in-Charge, Immigration Law Unit, The Legal Aid Society
Gemma Solimene, Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Fordham Law School
Amy Taylor, Co-Legal Director, Make the Road New York
Moderator: Joanne Macri, Chief Statewide Implementation Attorney, New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services
#3 - Leveraging Pro Bono Resources
Deepa Alagesan, Staff Attorney, International Refugee Assistance Project, Urban Justice Center
Lenni B. Benson, Professor of Law, Director, Safe Passage Project Clinic, New York Law School
Shalyn Fluharty, Managing Attorney, Dilley Pro Bono Project
Laura Kathleen Tuell, Firmwide Head of Pro Bono, Jones Day
Moderator: Dora Galacatos, Executive Director, Feerick Center for Social Justice, Fordham Law School
Plenary Panel: Replication and Expansion
Annie Chen, Program Director, SAFE Cities Network, Center on Immigration and Justice, Vera Institute of Justice
Elie Farhat, Policy Director, Office of Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene
Lauren Schmidt, Director of Civil Litigation, Denver City Attorney’s Office
Emily Tucker, Senior Staff Attorney for Immigrant Rights, The Center for Popular Democracy
Moderator: Avideh Moussavian, Senior Policy Attorney, National Immigration Law Center
Perspective from a Client
Introduction by Christina Elhaddad, 2015 Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow, Immigration Attorney, Urban Justice Center, Domestic Violence Project
Conference Description
This conference will focus on the Study Group on Immigrant Representation's work to create innovative solutions to the immigrant representation crisis since its launch by Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit a decade ago, and commemorate the Study Group's tenth anniversary. The conference will feature several exciting initiatives launched by the Study Group and consider expansion and further innovation based on these models. Key actors from the advocacy community, the private bar, and the federal and local government will speak about their work on this issue. Together, conference speakers and attendees will consider how they can support and continue to create pragmatic and constructive responses to one of our legal system's most pressing and intractable challenges.
Conference Organizers and Co-Sponsors
A2J Initiative at Fordham Law School / Fordham Law Review / Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice / Fordham Law School Immigrant Rights Clinic / Immigrant Justice Corps / Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law / National Center for Access to Justice / Study Group on Immigration Representation / Vera Institute of Justice
5.5 CLE Credits
CLE credit for the Conference has been approved in accordance with the requirements of the New York State CLE Board for (5.5) professional practice credit hours. The content of the course is appropriate for transitional and nontransitional attorneys. Fordham Law School’s financial aid policy for accredited CLE programs is applicable to this Conference.
Space is limited. Please feel free to forward. For more information, please contact Dora Galacatos at [email protected]
2016 Adelante Immigration Conference
December 16, 2016
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fordham Law School
150 West 62nd Street
REGISTRATION: Registration is now CLOSED - Walk-Ins are welcome!
COST: FREE
ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
- American Psychological Association Divisions 7, 9, 24, and 27
- Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) at the Urban Justice Center
- Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice
- Human Rights First
- Immigrant Justice Corps
CO-SPONSORS
- Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York
- Fordham Law School’s Immigration Advocacy Project
- Fordham Law School’s Latin American Law Students Association
- Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service
- Volunteers of Legal Service
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice expresses its deep gratitude to the American Psychological Association (APA) and, in particular, the APA Public Interest Directorate for its generous support of this Conference. The Center for Social Justice also thanks the members of the planning committee for their invaluable guidance and assistance in organizing the Conference. They include Lori Adams, Conchita Cruz, Jessica Gorelick, Elizabeta Markuci, Mary Beth Morrissey, Lindsay Nash, Victoria Neilson, Samuel Palmer-Simon, Swapna Reddy, Jacqueline Rojas, and Harold Solis. Finally, special thanks to Sara Purvin, 2016-2017 Dean’s Fellow, for all of her work in connection with the Conference.
8 CLE Credits
CONFERENCE TIME: December 16, 2016 from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. at Fordham University School of Law, 150 West 62nd Street.
CLE CREDIT IS AVAILABLE: This conference is appropriate for newly admitted and experienced attorneys and is approved for a maximum of 8 transitional and non-transitional credit hours: 6 Professional Practice and 2 Ethics.
This CLE credit allocation is approved in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board. To determine whether another state will award credit, please contact the CLE administrator’s office for that particular state.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABILITIES: Registrants with documented disabilities are asked to contact the Law School’s Office of Public Programs if they need a special accommodation. Please be as specific as possible regarding the needed accommodation. Email: [email protected].
For further information about the conference please contact Dora Galacatos at [email protected].
