June 2008 – All members of the School for Law and Justice (SLJ) class of 2008, a high school which has partnered with Brooklyn Law School in a mentoring program for four years, have been accepted at academic colleges. SLJ is an innovative college-prep public high school in northwest Brooklyn created by the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit organization. Most students have expressed an interest in the law, though not all want to be lawyers.

The Mentoring Program, a pro bono project that has steadily grown in popularity, pairs about 40 Law School students with SLJ students each year. “The Brooklyn Law School community’s support for this program has been broad and generous,” Dean Joan G. Wexler said. In addition to mentoring, faculty, staff and law students judge moot court arguments and participate in the Lunch with Lawyers program, “College Panels,” and Race Judicata.

Other partners of SLJ include Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, the Red Hook Community Justice Center, the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Vera Institute of Justice.

Elizabeth Kane, director of the Public Service Office and a member of SLJ’s advisory board, said, “Law students find the program very satisfying, both professionally and personally. The close relationships that mentoring builds help SLJ students remain in school, improve their academic and problem solving skills, and envision themselves leading professional lives.”

Brooklyn Law School participants in the program included:

Coordinators:
Elizabeth Kane, Public Service Office director
Luna Ngan, student coordinator
Tara Thierry, assistant, Public Service Office
Linda Feldman, faculty
Lauren Jacobson, student coordinator

Moot Court:
Luna Ngan, student and BLS-SLJ coordinator
Andrew Abraham, faculty
Jill Backer, Career Center
Todd Batson, student
Kevin Casey, faculty
Kereen Evans, student
Joshua Fox, student
Rachel Green, student
Alan Haynes, Career Center
Michael Kozek, student
Zach Lisabeth, faculty
Joann Ponce, student
Scott Ruplinger, student
Ricardo Salmon, student
Monique Tain, Finance
Nelson Tebbe, faculty
Beryl Jones-Woodin, Associate Dean
Gloria Yi, student

College Panels:
Claire Kelly, faculty
Jill Backer, Career Center
Serena Richards, student
Terehas Nelson, student

Lunch with Lawyers:
Aliza Kaplan, faculty
Arthur Pinto, faculty
Alan Haynes, Career Center
David Reiss, faculty
Laurie Parise, alumna
Dan Smulian, faculty
Beryl Jones-Woodin, Associate Dean

Mentoring Program:
Student Coordinators:
Rebecca Craemer
Diana Graham
Lauren Jones
Lauren Jacobson
Moya O’Connor
Kereen Evans

A Day in the Life of a Law Student:
Luna Ngan, student coordinator
Kereen Evans, student coordinator
Ugo Ugeh, student host
Ehiabhi Uwa, student host
Julian Stephenson, student host
Kamal Jobe, student host
Andrew Rafter, student host
Lauren Jacobson, student coordinator
Michael Jabbawy, student
Sara Mader, student host
Beth Nagalski, student host
Deanna DeFrancesco, student host
Michele Rita, student host
Benjamin Moore, student host
Oluremi Swen, student host
Terehas Nelson, student host
Emily Goodman, student coordinator
Cheryl Baxter, student greeter
Jill Backer, staff & greeter
Linda Feldman, faculty and greeter
Johane Severin, student greeter, coordinator
Lynnette Lockart, student
(Many faculty members have hosted SLJ students in their classes)

Race Judicata
Race Judicata is an annual 5K run/walk sponsored by the Student Bar Association in memory of Professor Barry Zaretsky that raises funds for the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice. The runners include BLS and SLJ faculty, staff and students, as well as family and friends. SBA president Joseph Goljan and other SBA members were the 2008 sponsorship coordinators. Brian Simeon and others coordinated the 2007 sponsorship. Special thanks go to the family of Professor Zaretsky.

For more information about the School for Law and Justice, visit www.sljhs.org.