Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 30, 2009
March '09 Trip Reflections - Kathryn Chiu, Class of 2011
At my first Property class, the professor asked us to state our name and an interesting fact about ourselves. As we went around the room, the class revealed all different types of personalities – outdoor enthusiasts, budding politicians, and literature fanatics. The professor had asked us to do this because he said it was important to remember what we loved doing, especially as we were about to embark on the dreaded and infamous 1L journey.
I came to law school with the intent to perform public service. In particular, I wrote my personal statement about my experience working with domestic violence survivors and their frustration with the legal system, with the hope of using a law degree to help these people. But in the midst of the craziness that is 1L year, I had completely forgotten my original purpose. When you’re busy attempting to memorize Article 2 of the U.C.C., domestic violence survivors can sometimes fall to the back of your mind.
Wanting to perform some type of public service, I signed up for the Student Hurricane Network’s (SHN) spring break trip to New Orleans. The trip, however, seemed daunting (I mean, shouldn’t I really be studying Civil Procedure this week?). Even when I got my placement with the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), I was still unsure of what I was supposed to do. Moreover, I was the only 1L on the trip, and was scared that I was going to be shunned by the upperclassmen.
All my fears were eliminated as soon as I got to the Big Easy. At DAP, I, along with another student volunteer from Howard University, developed the organization’s radio policy project. This project was created in response to the calls DAP received during and immediately after Hurricane Ike. In particular, people were confused as to where they could get emergency services. State and local governments were posting information regarding post-disaster services on their websites, which many people could not access due to lack of electrical power. As a result, DAP called for the creation of an emergency radio network that would broadcast information needed in emergencies, such as locations of shelters, open hospitals, etc. Our job was to contact local governments and research the feasibility of developing such a radio network.
The information we collected from local governments in Texas and Louisiana was shocking. While many counties and parishes had disaster communication systems set up, many others did not. Some still relied on the Internet to relay information to the community, while others just said they relied on “word of mouth.” One parish in Louisiana told me that they had created an emergency broadcast system with a local radio station, but that someone at the station stole all the equipment and left town, leaving them with nothing. It seemed that any lessons meant to be learned from natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Ike were not being learned.
During the weeklong trip, we traveled to the Lower 9th Ward to see the bulk of Katrina’s damage. Because of the work of previous volunteers, the area is now just a grassy field with a couple of completed homes by Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation. Only the remaining stoops leading to nowhere and a memorial sign suggested that this area had been badly hurt. Still, one could sense the vulnerability pervading the area. The grassy knolls once filled with homes were a reminder that even four years later, people are still affected by Katrina and that there is still work towards recovery to be done.
Obviously, there are enough stories in the headlines (i.e. the economy) to take our minds off the damaged Gulf Coast. But the SHN trip was a wake-up call – there are homes to be built, businesses to be re-established, and radio policies to be developed. For me, this wake-up call reminded me of the reason I came to law school – that is, to perform public service – and to keep my mind focused on that goal.
As I enter the home stretch of my 1L year, I am filled with a newfound positive perspective on law school (something that I can guarantee you is impossible to find amongst 1Ls). Even if the Rule Against Perpetuities won’t necessarily help me in my future public service career, it’ll at least help me pass the Bar, which will help me in my career, thus making the subject worthwhile (and maybe slightly more interesting). I have SHN to thank for this new outlook.
On a final note, I would definitely recommend next year’s 1Ls to consider going on the SHN trip. The reasons to visit New Orleans are endless (The music! The food! The Hurricanes and the subsequent hangovers!). But the SHN trip introduced me to fantastic people at Fordham Law who are committed to helping others, yet another reason to find law school all the more enjoyable now.
I came to law school with the intent to perform public service. In particular, I wrote my personal statement about my experience working with domestic violence survivors and their frustration with the legal system, with the hope of using a law degree to help these people. But in the midst of the craziness that is 1L year, I had completely forgotten my original purpose. When you’re busy attempting to memorize Article 2 of the U.C.C., domestic violence survivors can sometimes fall to the back of your mind.
Wanting to perform some type of public service, I signed up for the Student Hurricane Network’s (SHN) spring break trip to New Orleans. The trip, however, seemed daunting (I mean, shouldn’t I really be studying Civil Procedure this week?). Even when I got my placement with the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), I was still unsure of what I was supposed to do. Moreover, I was the only 1L on the trip, and was scared that I was going to be shunned by the upperclassmen.
All my fears were eliminated as soon as I got to the Big Easy. At DAP, I, along with another student volunteer from Howard University, developed the organization’s radio policy project. This project was created in response to the calls DAP received during and immediately after Hurricane Ike. In particular, people were confused as to where they could get emergency services. State and local governments were posting information regarding post-disaster services on their websites, which many people could not access due to lack of electrical power. As a result, DAP called for the creation of an emergency radio network that would broadcast information needed in emergencies, such as locations of shelters, open hospitals, etc. Our job was to contact local governments and research the feasibility of developing such a radio network.
The information we collected from local governments in Texas and Louisiana was shocking. While many counties and parishes had disaster communication systems set up, many others did not. Some still relied on the Internet to relay information to the community, while others just said they relied on “word of mouth.” One parish in Louisiana told me that they had created an emergency broadcast system with a local radio station, but that someone at the station stole all the equipment and left town, leaving them with nothing. It seemed that any lessons meant to be learned from natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Ike were not being learned.
During the weeklong trip, we traveled to the Lower 9th Ward to see the bulk of Katrina’s damage. Because of the work of previous volunteers, the area is now just a grassy field with a couple of completed homes by Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation. Only the remaining stoops leading to nowhere and a memorial sign suggested that this area had been badly hurt. Still, one could sense the vulnerability pervading the area. The grassy knolls once filled with homes were a reminder that even four years later, people are still affected by Katrina and that there is still work towards recovery to be done.
Obviously, there are enough stories in the headlines (i.e. the economy) to take our minds off the damaged Gulf Coast. But the SHN trip was a wake-up call – there are homes to be built, businesses to be re-established, and radio policies to be developed. For me, this wake-up call reminded me of the reason I came to law school – that is, to perform public service – and to keep my mind focused on that goal.
On a final note, I would definitely recommend next year’s 1Ls to consider going on the SHN trip. The reasons to visit New Orleans are endless (The music! The food! The Hurricanes and the subsequent hangovers!). But the SHN trip introduced me to fantastic people at Fordham Law who are committed to helping others, yet another reason to find law school all the more enjoyable now.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sierra Club
Here are pictures of the volunteers who worked in the lower ninth ward with the Sierra Club.
Monday, January 5, 2009
New Orleans- January 2009
With a new year comes a new group of Fordham students volunteering in New Orleans. 25 students and 1 staff member have traveled down and begin working on Monday the 5th. We have volunteers working at the Sierra Club, Disaster Accountability Project, and the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thanks from LJI
We got this great thank-you from the Louisiana Justice Institute-- we're glad we were able to help out!
Dear Dean Treanor:
In early January, the Louisiana Justice Institute had the pleasure of hosting law student volunteers from Fordham Law School. I am writing now to commend your students for their excellent work. It was also a pleasure for us to have the students with us for the week; they brought great energy and life to our office.
As a small non-profit legal advocacy organization based in New Orleans, we rely heavily on volunteers for much of our research and writing, as well as our large-scale information gathering and outreach projects. The volunteers from Fordham were key in helping us with a number of projects, including our FEMA Trailer Survey and Outreach project, in which volunteers surveyed and provided critical information to FEMA trailer residents facing imminent eviction from their trailers.
I hope you continue to lend support and encourage your law students to come to the Gulf Coast during breaks and over their summer vacations. We continue to struggle to rebuild and renew New Orleans and we will continue to welcome volunteers with open arms.
Thank you,
Lauren Bartlett
Staff Attorney*
Louisiana Justice Institute
Dear Dean Treanor:
In early January, the Louisiana Justice Institute had the pleasure of hosting law student volunteers from Fordham Law School. I am writing now to commend your students for their excellent work. It was also a pleasure for us to have the students with us for the week; they brought great energy and life to our office.
As a small non-profit legal advocacy organization based in New Orleans, we rely heavily on volunteers for much of our research and writing, as well as our large-scale information gathering and outreach projects. The volunteers from Fordham were key in helping us with a number of projects, including our FEMA Trailer Survey and Outreach project, in which volunteers surveyed and provided critical information to FEMA trailer residents facing imminent eviction from their trailers.
I hope you continue to lend support and encourage your law students to come to the Gulf Coast during breaks and over their summer vacations. We continue to struggle to rebuild and renew New Orleans and we will continue to welcome volunteers with open arms.
Thank you,
Lauren Bartlett
Staff Attorney*
Louisiana Justice Institute
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Working in New Orleans this week!
Hey all-- just a quick shout-out from the 32 strong Fordham SHN contingency working in New Orleans during a cold New Years week. This year we're working at the Pro Bono Project, the Orleans Public Defenders Office, and with the Louisiana Institute for Justice. More to report as the week and new year progress!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Gearing up for the winter!
This year's SHN board is currently working hard to find placements for the great number of students who have shown interest in this year's trip! We plan on travelling to the Gulf Coast 12/30-01/05 this year.
Shout out to Hillary!
On October 1st, the Louisiana Supreme Court and State Bar Association honored our all-star PIRC director Hillary Exter for all the work she's done and continues to do both within our SHN chapter an beyond! We couldn't be happier and can't think of anyone who deserves this more!
From Fordham Law's press release (http://law.fordham.edu/ihtml/news-2details.ihtml?id=612&nid=629):
The Supreme Court of Louisiana and the Louisiana State Bar Association honored Director of Student Organizations & Publicity of Fordham Law's Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) Hillary Exter along with other attorneys and legal services professionals in a New Orleans ceremony on October 1.Ms. Exter has worked alongside over 60 Fordham Law students and faculty as part of each Student Hurricane Network legal delegation to the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit.
In addition to her position with Fordham Law, Exter has done pro bono work with the Advancement Project, New Orleans Worker Justice Coalition, New Orleans Worker Center for Racial Justice, Orleans Public Defenders, New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, and the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund.Thursday, August 16, 2007
Life Goes On...
Life goes on....
but should it? Shouldn't it stop? When something so tragic and momentous happens shouldn't the world stop?
How can everything just go on? Shouldn't we all stop and help pick up the pieces? Help rebuild?
If it were us, wouldn't we want life to pause? Just for a second? When it happens to us, and it will, in one way or another, how will we feel as we see life carry on around us? When the world we knew is gone?
It's been almost two years and our lives goes on, but what's life like back in NOLA? We're so quick to forget; out of sight out of mind. Some didn't even blink. Others saw an opportunity to benefit themselves. But even those of us that did care enough where are we now? Our lives have moved on too.
Life has gone on....but should it have?
but should it? Shouldn't it stop? When something so tragic and momentous happens shouldn't the world stop?
How can everything just go on? Shouldn't we all stop and help pick up the pieces? Help rebuild?
If it were us, wouldn't we want life to pause? Just for a second? When it happens to us, and it will, in one way or another, how will we feel as we see life carry on around us? When the world we knew is gone?
It's been almost two years and our lives goes on, but what's life like back in NOLA? We're so quick to forget; out of sight out of mind. Some didn't even blink. Others saw an opportunity to benefit themselves. But even those of us that did care enough where are we now? Our lives have moved on too.
Life has gone on....but should it have?
Saturday, June 9, 2007
NYC Intern Collaborative
Our friend Morgan Williams is helping create an exciting collaborative for the summer. The aim is to create a network that provides a forum for 2007 NYC summer intern law students to socialize, network, and exchange ideas about social justice work.
The first event is this Tuesday, June 12th, at Sweet and Vicious at 7pm (5 Spring St, www.sweetandvicious.com).
Email summerinterncollaborative@gmail.com to RSVP- indicate law school, anticipated graduation date, and the name of the organization/firm where you are interning this summer. Hope to see you there!
The first event is this Tuesday, June 12th, at Sweet and Vicious at 7pm (5 Spring St, www.sweetandvicious.com).
Email summerinterncollaborative@gmail.com to RSVP- indicate law school, anticipated graduation date, and the name of the organization/firm where you are interning this summer. Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Linkin Park Lyrics about NOLA
The Little Things Give You Away
water grey
through the windows
up the stairs
chilling rain
like an ocean
everywhere
don't want to reach for me do you
i mean nothing to you
the little things give you away
and now there will be no mistaking
the levees are breaking
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underwater
i do
hope decays
generations disappear
washed away
as a nation simply stares
don't want to reach for me do you
i mean nothing to you
the little things give you away
and now there will be no mistaking
the levees are breaking
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underwater
i do
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underground now
i do
water grey
through the windows
up the stairs
chilling rain
like an ocean
everywhere
don't want to reach for me do you
i mean nothing to you
the little things give you away
and now there will be no mistaking
the levees are breaking
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underwater
i do
hope decays
generations disappear
washed away
as a nation simply stares
don't want to reach for me do you
i mean nothing to you
the little things give you away
and now there will be no mistaking
the levees are breaking
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underwater
i do
all you've ever wanted
was someone to truly look up to you
and six feet / underground now
i do
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