Supporting the Pipeline to Practice

Haub Law is committed to diversifying and advancing the legal profession by exposing, educating, and preparing underrepresented students for careers in law. The Law School aims to advance civic and legal education to empower youth in our community and beyond. Each year, the Law School hosts numerous pipeline programs in partnership with local organizations, government, court systems and legal firms who share our mission.

Pipeline programs are an important part of Haub Law’s Access to Justice Project, which was announced by Dean Horace Anderson in 2020. Pace A2J incorporates curricular, experiential, research, and policy advocacy components, all designed to increase student, faculty and staff engagement in pro bono and community work, and to support the local community in addressing justice gaps. Already, Pace A2J has made notable strides in building community connections and engaging students in efforts to address justice and inequity gaps through curricular, pro bono, and programmatic innovations.

Verizon Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program

In addition to our annual pipeline programs, Haub Law has entered into two major diversity focused partnerships in 2022-23.

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In March 2023, Haub Law students partnered with attorneys from Verizon to deliver its Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, a global program aiming to advance civic and law education to empower youth. The four-part program included classroom workshops on law-related topics at New Rochelle High School, culminating with a full-day capstone experience at the Law School.

The program was spearheaded by Haub Law alumnus Jerome Silber ’83, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Verizon Business Group. Sibler, along with six volunteer attorneys from across Verizon’s legal department, has been running the program for five years. Verizon currently supports Street Law programs in 11 cities, and has reached out to Haub Law to expand its Westchester County program.

“Our partnership with Haub Law was a natural fit,” said Silber. “I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with my alma matter and the law students have been such an asset to our program. They bring a fresh perspective on the curriculum we’ve developed and are great role models for high school students. It has been a rewarding experience for all of us to teach young people in our community about the law and legal profession. Our goal is to provide a support system to help them get where they need to go.

In coordination with the host teacher from New Rochelle High School, eight Haub Law students joined the Verizon attorneys to prepare and teach classes on Immigration Law, Advertising Law, and Search and Seizure to 20 students enrolled in a business law class.

During the seminars, students examined different areas of the law and engaged in discussion and role playing, acting out scenarios such as reasonable search and seizure during a routine traffic stop based on the Fourth Amendment. They learned how to evaluate truthful vs deceptive advertisements and to determine what kind of immigration visa is required for different situations.

The class took a trip to the Law School for the final capstone of the program, which included workshops where students prepared arguments on each topic and presented before a panel of judges. As part of the day’s agenda, students enjoyed a tour of the Law School and casual career conversations with law students, faculty, and Verizon lawyers.

“Programs like this are so important to educate students to know and understand the law, and to be empowered to use it,” said Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson. “We are thrilled to support partners like Verizon who share our commitment to addressing the dearth of diversity in the legal profession and who devote their energy on impactful ways that can improve access to justice in our community.”

Second Circuit Pipeline Program

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The second diversity-focused partnership is with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Named The Honorable Robert A. Katzmann Justice For All: Courts and the Community Initiative, the civic education project of the Second Circuit federal courts, was launched by the late Second Circuit Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann in 2014. The two-part program brings students first to the federal courthouse and then to a law school.

The first part of the program was held on November 10, 2022, at the federal courthouse in White Plains, and featured speakers including U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah, and several federal judges from the Southern District of New York.

The “Day in Law School” was the second segment of a two-part immersive experience designed to provide Westchester high school students with opportunities to learn about the law and the legal system, including careers in that system. On March 24, 2023, the Second Circuit, Haub Law, and the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Community Youth Court held an event at the Law School for high school students throughout Westchester County and beyond.

U.S. Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco and Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson welcomed high school students to the Law School, where they engaged with law students and faculty, toured the Law School campus, participated in a mock law school class taught by Professor Emily Gold Waldman, took part in a Supreme Court argument simulation, and heard from a variety of speakers, including former New York Jets player, and now New York City-based attorney, Michael Catapano. The two-part program is the first of its kind for the Second Circuit.

Summer 2022 Pipeline Partnerships

The Scales of Justice Academy was founded in 2009 by Haub Law Adjunct Professor the Honorable La Tia W. Martin, New York State Supreme Court Justice. Each year, promising young women from diverse backgrounds are selected to participate in this two-week program, which is designed to inspire future educational paths that might lead to careers in the law.

Haub Law participated in a Mock Legislature event with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ Youth Advisory Council, at the New York State Judicial Institute. The event provided hands-on experience in the State legislative and democratic process for Westchester County youth, promoting skills that foster civic engagement.

The New York Legal Education Opportunity Program, organized by the Hon. Kathie E. Davidson of the New York State Judicial Institute, returned to the Haub Law campus this past summer. The intense six-week program promotes academic success in law school for those historically under- represented in the legal profession. Haub Law welcomed five of the program’s 2022 graduates to its class of 2025 this past fall.

Haub Law hosted the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Youth Court Law Day 2022, bringing together bright and ambitious students with a passion for social justice to learn about the field of law. Students had a chance to meet law leaders including Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah and Dean Horace Anderson, as well as law students who joined a career panel to provide advice about law school.