About

Richard Hooks Wayman, National Executive Director of The Children’s Defense Fund, To Be Touro Law Center’s 2017 Public Interest Lawyer in Residence

September 28, 2017

Richard Hooks Wayman, the National Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), will be Touro Law Center’s 2017 Distinguished Public Interest Lawyer in Residence, at the school’s Central Islip campus on Thursday-Friday, October 19-20, 2017. 

CDF is a national non-profit founded in 1973 that focuses on child welfare, legislative advocacy and research. Its stated purpose is "to ensure every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities." Before joining CDF in 2016, Mr. Hooks Wayman was the Chief Executive Officer of LUK, Inc., a multifaceted social service agency offering foster care, residential care, behavioral health treatment, mentorship, public health prevention programming and housing assistance to homeless youth in Central Massachusetts. Prior to that he was the Executive Director for Hearth Connection, Minnesota’s largest statewide nonprofit collaborative network of supportive housing for homeless families, adults and youth. Earlier experiences include work as a Senior Youth Policy Analyst for the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington, D.C., and Public Policy Campaign Director for the Minnesota Youth Service Association. He began his professional career as a litigator at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis after graduating with high distinction from the University of Iowa and its College of Law. For more on CDF visit www.childrensdefense.org. 

The Law Center’s Distinguished Public Interest Lawyer in Residence program recognizes attorneys who have made significant contributions to society by representing individuals or groups historically denied access to justice. Previous honorees include Seymour James, Jr., Attorney-in-Chief, the Legal Aid Society of New York; Elaine Jones, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund director-counsel; Judith Lichtman, Women's Legal Defense Fund president; David C. Leven, Prisoners' Legal Services of New York executive director; and Stephen B. Bright, Director, The Southern Center for Human Rights. 

Mr. Hooks Wayman will be participating in classes and other school activities, and meeting with students, student groups and community leaders during his stay. One highlight of his visit will be his keynote address at the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless 29th Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference at the Law Center on Friday, October 20. The conference offers a rich menu of programs on legal and practical issues related to homelessness prevention. For more on the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, including conference registration and information: www.addressthehomeless.org.
XXX

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law is located adjacent to both a state and a federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York. Touro Law’s proximity to the courthouses, coupled with programming developed to integrate the courtroom into the classroom, provide a one-of-a kind learning experience for law students, combining a rigorous curriculum taught by expert faculty with a practical courtroom experience. Touro Law is dedicated to providing hands-on learning that enables students to gain experience while offering much-needed legal services in the community.

Touro Law, which has an alumni base of more than 6,000, offers full- and part-time J.D. programs where students can earn a degree in 2, 3, 4 or 5 years and provides four areas of concentration. Touro Law offers several dual degree programs and graduate law programs for US and foreign law graduates, including a new online LL.M. in Aging & Longevity Law. Touro Law Center is part of the Touro College system.

About the Touro College and University System 
Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 18,000 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has 30 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and its Nevada branch campus; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Ill. are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System. For further information on Touro College, please go to: http://www.touro.edu/news/.

For more info contact:
Patti Desrochers
Director of Communications
pattid@tourolaw.edu
(631) 761-7062

Request Information