Two Touro Law Students Receive New York City Bar Association Diversity Fellowships

Touro Law Center Dean Harry Ballan is pleased to announce that first-year students Richard Samboy and David Wright have been selected to receive New York City Bar Diversity Fellowships. Samboy will be spending the summer at Prudential Financial and Wright will be working at both the law firm of Locke Lord LLP and corporation Guardian Life Insurance of America.

Dean Harry Ballan stated, “These fellowships are extremely competitive, and these students are worthy of the distinction. We are proud of Richard and David and confident they will serve well.”

Richard is a first year, full-time day student. His dream is to become an Assistant United States Attorney or a prosecutor at the state and local level. He applied for the fellowship because he knows he can make a strong contribution in the fight for diversity and inclusion of underrepresented individuals in the legal field. He stated, “Diversity in the workplace increases productivity, creativity, cultural awareness and company reputation. Diversity in the legal field should reflect the diversity we see in our communities, especially here in New York. Richard is an active student, involved in student organizations including Public Interest Law Organization at Touro (PILOT), Immigration Law Society, and the Latino/a Students of Law Association. He is also a student rep for Westlaw Thomson Reuters, THEMIS Bar Review and a public outreach liaison for the Federal Bar Association EDNY Student Division.

David is a first-year student in the full-time program at Touro Law. As a student who entered law school as a second career, being selected or this fellowship was extra special to David. He stated, “Being a fellowship recipient is such an honor. Being acknowledged by such an esteemed panel of attorneys was a humbling experience.” He credits the Office of Career & Professional Development with preparing him for this opportunity and encouraging him to pursue it. David is an active member of BLSA and a volunteer at Breaking Barriers, an organization that helps those who have been convicted of crimes to obtain certificates which assist them in returning to the workforce. David plans to work as a corporate attorney in New York City after law school.

 

Touro Law’s Assistant Dean for the Office of Career and Professional Development Peter Ausili stated, “I am extremely proud of Richard and David. They worked hard to prepare for these fellowships. They are both determined individuals who will surely act as strong ambassadors for Touro Law. I am confident that they will make great impressions with their employers this summer. I congratulate them both.”

The selection criteria for Program Fellows are demanding, including a legal writing requirement, preparing a personal statement and being interviewed by a faculty-dominated screening committee and then, if selected by that committee, interviewed again by a panel of attorneys and other school representatives. The interviewing panel also reviews the candidate's undergraduate and law school transcripts, resume, personal statement and legal writing sample. Only those who pass this final hurdle are assigned to a participating employer.

 

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Patti Desrochers

Director of Communications

pattid@tourolaw.edu

(631) 761-7062