The Center for Public Service Law's annual Public Interest Law Advocacy Week (P*LAW), held Jan. 27-30, featured panels focusing on social justice within the practice of public interest law. 

“The passion shown by our P*LAW planning team this year was incredible,” said Alissa Bernstein, director of the Center for Public Service Law. “So many groups chose topics of personal importance, and the time and effort they put into planning their sessions resulted in a meaningful week of public service programming. We are grateful to everyone who contributed, including the P*LAW student planning team, the panelists and the faculty and staff who helped make it possible to hold 12 P*LAW sessions in four days.” 

At “The Future of the National Labor Relations Act Under Trump” panel, lawyers and labor organizers discussed how lawyers can interact with organizers in ways that empower clients.  

“We have to look at our role as lawyers,” said Seth Goldstein, partner, Singla & Goldstein PLLC, a Working People’s Law Center. “We have to work with negotiating and bargaining committees and groups, but we can’t supplant them for our judgment. As [my law firm partner] Retu [Singla] tells me, ‘We have to stay in our lane.’ We can’t go in and start running the union or think that our organizing tactics are better than the union’s.” 

Several Cardozo alumni, including Christine Kamerman ’07, chief of staff, New York City Law Department, Family Court Division; Noemi Masliah ’79, principal attorney, The Masliah Firm; and Bella Pori ’21, state legislative counsel, Center for Reproductive Rights, were P*LAW panelists.  

Over 30 students were involved in planning the events taking place during the week. Their work to prepare for P*LAW includes identifying panel topics, recruiting experts in that field, and then moderating the discussions. 

“During P*LAW, four months of brainstorming and organizing culminate in a fantastic set of panel conversations, workshops, and info sessions, which introduce the entire student body, faculty, and staff to new topics and skill development opportunities,” said Zachary Dugan, assistant director of the Center for Public Service Law and Office of Career Services. “We are incredibly proud of the students who chose to participate and plan in this year's week and thank them for the professionalism and effort they contributed to make it happen.” 

For more information about P*LAW and Cardozo’s Center for Public Service Law, click here.