The Cardozo Jurist salutes members of the Cardozo community who have put their prowess to work in the service of others. Social justice is alive at Cardozo!

January’s Public Law Advocacy Week (PLAW) ushered in a tide of public interest sentiment. A big shout-out to its coordinators: Director of Public Service Leslie Thrope, Nick Katz, 2L, Brad Roth, 3L, Daniel Pearlstein, 1L, Angela Truesdale, 1L, Marisa Rothstein, 2L, Eliza Gabai, 1L, Eric Katz, 2L, Caroline Glickler, 1L, Elizabeth Langston, 1L, Conor Gleason, 1L, Farah Zubair, 1L, Hannah Weinstein, 1L, Nick Sirabella, 1L, Regina Gennari, 1L, Charity Haliman, 1L, Dave Pollock, 1L, Amy Cross, 1L, Elana Jacob, 1L, and Kathleen Zapczynski, 1L, and to all those who attended workshops!

Jaya Vasandani, 3L, received the student PLAW INSPIRE award this year. Her dedication to criminal defense recently had her working closely with her Legal Aid mentor, as part of work with the Criminal Defense Clinic. She also continues to spend countless hours at the Correctional Association advocating for more humane prison conditions. Go Jaya!

Thank you to Eliza Gabai, 1L, and Nick Katz, 2L, for organizing the UNICEF bake sale to support relief in Haiti. The sale not only warmed our hearts and filled our bellies, but it raised over $500! This dynamic duo also coordinated the Cardozo team for the HOPE 2010 homeless count in January. Recently, Eliza arranged for the donation of computers to orphans in Rwanda.

Many thanks to Eric Katz, 2L, who arranged a large Cardozo constituency to attend Yale’s RebLaw conference in New Haven, CT.

Congratulations, Sara Lederman, 1L, for being named the “Unemployment Action Center’s Best Advocate of the Year, Cardozo Chapter.” Sara represented seven clients in their hearings for unemployment insurance this year!

Kudos to Hannah Weinstein, 1L, whose work as an advocate and translator with Sanctuary For Families helped one of her clients to gain asylum and U-Visa status in the United States! Hannah also recently helped a client beat charges of “misconduct” through the Unemployment Action Center.

Big props to Josh Moskovitz, 3L, for laboring on a recent Unemployment Action Center appeal into the wee hours of the night!

The Unemployment Action Center fun keeps going— Aaron Kleinmann, 1L, spent some of his finals period and winter break taking on UAC cases and appeals. Congratulations on your undefeated record, Aaron!

Our hats go off to Dukki Moon, 2L, who has recently been traveling to the Bronx to distribute food at shelters.

Nick Frayn 3L, had a tremendously successful year as the co-chair of the regional board of the Unemployment Action Center (UAC), a student-run, not-for-profit organization that prepares law students to advocate for jobless workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits. Congratulations, Nick, on all of your hard work!

The folks in the Criminal Defense Clinic honor Ruben Fernandez, 3L, with a special message: