Student Spotlight: Emma Lopez-Fonte

Emma is a third-year law student at Touro who is passionate about helping others. She serves as a student leader on campus and was named the inaugural fellow for New Hour for Women and Children, a non-profit organization located in our Public Advocacy Center where she gained valuable experience and reaffirmed her decision to earn a law degree to help others. Emma is on the path to fulfilling her dream – and becoming the first person in her family to graduate from law school.

Emma Lopez-Fonte grew up with parents who dedicated themselves to helping others, providing both an example and inspiration to Emma who has decided to earn a law degree to help others.
Emma’s dad serves as a community leader and advocate and her mom works as a medical social worker. Her dad immigrated to the US from rural Dominican Republic and had always dreamed of becoming a lawyer.

“My dad definitely romanticized the idea of practicing law when I was young,” stated Emma. “It wasn’t until I was older that I realized being an attorney could enable me to help people in my community while effecting change on a larger scale.” And so, the decision to pursue a law degree was born.

Emma chose to attend Touro Law because the school reminded her of the tight-knit, smaller school where she earned her undergraduate degree. “When I visited Touro I felt a similar vibe to my undergraduate school, which was really important to me, especially when you hear about all of the law school horror stories regarding cutthroat competition amongst students. My time at Touro Law has been a testament to a welcoming community of faculty, staff, and students who are all dedicated to helping each individual succeed.”

Emma has found success at Touro Law. She has immersed herself in the law school community serving as the public relations representative for the Environmental Law Society, Vice President for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Student Chapter, and the Pro Bono Chair for the Family Law Society. She also served as the inaugural legal fellow for the public advocacy group New Hour for Women and Children, a non-profit agency dedicated to serving justice-impacted women and children. As a fellow, she attended court hearings and participated in a leadership program for New Hour clients.

"Throughout the summer, I got unique hands-on experience doing client intakes, receiving updates on clients and cases, assisting with mediations, doing legal research, and writing. The practical experience I gained was invaluable. Family Court can be unpredictable, things can be subject to change quickly, and learning to become adaptable to what the situation requires is essential,” stated Emma.

She continued, “My work with New Hour reaffirmed my commitment to public interest, though the work that we were doing was heavy and emotional; it was extremely rewarding to be able to help someone during a difficult time. I enjoy being able to help people with issues that impact their everyday lives. My favorite thing about family court is that often people are given opportunities to redeem themselves and evolve over time. Though no one may want to be in family court, people may end up better off. I also believe it is a privilege to practice law that requires compassion and humanity.”

The future is bright for Emma. She will graduate in May and hopes to land a job at a public interest agency on Long Island, continuing her passion to do well while serving others. She will be the first in her family to graduate with a law degree and looks forward to having her parents at commencement.