The Courtroom is the Classroom

All rise! More than 120 students from high schools across Long Island will participate in an interactive, week-long program called the Justice Institute, being held from July 15 to 19, 2024, at the Alfonse M. D’Amato U.S. Courthouse in Central Islip, NY. The program is designed to introduce students to the workings of the federal courts and criminal justice system and to promote enlightened and responsible citizenry. 

Throughout the week, students learn from federal judges, an FBI agent, a U.S. Secret Service agent, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, federal prosecutors, and criminal defense lawyers about their respective roles in the federal court system. Students witness court proceedings throughout the week, including a naturalization ceremony. Students are also taught basic advocacy skills in several sessions by experienced lawyers, and will engage in daily practice sessions with Touro Law students and law clerks who serve as their mock trial coaches. The week culminates in a mock trial competition against the other high school students at the federal court building where families and mentors come to watch. 

The program is led by the Honorable Joseph F. Bianco, United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit and is part of The Honorable Robert A. Katzmann Justice for All: Courts and Community Initiative. Justice For All, the  civic education project of the federal courts of the Second Circuit. The Justice Institute is sponsored by the Eastern District of New York (“EDNY”) and the EDNY Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, in partnership with the Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. 

Judge Bianco states, “This program is eye-opening for many of the students who participate. Members of the bench and bar have a responsibility to teach our youth about not only the justice system but also careers available to them in the field of law. These students are eager to learn and this program is inspiring our youth to pursue careers in law. It is an inspirational program that is truly the highlight of my summer.”

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Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center 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 7,500, offers full- and part-time JD programs where students can earn a degree in 3 or 4 years. Additionally, Touro offers a hybrid, four-year FlexTime JD Program at both Long Island and Manhattan campuses, combining online and in-person learning. Touro Law offers several dual degree programs and graduate law programs for US and foreign law graduates. Touro Law Center is part of Touro University.

 

Touro University is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education chartered in 1970. Touro was founded primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,000 students are currently enrolled at Touro University’s various schools and divisions, which encompass 35 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Illinois, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois are separately accredited institutions within the Touro University system. For more information, visit www.touro.edu.

Patti Desrochers

Director of Communications

pattid@tourolaw.edu

(631) 761-7062