Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn Law School offers students over 190 courses and seminars in the law. Brooklyn Law School’s main academic building at 250 Joralemon Street houses classrooms, faculty offices, a conference center, dining hall, and a four-story law library with 550,000 volumes. The office building across the street at One Boerum Place houses many of the law school’s clinics, the student journals, the bookstore, and administrative offices.
Brooklyn Law School Rankings
Brooklyn Law School Tuition and Fees
| | | | |
| Living Independently | Living with Parents |
| | | | |
| Full-Time | Part-Time | Full-Time | Part-Time |
| | | | |
| Tuition & Fees * | | | | |
| | | | |
| Books | | | | |
| | | | |
| Housing | | | $0 | $0 |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| Living Expenses | | | | |
| | | | |
| Transportation | | | | |
| | | | |
| Health Insurance* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Loan Fees | | | | |
| Total Expenses | | | | |
| | | | |
| * Student may receive a budget adjustment for health insurance costs. | | | | |
| * First-year students also pay a $25 registration fee. |
Academics of Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School’s LL.M. program offers foreign-trained lawyers the opportunity to study United States law and to learn how U.S. lawyers approach specific types of legal issues. The program is also designed to train foreign-educated lawyers in using legal English as it is used in U.S. legal practice.
Brooklyn Law School News
- Jennifer Ashburn ’04 Named Young Lawyer of the Year by the South Carolina Bar - Wed, 16 May 2012
Jennifer Ashburn ’04 was named Young Lawyer of the Year by the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division. This Award is given annually to recognize a young lawyer who most exemplifies excellence in practicing law and public service. The award was presented on Thursday, May 3, during the Bar’s House of Delegates meeting at the South Carolina Bar Conference Center in Columbia.
Ashburn was recognized for her impressive commitment to public service. She serves on the board of directors of the Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity, and through the Young Lawyers Division, she launched the Habitat for Humanity Wills Clinic Committee. This committee coordinates clinics throughout the state to provide free services to Habitat owners including wills, health care powers of attorney, and living wills free of charge. Ashburn’s clinic has served approximately 130 homeowners since its inception.
Ashburn is also actively involved with the United Way, participating on the Women in Philanthropy Committee and the Young Leaders Society. Her leadership in these two areas has resulted in significant membership growth and enabled the United Way to attract new donors. She also chairs the organization’s new Advocacy Committee, guiding efforts to engage in public policy issues affecting the organization and service recipients.
 |  |
|
Ashburn has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s degree from New York University in Industrial Organizational Psychology. After graduating from the Law School, she clerked for the Hon. Margaret B. Seymour of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She remained in South Carolina, practicing general litigation and corporate law at several firms before starting her own law practice in September where she handles civil defense litigation and real estate cases.
“The Young Lawyers Division is fortunate to have an extraordinary group of leaders who demonstrate professionalism and community service in their practices and in a broad range of programs across the state,” said Will Johnson, secretary/treasurer of the Young Lawyers Division. “Jennifer exemplifies those characteristics. As the founding member and chair of the Habitat for Humanity Wills Clinic Committee, she has helped countless people in difficult situations, encouraged other young lawyers to follow her lead in serving the public, and fostered goodwill for the state’s legal community.”
“I owe my success to all of the different people who have helped me along the way, from Professor Marilyn Walter who inspired me to stay in Law School when I had my doubts, to Judge Seymour, and the members of the South Carolina Bar who help me every day,” she said. “It’s nice to be recognized for all the hard work, because it has been challenging to juggle it all. I am very honored.”
- IBL Roundtable Luncheon Hosts Jeremy Baskin of the Office of International Trade - Wed, 16 May 2012
In March, the Dennis J. Block Center for International Business Law (IBL) and the Customs and International Trade Bar Association hosted an IBL Roundtable Luncheon at Brooklyn Law School. IBL fellows, faculty, alumni, and practitioners enjoyed an inside perspective on recent developments at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency from Jeremy Baskin, Senior Adviser to the Executive Director, Regulations and Rulings, at the Office of International Trade (OIT).
Baskin has had a long career with Customs and Border Protection, serving as the Director of the Border Security and Trade Compliance Division, Regulations and Rulings, in the Office of International Trade, as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Commissioner for Regulations and Rulings, and as Senior Attorney in the Penalties Branch.
He spoke about current reform efforts at the OIT and the various motivations behind them. He identified three sources as major motivators behind the reform efforts: the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC), the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), and internal reforms at the OIT.
Baskin also discussed specific examples of reform. He noted that the OIT is in the process of changing the inbond-entry form, clarifying that this is an area that had been identified as vulnerable to smugglers. The new reform is designed to ensure that there is an adequate monitor in place, requiring the reconciliation of inbound and outbound shipments to prevent loss of duties.
Baskin went on to explain that many statutes and procedures were drawn up before the widespread use of technology became the norm. As a result, he argued, there are areas where smarter electronic solutions can be implemented to improve efficiency, such as redesigning the administrative system used to manage the current mitigation scheme and creating centers of excellence and expertise that would bring together industry experts to create a more streamlined process.
The IBL Center’s mission is to contribute to the exploration of timely issues of interest to business organizations, regulators, policy makers, practitioners, jurists, scholars, and future lawyers in this important field. IBL Roundtables enrich the educational experience for fellows by exposing them to prominent leaders in the area of international business law.
- Professor David Reiss Comments on Obsolete City Reports - Thu, 10 May 2012
Professor David Reiss recently spoke to Channel 13 News about New York's plan to overhaul obscure committees and reports that no longer hold any purpose. The new Report and Advisory Board Review Commission will assess bureaucratic groups, such as the Tattoo Regulation Advisory Committee and the Horse Drawn Cab stand Report, to determine whether they have become obsolete. One of these reports is the Zoning and Planning Report, which was supposed to outline future NYC developments but has never actually released any such agenda.
Professor Reiss agreed that the Report is redundant, especially now that development plans are available on the Department of City Planning's website. “I’m in favor of some well-resourced arm of the city government thinking about the big picture,” said Reiss. “But [the Department of] City Planning doesn’t do comprehensive planning. It responds to proposals brought to it.”
Read the full article.
- Professor Elizabeth Schneider Discusses Flaws in "Stand Your Ground" Laws on MSNBC - Tue, 08 May 2012
Professor Elizabeth Schneider was a featured guest on MSNBC to discuss the “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows individuals in several states to use self-defense against an attacker without an obligation of retreat following the attack. While a growing number of people criticize “Stand Your Ground” as a response to the Trayvon Martin murder case, Professor Schneider sought to expose other problems with the law. In particular, she spoke about domestic violence disputes that led to the conviction of battered women instead of their abusers. Whereas Trayvon Martin’s killer will use “Stand Your Ground” as a defense in court, women such as Marissa Alexander, who fired a warning shot at her abusive husband and did not harm him, faces 20 years in prison for attempted murder.
Professor Schneider commented on what she sees as a double standard: “The kinds of understandings that judges and juries bring show a lack of understanding of the history of abuse, a lack of sensitivity to women who have experienced abuse, and a sense that these women cannot be reasonable, which is a critical facet of what the self-defense laws require.”
View video of the interview.
Read more on Care2.
- The Sparer Fellowship Program Addresses Issues in Employment Law for Transgender Employees - Tue, 08 May 2012
On March 21, students, faculty and alumni of the Law School joined members of the Sparer Fellowship Program for a luncheon and panel discussion on employment law issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community, particularly for transgender workers.
The Sparer Fellowship Program sponsors a series of public interest and multi-disciplinary forums throughout the academic year. These programs cover a wide array of public interest topics, including economic development, violence against women, and immigration law. The March event was organized by Sparer Fellow Rebeccah Watson ’12. “Putting this panel together was important to me, as I have a long abiding interest in the issues of women’s rights and LGBTQ and employment law,” said Watson.
Professor Minna Kotkin, the Director of the Law School’s Employment Law Clinic, moderated a distinguished panel of scholars that included Dru Levasseur, an attorney with Lambda Legal, Michael Silverman, Executive Director for the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF), and Carmelyn Malalis, a partner at the firm of Outten & Golden.
The program began with an overview by Kotkin on the challenges facing transgender individuals, noting that in a recent national survey of transgender and gender nonconforming people, 90 percent reported some form of harassment or mistreatment on the job. Approximately half of transgender people report experiencing an adverse job outcome because of their gender identity. This includes being allegedly passed over for a job (44 percent), getting fired (26 percent), and being denied a promotion (23 percent).
Levasseur expressed the economic impact employment discrimination has on transgender workers. “Over 50 percent of trans people are living on the poverty line” said Levasseur, who noted that last year 10 percent of the more than 7,000 help desk calls placed to Lambda Legal were transgender-related. “Many trans people can’t find jobs, are fired, or have job offers or benefits rescinded due to their gender identity or expression. It is important for employers and state and federal governments to be explicit about protecting the rights of transgender workers,” he said.
Silverman discussed the discriminatory issues related to medically necessary healthcare for transgender employees. For example, transgender people face the greatest barriers to quality healthcare, coupled with a shortage of research on areas such as cancer risks and patient experiences. “They face frequent discrimination by healthcare providers, many of whom also lack information about transgender bodies and healthcare needs,” said Silverman.
Malalis agreed that the law has progressed over the last 35 years to reflect that discrimination based on gender is no different than discrimination based on changing one’s gender. But she added that much more needs to be done. “Although legal conversations are important, the education component of this is equally as important” she pointed out. She encouraged students to “think of creative ways to influence employees, employers, and judges to help build a foundation of policy, practice, and education” that would aid this population.
“Employment discrimination against transgender persons is a significant issue in today’s workplace,” added Kotkin. “These nationally known legal advocates are leading the way for us in developing both legislative and litigation-related strategies to address this issue.”
- The National Lawyers Guild Honors Members of the Brooklyn Law School Community - Tue, 08 May 2012
Two members of the Brooklyn Law School community will be honored at the June National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Spring Fling, an event to celebrate the Guild’s continuing commitment to the movement for social change. Cristina Lee ’12 is among those being recognized for her contributions to the New York Chapter’s Occupy Wall Street (OWS) efforts. The evening will also include a special tribute to the Honorable Emily Jane Goodman ’68 for her years of work as a people’s advocate and judicial visionary.
For over 65 years, the Guild’s New York City Chapter has provided support for the struggles of racial justice, civil rights and workers’ rights. It is the oldest and largest public interest, human rights bar organization in the United States. In recent years the New York City Chapter has led the effort to provide legal support for major anti-war and anti-globalization demonstrations. Headquartered in New York, its chapters are in every state across the nation.
 | |
| Christine Lee '12 |
Lee was a member of the NLG’s legal support team for OWS where she devoted countless hours to co-creating and implementing an on-site system to efficiently match arrestees with attorneys and track return dates. “The collective effort to create this system is what I am most proud of,” she said. “The collaboration reminded me of why I came to law school and has kept me grounded to what is important to me.” Lee, a NLG Executive Committee member, has conducted legal observer trainings at the Law School, in addition to events concerning G.I. resisters, U.S. war crimes and reproductive rights.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Goodman has been recognized nationally for her work on behalf of women in domestic relations matters, as well as in employment and housing discrimination. “It is very rewarding that my work of these many years is appreciated by the Guild and has conveyed the values that are essential to follow,” Goodman said.
After 30 years as a judge, the “retired” Goodman is poised to begin a private practice with a new firm in the coming year. “My partners and I have all been known for breaking barriers all of our lives,” she said, “and we hope to continue that momentum.”
- Sparer Public Interest Law Forum Addresses Representing the Poor in a Recession - Tue, 08 May 2012
This year’s Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Forum, held on March 15, explored the causes of poverty and the impact of the recession on low-income individuals and families. Panelists sought to examine how advocates use the law to address these problems.
“Since the recession began in 2007, unemployment has nearly doubled, and 46 million Americans live in poverty,” said Professor Elizabeth Schneider, Director of the Sparer Program. “While most of these families have at least one person working, they are frequently underpaid or underemployed, making as little as $14,500 a year at minimum wage jobs. To make ends meet, low-income individuals and families often have to borrow, paying unreasonably high interest rates and charges, which erode their already limited resources. Together these pressures have forced more New York City residents into homelessness and hunger than ever before.”
Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center and national expert on poverty and social movements, gave the keynote address. Following her remarks, five public interest attorneys offered perspectives on their approach to practicing public interest law. They were Richard Blum, Legal Aid Society/Employment Law Project; Brooke Richie, Resilience Advocacy Project; Ted Barbieri ’08, Urban Justice Center/Community Development Project; Sarah Ludwig, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP); and Jennifer DaSilva from Start Small, Think Big.
Piven began her talk by recounting the history of poverty law, explaining how contemporary legal advocacy for the poor is directly connected with the social movements of the 1960s. She also shared her memories of Edward Sparer, the program’s namesake. She explained how he began his social justice career handing out flyers on the street to help represent individuals who were wrongfully denied government benefits.
One of the themes that emerged during the forum was the evolving characterization of poverty in American society. According to Piven, during what she described as an “attack on welfare,” critics of government programs have characterized recipients of public assistance as “lazy, promiscuous, and generally lacking self-control.” Sarah Ludwig pointed out that such characterizations continue within the context of consumer debt. According to the panelists, such stereotypes were tools deployed to shift focus away from the systemic causes of inequality.
“It was amazing to learn about the innovative work that attorneys are performing in the community to address the collateral effects of poverty,” said Sarah DeVita ’14. “It was encouraging to learn that we work not in a vacuum, but within a context of an entire movement.”
Another theme that was addressed was that attorneys performing social justice work must be creative in their approach. The panel illustrated how public interest is not the norm in the legal profession, and that those dedicated to social justice may have to make their way against the current. Nonetheless, the passion and enthusiasm expressed by all the panelists gave the impression that navigating these rough waters was well worth the effort.
- Professor Jonathan Askin Speaks to the Huffington Post about Traditional Media vs. New Media in Political Campaigns - Mon, 07 May 2012
As the number of social media users continues to skyrocket, politicians preparing for the 2012 elections are exploring new forms of media to share their messages. Professor Jonathan Askin explained to the Huffington Post that local media strategies in particular will be significant to elections on every level of government. “With old media tools, local press, radio and TV, it was difficult for a candidate to wage a nationwide, local strategy,” he said. “The Internet finally makes local campaigning, with national themes and local messaging, effective for presidential politics.”
Read the full article.
- Professor Jonathan Askin Discusses SOPA and Alternative Solutions to Piracy in the Huffington Post - Mon, 07 May 2012
In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Professor Jonathan Askin commented on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). While Hollywood and other content creators who support the bills claim the new legislation would crack down on copyright infringement, those in the tech industries argue SOPA and PIPA will only stifle innovation and online free speech.
Professor Askin believes that instead of stricter copyright laws, paid online distribution by content creators would be a better solution to piracy. “Consumers use the Internet to get access directly to content. They don't necessarily need the cable network or newspaper to do it,” he said. “Can't ‘American Idol’ go directly to the people? The only reason they can’t is because you have the cable and broadband industry that has corralled the world into thinking you need to be part of their system to get ‘American Idol.’”
Read the full article.
Post from Our Blog
