Legal Hand Inc., a New York state not-for-profit corporation, has partnered with the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University to launch the Legal Hand Call-In Center to serve Westchester County. The virtual center will be staffed and operated by the law school students and will open for visitors in the new year.
Haub Law students, along with college students and community volunteers, will be trained to assist those who live, work and send children to school in Westchester by phone and online and provide legal information, assistance and referrals. While the center will not provide legal advice or representation, it will serve as a valuable resource for community members seeking guidance in areas such as employment, housing, family, immigration, domestic violence and public benefits.
The Legal Hand Call-In Center serving Westchester County will function as part of the law school”™s broader Access to Justice Project, which incorporates curricular, experiential, research and policy advocacy components, all designed to increase student, faculty and staff engagement in pro bono and community work, and to support the local community in addressing justice gaps.
“”¦The center”™s goals are to empower both volunteers and visitors to understand and navigate issues and self-help resources, and to help visitors resolve issues before they turn into legal action,” said Horace E. Anderson, dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law.
Professor Elyse Diamond is spearheading the Call-In Center partnership and launch and will serve as the faculty advisor for Haub Law students participating in the program.
Stephanie Costa, the Legal Hand Call-In Center attorney reporting to Professor Diamond, will train and supervise the law students and community volunteers. Prior to joining Haub Law, Costa litigated cases on tenants”™ rights and fair housing issues on behalf of individual New Yorkers and tenant associations at Legal Services-New York City. She received her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law and undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Diego Gomez, a 2022 graduate of the law school, has been hired as the center manager and will assist in the center”™s training and administration.
Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, which has long been ranked among the world”™s leading university programs, with a current No. 1 ranking by “U.S. World and News Report.”
