Hofstra University's law school in Hempstead has a new center for students who want to spend their careers in public service, paid for by two of its own graduates. The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University announced on Oct. 28 that a $10 million gift from Emily Mendel and Stephen Mendel, both members of the Class of 1977, has created the Mendel Center for Public Justice.

Why the Mendels gave it

Both Mendels came to law school as nontraditional students. According to the school, their time at Hofstra Law left them convinced that lawyers have a responsibility to improve the world around them, but their student debt and other financial obligations made public sector jobs hard to take after graduation. The center is built to remove that obstacle for students coming after them, so that a graduate who wants to work for a legal aid office, a government agency or a nonprofit can afford to.

The gift builds on a scholarship the couple already funds, the Emily and Stephen Mendel Public Justice Scholarship. Current Mendel Scholars spoke to the couple about the scholarship's effect at the center's launch event.

What the center will do

The Mendel Center is now the law school's home for public service. The school lists five things it will support:

  • Public interest scholarships, fellowships and stipends for internships, research and other public service work.
  • Personal academic and career advising, including help with internships and job placement.
  • Mentorship and networking with alumni, practicing lawyers and leaders in public interest law.
  • Pro bono programs and partnerships that expand access to legal help.
  • Hofstra Law's Public Justice Foundation and its public interest fellowships, which pay students to work for people and communities who might otherwise go without a lawyer.

Students will be placed through fellowships, pro bono projects and partnerships with legal services groups, government agencies and nonprofits on Long Island, in New York City and across the country.

Who leads it

The center's executive director is Jennifer Gundlach, who holds the Emily and Stephen Mendel Distinguished Professorship and is a clinical professor of law. She will run its programs and work with students, faculty, alumni and community partners. Dean Jenny Roberts and Hofstra President Susan Poser both marked the gift at its announcement. Dariely Rodriguez, a 2006 graduate who is chief counsel of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, spoke at the launch about the school's record of supporting students headed into public service.

The pro bono record it builds on

Public service is already a large part of student life at the school. Hofstra Law reports that its Class of 2026 contributed nearly 80,000 hours of pro bono work before graduating, and the school's Pro Bono Scholars Program recently marked its tenth year.

For prospective students and the public

The law school is on Hofstra's campus in Hempstead. Information on the Mendel Center, its fellowships and how students apply is on the Hofstra Law public service page.

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