Hurricane Sandy Legal Assistance Work
Hurricane Sandy struck Long Island in October 2012 devastating the lives of thousands of residents.
Thanks to a generous grant by the Rausch Foundation, Touro Law Center was able to set up TLC-HEART
(Hurricane Emergency Assistance and Referral Team) which enabled the school to provide assistance in
the immediate aftermath of the storm. At that time pro-bono opportunities involved direct client contacts,
performing intakes, and advising on where to obtain immediate survival assistance relating to food and shelter.
Now the work has evolved to researching and preparing for litigating cases in federal court on flood insurance
claims and researching and preparing policy recommendations to advocate for better disaster management
policy and procedures in case of future natural or man-made disasters. Touro Law Center’s continued work
in the area of disaster related legal assistance is now made possible by a grant from Montana Legal Services
Association which sponsors a Volunteer Sandy Assistance at Touro Law Center for a period of one year.
Some slots are available working in Touro Law Center’s Disaster Law Clinic. These placements are
limited and highly selective. A few other slots may be available with other Suffolk and Nassau Counties legal
services providers. Long Island is very geographically dispersed and public transportation is limited. A car is
the most common transportation on Long Island Most of last summer’s participants were local students who
were returning home for the summer. However, participation is open to all students. Touro Law Center has
arranged for discounted lodging at the Marriott Residence Inn located ½ a mile from the school. Central Islip is
served by the Ronkonkoma line of the Long Island Railroad which departs from Pennsylvania Station in NYC.
Interested students may contact Patricia Sturm, Esq. AmeriCorps/VISTA Volunteer In Service to America,
Touro Law Center, 225 Eastview drive, Central Islip, NY 11722 (631) 650-2311 or psturm@tourolaw.edu.
Students should send a resume and a cover letter. It would be helpful if in the cover letter, the student indicates
whether he or she is a local resident or otherwise is familiar with the area, whether they have access to a car,
and any preferences or limitations they may have as to travel and placements. While we will attempt to honor
student requests, specific placements cannot be guaranteed.
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