ASB Site Leader Info

Site Leader Information Sheet

Program Overview:

LSHR’s Alternative Spring Break program (ASB) is a unique program which offers several amazing opportunities to site leaders and participants. ASB affords the opportunity to: participate in a week-long internship with a public interest organization; experience new cultures; work directly with pressing legal issues; bond with a diverse group of NYU School of Law students; and network with NYU alumni and public interest practitioners. This year, a total of 36 NYU students will participate in the program with 12 students on each site. Two of the 12 students at each site will be the site leaders. Participation in the program includes funds to cover the cost of travel and to subsidize the cost of food. The 2006-2007 sites are:

Urban Justice, Bronx County, NY: Bronx County is the poorest urban county in our country and third poorest county overall. In 2003, statistics showed that 26.8 % of the total Bronx County population lived below the poverty line. NYU students will work with several prominent Bronx legal service organizations over spring break, including the Bronx Defenders, Legal Services New York and Legal Aid Society.

Immigrant Rights, Miami: Over 51% of the population in Miami-Dade is foreign born. Despite the enormity of the immigrant population, Florida immigrants continue to face discrimination and abusive prosecution. NYU students in Miami will advocate for immigrant rights with nationally renowned organizations such as FIAC, Catholic Charities Legal Services, St. Thomas Human Rights Coalition, and Church World Service. Spanish language skills are recommended but not required.

Hurricane Rebuilding, New Orleans: Last year, NYU students in New Orleans assisted along a broad spectrum of relief and rebuilding efforts, from advocating for voters rights to investigating allegations of police misconduct. The legal questions and problems facing the individuals and communities throughout the Gulf Coast region remain monumental in scale, and will persist for months and years to come. Through our partnership with Student Hurricane Network, NYU students will again work with a variety of legal services organizations in New Orleans to assist with rebuilding efforts.

Site Leader Qualifications:
Above all, LSHR is looking for site leaders who are genuinely excited about ASB and dedicated to facilitating a successful experience for their site. Site leaders must be able to work well with a diverse group of people. It is important that site leaders are comfortable leading others, planning events and meetings, and finding creative solutions to unexpected problems.

Site Leader Responsibilities:
Site leaders will work in pairs to lead the other 10 students in their spring break service. Although the specific duties vary from site to site, general site leader responsibilities include:

• acting as a liaison between the site’s service organization and site participants;
• arranging housing and travel logistics for your site with help from the LSHR Domestic Service Chair;
• assisting with participant recruitment and placements in January;
• holding a minimum of 3 site meetings in advance of spring break in order to plan logistics, facilitate group bonding, and educate the site about legal issues relevant to your site’s work;
• attending the full week of ASB, from Sunday, March 11th to Saturday, March 17th;[1] and
• preparing your group for a post-spring break ASB reception where all the sites will briefly their spring break experience to members of the NYU community.

Program Timeline:

• October 27th: Site Leader Applications Available
• November 1st: ASB Information Meeting (6:30 p.m. in VH 204)
• November 13th: Site Leader Applications Due by Midnight[2]
• November 19th: Site Leader Notification
• January 3rd: ASB Participant Applications Available
• January 10th: 2nd ASB Information Meeting
• January 17th: ASB Participant Application Due
• January 22nd: ASB Participants Notification
• January 22nd – March 9th: ASB Group Meetings
• March 11th – March 17th: Spring Break
• March 28th: ASB Reception

Questions? Want a Site Leader Application? Contact Mimi Franke
LSHR Domestic Service Chair
mimifranke@nyu.edu
615.293.5003

[1] Sunday, March 11th and Saturday, March 17th are travel days for the New Orleans and Miami sites. Site leaders and participants are free to arrive anytime on March 11th and to leave anytime on March 17th. Site leaders and participants for Bronx County commit to the full work week only.
[2] Email your application to lshr.nyu@gmail.com or submit a hard copy to Mimi Franke’s clinical mailbox on the 5th floor of Furman.