Touro graduates look ahead to law careers

Touro Law Center

Number of graduates: 175

Class orator: Gregory Esposito, 36, of Brooklyn, has acted in "Law & Order" on television, as well as in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. "We have to believe that among us here today sits a future Supreme Court justice, a federal judge, an attorney general. . . . It's true that many of us have yet to become employed. But that doesn't mean we should abandon the dreams we brought with us to law school."

Commencement speaker: Judge Fern A. Fisher, of the New York City courts, told of returning to New York after her graduation from Harvard Law School 33 years ago, and finding out that a bank had foreclosed on the house of her mother, a victim of domestic violence. "I understand very clearly the impact of the lack of justice on the lives of individuals. . . . Flash forward 33 years and the lack of justice is still the norm for so many people."

Graduates have their say

Malaika Lindo, 28

Oyster Bay Cove

"I'll be doing corporate work for a firm. My start date was deferred to January because of the economy. The group is busy, so that's good because the rest of the firm is not as busy. I'll be doing regulatory work, something that has interested me for a long time."

Christopher Clarke, 30

Hempstead

"I haven't found a job, and that's a kind of uneasy feeling, but I will study for the law boards - a lot of employers want someone who has just passed the boards."

Robin Daleo, 39

Westhampton Beach

"I'll be working for a Setauket firm doing elder law. I am the mother of five kids, and I've studied family law. I enjoy working with the elderly."

Menachem White, 24

Brooklyn

"I'll be working for my dad's firm, which does family and criminal law. I'll work with victims of domestic violence, helping them move on with their lives. I like representing those who need help."

Arjun Nrupathunga, 28

Central Islip

"I have been working for a firm, doing corporate law, and I hope to get an offer, but in this economy you never know. Meanwhile, I plan to work for Legal Aid, do pro bono work, until the economy improves."