Hon. Paula L. Feroleto, Administrative Judge of the Eighth Judicial District, and Joseph M. Hanna, Esq., President of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, are proud to announce a new and collaborative program designed to provide court internship opportunities for minority law students at the University of Buffalo Law School.  Justice Feroleto has stated, “We are very excited about the great opportunity this new program will provide the students and see it as a positive step in the further education of the next generation of lawyers.”   The internship program will allow law students from the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) to gain first hand knowledge of the inner workings of the Civil, Criminal and Family Court.  The goal of this program is to expose the law students to court operations by observing the day‑to‑day interactions between lawyers and the court, criminal and civil motions, jury selection and trials.  The students will work either one on one with a Judge or attend various proceedings in the different courts. They will familiarize themselves with the real life application of the law and how it impacts on the lives of actual people.  Both Justice Feroleto and the Minority Bar Association consider this type of hands‑on learning to be an invaluable experience and a necessary component to the law students’ future legal paths.  Hanna, a Partner at Goldberg Segalla LLP explains, “As a diverse law student, I had an opportunity to clerk for a Judge while in law school.  It was, and still is one of the most rewarding experiences of my legal career.  My clerkship gave me a great understanding of the legal process through a practical learning experience.”

The Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Inc. (“MBAWNY”) is an organization comprised of minority attorneys in Western New York, whose goals are to protect the civil rights of all people, and to enhance the legal services available to minority communities.  The MBAWNY also provides scholarships and mentoring programs to students, and educational and professional support to minority attorneys and legal professionals.