The American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Pro Bono and Access to Justice Section
established the Pro Bono Honor Roll to acknowledge and highlight the exceptional work of individuals engaging in, expanding,
and/or supporting their law school community in providing pro bono legal services.
Each law school may name one faculty member, one staff member, and one student for
the Honor Roll each year. Seton Hall Law School has named two individuals and one
student group to the 2024 Pro Bono Honor Roll to recognize the tremendous contributions
they have made to both the University and the community.
In the spring of 2024, the Black Law Students Association (“BLSA”) collaborated with the Criminal Defense and Community Advocacy Clinic, directed by Professor Isis Misdary, to develop and launch an innovative approach to criminal records advice, support, and services known as BLSA “Shop Talks.” These talks are pop up legal clinics in Black and Brown barbershops. While a public defender in Philadelphia, Professor Misdary first developed Shop Talks collaborating with Black-owned barbershops throughout Philadelphia to bring legal clinics and legal trainings, with food and drinks, to their shops. BLSA is the first student group in the country to implement the model with its own take: providing free haircuts for those seeking services — in other words, a clean record and a fresh cut. At the first event in April 2024, held in Newark, the project provided expungement information, advice, and same day filings for approximately 30 community members, as well as free haircuts for the first fifteen community members who registered. Three leaders from the 2023-24 BLSA Executive Board led the program: Jahmir Sterling '24, Rahim Mahmoud '25, and Camile Taylor '25.
Kayla Strube received the Staff Award. For three years, Strube has supported the expansion of the Housing Justice Project at the Seton Hall Law School Center for Social Justice as the Project Coordinator. Her creativity and keen organizational skills have been crucial to the Project's successful events and programming, such as the Housing Justice Summit held each fall. She provides hands on support for many events including Continuing Legal Education events, pro bono clinics, and law student informational sessions. Strube recognizes the importance of communications to promote the Center's social justice mission and effectively manages its social media accounts to highlight the critical role of pro bono service.
Professor Jonathan Hafetz received the faculty award. In addition to his teaching and scholarship as a full-time tenured faculty member, Hafetz serves as co-counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union and other attorneys in two federal cases. In one matter, he is assisting in the representation of a Chinese American citizen in a civil action based on his unlawful seizure and prosecution by the FBI; in the other, he is assisting in the representation of a noncitizen in a habeas action challenging prolonged immigration detention. This builds on more than two decades of his pro bono work representing individuals to vindicate constitutional and human rights.
Congratulations to The Black Law Students Association 2023-24 Executive Board, Kayla Strube, and Professor Jonathan Hafetz! You can see the listing of all award recipients here: Annual Pro Bono Honor Roll | Association of American Law Schools
Related Stories: https://law.shu.edu/news/seton-hall-law-community-members-named-to-american-association-of-law-schools-2023-pro-bono-honor-roll.html
For more information, please contact:
Seton Hall Law School
