Written by: NANCY SHALHUB
Ever since being selected as a HOPE Fellow at Miami Law, Steven Vitale has been able to actively apply his passion for public service and pro bono work in the public sector. This summer, Vitale accepted an offer with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) in Washington, D.C. for which Vitale feels the Hope Fellowship Program prepared him well.
“The HOPE Fellowship program has provided me an invaluable opportunity to take my legal knowledge and skills outside the classroom and apply them to make a positive impact in the community,” said Vitale.
Before coming to Miami Law, Vitale attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. A born and raised Floridian, his passion for serving others would lead him to the Capital and to his placement as a Legal Intern in NACDL’s White Collar Crime Division, which focuses on monitoring and attempting to prevent over-criminalization in our federal criminal laws.
Vitale, in just a few weeks, has attended several judicial committee hearings, edited and reviewed forthcoming reports, and been a central part of the debate on Computer Fraud and Abuse.
“With the advances in technology over the past few decades, a host of new and novel legal issues have arisen due the growth of computer availability and application,” he says.
Outside of work, Vitale has been active in attending a number of pro bono and public interest related events throughout the District.
Although this is Vitale’s first experience with policy-based work, his passion and dedication to serving the public sector make it clear that this is only the beginning.
