School of Law alumni make a difference through community service

Graduates are making significant community contributions through service initiatives, highlighting the vital role of lawyers in supporting those in need.
School of Law alumni make a difference through community service
Lauren Lee Pettiette Schewel, J.D. '14, Nalani Gordon, J.D. '18, and Amir Ladan, J.D. '97

As members of the legal profession, many University of Miami School of Law alumni have prioritized service by committing their time and resources to communities where they work and live. Through nonprofit organizations, educational programs, and more, they have given back to those in need while building meaningful connections and experiencing personal fulfillment.

From an early age, Miami Public Interest Scholar Nalani Gordon, J.D. '18, an associate with Gunster in West Palm Beach, has actively served her community. She has maintained her commitment to service after teaching and earning her law degree. She started a Young Professionals Group for the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, a group of diverse, dynamic professionals under age 40 dedicated to supporting public school students and teachers. They serve the schools by reading and mentoring students, volunteering and raising funds for teacher supplies, and hosting back-to-school supply drives.

"We had an incredible time participating in this year's Back to School Palooza," Gordon said. "We were able to provide backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, groceries, and more to students in the community." Nalani also volunteers as the assistant director of the youth department at her church, coordinating youth involvement in food drives and other service-related initiatives.

"Lawyers have special superpowers that non-lawyers don't possess," Gordon said. "We have the ability to provide advice and services that are invaluable to the community. Lawyers are natural problem-solvers and critical thinkers, which is exactly the type of mindset that is most effective when engaging in service to the community. My philosophy is that every person has something that they can offer to assist someone else and an obligation to give back in some form."

Amir Ladan, J.D. '97, is the founding partner of The Ladan Law Firm, PA, in the Orlando area, where he has, for many years, been actively involved in serving the community through a variety of charitable events and activities. Ladan is the past president of the Rotary Club of Seminole County Sunset, where he is responsible for their annual fundraiser—Poker Chips for Scholarships. The event raises thousands for scholarships benefiting high school seniors in Seminole County. The group also volunteers at local homeless shelters. For the past 16 years, the firm has hosted a holiday party benefiting XL106.7's nonprofit Baby DJ, collecting hundreds of toys and cash donations for local children in need. The firm has also served as the title sponsor of The Fifth Amendment Happy Hour, benefiting the Orange County Bar Association's Legal Aid Society. Funds raised at the event provide free legal services to community members who cannot afford legal counsel.  

"I think it is incumbent on those of us who have enjoyed the level of success that we have to ensure that we assist members of the community who need our services," said Ladan. "The lawyers and staff of our firm are active in the communities we serve. Not only do our lawyers provide pro bono legal services well in excess of what the Florida and local Bars require, but our lawyers and staff enjoy participating in a variety of community service projects, fundraisers, and events."

Miami Public Interest Scholar Lauren Lee Pettiette Schewel, J.D.'14, is the alumnae engagement manager for HeartShare St. Vincent's Services, a nonprofit based in Brooklyn, New York, that works with foster care youth. She is building the program and recruiting/engaging former foster care youth for the agency's Alumni Association. She shares that this is a life-changing way to look at being in foster care—flipping the script, owning the experience, and creating a network of peers. Lauren also chairs the LIFE Skills board in Durham, North Carolina. Its mission is to empower transition-age youth to live stable, self-directed lives by providing them with housing and wraparound support services. In addition, she serves on the city of Durham's Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee, assisting citizens in deciding how to allocate public budgets through democratic deliberation. She has also served on the Lupus Foundation Association of North Carolina's board of directors.

After living through Hurricane Katrina as a college student in New Orleans and trying to help address the aftermath, Pettiette Schewel knew she could do more. She found that participating in the conversations in leadership roles or working in nonprofits, classrooms, or advocacy opportunities was the way to activate change for future generations. Pettiette Schewel also lives with lupus and shares that every day can be a struggle. But pushing to "do something" and having people care for her motivates her to pay it forward.

"We come to law school with different goals, dreams, and opportunities," said Pettiette Schewel. "However, everyone should have the spirit of 'giving back' in their portfolio. It is crucial for law students and lawyers to engage in community service, board leadership, or pro bono work because we are charged with protecting and advocating for the community.

"Lawyers and law students are equipped with so many crucial skills that are desperately needed by nonprofits, schools, churches, the government, and other community organizations. Not only is service engagement beneficial for the organizations in the community, but it is also beneficial for lawyers and law students—it is a conversation starter, a great way to connect with community members, and firms are leaning into lawyers and law students with diverse, community-oriented profiles," she said.

Read more about HOPE Public Interest Resource Center.

 



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