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Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law has launched the Perry Weitz Mass Tort Institute. Here, students are trained on “cutting-edge technology modeled off the most advanced courtrooms in New York,” according to the law school.
A Hofstra Law graduate from the class of 1983, Perry Weitz donated $2 million to create the institute, which held a kick-off event to celebrate its opening last week. The event featured a conversation with members of the law firm Weitz & Luxenberg.
“The legal field demands increasingly cutting-edge skills, and I have been happy to assist Hofstra Law in meeting these demands,” Weitz said in a statement.
Having served as an honorary co-chair for the law schools “Vision 2020” campaign, Weitz has long supported Hofstra Law. And his son, Justin, graduated from the law school in 2009.
“I became involved with the campaign because I know what a great institution this law school is, and I am committed to see that it continues to be for future generations to come,” Perry Weitz said.
Hofstra Law Professor Allison Caffarone was named the institute’s executive director. With the expertise of the law school’s faculty in torts and trial advocacy, the institute aims to identify and analyze the problems deemed worthy of further exploration.
The institute features the Weitz & Luxenberg Trial Courtroom, which was originally dedicated in August 2000. Now, as part of the institute, the courtroom features the latest digital technology, including software used in trials, digital presentation and preservation of evidence, and video conferencing for off-site witnesses and experts, according to Hofstra.
“We are grateful for Perry’s commitment to training the next generation of lawyers so that they are equipped with the skills needed to be a renowned mass tort lawyer, like Perry, or so that they can forge their own path to success,” Hon. A. Gail Prudenti, dean of Hofstra Law, said in a statement.
The institute will also serve as a place to connect students, scholars, practicing lawyers, judges, and other interested participants. It will serve as a space to “explore the role that complex litigation plays” in the legal system through “annual conferences, training and trial advocacy programs, innovative courses and scholarship and research,” according to Hofstra.
“The institute seeks to prepare, challenge, and inspire Hofstra Law students to promote social change, pursue redress for individual victims and zealously advocate on behalf of institutional clients,” Caffarone said in a statement.
For Justin Weitz, an associate attorney at Weitz & Luxenberg, the institute serves as a way to foster the next generation of attorneys.
“It was an honor for me and the managing members of Weitz & Luxenberg to discuss our work with law students, and give back to Hofstra Law,” he said in a statement. “It was particularly gratifying for us to help educate and develop the students’ interest in what we feel is one of the most important aspects of jurisprudence in today’s world. I hope we helped inspire the pursuit of mass tort education for the future lawyers who will carry the mantle.”
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Image and article originally from libn.com. Read the original article here.