TAPPING INTO CUNY
Led by CUNY Law students, credit-bearing College Now courses will launch for high school students at Bronx Community College.
HYPER-LOCAL
First Impressions centers civic leadership & community justice in response to what’s happening in our city.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Mentoring opportunities for students from middle and high school connect then with law students, lawyers & justice system professionals.
A young person’s first interaction with the justice
system can stay with them for the rest of their lives.
All too often, this first impression is fraught with fear and mistrust.
By investing in a community-focused framework
that empowers young people through mentorship and education,
we can reimagine the way our young people
first come into contact with the justice system.
– SENATOR, JAMAAL T. BAILEY,
CUNY LAW CLASS OF 2012
HON. TRACEY A. BING ’96
Director, First Impressions Youth Legal Collaborative
Judge Bing, a CUNY School of Law graduate and native New Yorker, has dedicated her career to community legal advocacy, education, and youth justice. She began at Harlem Legal Services as an IOLA Legal Services Fellow and continued advocating for families, children, and survivors of domestic violence at the Legal Aid Society and Manhattan Legal Services. As a judge in Bronx County Family Court for nearly a decade, she presided over cases related to child protection, custody, and family offenses. Judge Bing co-chaired the Bronx County Family Court Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee, addressing disparities in the legal system. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Law and is actively involved in mentoring and judging mock trial and debate programs for middle and high school students. Judge Bing is a member of various professional associations, including the New York City Bar Association and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association.
AMANDA MACHADO
College Assistant, First Impressions Youth Legal Collaborative
Amanda Machado is a first-generation college student on her paternal side at St. John’s University, majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Legal Studies. Her ambition is to become a lawyer. Working with the Criminal Justice Association and Undergraduate Research Program, she researches cyber sexual abuse cases. As a Student Ambassador at St. John’s, Amanda provides tours to prospective students. She hopes the First Impressions Summer Law Institute instills in students a true understanding of the power of their voices. Amanda is excited to be part of this transformative experience.